Reno waited in the main office of Shinra Corp., looking around. This was the moment he had been dreaming of for a long while. This was what being a Turk was supposed to be all about. "Excuse me." Someone said, tapping him on the shoulder. Reno looked down at a young man, holding a large pizza box. "Where do I take this?"
"I'll take it up." Reno said. He pulled out a wad of money, and counted out a few bills. "Only executive on the top floor. You know how it is."
"Alright then." The boy said. He stood there, and stared at Reno for a moment. "Er... bye then." He luckily ran off, feeling that his life would be in danger if he didn't. Reno walked over to a table, and set the pizza box down. He flipped open the lid, and looked at the extra-large pizza inside.
"I always said too many of these things would kill him." Reno said to himself as he sprinkled a white powder over the top it. "But he never listens to me, does he?" Reno closed the pizza box, and walked toward the elevator. After he pushed to button for the top floor, he pulled out his phone. "Sir? Your pizza's on its way. Yes.. Yes, it's extra-cheese. No.. Yes.. I'm in the elevator now. Yes... alright." Reno stuck his cell phone back in his pocket, growling. "Damnit! He acts as if we're a delivery service." He said. The elevator slowed, and stopped at the second-to-top floor. Reno sighed, as the doors opened. Heidgarr hand up to him, taking the pizza box from Reno's hands.
"It's hardly warm!" Heidgarr said. "You could have moved faster."
"I'm sorry sir. It won't happen again."
"I'm sure it won't." Heidgarr snapped. Reno nodded and turned to the stairs to the top office. "Where are you going?"
"Tesng wanted to see men after I... assisted you." Reno said.
"Well hurry up then." Heidgarr said. "Desert will be coming soon, and I don't want it to melt!" Reno walked up the long staircase and saw Tesng looking out of the large window.
"It's amazing what poisons you can find on the street these days." Reno said. "One that, once injected, cause a heart attack. It's perfect for that fat idiot."
"I'm sure." Tseng said. "What do you plan you doing about the other one?"
"I couldn't just blow her head off, could I?" Reno asked innocently.
"No. I said make it look like an accident." Tseng said. He turned away from the window, and looked at Reno. "You said you had a plan. What exactly was it?"
"Yeah, and shooting Scarlet was part of it." Reno said, smirking. "Now I gotta do it the hard way..."
"Which is...?" Tseng asked, trying to see if it fell under the category, accidents.
"She's have a choking problem when she has dinner tonight. I'll make sure of it." Reno's smirk widened.
"That's more like it." Tseng said. He paused, thinking. "What is for dinner?"
"Dunno yet. Something deadly, that's for sure." Reno said. "And of course, I have to go prepare her food."
"Sounds good."
"Has his high and mighty returned yet?" Reno asked, out of interest.
"No." Tesng said. "Though Rankin did call earlier."
"Eh?" Reno said, walking closer.
"Seem's Rufus is getting confused. He knows he has to choose, but he doesn't want to."
"What do you think he'll do?"
"I don't know" Tseng sat down, leaning his chin on his hands. "It's his call really."
"Making any bets yet?" Reno smirked. It was the only way Turks smiled.
"No." Tseng said. He looked up at Reno. "I don't think I should be betting on an old friend." He paused and thought for a moment. "Especially if he's going to be your boss again."
"Good point." Reno said with a sigh. "Well, I'd better clean up the mess down stairs. He's got to be dead by now."
"Enjoy yourself." Tseng said, turning back to the large stack of papers on his desk.
"I'm sure I will." Reno wandered down the stairs, leaving Tseng alone.
"Excuse me, sir?" A voice sounded over the intercom. Tseng looked over at it, surprised.
"Yes?" He said, after a moments thought.
"The white cloaked man is here to see you again. Shall I send him up?" The girl asked, unsure. Tseng stood there, staring into space for a moment, sifting through the possibilities of why Rufus would decide to surprise him. "Sir?" The girl asked, after he gave no reply.
"Yes, send him up." Tseng said.
"Too late, sir. He's already in the elevator." The girl said.
"Thank you." Tseng said, switching the intercom to off. A few seconds later, Rufus stormed up the steps, still hooded.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, setting Rankin to tail me?" Rufus said.
"I wanted to protect you from harm. He was assigned as a body guard." Tseng lied.
"Like hell!" Rufus yelled. "You know as well as I do, that I can protect myself if need be. You send him to keep an eye on me so I couldn't see Couri."
"You read me like a book." Tseng said. "But I will not have you jeopardize this company's future."
"It is my company and I can do whatever I want with it!"
"It was your company, Rufus, was. Now, as the president of Shinra Corp, I own and make all the decisions for it. You are just a ghost." Tseng said. His words stung Rufus, and left him speechless for a moment.
"You know, without me, this company will fall." He said in a soft voice. "It's crumbling around you Tseng, and if you don't take my help, then you will fall with it."
"I will keep this company alive." Tseng said. "With or without your help, Rufus."
"You can't and you know that. That's why I'm here, and why you're sending the Turks to spy on me. To protect the company."
"As head of it, I have to!"
"To hell with it!" Rufus shouted. "To hell with it all! No one cares about Shinra Corp. anymore. Why not just let it die, and be done with the whole thing?" Rufus sighed, and turned away.
"The world changes." Tseng said. "They need a power to look up to now. Everything changes, except for Shinra."
"No," Rufus said. "You're wrong. I changed along with everything else." He walked down the stairs, with out another word to Tseng. Tseng sighed, and sat in the large chair, closing his eyes.
####
Rufus sat in a small, secluded forest, a few miles away from Midgar. He was in a clearing, looking at a bed of wild flowers that were blooming in the sunlight. In his hand was the small rose bud he had cut a week ago. The petals were still soft and fragrant.
He sighed, standing, and plucked a flower from the bed. "So fragile." He whispered, smelling it. "Unaware of what dangers the world around it holds." He turned, and walked to a near by stream. It was the only sound in the forest. He sat down beside the bank, and dipped his fingers in the cool, flowing water. "A peaceful, tranquil place, kept from the harsh reality." He held the flower out onto of the stream, and watched as it floated away. "A rest stop on the journey of life."
Rufus let the tiny water droplets run off his hand before he stood. "A man so hard on the outside shows emotion when he's alone." A voice said. Rufus simply nodded.
"A mere man can be more that what he seems." He said. "You know that, right Couri?" Couri stepped out from behind a tree. "You're spying on me for a change."
"I do what's not expected." Couri answered. "You didn't expect me to watch you, so I did."
"Nice theory." Rufus said, smirking. "So is it my turn to ask what you want? Or are you still doing that?"
"Funny." Couri said. "I see you don't have the little puppy dog that seems to follow you around." She wandered over to the bed of flowers. "Is this where you fell?" Rufus didn't move. "That blast must have hit you hard, to rocket you miles away from Midgar." Rufus again didn't answer. There was along moment of silence before another word was spoken.
"I came here to be alone." He said "If you don't mind, I want to get away from everything." He sighed. Couri walked over so she stood beside him.
"You can't." She said. "No matter how hard you try, you can never be alone." Rufus shook his head.
"I wanted to remember." He said. "Everything." Couri looked over at him. She reached for his hand, setting a small ring in it.
"I'm sorry it didn't work out." She said. Rufus looked at the golden band. He remembered it all too well. A fantasy that happened years ago. A fantasy that was not meant to be.
"You keep it." He said, handing it back to her. "I gave it to you."
"But-"
"And this." Rufus said, holding the rose bud out to her. "This is for you. Everlasting love." He said. Couri took it, turning a shade redder.
"You know I couldn't possibly..." She stared. Rufus looked at her, his eyes soft. "I can't Rufas. It would be the same. Just like last time."
"Then let's just have the memories." Rufus said. He kissed her softly on the cheek, and turned away. Couri stood there stunned. "If we can't have anything else," Rufus said, walking away, "let's have the memories."