Game of Power

By: Zavijah

"Since love and fear can hardly exist together, if he must choose between them,

it is far safer to be feared than loved."

Love.

It was another word that lacked definition in Rufus' life. He knew the word when it applied to a family, a loving mother and father with their pride and joy. They lived happily together for years in happiness because of love—or so that was the impression Rufus had been given. He wouldn't know if it was really true. His mother had died upon giving birth to him, and his relationship with his father had never been a pleasant one. There was no love in his life, whatever memories Rufus had of his family was buried deep in the darkness of his mind the same day his father was laid six feet under the diseased ground.

The emotion that other people preceived to be love was nothing but a bundle of confusing impulses. It just didn't exist, because like the rest of the world, the feelings were always changing. A man could claim to love a woman for only so long before his feelings changed and he would leave saying it was not love. The word held no meaning. It was an excuse.

What fools.

How could anyone be so blind to such animalistic actions and naively argue it to be love? Just because humans had a conscious did not mean they were able to grasp and feel something as complex and unreal as love. People could be lov-ers, but that was it, nothing more than two beings enjoying sexually based interactions with each other--it was one-minded creatures following their desires.

Cerulean eyes narrowed as they watched from behind a dark mirror—the object of their attention completely unaware of the loathing gaze. Sitting on the other side of the masked glass, in a plain white room, was a nervous couple from the slums. Both of them were key members to the terrorist group known as Avalanche, which made them pests in need of extermination. Yet how dare they cower and hold onto one another as if the walls were slowly closing in to squash them. Rufus' enemies were suppose to be a lot stronger—not anything like the fearful rodents twitching apprehensively within their cage. How could he possibly reach his peak in 'power' if his foes were not worthy of defeating?

However, it made Rufus curious. If those two were part of the biggest threat towards him, and saying that was a joke, then was there anyone out there strong enough to take him down? The two rebels were not even worth his time—yet ever since the Turks had dragged them into ShinRa's headquarters, Rufus couldn't help but notice the way their hands would grasp the other's, and their eyes would meet briefly in meaningful glances. They were more than just two terrorists trapped behind enemy lines, they loved one another.

And it made Rufus sick.

The young president wanted nothing more than to break their fantasy—to stab their frantic hearts with the nearest sharp object and watch as their dark blood pumped out of their frail bodies then weave into the fine strands of white that made up his jacket sleeves. He wanted to kill their love. It was such an enticing image..

"Sir?"

Rufus pulled himself out of his blood-soaked daydream and turned his ice coated eyes towards the tall, bald Turk that had called for his attention.

"Did you want to speak with the suspects?" The man blandly spoke while holding up a set of folders that contained all the current information on Avalanche. Rufus had skimmed through them an hour earlier. He was actually slightly impressed with the efficiency of the Turk department. The orders to gather information had been made that morning, soon after Rufus had fallen asleep on his office desk. Next thing he knew the intercom voice of his secretary had jerked him awake to inform him that no only did the Turks have completed files on one rebel group, but they even had live people that were brought in for interrogation.

"It's kind of pointless to call them suspects when we already know they're terrorists," Rufus' deadpan statement of dry sarcasm didn't stir a single reaction from the tall Turk. It seemed Reno would be the only uniform that wasn't afraid to laugh.

Rufus plucked the folders from the silent Turk, scowling darkly with his hatred towards every other human. He pushed open the door to the small white room, only to bump into the previously mentioned red-headed Turk and drop the files at the same time. Sea green and ocean blue met in a burst of angry waves. Sparks flashed between the two complimentary colors as a storm threatened to take over.

"Watch wher—"both started then abruptly cut off.

Their eyes remained locked until Reno's resorted to a more peaceful glow of a playful cat, where as Rufus frosted over in annoyance. The Turk flashed a smirk before attempted to casually slink past. However, he didn't get too far due to Rufus shifting his weight to block the doorway.

Both pairs of eyes glanced down at the files lying strewn across the floor. Rufus lifted his gaze first, golden eyebrows were slanted to communicate his angry demand that Reno pick up the papers. The redhead returned the expression but with a hint of mockery, one of his fiery eyebrows rose—silent laughter.

A forced cough from a third patron ended the staring contest between Rufus and Reno. They looked towards the bald Turk that remained hidden behind black sunglasses and a neutral expression. Reno snorted a bitter laugh before quickly shaking his head. Crimson bangs fell forward, the pointed ends brushing over the faded scars on his cheeks. Rufus just then noticed the peculiar marks, before he had been preoccupied by Reno's mako-poisoned eyes. Now that he saw the perfect lines tracing beneath those same eyes in a twisting dark way, Rufus couldn't help but wonder about their origin.

"Pardon me," Reno low growl dripped with his repressed sarcasm. He knelt down on one knee and began to gather the tan folders—not bothering to organizing the pile, but simply bunching them together. "Let me just pick these up for you, sir."

Rufus eyebrows arched in question. How easily the young Turk had succumbed to his influence, much to Rufus' disappointment. What had caused the sudden change—a subtle cough from the bald man? It didn't make sense to the blonde president, and in turn he assumed there was something being said that he could not see or hear. Rufus didn't like to be the one out of the loophole. How could that other Turk have control over Reno when Rufus could barely get a proper salute from the redhead? It wasn't fair. Rufus was the one that was suppose to have the imaginary force—the power.

"Here," Reno shoved the disorderly pile into Rufus' chest.

Ah, offensive and disrespectful as expected. Rufus would have to punish the man one way or another. The VP pushed the papers back at the Turk and seized a fistful of the man's untucked shirt instead. Rufus would be the one in control, no one would be allowed to push him around, or have power over something he could not.

Reno was dragged, shirt first, into the plain white room with a metal table and matching chairs in the center. As soon as the door closed, Rufus released the Turk and motioned for him to 'stay'. He then turned to face the Avalanche couple, but not before dropping his glare to let a gentle, disarming smile soften his youthful features to play on the image of innocence.

Rufus sat opposite of the other two and silently judged them as they did the same to him through fearful eyes. They were in poor physical condition. The female had a dried cut across here cheek and here strawberry-blonde hair was frazzled and shaken much like how the rest of her body trembled. The male was worse. His left eyes was swollen shut and turning a disturbing mixture of dull yellow and bruise purple. There was some sort of burn mark across his face—the skin melted and charred to make a hideous sight of his face—an injury that was compliments of Reno's electric rod.

The president glanced back at the Turk, internally questioning and praising the man for the act of pure violence. Reno was leaning up against the wall, one hand shoved in his pocket while the other continued to hold the files. The acute frown on his face was enough to speak for his wounded pride.

Good boy. You do what I tell you to do.

As if reading Rufus' mind, Reno's eyes flicked in silent threat. Rufus was half-tempted to smirk, to provoke the Turk further into enforcing the warning. But he had no time to partake in such behavior, he had business at hand. Rufus turned back to his other company and smiled sympathetically, "Have they treated your wounds?"

Silence. The pair glanced nervously at each other, to Reno, then finally back to Rufus.

"No? Well let me be the first to apologize. When I said I wanted to meet with you, I didn't realize these Turks would arrange it in such a violent way," Rufus heard Reno snort in the background but paid no mind because the two were focused solely on him. "I realize now that they were trained under my father's rules, so they misunderstood my request."

Pause for effect, let the words soak in. Rufus watched as the couple looked thoughtful. Their eyes exchanged another glance—that meaningful loving look that filled Rufus' soul with spite. Yet he still managed to smile at them, waiting for the moment when one would summon up enough courage to speak.

"What do you want from us?" The male snapped.

Rufus' brow scrunched in feigned confusion at the anger directed towards him. On the inside, he laughed at the man's use of the pronoun 'us'. As if anyone could speak the mind of two people."I want to make peace with Avalanche."

"Bullshit," the man glanced across the table, but the faint glow in his dark eyes told Rufus that the words had hooked him. "ShinRa is evil, they don't make peace with anybody!"

"True. That was how the company was run under my father, and his father, and his father's father and so forth. But now that I have taken over the company, a few days ago, I feel that it is time for change. I don't want to fight with you," the lies fell easily from Rufus' silver tongue more smoothly than any truth ever could. "I wanted to meet with the member's Avalanche to discuss how I can make Midgar a better place."

"No way. You'll have to kill us before we trust the words from ShinRa," the rebel male spat in distaste, struggling against the line that was reeling him in.

"To be honest, if I wanted you dead, you would not be sitting here. I don't want to kill anybody—I'm not like that," Rufus sighed, internally amused at the frown on the girl's lips when her companion spoke of their death as one.

"You'll say anything to get what you want."

True again. Too bad your mind is being wasted. Rufus allowed himself to fall silent as if his feelings were hurt. Biggs was proving to be cleverer than he appeared—but Rufus would win one way or another in the end, and he was well aware of that fact. "What I want is to hear what my father has ignored all these years. Avalanche is against mako-energy and so am I, but the scientists here don't want to work on finding a new energy source, so I am turning to you for help."

The man had nothing to say to refuse, so he turned the situation over to the woman—a poor mistake on his part because she had already been netted by the false words. "For real?"

Rufus nodded, not trusting his voice to hide the sadistic urges circling in his mind like a vulture. He wanted to laugh as well. Never did he think that tricking his enemies would be so easy. Sure, lying to his father was easy. Lying to the employees of ShinRa HQ was merely a game he played to pass time. He never thought his foes would be so eager to accept his offer. What topped it off was how honest the pair appeared. After all, heroes were not expected to play dirty tricks to get what they wanted. Oh no, they were too honorable for that. What Idiots.

"We'd love to change Midgar for the better. But out leader is the one who has all the good ideas," the girl smiled, the dried blood clinging to her cheek was the only thing Rufus could find appealing.

"Leader? You mean you two are not leaders?" Rufus craned his neck back while raising his hand into the air. Reno caught onto the gesture and rolled his green eyes before handing the files over to the president. Rufus then spread the folders over the tabletop, flipping open the covers to expose the pictures and typed documents on the inside. He waved one elegant hand over the assorted contents. "My father had placed spies on you in the past, gathering all this information because he saw you as a threat to his Neo-Midgar project. It holds various details about Avalanche members. Let's see here.."

Rufus rummaged through the documents before he found pictures that matched the people sitting across from him. He took the corresponding folders and slid them over. "Jessie. Biggs. Correct?"

"Y-yeah," the girl responded while her eyes rapidly looked from the folder to Rufus' calm expression. The president gestured to the papers, urging the two to look inside.

Biggs timidly reached for his file, scared that if he stretched his arm out too far Rufus would rip it off. "Why are you showing us this?"

"Those were made to clarify you as targets, but you were a threat to my father, not to me. I don't need to put spies on you to gather information—in short, I don't need these files. Instead I want to use them to confirm with you who is all part of Avalanche to move them out of the slums for safety reasons. I don't know what my father was planning before he died. I suspect the worst." Rufus began to pluck the various photos out of the other folders. He laid them out in the middle of the table.

"Smells fishy to me," Biggs frowned at the pictures.

"Why?" Rufus kept his own gaze adverted so he wouldn't end up hinting at his cruel enjoyment of pulling their strings like they were marionettes and he the puppeteer.

"You just want to know so you can kill us all," Biggs shoved his file back towards Rufus.

"Biggs, I know it's hard to accept that your once sworn enemy is now asking for an alliance, but it's true. I'm not like my father, I want to change things. Besides.. If I really was as evil as you are trying to make me out to be, then I wouldn't need to confirm who is in Avalanche. I have all the information right here, if I wanted you dead, it would have happened already whether the people in these photos were innocent or guilty. It wouldn't matter, if I was like my father." Rufus tapped each of the photos, stressing his point that each of individuals could disappear with a snap of his fingers. It was true though, Biggs was wrong with his assumption. Rufus wanted to know about the members so he could find if there was anyone worth his time—if any of the pictures showed him someone strong enough to cause his empire to crumple. There had to be someone..

"Just tell me if the information is correct," Rufus pushed one photo forward. It showed a brown-haired girl in sweatpants, t-shirt and hand wraps. She appeared to be training somewhere in a vacant lot of the slums. "The file states that this is Tifa and she runs the bar known as 7th heaven. Is this right?"

"Yes—"

"Whoa! Don't tell him that shit Jess—are you stupid? He's trying to trick us." Biggs' glare was no longer on Rufus, instead he fixed it on his female companion.

Ah, how quickly 'love' changes, Rufus mused to himself.

"Oh, stuff it Biggs. Why would he be telling and showing us all this stuff if he was going to kill us. He already knows who we are, where we live—there is nothing we can say that he doesn't already know," Jessie vented upon her comrade.

"I know.. but I still don't trust him.." Biggs mumbled but the argument had already been won by the woman.

Rufus cleared his throat, switching their attention back onto him. If it turned out that he was wasting his time, someone would have to make it worthwhile. The next photo was pushed forward—one of a possible threat by mere looks. "Barret.. and what is he?"

"The leader of Avalanche."

"So why did he start Avalanche?" Rufus inquired while removing the photo from the table. He glanced over the stern expression the dark skinned man wore.

"He wants there to still be a planet when his daughter grows up. He says the planet is going to die soon because of the mako reactors sucking out the life." Jessie easily responded. Biggs retained his glare which he directed towards the tiled floor while leaning against the back of his chair.

"Ah, good reason." Stupid reason. The man would be easy to control if they seized his daughter. He'd shatter into pieces if they killed the young girl. No. He was too weak to pose a threat. The muscles and tough guy looks were just a cover up.

Rufus scanned over the photos of the average looking citizens until his eyes fell on the impassive face and eerie blue eyes of one man. He pushed the picture forward. "I don't have much information on him."

"Really? He used to be in Soldier. I thought ShinRa would recognize him at once." Jessie peered thoughtfully at the blonde haired man in the photo.

"Soldier?" Rufus flipped through the files, wondering how he could miss such an important detail. "What is his name?"

"Cloud. He's fairly new to Avalanche."

Rufus continued to skip through the papers until a stray picture came loose and fell onto his lap. It showed the same spikey haired man from the photo Jessie was admiring. But the one in his lap showed Cloud with someone else in the picture—a fair looking woman holding up a white flower to Cloud's nose. The look the still figures shared was the same as the way Jessie and Biggs gazed at one another.

Love. How pathetic.

"Who is this?" Rufus placed the new picture on the table while pointing to the auburn haired girl next to the ex-soldier. It bothered him that he didn't have any information on her—that for some reason her name had been kept out of the files.

"Aeris—"

A choking sound came from behind Rufus, but the girl didn't seem to notice.

"—She's not really part of Avalanche, but she takes care of Barret's daughter. Her and Cloud have something going on." Jessie mumbled, sounding awfully close to being jealous.

Rufus resisted the urge to look behind him. He knew the distressed noise had come from Reno. What—had he choked on one of his shirt buttons that he otherwise had no idea how to use? The moron. Rufus' mind tracked back onto his original train of thought. His eyes burned into the photograph of Cloud. Men who climbed the ranks all the way to Soldier were suppose to exceptionally strong and determined. "You said Cloud is new to Avalanche, when you said that I got the feeling that he really isn't a part of the team."

"Well.. he's sort of a mercenary. After our last mission he said he was leaving, but Tifa convinced him to stay." Jessie answered.

"So, if I sent someone to escort him here. How do you think he will react?" Rufus quietly asked while the wheels turned in his mind. Cloud held no current loyalties. He was a careless drifter, moving from job to job and only concerned with his own affairs. The spiky haired man was the wild card, and perhaps the ace to complete his royal flush. But which tactic would be the right string to pull Cloud into the card game.

"I don't know. We don't know much about him.."

That confirmed Rufus' assumptions about the mercenary. Rufus returned his gaze to the couple. He smiled—but not in kindness. Darkness crept ominously into his eyes and destroyed the innocence he once wore to deceive his audience. "Thank you. The information has been very helpful."

Rufus would choose love. That's how he would lure Cloud to him. He would manipulate the imaginary connection between Cloud and Aeris and then cut it as he pleased. Taking the photo, Rufus stood from the table and headed for the door. His fingertips tingled with a new excitement as Rufus turned and fixed his wicked smile on the redheaded Turk.

Reno's brow rose at the peculiar expression directed at him. It only grew to a more dangerous degree—a murderous glare that was sharp and slowly cutting through Reno's impassive demeanor. It was like the darkness moved with Rufus, engulfing Reno and strangling the Turk until he stared into the only light—a pair of brilliant blue eyes brimming with malice and cold laughter.

Rufus paused when passing Reno at the exit. His eyes released the redhead from their ethereal grasp. "Kill her."

Reno nearly jumped at the words, but he managed to retain a casual expression and merely glanced at the president. Rufus smiled and let his fingers grip at Reno's sleeve jacket. The rough fabric was a pleasant feeling to his numb fingertips. "Wait until he breaks, then kill him too."

Rufus let go of Reno's jacket and walked out of the room. His body went for the double-sided window that would allow him to see inside the white cell. The shot was silent, but Rufus could see the full extension of Reno's arm and his gloved hand that firmly held the recently fired gun. The victim laid twisted on the floor, a dark puddle of red forming around her head. The crimson lake against the snow-white tiles was an image to adore, as was the smug, triumphed smirk on Reno's lips. The other man in the room had a fine blood spray across his horrified face. His eyes, wide and crazed, were staring down at his 'love' that had once sat alive right next to him. In the matter of seconds she had gone from smiling happily to no longer being able to feel the cold floor that her body heavily fell against. She didn't know she died, she never saw it coming, and she would never know why she had been killed.

Biggs slowly moved out of his chair and sank to his knees besides his lost companion. Outside the room Rufus watched the performance. He took pleasure in viewing every wave of pain, guilt and anger that crashed through Biggs' body—eroding away his being until all that remained was trembling hands and watering eyes.

"Why?" Rufus spoke the word he could see Biggs mouthing as he cradled Jessie's lifeless body. The thick blood instantly spread to dye his clothes in the fatal color. He sobbed into her matted blonde hair and kissed the side of her slack face. Over and over he repeated an apology she would never hear. How sweet that he was sorry for something he had no power over.

Reno remained posed perfectly in his original place. He was waiting for the right moment to move. Somewhere during the point when Rufus had walked out of the room and to the window, Reno had flipped down his sunglasses to cover his eyes. Rufus could see the cruel smirk painted on his lips, and that was all he need to see to know what madness swirled in the green cat-like eyes. Reno must enjoy his job about as much as Rufus enjoyed watching.

Biggs finally stood, screaming as his wild eyes hone in on the murderer. His voice screamed, it cried, but most of all it called out Rufus' name in vain—but the president heard none of it through the sound-proof walls. The metal table was flipped upside down, and it was soon followed by a second body hitting the floor. Blood rushed over the floor, painting the tiles with deep strokes of death.

Rufus ran his fingers over the smooth glass that separated him from the room—preventing him from dipping his hands into the warm liquid of life. Soon it would be too cold and old to enjoy. Blood was only beautiful when accompanied by the sinful act of violence. The moment was now gone and Rufus no longer cared for the two lovebirds that were killed only to please his sickly twisted fascination with pain.

The door a few feet away opened and Reno stepped out of the room. Rufus pulled his fingers away from the glass while turning to face the Turk. His other hand raised with the photo he had taken from Cloud's file. "I want you to bring me this girl."

The joy Reno had been carrying vanished as anger chiseled into his young face. Rufus pushed the photo against the redhead's chest when the Turk didn't step forward upon hearing the orders. Rufus knew there was something more to Aeris than what he was led to believe. Reno knew whatever that secret was, and even though Rufus was curious, he didn't care who she was. Rufus only wanted her because she held a 'love' with Cloud—the real one that Rufus wanted to meet.

"You do some nice work, Turk."

Reno plucked the photo from Rufus, allowing the president's fingers to press lightly into his shirt a moment before he stepped away. Without so much as a nod, Reno walked down the hall with venomous eyes hidden behind the shadow of his sunglasses.

Rufus smiled, not bothering to turn and watch the other leave. He let his eyes close, caging his blue insanity into the darkness of his mind. "I hope to see more of it soon."

End Part III