Disclaimer: Advent Children is owned by Square-something. This is a non-profit work only for entertainment purposes.
Chapter Three
Revelation
Hanging sideways on the Seventh Heaven's large oak door was a nice quaint closed sign. The tall red-haired man reading the sign cursed loud and kicked the door for good measures.
"Why is it that the only bar that's half decent in this freaking city is closed on our day off?" His tall stalwart companion adjusted his shades, something that could be mistaken for a frown forming on his face.
"Where's Tifa?" His smaller companion glared up at him with irritation. "I don't know maybe she's off washing her hair like Elena does when we actually need her." The dark man's answer to the sarcastic comment was to turn away and stalk down the street.
The red hair man realizing his mistake cursed again. The he started chasing his friend down the street.
"Rude I am... sure Elena's going to be ok." Rude had not gotten very far ahead of his red-haired friend but still did not respond to him. "Sure getting incapacitated by a child's disease is unbecoming of a Turk but even she wouldn't humiliate us by actually dying from it."
Reno was lying through his teeth. Rude seemed to buy it. At least he lessoned his pace so Reno did not have to power walk to keep up with him.
Being a realist Reno had a firm belief Elena was going to die. Some how the loud mouth twit had not only contracted a child's disease but had developed the worse know case of it. The doctors did not think she would last the month.
Before last week Reno and been on the same page as Rude. He had been helping the quiet man check out any potential leads to what might be causing the disease. Even went they found absolute nothing he still thought there might be something.
To him it looked like someone had deliberately started this crazy disease. All they would have to do was ask around until they found the mad genius then beat the cure out of him.
In away he was right. Reeve's animal friend had sent over information about the cause of Geostigma. The big bad guy in this was the Planet. Something was taking the planet's energy it need to heal from Meteor so the Planet started taking energy from people.
Really nice of it, seeing how people saved the Planet from Sephiroth and Meteor. The great Planet loving sages had not even been able to figure out what was causing the block. Quite a few of them thought it was just a natural part of the Planet's cycle.
Reno snorted, they probably though this was a great learning experience. Good thing for them they were all so old they were expecting their friends to keel over.
Because of the stupid Planet Reno was going to loss a Turk. There were only three of them left after Meteor. The organization just was need anymore. Rude probably drag him there to watch her die too. That was not something the red haired Turk wanted to experience.
The worse thing was that they would not be able to fight against the Planet. If they injured it, what would stop it from just taking more energy? It was the ultimate no win situation. Too bad AVALANCHE was not around anymore to try and fix this.
A loud murmuring began to content with Reno's thinking. Annoyed, the Turk looked up ready to shout at the noisemakers for disturbing him. To his surprise it was not a handful of punks but the entire street.
From where he and Rude were standing it seemed that the whole population of the slums had gathered in a large crowd. This was more like it Reno thought a nice big riot would be a great way to work his tension out.
Much to his disappointment the crowd began to disburse as they approached. There were not any bodies lying around. At least, Reno had not missed anything fun.
It was strange to see a crowd like that in Midgar. Life had gotten rather boring in Midgar, since Meteor, people trying to survive and all that.
Reno grabbed a passerby by a thick arm and spun the man around. The man was a large fat man with balding hair and tiny beady eyes, reminding Reno of the Palmer. The man straightened himself with an annoyed huff but when he looked up to tell them off he went white.
"Turks," the man stuttered looking around the crowd for help. Reno enjoying the effect he was having on the man. He leaned against the man in a friendly matter. The man looked up to see Reno giving him a predatorily smile.
"My friend and I are curious about what just happened." Reno kept his voice light and friendly as he asked the question. "Some punk freaked out on his cycle and crashed." The man was shaking violently now trying his best to keep away from the Turk without moving.
As much as Reno was enjoy terrifying the man he did have other things on his mind. "So a big huge crowd formed over some punk kid." Reno knew as well as the man did it would take more than that to get people to bait an eye.
The man swallowed, "some of the people thought he looked like that world savior, Cloud Strife." Reno and Rude's shades exchanged a long look. Cloud coming back to town would explain why the Seventh Heaven was closed.
The great hero had been missing for what a year now. Reno was curious to discover what would have brought him out of hiding.
"Which way did this guy go?" The trembling man pointed straight ahead. Getting what he wanted Reno pushed the terrified man away. "What do you think Rude?"
There was not much in the direction the fat man had been pointing. The upper plate had collapsed crushing the sector. Gang punks did not even hang out in that sector.
The silent Turk nodded. Reno shrugged as he started walking down the road.
"Why would Strife be coming down here?" Reno asked as they made their way through the mess the fallen plated had created. Some of the rubble was as large as houses.
A small footpath had been made through the mess. It had to be man made, the plate could not have fallen that perfectly.
"The church." Rude said as he made his way effortlessly through the mess. "What are you talking about?" Reno looked at Rude's direction in confusion. What had Rude been doing down here in the first place? Rude shrugged and continued forward.
That had annoyed Reno. He told Rude everything, since when did Rude decide to keep secrets. The anger rant Reno planed on shouting stopped dead in his throat as he saw something chrome flashing in the distances.
"Yo, Rude I see something." A pair of very expensive looking motorcycles had been hidden in a small cove of what could have been a house. It was hard to tell now. A large chunk of the upper plate had crushed it.
Reno crouched down to examine the pair of bikes. Not only were these beauties expensive but they had also been well cared for. "This things don't belong." Rude had stood beside him. It could have been because he was curious or that he just liked the spot.
"That punk could have been Cloud. His the only person I knew that would have enough money to have one of these and bring it into the slum." There was not a response from Rude but Reno had not really expected one. "Wonder what his doing?"
Reno looked up at Rude. "I guess you think it has something to do with Geostigma." The silent Turk nodded.
That sort of made sense, Reno reasoned. Cloud had disappeared right after Geostigma started maybe he found out something. Why come here though, something was not adding up.
Rude pushed Reno over knocking the red haired Turk to collapse on the ground. Just as quickly the darker man leap backwards. Reno started a moment in confusion trying to decide exactly how to act upon his displeasure. A bullet went flying right through the spot where his had had been. That shut the Turk up.
Leaping to his feet, Reno drew the electro-rod out of its hiding place. He turned to see who was stupid enough to try and kill one of the Turks.
His eyes widen with surprise as he saw two young men that looked strikingly like the late general Sephiroth. Under the arm of the large one was a tiny struggling child. The kid looked very familiar. She was one of Tifa's brats.
"Let the girl go." Reno glanced at Rude with surprise. Why did he care about some brat? The larger Turk was in his battle stance. He looks angry, Reno thought in amazement.
Reno turned back to the young men giving them a wide smile. "You heard my partner hand the girl over."
The tall muscular one sneered at Reno with arrogance and bloodlust glittering in his eyes. "Why don't you come and get her?" Neither of the two Turks looked at each out but years of working together gave them all the response they need.
Reno sprinted forwards activating his rod, planning on bring it down on the longhaired man.
The silent man in shades stood in an attack position waiting for something. Loz frowned in anger, was this man trying to insult him like the Lockhart woman. Making him come to the man and not the other way around. A small child could see that Loz was the superior opponent in this brawl.
A child, Loz had forgotten the struggling girl under his arms. The man must be waiting for him to get rid of the girl.
Loz smirked at the man. He would give the man exactly what he wanted. Using the least amount of his strength, the silver haired man sent Marlene flying into a collapsed wall. The tiny brat did not even have a chance to scream before her frail body slammed into the wall.
That would keep her from struggling. He idle wondered if she had actually lived through the blow. Her tiny body would not be able to handle much damage. It was not like it mattered if she lived or not. The master had more than enough children now.
A flash of movement crossed the edge of his sense. Loz dodged the dark man's punch to his face without any effort. The Lockhart woman had been far faster. Thinking of the dark haired woman sent a spark of rage through Loz's mind.
With fury blazing in his mind Loz slammed his fist into the dark man's jaw. That should put the silent man under. Loz could then take out Yahoo's opponent as payback.
The dark man stumbled back but keep on his feet. To Loz's chagrin, the man looked up ready for more. The pair of shades had stayed on his face.
Loz growled in anger at the man's resilience. How dare he survive that? The man tried to strike that Loz again. Using his inhuman speed Loz caught the man's wrist. He planned on breaking the dark man's arm, but then he saw where Yazoo's opponent was.
A perfect shot. Loz twisted his wrist activating the Duel Hound. Bright blue flames danced over his arm burning the air. A look of surprise crossed over the dark man's face. Loz smirked at the expression as he slammed the Duel Hound into the man's body.
Reno brought down the crackling electro-rod on the silver haired punk's head, only to find that he had moved. How had he moved like that? These guys seemed to be more than just Sephiroth fan boys.
A sound came from behind Reno, causing the Turk to spin around. He had moved fast enough to see the man raise his strange gun and pull the trigger.
"Hey," Reno shouted as the electro-rod went flying out of his hands. The silver haired man appeared in front of the rod smirking at Reno. Trying to play with a Turk was he.
Reno spring towards the man and attempted to kick him. Quick as lighting the man swayed back only an inch from Reno's foot. Green mako eyes glittered in a sadistic amusement. "Your not very fast." His knee slammed into Reno's chest.
The air went rushing out of the redhead's lungs. He collapsed to the ground coughing weakly. People could move that fast it just was not possible even with mako.
A metallic glitter pulled Reno's attention back the silver haired man. The man's bulky gun was point right at Reno's face. "I was expecting a little more out of a Turk." The man leered down at Reno, the green eyes filled with blood lust.
Reno coughed weakly as he tried to say a comeback of any type. The words got stuck in his throat as he realized that he was going to die. The man's feature had frozen into an impassionate face. With the exception of the blood lust glowing brighter than the mako.
Here, he thought Elena was the next one to go. It would make her feel better knowing that she beat him out. Sorry, Rude.
A miracle happened. The man's icy mask broke as horror danced across his face. He took a step backwards staring at Reno with pure terror.
What? Reno was not in a position to cause that kind of terror. From the man's expression a moment before it did not seem like he would shy away from killing.
Any further thoughts of the man's strange behavior were cut off as a huge projectile went hurling into Reno. The force of the projectile sent Reno and it flying across the rubble covered ground. They punched right through an abandoned wall.
The momentum, finally, ended leaving Reno lying painfully on the ground entangled in the projectile. The sound of motorcycles staring up in the distance brought Reno to his sense. He tried to push the large weight off his body but the thing was to heavy for him. A black suit-wearing thing, Reno blinked with surprise as he realized who was on top of him.
"Rude get up. They're getting away." He could hear the motorcycles pulling away now. Angry at thought of losing the two men Reno started trying to kick Rude into awareness.
"Come on Rude you can't be unconscious." A sigh escaped Reno's lips as he realized that the two men had gotten away. "How can you even be hurt? Your glasses are fine." The redhead Turk took another glance at his groaning partner's shades. They were not even scratched. A very important question entered the Turk's mind. "What are those thing made of?"
Cloud had never seen a place like this before in all his travels. Flowers stretched out as far as he could see even with his mako enhancements. They where yellow flowers that reminded him of the ones Aeris had grown at the church.
Was this a dream? Cloud had not dreamed in a very long time. His nights had been haunted by gruesome nightmares.
This place did not feel like it had been created by his mind. A quiet tranquility filled the air making it very difficult to feel anything but peace. There was something else to hovering in the air, a feeling of waiting, of incompletion.
"That's right Cloud this is we're those who haven't fulfilled their purpose stay." That voice, so sweet and cheerful, it could not be. Cloud turned around fear and guilt began swarming though his soul.
Standing with her back towards him was a very familiar woman in a pink dress, with her chestnut hair in a thick, long braid. "Aeris." His voice came out as a whisper. It just was not possible. Not once in two year had he seen the flower girl, even in his nightmares he never saw her. This was going to turn into a new type of nightmare, was not it?
"Cloud your acting so silly." The woman turned around her eyes sparkling, her lips turned up into a smile. Cloud stumbled backwards overwhelmed by everything. She looked just as he remembered her. Just as she had when Sephiroth had stabbed her in the back. Her smile, it was the same.
Cloud shook his head trying to reason clearly. The person could not be Aeris. He never saw Aeris. If she were Aeris, what would she say to him for failing as her bodyguard, as a friend?
Aeris moved her small hands gripping them lightly on his shoulders to stabilize her friend. "There is nothing to say Cloud." She gave Cloud a reassuring smile. Cloud moved his own hands placing them over her smaller ones. They were warm almost like she was alive again.
The green of her eyes pulsed with as much warm and life as they had went he last saw her. This was Aeris.
"How is this possible?" No matter how much he wanted to meet her he know it was impossible. She looked up into his eyes giving him a mischievous smile. "It's just as I said a place where those who haven't fulfilled their purpose stay. Like Limbo."
Cloud nodded in understanding even though he was still confused. "How can I be here?" No memories of dying had come to his mind. "I summoned you here. There is something I need to tell you. Actually several things."
"There is something I need to tell you to." Cloud's throat went dry as he stared into her emerald eyes. All her attention was focused directly on him.
"I am pleased to meet you. I am Cloud Strife." That had not come out exactly as he thought it should have. He looked away from the woman feeling his face burn with embarrassment. All this time he had dreamed of meeting her as himself but he had never thought of what to say if he did.
She giggled softly not mocking him but in a gentle amusement. "I am pleased to meet you too. I would like to see your face so I'll be able to remember you." He turned to face her, his face still burning with shame.
In a comical manor she stood on her toes to examine his face. A slight smile started forming on his lips as she narrowed her green eyes. The first attempt at a smile he had since leaving the Seventh Heaven.
She lowered herself back down keeping her eyes on his face. "Yes, I think I'll be able to remember you." The small smile broke out into a full-fledged smile. A heavy weight had been lifted off Cloud's chest. He had final been able to meet her as himself and she had forgiven him.
Something was missing. Cloud was not sure what it was but it began tugging at the back of his mind.
"Why are you here? Should not you be in the promise land." The little nagging feeling would not disappear but it was pushed aside as sorrow crossed Aeris face. Cloud tightened his grip on her hands to lend her strength.
"I can't go to the resting place of the Certa until my destiny is fulfilled." She looked away from Cloud to gaze out over the endless field of flowers. "My mother has final found peace there."
"How can that be?" Confusion laced with anger swirled through Cloud as he stared at her profile. "You saved the world from Meteor. You gave you..." He could not finish the statement for that hurt had not been completely washed away.
"That was not all of my destiny. As the last of the Certra I was destined to destroy Jenova." Jenova, the word sent a chill through Cloud. Aeris did not seem to notices as she continued her sad tale.
"The Planet is dying." Cloud almost spoke is disbelief out loud but she silenced him with a shake of her head. "You have seen the signs yourself. Geostigma is the Planet's last attempt to save itself from injure. It takes energy from those who have the closes ties to it in order to survive.
"Because children have just began life they still have a close connection to the Planet." How could the Planet do that to children? The effects of Geostigma were horrible. Cloud had seen first hand when taking care of Denzul. Had the Planet became another Shinra?
"Don't hate the Planet Cloud. It doesn't have any other options for its survival. Meteor gravely injured the Planet even after all our efforts to protect it.
"The Planet began healing itself using the energy that rests in the left stream but Jenova began tapping into the energy. It was able to use the Planet's energy to grant itself power. That is why you began filling the call when Geostigma began."
This was his fault again. He should have realized what was happening to him instead of running away and hiding like a coward. People would be getting hurt if he had been thinking rationally. Tifa would not have been hurt.
"Aeris, why did Jenova have Tifa attack?" "That is part of what else I need to tell you.
"With the destruction of the Certra the planet has begun blessing humans with special energy. So they can protect the Planet. Most of them are only children.
"Marlene is one of them." Marlene would have been with Tifa. Tifa most have tried to protect the girl from being taken by the enemy. "Why? Why does Jenova need the children?"
Aeris looked back at Cloud her beautiful eyes glittering with sorrow. "You know the answer to that Cloud." An uncomfortable confusion settled on Cloud. He was a failure again. Nothing he could think of explained why Jenova would want those children.
The look Aeris gave him kept him from speaking. "I don't have time to explain it, you'll figure it out for yourself." Cloud nodded even though he was not sure that he believed the last part.
"Cloud there is something I have to ask of you." The sorrow seemed to fade away but her tone was still serious. Cloud took Aeris hands off her arms and held them tightly in front of him. "I'll do what ever you want." She smiled brightly at that. Her eyes were sparking with humor. "I know you'll be able to kill Jenova's physical form but to kill her mental form you most do something that will be very hard for you."
Cloud pulled her hands towards him. "I'll do what ever it takes to kill that monster. To save the children and free you from here." The woman blushed at Cloud's fervent tone like a schoolgirl. Her reaction puzzled Cloud but he meant every word.
"I need you to-"
"Cloud," the young man tensed then turned his head wildly trying to see the speaker of the voice. That voice it sounded like Zack. Was he here along with Aeris?
"Zack." Cloud called out trying to find where his old friend was calling. The world around him began to fade away into darkness. Aeris hands seemed to fade out of his hands.
"Cloud wake up." Zack's voice was a command, one Cloud felt himself obeying. Aeris was shouting something at him but she was to far away for him to hear her.
In his fuzzy half awake state he realized what had been nagging him. Tifa had wanted to meet Aeris with him. How could he have forgotten that?
To Aeris horror, Cloud had faded out of her world without hearing how to defeat Jenova. There was a soft laughter from behind her, Him. She should not have been surprised he had been able to come here. He was a spirit after all. The only place that He could not go was the promise land.
When she felt Him depart from Cloud, she had thought he had final been forced to reunite with the life stream. He had let her talk to Cloud as long as it was beneficial for Him. She had fallen for His trap.
"Thanks Aeris." After He spoke He disappeared for her world. Aeris sank to her knees fresh tears streaming through her eyes. With him gone her world seemed so lonely now. Why did He keep doing to this to her? Did not he care able the Planet, about Cloud? He had changed so much she could not even think of Him by His name.
She looked over the empty flower fields. How would her knight save her now?
"Is that Aunt Tifa's lover?" Lover, Cloud wondered why the kids where in here interrupting his sleep. There was a moment of silence. Giving Cloud the chance to fall back into the dark allure of sleep. "No I think their married."
Another tiny loud voice jarred him from his sleep. Why could not they leave him alone? His head ached terrible, he need whatever sleep he could get. "I don't think their married." It would take to much effort to scare them off. They would leave when they realized he did not want to play.
"Don't they have to be married, isn't Marlene their daughter." Cloud had discovered something soft, warm, and terrible comforting lying in his arm. "You don't have to be married to have a kid." A gasp of horror ran through the room. Cloud pulled the thing tighter against him enjoys the feeling of how close it was.
"I thought Marlene was that big black guy's daughter." What was this, Cloud wondered as he felt something silky touch his nose.
"No way his never here." The silky substances felt wonderful and Cloud buried his face into it. It smelt just like Tifa. "And he is." This was all beginning to remind him vague of something Zack had told him about a very long time ago.
"Aunt Tifa said they were just friends." Tifa, had not he brought her up stairs then he had that dream. Cloud snapped awake as he realized what he was clinging to.
At least ten children had jammed themselves in Tifa's room. Every one of them was looking at him with expecting looks on their tiny innocent faces. They were just kids, they would jump to any conclusion. Tifa would never find out about this.
Heat began rising in his cheeks as they just keep staring at him. A tiny little girl with doe eyes walked up to him. "Mr. Cloud."
"Yes," Cloud choked out as he just stared at her as he angel of doom. "Are you and Aunt Tifa lover?" His face flushed completely and he turned away from all the accusing eyes. Tifa was going to kill him. "They are lovers." The child shouted with excitement. Several of the other children began to add their cries in.
This could not be happening. Cloud had not even had a lover before. "No were not lovers. Tifa just got hurt." The little girl who asked him the question in the first place nodded in a very unbelieving way. His statement did cause most of the children to calm down enough that he was able to calm down.
During all the shouting Tifa had not woken up at all. He should have asked Aeris if she could have helped Tifa instead of thinking of himself. Gentle, he moved Tifa into a more comfortable position.
He pulled her gloves and boots off giving them to one of the children to put up. They had become very solemn as he looked over Tifa.
With the help of one of the older children he was able to pull the sheet over her body. He sat on he bed playing with her hair trying to decide what to do.
Tifa would not be awakening any time soon. Physical she seemed all right except the bump on her head. It did not look like her injure was going to cause permanent damage. He did not want to leave her hear alone though.
A conflict began forming in his mind as he stared at her. The Planet was in trouble, he had to save it, but Tifa was hurt. She had done so much for him he could not just leave her all alone. Saving the Planet would be protecting Tifa as well.
There was also Jenova. He could feel her tugging on his soul trying to make him go to her. Staying her would allow her more time for her to affect his mind. He could end up hurting Tifa.
A tiny tug at his sleeve brought him back to the room. It was one of the new children. The boy was moving on his feet with nervous energy. "We could take care of Aunt Tifa. She taught us lots of stuff so we can take could of Denzel." Cloud nodded to the boy and looked back at Tifa's sleeping form. That would be the best idea. If there were any problems they could call Barrett or Cid.
The boy smiled up at him, with hope in his eyes. "Sure, could you give us a moment?" All the children nodded and began to file out of the room.
"I am sorry Tifa. I'll bring Marlene back for you." Cloud leaned over and kissed Tifa tenderly on the forehead. "I am sorry for everything." His whispered to her still form as he broke the kiss. There were other things he wanted to say to her, his chest ached from them. He could not say anymore, so many broken promises.
Cloud stood up feeling very sober as he started at her. It seemed like an eternity before he stared moving towards the door.
This time he would have to fight alone. His friends had there own happy lives now. Taking them would just put them endanger. He might hurt them if they went with him. Tifa might not understand but she would not be able to find him.
At the door stood another child he did not recognize. How many more orphans had Tifa adopted while he was gone? "Mr. Cloud we came up to Aunt Tifa's room to tell her Uncle Rude and some crazy guy wanted to speak with her."
Uncle Rude, Cloud frown wondering why she was calling a Turk her uncle. It was not his place to say anything he had not been here for a year.
"I'll talk to them." The child nodded and disappeared down the hallway. Cloud took a deep breath not wanting to talk to the Turks at the moment but he did not want them here with Tifa.
After he chased them off he would start tracing down the voices. He could feel them now in the distance speed away from Midgar to... Cloud shook his head.
The living room of the Seventh Heaven was very comfortable. Happy pictures covered the wall giving the room a very warm feeling. Reno barely noticed the room as he stared at his partner.
Rude was surround by a swarm of children who were talking to him in a very animated fashion. It was not just that they were talking to Rude but he was talking back to them.
A tiny little girl yanked on Rude's pants leg. "Can I see you eyes?" Reno snorted. Rude did not take his shades off for any one. Much to the red haired Turk's surprise Rude knelt down in front of the child and removed the shades. That was not possible. Rude never took off his shades it went against all that was Rude.
Reno was not sure if he was shock or angry at the development. As he continued watching Rude play with the children he settled on angry. Rude had developed this completely secret life behind his back. What annoyed him more was trying to figure out how he had miss all this. The children seemed to know Rude very well.
"How do you know all his brats?" One of the brat girls stuck her tongue out at him. Reno smiled at her and stuck his right back at her. She got all huffy and stormed out of the room. He always had take effect on woman.
"I help out some times." The anger started intensifying in Reno with the response. "You help out some times is that why everyone here calls you Uncle?"
Rude answered the accusation by looking helpless. One of the children decided to answer for him. "Uncle Rude comes over when Aunt Tifa can't take up to plant flowers."
"Flowers!" Reno could not believe this. Just because they were not doing there normal work did not mean that Rude could go soft like this. "I can't believe. Your watching stupid children while I've been working." This was crazy. The only hope Reno had was that if he kept yelling it just would not be true. Rude soft.
A little girl walked over to Rude shyly and offered him a makeshift card. "We made that for Aunt Elena." Rude smiled at the girl and accepted the card graciously.
Reno glared at Rude until he realized what the child had said. Aunt Elena. Was that loud mouth running around here too? She was the softest member of the group in the first place now she was even softer. What was wrong with them?
"I can't believe you taking Elena behind my back to make her soft." Rude moved away from the children to stand by Reno. The red head leaned against the wall sullenly.
"Just because your afraid of going soft does not mean anyone else is." Reno's face went red as he turned to Rude. "I am not afraid of going soft because I am not soft." Rude put his hands up.
"Just saying we can do more now." Reno snorted and started at the ground. When was Tifa coming? He had to get out of this madness before it started affecting him.
"Want to hear who's here?" Reno scowled at the ground, "sure tell me what your fan club told you."
Rude actually had the nerve to laugh before he answered. "Apparently Tifa's up stairs sleeping with her "lover" who sounds a lot like Cloud."
Reno choked as he heard the last part. Cloud a lover, Reno could not imagine at all. Was not the spiky haired punk afraid of woman?
"Right." Rude nodded sagely as he adjusted his shades. At least he put those back on. Seeing Rude without them had really shaken Reno.
"What are you doing here?" This was the first time Reno would have ever been glad to hear the voice of Cloud Strife.
The blond was standing at the top of the stairs glaring down at the pair. Reno pushed off the wall smirking at Cloud not even flinching as his glare intensified. "We were here to ask about your new friends." The mercenary regarded Reno with a blank look in his glowing blue eyes.
"Two tall guys, silver hair green eyes. They seem to have a thing for back leather sound familiar." A thoughtful looked crossed Strife's face. His eyes brightened as he realized something. "I haven't seen them."
What a poor lie, if there were Sephiroth wannabes running about Cloud Strife would know about them. "Then who gave you that?" Reno pointed the large black bruise stretching around Cloud's neck. It looked like someone had tried to strange Cloud.
Cloud went a very unusual shade of pale. Almost in slow motion Cloud raised a glove hand to his throat. "No one did this." His voice came out very softly, like he was talking to himself. Wow, Cloud was crazier than last time they ran into him. Those years with Hojo must be catching up with the kid.
"What you did it to yourself?" Much to Reno's surprise Cloud turned even paler. He actually looked like he might faint. "No. Now leave." His temper snapped back rather quickly. "Were not leaving until we find out who they are."
Cloud started down the stairs anger flaring around him. "Come one we have every right to know who they are." Reno shouted at Cloud when he stopped in front of them.
"Leave!" Cloud pulled himself to his full height in an attempt to look Reno directly in the eye. The tall Turk almost laughed if not for the look in those mako eyes. A shiver went through Reno. He was not going to back down no matter now crazy Cloud looked.
"I don't think." Rude wrapped on strong arm around Reno's neck placing him in a headlock. "Hey!"
"We're leaving." Reno tried to struggle against Rude but soon found himself out side the Seventh Heaven. Once they were outside Rude dropped Reno on the ground. "What are you thinking?"
"Sorry Reno just going soft. I was not in the mood to watch Strife rip you into shreds." Reno adjusted his coat as he straightened himself out. "I doubt that Cloud is a goodie-goodie."
Rude merely shrugged as he pulled out his cell phone. With a sigh of aspiration Reno took the cell phone. He glared at Rude, who looked smug, as he dialed in Reeve's number. "We'll talk about this latter."
The phone started ringing pulling his attention away from his smirking friend. "Reno you're on time off why are you calling me?" The President sound like he was about to have a nervous break down. No surprise there, Shinra was practically falling apart. Not that Reno cared as long as he was paid.
"We ran into some interesting people and it lead to Cloud Strife." Over the phone he could hear Reeve fall out of his chair. "What Cloud his alive?" Reno shook his head in embarrassment for the President. "No we saw his ghost. Listen some weird stuffs been happening and it looks like your friend Cloud is going crazy. We need an ok to follow him."
There was a long pause on the other end. Reno rolled his eyes as he waited for his employer. Why was Reeve taking his time on this? "Both of you get back here." The Turk partially choked at the unexpected response.
"I know he's a friend of your but he knows something." Something that might have to do with Elena's condition, Reno did not say the last part. He was not going soft.
"Trust me we'll hear something soon." Reno slammed down the receiver in frustration. Rude just started walking back to H.Q. How did he know?