Chapter 11
By Crystal Snowflakes
Author's Notes: Sorry for the late update... banned me from updating for a week :(
Disclaimers: Crystal Snowflakes does not own Final Fantasy 7 in any way.
-
She was on his chair, talking quietly on the phone to the guardian of the Pagoda. He shook his head as he took a puff of his cigarette, all the while wondering how she was holding up.
She loves you, you know. He thought to himself. He shook his head again, clearing his thoughts, only to have them return a second later.
Growling to himself, he leaned on the railing to look over Midgar, his mind once consumed by the thoughts and memories of the Meteor Crisis, then somehow drifting to her.
Sighing softly, he flicked his cigarette away and watched it fall a few floors down until it disappeared from his sigh. He then turned around to go back into his office...
...She wouldn't part from his thoughts.
-
"What do you mean Godo's missing?" She asked, a mixture of fear and dread at the pit of her stomach. "He can't just be missing! It's just not possible Shake. Has anyone seen anyone suspicious?"
No, not at all. We've asked around... He's just missing! He was there for a minute, then gone the next. I was with him the whole time, and then he asked for me to go get Noriko for him. When I returned, all I saw was a puddle of blood on the ground.
She frowned, "Puddle of blood...?"
We don't know if it was Lord Godo's... And there was a note next to it too.
"What did the note say then?"
It's weird... It said something about 'the Saw'.
Yuffie's eyes widened slightly, "Shake... I'll come back to Wutai as soon as I can, but unfortunately, we are dealing with the same problem here." She then proceeded to explain everything that happened in Midgar over the past weeks.
I see... Phone us if there is anything new.
"All right. I'll phone if we find Godo. And if you need me, phone as well. Bye."
Bye Miss Yuffie. Be careful.
"I will." She hung up the phone as she looked up.
His green eyes shone brightly, "It's Gabriella, isn't it?"
She only nodded in response.
"How are you feeling?"
"Fine." She closed her eyes and relaxed into the chair, "Gabriella wasn't lying to Cid. She doesn't want AVALANCHE. Maybe she wants everyone relating to AVALANCHE?" She mumbled to herself.
"Whatever is it, go rest."
She looked up at him, raising an eyebrow in the process. Is that a hint of concern in his eyes? She shook her head, "No. It's all right. At least after I tell Tifa and the others about what happened anyways. Until then, I'm not leaving."
Reno looked around his office, "I assume Rude and 'Lena went to go get them?"
She nodded, "Yeah."
He snorted, "Could've just called."
"Knowing Elena, she probably wanted to leave us alone and have some time alone."
"I know." He replied, "Which is why we should go. You need rest Yuff. 'Lena can explain what happened to then anyways."
"I'm not tired though."
"Right."
"I'm not!"
He sighed, "You need rest. I'm going to drag you home if you aren't going to move."
She crossed her arms, "Fine. I'll rest. But only because you're the stubbornness ass ever." Suddenly, she realized the jacket on her shoulder. She shrugged it off and handed it to him. "Here." She paused, "Thank you."
"Keep it." He muttered. "You'll get cold."
She smiled softly, "Thank you." She leaned towards him and gave him a peck.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder after he gave him a little push, "Come on. Let's go."
-
She sat in silence as she waited for Reno's cup of tea. She wondered if her father was all right, despites the fact that she really didn't like him...
"Tea." He interrupted her thoughts.
She smiled at him, "Thank you." She then attempted to take a sip, only to burn her tongue slightly. "Ow."
Reno chuckled, "A little late, but be careful. It's hot."
"I can tell." She grinned as she put the cup down. As she did so, her eyes caught sigh of something underneath the table. Out of curiosity, she pulled it out. It was a black picture album, the rim trimed with a thin silver lining. She glanced at Reno. "May I?"
He gave a slight hesitant nod.
She opened it up. The first picture of three Turks in their official Turk suit.
"Tseng, Rude and I took it a little while after I joined the Turks."
Her fingers trailed on the dark haired Wutain, her heart clenched with sudden pain as she thought about him. She flipped the page.
The next one was of the three of them in a bar, each with a beer in their hands.
"Rude's birthday." He explained briefly.
"Chronologic order?" She asked.
He nodded, "Most anyways."
Multiple of pictures were taken at bars, some of which they were smiling, some of which they were smirking. Some were of them having a drinking contest. A few of them had been Reno standing over drunks. It was made very clearly that it was taken after a bar fight with Reno standing in the middle with a smug smirk.
I'm so jealous of you Reno... She thought to herself.
The one after that was of Reno in the hospital.
"After Strife kicked the shit out of me at Sector 7."
Another picture or the Turks, only this time, this one consisted of four members and not three.
"Tseng had to hire 'Lena as a Turk because I had to rest for a month or so after that... And thus, for the first time in Turk history, there are four members."
She flipped the page again. There was Reno sprawled on a couch. It was apparent that he was barely conscious at the time of the photo taken.
"'Lena thought that I'd be funny to take a picture of me when I walked to work, drunk off my ass."
Next was a picture of Reno and Reeve, side by side, grinning. There was another one of Tseng and him together, one of Tseng and Rude, one of him and Rude, one of Elena and Rude, him and Elena, Tseng with Elena. Then there was one of Rude, Elena and himself, standing in front of the wreckage of Midgar, beaming with bliss. And there was one, Reeve, Cait Sith and the three Turks standing in front of the new Shinra building.
She flipped the page and was surprised to find a beautiful young woman. Auburn hair framed her face, eerily familiar light green eyes stared back. "Who is she?"
Reno looked down, shaking his head. "Jessie."
"Former girlfriend?"
He chuckled, "No. She was my sister." He paused slightly, "Passed away over two years ago."
"Meteor?" She asked, still studying the picture of Jessie. "She looks familiar... And it's not just the eyes. I've seen her somewhere."
He shook his head, "No. She died before Meteor stuck. I doubt that you've seen her in real life, although her picture might be in Lockhart's wallet."
"Tifa?"
A small grin showed on his face. "Yeah, Tifa. She was Jessie Chalmers of AVALANCHE, a former member of AVALANCHE."
Her eyes widened, "AVALANCHE! Do they know?"
He shook his head again, "No. I'd rather that they don't. Knowing that I was related to her will only ruin and taint her image for them."
"What happened to her?"
He looked at her, his eyes darkened, "Maybe I'll tell you later. But right now... Go rest. I'm going to go out, then make sure that the rest of the planet-loving idiots know where you are."
She nodded, her hand still grabbing onto the album. "This must be really important to you."
"It is." He replied.
-
"How's Yuffie?" Tifa asked, her hands clasped tightly together, her face pale and eyes wide with worry.
Red, who was curled up underneath her feet nudged her legs gently, "Don't worry about it so much. I'm sure Reeve, Barret and Lord Godo will be fine."
She shook her head and closed her eyes.
"Yuffie's fine." Reno replied as he muttered, then sunk down into an empty chair and slammed his feet onto the conference table. He pinched the bridge of his nose, somewhat frustrated. "So now Godo's gone." Then he sighed, "So much easier when only the AVALANCHE were disappearing."
Cid shot him a look, "You got problems with AVALANCHE carrot top?"
The redhead narrowed his eyes, "I would prefer it if you never called me that again, Highwind."
"Shut up. Both of you." Cloud snapped as he gave them both a frustrated glare. "Reno's right. It was better when AVALANCHE was disappearing. At least we could guess and even look after each other... Right now, we don't have a single clue who they're going for next and we don't know how many have been taken... We don't even know why they're doing this."
"Reeve Evan, Raymond Claymont, Barret Wallace, Godo Kisaragi... And attempted abduction on Cid Highwind." A deep voice resonated throughout the silent room as a dark figure opened the door and emerged into the room as his echoing footsteps trailed behind him.
"Vincent!"
"Valentine..." Reno greeted.
Vincent dipped his head down slightly, "Pleasure to see you all again." He looked at Reno with his crimson eyes glowing fiercely. Reno looked away.
Raymond Claymont...? Tifa wondered to herself.
"So were you trying to state a point, or are you just stating the obvious?" Elena asked, her left eyebrow raised in a haughty manner.
The leader of the Turks almost grinned with pride.
Vincent's eyes glanced at the blond Turk for a mere moment, then moved towards everyone. "Reeve Evan, the President of Shinra, Inc. and Midgar. Barret Wallace, the Mayor of North Corel. Raymond Claymont, the Mayor of Junon and Godo Kisaragi, the Lord of Wutai... Last but not least, Cid Highwind, the Captain of Rocket Town. Do we see a pattern here?"
Cid shook his head as he lit a cigarette. "Presidents, Mayors, Captains or Lords."
Vincent nodded, "They have power. They are all individuals with authority and influence over a large population. If these 'rulers' are taken, chaos will occur. Residents will panic, and there will be no one that can control this place..."
"...And then they can probably do that old cliché, like taking over the world sort of thing?" Reno asked as he nodded his head, "Understood. So you think that someone here will be the next target?"
"Seeing that the President of Midgar is gone, same with the Mayor of both North Corel and Junon... There are not many more 'leaders' in this world... Other than in Wutai and in Cosmo Canyon. They have taken Lord Godo already, so my guess is that they're after either the Guardian of Cosmo Canyon or the Lady of Wutai... And seeing that Yuffie is probably alone at the moment..." He trailed off.
Cid raised his eyebrow at the words that were flowing out of his friend's mouth. It was rare that he ever talked at all... And for so much... It was almost...flabbergasting.
Reno grabbed his cell phone from his pocket and flipped it open as he dialed a number.
Hello? A drowsy voice mumbled into the phone.
"Yuffie. Don't ask me anything. Beside the photo album, there should be an extra set of keys. Grab them and grab your weapons, then drive over here. Fast."
...Wha?
"Go grab the keys and weapons and drive like hell to Shinra. We think Gabriella is after you."
What! Fuck! She swore loudly for a few seconds.
Reno looked at his watch, "There should be an extra cell phone in the bedside table, top drawer. Grab it and phone when you get near."
All right, I'm leaving right now. She groaned, I don't have a god damned license.
"I'm sure you'll do fine." Reno said, half reassuring himself and somewhat glad he didn't take the car today.
I hope so. If they catch up, I'll just kick the shit out of them. Let's just hope I don't crash. She paused. Later Turkey.
He hung up and looked at the looks that were sent to him by his peers and AVALANCHE. "What?" She scowled.
-
Yuffie took a sharp left turn as she glanced at the rear mirror... They were slowly catching up. She cursed, then groaned. Reno's going to kill me... The sides of the car had been slightly scratched, the front fairly crushed... Oh gawd he's going to hate me for ruining his beautiful car... Should've let me drove and practice the first time when I was with him and when I'm not running away from these freaks! Stupid Turkey.
She cursed again as whoever that it was at the driver's seat. That son of a bitch took a shot at me! She thought as she thought of every profanity she learned. God damn it. How far can Shinra possibly be! She was now muttering the profanities that had passed through her mind barely a second again, those that she had learned from Cid and Barret during the Meteor Crisis and from Reno... She took the cell phone she found at Reno's out of her pocket and dialed the number quickly, her eyes glancing at the road, afraid to crash with only one hand on the wheel.
Someone picked up instantly. Hello?
"Reno!" Yuffie almost sighed in relief at the sound of his voice. "I'm still quite a few blocks away from Shinra... but—" Her body jerked forward painfully, then back. Her grasp on the phone loosened. "Fucking jerk!" Yuffie shouted, both hands on the whell now. "If you're listening Reno, I'd love you to come help because this son of a bitch is slamming his car into yours. If you still want to see your car in a decent condition... GET YOUR ASS HERE!"
She swerved to the left as the car accelerated and chipped the back right corner of her car, making her car spin as she slammed on the breaks. Her head thumped the side of the car forcefully and she whimpered in pain.
Just a moment later, the car behind her stopped. Echoing footsteps approached the car, the young woman in the car clutching her head.
Harold grinned maliciously as he cocked his gun towards her head. "Checkmate."
-
Author's Notes: In case you were wondering, Yuffie acts this way when she sees Tseng's pictures is not because she loves him. The real reason in one of my one-shots and it will be coming out soon. The one-shot is unnamed right now. A slightly shorter chapter this time, but I hope you guys enjoy it nonetheless. Other than this being updated, 'Farewell' is once again updated and for those who have reviewed, if you don't mind, please do so again. Thank you very much. This chapter will be re-edited soon.
-Crystal Snowflakes
Sunday, January 30, 2005
