Her Sweetest Revenge

By: Riquisel Yutifae

Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Squaresoft… now known as SquareEnix, I guess. =_=

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=First=

            Everyone's been talking about the new "empire" in Midgar that ShinRa had established ever since it returned. Now you might be asking, how did it return?

Their leader is alive.

It was amazing how he remained unconscious under a pile of rubble for several days without any food or water… and still managed to wake up… and upon waking up, he realized that everything had been destroyed by Meteor. He staggered going to the nearest town to Midgar to seek help upon realizing how wounded he was.

The people in Kalm were devastated to see him bleeding and burned…

But what surprised them was that…

He seemed somewhat nice.

"Please… help me…" were his words to them. Mind the please.

They immediately took him to their local hospital and when the doctors checked on him, they had expected third degree burns and more deep wounds… but the only found second degree burns and lesser wounds.

Again, he was unconscious for a few more days… and the next time he had awoken, his remaining employees and Turks had returned to his side, guarding him faithfully.

To their awe, he even smiled kindly at them, "H…hello, everyone. How's work today?"

They did not really know how to answer the question.

And he just closed his eyes again and fell asleep.

Obviously, word had spread out all over the Planet that ShinRa is back…

"ShinRa is large and in charge… yet again." Barret switched off the TV and leaned back on the sofa.

They were silent.

"Well, ya foo's. Looks like we oughtta get our asses workin' to stop those damn ShinRa people in rebuildin' those Mako Reactors." He remarked.

Silence again.

Barret became impatient as he stared at the blank faces of everyone inside the room. "Well, ain't anybody among ya foo's gonna say sumthin'?" he demanded.

The spiky-haired blonde with blue eyes who was seated in one corner of the room was the first one who spoke up, "Is that the reason why you bothered to gather us back here in Neo-Midgar?"

"Yer darn right, foo'." Barret replied with a proud smile on his face.

Cloud Strife, Vincent Valentine, Tifa Lockheart, Cid Highwind, Yuffie Kisaragi and Red XIII exchanged rather blank stares with one another.

Red XIII yawned before lying down on the floor beside Cloud. "Let us be reasonable, fellows. There aren't any signs that ShinRa is beginning to do malicious things again to our Planet." He stated.

"Wha? Are we gonna wait for sumthin' bad ta happen before we do sumthin' 'bout it? I'd say we thrash 'em right here and now, ya foo's!" Barret protested.

"What are we gonna do, try to infiltrate ShinRa again?" Tifa asked as she crossed her arms.

"That's one of our options, but we could do other things besides that." Barret said.

"What do you have in mind?" Cloud asked him.

"We send one of us there as a worker." Barret replied.

Silence filled the whole room all of a sudden.

"It's not easy applying for ShinRa." Vincent reminded them.

"Yeah. @#$% ShinRa is @#$%^%$ meticulous when it comes to hiring @#$%^% employees!" Cid said.

"Oh not to worry though. I have plans that ShinRa cannot comprehend, I'm sure!" Barret told them reassuringly.

They all fell silent.

"This doesn't involve using any of us here, I hope, because if it does and it's gonna be me, I'll just get out of here!" Yuffie snapped with a bratty tone.

"Don't worry, Yuffie, it ain't you." Barret told her before turning to Vincent, Cid and Tifa.

Tifa immediately got up from her seat and walked out of the room, but Cloud got up and stopped her by grabbing her wrist. "Hey, what's the rush, Teef?" he asked.

"Let me go, Cloud. I'm going back to Nibelheim." She snapped impatiently.

"Whoa, did anything bad happen to the two of you? I thought you guys were already boyfriend-girlfriend?" Yuffie asked in surprise.

Tifa pushed Cloud away from herself. "No, we're not, Yuffie." She told her sternly.

"Tifa, c'mon. Do this for all of us! ShinRa ruined our life once before, are we going to let it ruin our lives again?" Cloud asked, ignoring Yuffie's ridiculous question.

Tifa was just silent. For one thing, she is afraid of confronting ShinRa because she had known of the danger before, but then a big part of her would like to surrender to Barret's idea. "Chill out, Tifa, ShinRa's the reason why your dad died, why Aerith died and why there was a Sephiroth who almost got you killed! With Barret's plan, you can finally avenge Aerith's and your dad's death! Think about it! ShinRa's the main reason for starting the JENOVA project, therefore creating a Sephiroth which led to several other problems. C'mon, this is your chance!" her conscience was scolding her as she clenched her fists and trying to avoid the looks on everyone's faces. She listened carefully to what Barret was telling Vincent and Cid after a few moments of pondering what to do with her own life.

"I've worked before under the @#$%^%$ Space Development Division but I don't wanna go back to that @#$%^%$ company ever again! I'm happy with my @#$%^%$ life in Rocket Town in my @#$%^%$ house there! Feh!" Cid snapped with a rather irritated tone as he lit up a cigarette and began to smoke mindlessly.

"I've worked as a Turk there before, but I don't know if I'll look convincing enough for the ShinRa right now…" Vincent told them while looking at his left claw.

Everyone turned back to Tifa.

She just placed her hands behind her back and bowed down her head with a blank stare on her face. "This is it… revenge… my sweetest revenge…" she thought silently…

            Rufus remained seated on his office chair as he stared blankly at the monitor. It was another lazy day at work for him… though he knows that work has been a necessary evil for him ever since he learned how to speak as a toddler.

He was just waiting for a report from the Turks whom he had sent out to a lake somewhat far from Midgar.

"In a little while… in a little while…" he thought silently.

The Turks had been away for almost a week already and he figured that he would not be going back to normal operations of the company unless they return with their mission accomplished.

Rufus looked up at the ceiling as if hoping to hear a voice. "Are you still there?" he whispered softly.

No answer.

He sighed frustratingly before turning his gaze to the person who was approaching him. He smiled slightly as if to express his pleasantness upon seeing that person finally arrive after almost a week. "Elena," he said before standing up.

Elena had this pleased look on her face and her eyes revealed too much excitement. "President Rufus! We're back!" she said happily.

"Yeah, I can see that," he said plainly. "So, did you…" he began, but she cut him off by replying anyway, "Oh, yes! Yes, President Rufus! Yes! We found her! She's alive just like what you said!" she was jumping up and down with joy.

He had a stiff look on his face but he unconsciously looked up at the ceiling again and thought, "Thank goodness… so it's true…"

He turned back to Elena. "Where did you put her?" he asked.

"In the room which you had reserved for her. She needs to rest." Elena replied.

Rufus nodded his head. "Good. What about the others?" he asked.

Elena thought for a while before replying, "Oh, you said that they'd be there too! They were also there but comparing their situation to hers, they're much lively."

"Lively?" he asked, blinking in awe.

She suddenly looked disappointed. "She's unconscious when we found her, but he assured that with enough rest, she can regain her original strength that she had in her first life and then finally, she can go home." She explained with a sad smile on her face, sympathizing for the unconscious girl.

"How long will it take her to get well?" he asked.

"We're not sure… but anyway, Miss Lucrecia explained that she'll be taking care of her." She replied cheerfully.

They were interrupted when a tall silver-haired man with green eyes entered. "Rufus," he began.

Rufus smiled calmly at him. "Hey, Sephiroth. It's been a while," he said as he approached him and then shook hands with him before giving each other a friendly hug.

"So, heard you're looking for new employees here in ShinRa," Sephiroth began before letting go of Rufus.

"Er… don't mind me asking, sir, but since when did you get acquainted?" Elena asked, interrupting the two.

"We met in the Lifestream." Rufus replied, though for Elena it sounded absurd.

She just nodded. "I see…" she said simply.

"Are there any applicants yet?" Rufus asked her.

"Y…yes, sir. Only a few. Shall I let them in here, sir?" she asked.

"Yes. I'll interview them myself." Rufus replied before she finally left.

"Where's Lucrecia?" Rufus asked.

"Mom's in the laboratory renaming the specimens and then getting rid of the old ones. Ever since you assigned her to be the new Science Department Head, she wouldn't stop working until she gets the whole laboratory cleaned." Sephiroth replied.

"And you, what do you want to be?" Rufus asked.

"I'm not really sure if I'm still in top shape." Sephiroth replied.

"Aw, c'mon, you still have JENOVA left in you. You're still capable of being my new General instead of Heidegger doing the dirty job." Rufus explained as he patted Sephiroth's shoulder reassuringly.

"What are you going to do with the Gyahaha?" Sephiroth asked.

"Let him stick to being in charge of SOLDIER and the Turks. You're working with me, Seph." Rufus told him.

"Gee… thanks, Rufus. This way, I can also stay with my mom." Sephiroth replied with a pleased look on his face.

Before they could talk about anything else, they were interrupted when they heard footsteps approaching them. They both turned their gazes to the young woman with long braided raven hair and crimson eyes. She was wearing a black long-sleeved turtleneck underneath a maroon blazer, partnered with a maroon below-the-knee skirt with a high slit located at the left side. She was also wearing black stockings and black leather high-heeled boots, and she was carrying a laptop and a folder.

Rufus's mouth literally dropped open at the sight of her and Sephiroth couldn't help but notice it and smile maliciously.

"Hey," Sephiroth nudged Rufus to make him snap out of it.

Rufus jerked slightly as he returned to his senses. He turned away from her and tried to act cool as he headed for his office chair again and sat down.

Sephiroth stepped backward to let the young woman pass. He noticed that she was staring in awe at him, as if telling him, "What are you doing here?"

He frowned slightly at the girl, sensing that he knows her… but he just shrugged it off.

"Good afternoon, President Rufus," she spoke up stiffly before putting down her things. She offered a handshake to Rufus as she smiled sweetly. "I'm Tiffayne. Tiffayne Lockheart." She introduced herself.

Rufus eagerly shook her hand with a blank look on his face. "Nice to meet you, Miss Lockheart." He told her before he motioned for her to take a seat.

She sat down.

"So, Miss Lockheart, what kind of job would you like to have here in my company?" Rufus asked as he crossed his legs and placed his hands on the armrest.

"Well… I just graduated from business school and I took up Business Administration with a major in E-Commerce… and since I still have no experience in the workforce, I would still appreciate it even if you place me among your low-ranking employees." She replied.

"I see…" Rufus turned to Sephiroth. "Don't mind me asking, Sephiroth, but do we still have a vacant position for the job that she's asking for?" he asked.

Sephiroth thought for a while. "I don't think so, President Rufus." He replied.

She swallowed hard.

Rufus turned his gaze back to the young woman, "However, if you have an experience in fighting or combat, we could use a new member for our Turks… or if you majored in Biology or any of the sciences, you can apply as an assistant to our new Science Department Head… or assistants for the Head of Urban Development or the Weapons Department; take your pick… oh yeah, and a new secretary for the Turks too and also a Marketing Manager." He explained.

She began to think, but before she could speak up, Sephiroth approached her and placed a hand on her right shoulder which made her jerk up. "May I see your resume?" he asked.

She frowned slightly before pulling out a white sheet of paper from the folder and handed it to Sephiroth.

He began to read it carefully before turning to Rufus. "I think she can pass as your Marketing Manager," he told Rufus.

"What?" she asked in disbelief, turning to Sephiroth, then back to Rufus.

Rufus smiled calmly before nodding his head. "Congratulations, Miss Lockheart. You're my new Marketing Manager." He told her.

"But sir, I didn't major in Marketing and…" she reasoned out.

"If I'm not mistaken, if you take up E-Commerce, you also take up Marketing in one of your majors." Sephiroth pointed out.

Silence.

"Well, I can always instruct you, Miss Lockheart, so don't worry about it," Rufus got up from his seat. "Sephiroth, kindly take her to her office," he said.

Sephiroth nodded with a sly smile on her face.

She got up from her seat and followed after Sephiroth without further a do.

"Shit…" she was thinking.

She was following after Sephiroth.

Tifa frowned as she bowed down her head. "This is so strange… why is Sephiroth here? I thought he's dead? Don't tell me he and Rufus had formed allies?" she thought silently.

"You know, you do look familiar," he pointed out.

She stiffened. "I don't even know you," she pointed out with a snobbish tone.

He just rolled his eyes before he opened a door just near Rufus's office. "To let you know about your Job, it's almost like being Rufus's partner in crime, a.k.a., his Vice-President." He told her.

She just stared up at him unbelievably. "Vice President?" she asked in awe.

"You are very lucky." Sephiroth told her before pushing her inside the room and then he shut the door behind her, leaving her there to ponder on what will happen in the future to come.

She suddenly didn't know what to do. "Gods… why did I even let myself into this kind of situation?!" she thought silently with an angry look before marching over to her desk.

A few minutes later after fixing her things, Rufus arrived in her office.

She smiled sweetly at him. "Oh, hello, President Rufus," she greeted.

"Hello, Tiffayne," he greeted before he closed the door and approached her. He was holding two folders: one containing her contract and the other one containing some documents about ShinRa.

She was reading the contract and it mentioned that if ever something bad happens to Rufus (i.e. sudden death), she is eligible to take over as the new President.

That made her nervous, but she knew she had to sign it.

After the contract-signing, Rufus handed her the documents about ShinRa. "Your new Marketing plan is due two days from now. Can I count on it?" he asked.

She was silent for a while before shaking her head. "President Rufus, I really can't do this…" she started.

"Oh yeah, I'll teach you first." He told her before he pulled a chair and sat down beside her.

During the tutorial, they were interrupted when Scarlet just entered without any warning. She instantly raised an eyebrow upon seeing the two together. "Kyah… is there anything that I do not know, President Rufus?" she asked rather haughtily.

"Meet Tiffayne Lockheart. She's the new Marketing Manager and Vice President of ShinRa." He introduced blankly before turning back to his tutorial.

"Shit… and this bitch is still alive too?" Tifa thought silently before she began to pay attention again to Rufus's lecture.

Scarlet felt rather agitated because they ignored her, so she just stepped further inside and dropped a thick folder on top of the table, causing Tifa to get surprised.

"What are those?" Tifa asked.

Scarlet smiled sarcastically. "Paperwork." She replied with a sneer before walking out of the room.

Tifa was silent for a few seconds, hardly believing what was happening to her, and then turned back to Rufus. "Excuse me," she began.

He stopped. "What?" he asked stiffly as he stopped writing notes on a notepad so that he could look at her.

"Not to be rude but… I have heard of ShinRa and Sephiroth before… and regarding Sephiroth… isn't he supposed to be dead?" she asked.

"Oh… that… well, to put it simply, we were just given another chance to live again." Rufus replied.

"Why?" she asked.

He ignored the question with a cold look on his face before he proceeded to write again and just started talking about Marketing and stuff.

She just bit her lower lip before she proceeded to listen carefully to Rufus. "Man, Barret and the others are really going to be happy about this… the closer I get to Rufus, the better and sooner we can get rid of him," she thought silently with a secret smile on her face.