And for those of you wondering, this is after the Silver Haired Men incident.
Disclaimer: The almighty evil one does not own Final Fantasy VII or it's characters.
Oh yeah...I realised that I wrote that Safiria was in a fowl mood, instead of foul. She feels like a bad chicken apparently. And I'm just hoping that I got the name Ayaka correct.
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Cloud yawned and stretched out on his bed, gazing at the roof. Apparently, Vincent had been looking for him the night before, and the Turks had been around with a new recruit. He was beginning to get annoyed that no one would disturb him when something was up. He yawned and rose from his bed, wondering how much work needed done today. Rebuiding Sector 7 was easy enough, with the help of the massive amount of people who had wanted to becomeAvalanche members. Making it a nice place to live was proving difficult. With not many plants around, it looked like a desert. The only things that had grown around the slums were weeds, where as other sectors were flourishing.
"Wonder if Barretts got a plan on removing that stupid Shinra monument..." He said out loud.
As if he had heard, Barrett busted into the room, yelling at the top of his lungs that they had developed a new type of explosive that would turn the monument to dust., and that Vincent was still waiting for him.
"This should be fun." Cloud laughed out loud, before getting up and exiting the room.
Downstairs, Tifa told him that Marlene was making breakfast, while she had to help Barrett with the new toy.
Vincent looked up as he saw Cloud enter. "Good morning."
Cloud turned to the corner where his friend was well hidden. " Morning. What's up? Come to help with the rebuilding. Or are you still wondering where to by a phone?"
"Oh, I got a phone, a while ago. I'm still trying to get it to turn on. Actually, I came to tell you that Shinra are up to something. The Turks were in Nibelheim a while ago. They blew up the reactor."
Cloud sat down and wondered why the Shinra would be blowing up their Mako reactors. Sure, they weren't using Mako anymore, but it wasn't like them to clean up after themselves. Vincents voice broke through his thoughts.
"I've also heard that the Turks were around, looking forSoldier recruits, and training a few rookie Turks as well." He kept speaking when Cloud remained silent. "What plot do you think they're up to his time?"
"Hmm...How could they be doing anything without their dear President to tell them what to do? Isn't he still...incapacitated?"
Vincent shook his head. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news...actually, let me rephrase that. Iam the bearer of bad news, " Vincent continued although Cloud laughed at him. "They didn't use explosives to blow up the reactor. It was magic. And as far as I can tell, it was one persons spell. It takes a great deal of intelligence to cast anything that powerful. And I also found out from a...'lost' soldier that it was Tseng who planned where the weakest area of the reactor was so that magic could penetrate through to the Mako energy still being stored."
Cloud was still chuckling. "By 'lost' you mean you singled him out and attacked him?"
Vincent's mouth curved to form an evil sort of smile. "You know me too well."
x-x
Reno stumbled into the office he shared with Rude an hour or so late, landing in a heap beside his rookie, who glared darkly at him before dumping a pile of paperwork in front of him.
"Tseng wants this done before nine. Since you're an hour late, you only have half an hour. Good luck with that." Safiria remarked, leaving Reno to stand up.
After grabbing his desk to balance, Reno pretended that his head wasn't about to explode in pain. "Be a babe and gimme a hand."
"Be a good superior and set a good example for me."
Reno looked at Rude, who had been watching from his desk across the room. He shrugged his shoulders at Reno. "Gotta be a good role model. Good luck getting that all done."
Reno was left opening and closing his mouth like a fish, making no sound. He obviouly wasn't going to be getting any help today. He hastilly grabbed the files and opened one while sitting down. His head was killing him, but Tseng was nasty if you didn't do the work.
"Why can't you help?" Reno look up at Rude, but he wasn't there. He was just in time to see the door closing. "Aww, come on guys! A little help? No? Fine! We'll see who can get some work done! Oww, my head..."
Reno stubled into the office that Tseng shared with Elena and her rookie fifteen minutes later than he was supposed to have. Tseng glared at him.
"I hope your hangover kills you. Not only are you late, but you're late to finish with those files as well!" Tseng turned around and faced out of the window at the far end of the room. He could see Reno's reflection and could see that he was sticking his tongue out. "And if unless you want me to rip the tongue from your cocky little mouth, I'd keep it where I can't see it." Tseng couldn't help but add on a little more. "And by that, I mean in your own mouth."
"Aww come on, I got them done in forty five minutes, that's gotta be record. A lot quicker than the hour and a half you set me to do them in." Reno scratched his head, which was pounding even more with every word he said.
"No you didn't. I know for a fact that Elena felt sorry for you and done most of them herself."
At this, Reno started mumbling to himself. "At least 'Lena's nice enough to help..." He was cut off by the sound of sniggering in the corner. He hadn't noticed that Elena's rookie, Ayaka, was in the corner, apparently getting some kicks out of Reno's scolding. "Be quiet brat, or I'll set the vicious monster on you."
Ayaka stood up and walked to the door. She had been working on files with Elena all morning and needed some caffiene. "I'll tell her you said that, we're getting some coffee with Elena in a while."
Reno watched as she slipped out of the office, flicking her dark hair behind her just to annoy him. He couldn't stand rookies if he wasn't allowed to tell them what to do. Which meant that he hated everyonenot under his control. Except Rude's rookie, Teioh, who he was teaching the art of dating all the single ladies in the building. Reno liked the taken ones for himself. It was always fun to break people up.
Tsengs voice brought him back to reality. "Leave them on my desk and don't let me see your face again today unless it's important."
There was a thud, as Reno slammed the files in the desk and slammed the door all the way out. Being a drama queen as usual.
x-x
Tseng sighed to himself as he checked the files for stupid errors or comments that Reno usually made. If Reno wasn't one of the best Turks who had ever entered the Shinra building, he would have been fired a long time ago. He sighed even louder when he saw the comment he had written about a certain bar in Junon. Apparently, the leader was part of a rebel group, and must be dealt with. What Reno had written beside it was that 'the fucking punk over charges me everytime I'm in there! Someone should show the bastard what a Holy Bartender is!'.
"He's definatelynot getting this case." He looked up as the door opened. A young man, about the same age as Reno walked in. He had the same arrogant air as well, although his hair was considerably shorter, and black. It hung over his face at one side.
"What is it Teioh?"
Teioh took this as his cue to enter and stepped up to Tsengs desk. "Rude's taking me with him to the next job, so he sent me to pick up the filesir."
At least he's polite, Tseng thought, handing him the folder. "Tell Reno to expect more paperwork, since Rude and yourself will be gone for a while."
"Yes sir." Teioh turned and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.
Tseng could hear Reno swear loudly from the next room as he was given the message.
x-x
Elena, Safiria and Ayaka sat at a table in the staff lounge. Elena and Ayaka were talking about there last job, while Safiria listened.
"It was pretty easy. All we had to do was accidently push the guy off the bridge." Ayaka giggled. Their original plan was to shoot him from a distance, but Ayaka had accidently pushed him, as she put it.
Elena was also giggling. "No one suspected a thing. So, Reno took you out on any jobs yet?" They both turned to face Safiria.
"Yeah right. Apparently, I'd only get in the way. The only job I've been on is the Nibel Reactor one, and it was on Tsengs orders that I was to go. It's not as if Reno has the brains to use magic. I don't know where he get's his high immunity to lightning from."
"Maybe he was struck by lightning as a kid. He's stupid enough to walk around during lightning storms while swinging a metal pole around." Ayaka was about to laugh, when an annoying drawl sounded from behind her.
"I'm smart enough to know that you're talking about me, aren't I?" Reno grabbed an empty seat and sat down, slouching. "So, what you ladies up to? Apart from bitching about me."
Safiria glared at him. "Apart from bitching, we're doing nothing. Sir." She emphisized the 'sir' with sarcasm.
"Aww, you still mad at me? Sorry for treating you like the brat that you are. How about we kiss and make up in the elevator?" Reno stopped when Safiria started cursing him under her breath. "Okay, I guess not. Why is it that you hate me so much anyway?"
Ayaka stifled a laugh. "It may have something to do with the first thing that you said when Tseng introduced her as the new rookie. What was it...Oh yeah. 'Are you single?' And he called you a vicious monster earlier."
Safiria smiled at him sweetly. "And there was me going to help you with your paperwork.You obviously don't need it. I guess I'll just help Elena and Ayaka. You better run along and deal with it if you want to leave early and get drunk like you usually do."
Reno slunk off, in the opposite direction of his office, obviously in a bad mood. Elena, Safiria and Ayaka all started laughing at his immaturity.
"If only I had known how to make him mad when I was a rookie. You need to teach me how to make smart ass coments that annoy him sometime Saffy." Elena laughed.
"Aww man, now you're calling me Saffy as well. I guess I'll just call you 'Lena babe' then."
After they had all finished their coffee, they headed for Elena's office, where a pile of folders and paperwork were waiting. Tseng raised an eyebrow as they entered giggling like schoolgirls.
"Aren't you supposed to be helping Reno, Safiria?"
"He can help himself today. He deserves it sir."
Tseng chuckled at the younger girl. "I'll have to agree with you on this one."
x-x
While the other Turks were busy ripping Reno, Rude and Teioh were at the location of their mission. It was the second time that Rude had been to Nibelheim in the past few weeks. Teioh turned to Rude to ask what was up.
"So...Why are we here again?"
Rude decided that it was best to tell him about the mission, or he would just get in the way. "We've had reports that some of the villagers saw a man with silver hair enter the mansion. We're here to make sure they're not true, or else eliminate the problem. We can't have anything like the incident where Sephiroth was revived."
"So you're saying that there's the possibility that another psycho with grey hair's loafing around in there?"
"...You sound just like Reno. That can't be healthy."
"What can I say, he's teaching me well. My next secret plot is to steal a girl from the hotshot himself."
Rude's mouth twitched slightly in amusement. "I wouldn't even try that. Unless you like hospital food."
They both made there way towards the Shinra, Inc. Mansion, where Teioh tried the door.
"...Locked."
The next thing Teioh seen was Rude's giant frame flying at the door, knocking it clean of it's hinges. He straightened up and swept some dust off his jacket. "No it's not."
Teioh laughed at Rude, before climbing over the remains of the solid oak door, and enetering the mansion. It was eerilly silent, but he could felt a presence that told him it was far from uninhabited. He could hear the flapping of huge wings and turned just in time to slash at a mutated looking bat with his katana.
Rude smiled appreciatively. "Nice shot. You're gonna be a great Turk."
"Thanks sir."
Rude looked aroun the huge main hall of the mansion. He hadn't been here in a while, but he could tell that someone had been living in it. "If there's anyone here, they'll probably be in the basement...Let's check the other rooms anyway. If they have any brains, they'll be hiding in one of these rooms looking for their chance of escaping. You take the left hand side, I've got the right."
x-x
Rude started walking towards the first door. He pulled on a pair of metal capped gloves, and then took a gun from inside his jacket. He stood for a moment, as if pretending not to be there, and then kicked the door open and held his gun out to surprise anything in the room.
"Empty..."
This went on for a few rooms, untill he got to the last door in the corridor. Swinging open the door, it seemed empty. As he was leaving, Rude felt war breath on the back of his neck. Turning slowly, he saw a mass of shadows, all pulled into one. It didn't seem to have a body, but that didn't stop it breathing, a vile scent that burned the throat. Rude was about to shoot, when a claw sprung from the darkness and knocked him into the hall. Looking around for his weapon, he saw it a few feet away.
"Damn...This can't be good."
Reaching for the weapon, he had almost reached it when a sharply taloned foot crushed his outstretched arm. Rude winced in pain, but looked up. The shadows had dispersed from around the creature. He could now see rows of bleach white teeth protruding from a scaled snout. Huge leathery wings sprouted from the dragon like creatures back and its green eyes glistened malevolently.
"Definately not good."
Using his free hand, Rude punched the dragons claw that was holding him down until it rose up, ready to blast him into oblivion. It was times like these when Safiria's magic came in handy. Dodging one blast of scorching blue flames, Rude attempted to pummel the creature, which proved to be useless. It's scaley armour protected it. As he lunged at it again, a heavy blow on the back off his head knocked him through the wall opposite. Just as he was about to retalliate, he saw the fangs of the dragon screaming towards him, too fast to avoid.
x-x
Teioh wandered though the old mansion, taking in the sights as well as checking out his side of the house. On the mantelpiece in one room was an old framed photo, which had been turned face down. Cleaning the dust from the cracked galss, he eventually pulled the glass away from the frame as well. The picture showed a woman with long dark hair, beside two other scientists. One looked older than he actually was, and wore glasses . His black hair and hunched figure gave the impression of a crazy scientist. The man beside him looked younger, with a lighter shade of brown hair than the womans.
"Hey, he looks like a Turk..."
Teioh's eyes moved to the man standing behind the woman. He had black hair which fell in front of his face, but was still tidy. He was wearing the older blue uniform of the Turks. He didn't look too happy either, he seemed to be glaring at the crazier looking scientist. "Maybe Tseng'll know who he is..."
Teioh put the photo in his inside pocket, in time to see Rude flying through the wall and landing in a heap at his feet. He tried to stand, but a hude scaley monster followed him through the wall. Just as it was ready to finish Rude, Teioh drew his katana and slashed at the monster. It pulled back it's head in surprise, with blood pouring from it's jaw. Teioh attacked again, quick enough to avoid the dragons own attacks and slashed through it's armoured hide. The dragon yowled in surprise before falling back from where it came and laying still in the hallway.
Teioh knealt down beside Rude. "You okay sir?"
"Gnn...I'll be...fine." Rude pulled himself to his feet. He could feel the head ache from hell coming on. He stumbled into the hall, and gave the dragon a sharp kick for nothing. He knew it was dead, but it deserved it. Picking up his gun, he straightened up and cast a Cure spell on himself.
"Maybe I should get Safiria to teach me some spells."
"Or maybe you should learn to use a proper weapon sir." Teioh was grinning as he appeared beside his superior.
"At least you're good for something Teioh. Maybe we shouldn't split up. It's better to have multiple skills at you disposal after all."
Teioh nodded his approval. "I agree. Someone needs to look after you sir. I guess the basements next?"
Rude shook his head at the rookie. "Yes, the basements next."
Their trip to the basement was uneventful. Apart from Teioh screaming at a spider which landed on his shoulder, nothing else happened, although the feeling of something living in the mansion was amplified as they got closer and closer to the end of the basements hall.
"Let's hope there's nothing in there, huh sir?"
Rude lifted his shades and looked at the door knob. It was obvious that it had been used recently. The dust on it hd been diturbed.
"Yes, I think we should."
Opening the door quietly, Rude looked around before entering. It seemed to be deserted inside the room. Teioh stepped inside behind him.
"Do you think we got lucky?"
Maniacal laughter echoed from a corner as Teioh said the words, and both men got ready for a fight. Standing in the corner was a dark figure. His lank silver hair hung around his face, as if dead. He was a pale ghostly white that would make Vincent look heavilly tanned. Everything about him looked dead, or defeated.
"Long time no see, Turk. Where's your stupid red head friend? I still want to hurt him for kicking me in the face back then..."
"Huh? Who are you!" Rude demanded angrily.
"You don't remember me? Think back to last year. When you destroyed my brothers, as well as my mother!"
The figure stepped from the darkness, rage and anger etched into his face.
Teioh looked perplexed. He didn't have a clue what was going on anymore. Rude however, soon remembered.
"You? You can't be here! I heard that Cloud dealt with you three!"
Yazoo flicked his hair back. "No, you thought he had. He killed Loz while I was with him, but not me. Before the smoke cleared, I managed to escape. I was just going to find a dark corner and die in it, but then I heard that Cloud didn't die. And neither did your stupid President, or his stupid Turks. So I found myself a dark corner where I could use the tehnology to become stronger. I'm even more powerful than before! This basement has a lot of human advancement technology..."
Yazoo started laughing again, not noticing that Rude was edging towards the door with Teioh. "I guess I should thank you. If you lot hadn't defeated me, I'd never have gotten so powerful!" His eyes were gleaming a blue that could only come from contaminated Mako. At his side he held a gun. He slowly raised it and pointed it at Rudes head.
"Now!" Rude yelled to Teioh, diving out of the room and closing the door. They heard Yazoo firing his wepaon, and the sudden blast at the door. Hurrying to their feet, they took off own the corridor, with Yazoo on there heals, randomly firing at them.
"You can't get away you know!"
Teioh, who was faster than Rude, began clearing a path through the fiends that had suddenly come out of hiding, so that he didn't fall behind anymore than he already was. He kept ging even when he felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder blade. He could feel the blood pouring from the wound that Yazoo had made when he finally rached the front door. Rude came stumbling after him, he too had also been hit. As they fell onto the grass outside, they saw a bunch of soldiers running inside.
Rude collapsed in a heap, his breathing growing more pained. Teioh looked up at the soldiers. "Where...did they come from...?"
When he tried to stand, he tripped. Turning over to see what was going on, he saw a pair of icy blue eyes staring at him. They weren't Mako eyes, so he knew they could only belong to Safiria. He saw Reno lift Rude with the help of another soldier before he blacked out.
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Okay people, you need to review! How was that for quickness huh? One day goes by and another chapters up. I'm in a writing mood, so chapter 3 should be sometime soon!
