It took a few months for Cloud to draw the investigation to a close. Eventually he got enough dirt to have Scarlet and Heidegger arrested. However, Hojo had turned in his two week notice ages ago so he was now roaming about. Even so, grabbing two out of the three was good enough.
The looks on their faces were priceless.
And on top of the publicity stunt of arresting them, President Rufus ShinRa took a bold stand.
"Under the investigation of Heidegger's crimes, it has come to my attention that Avalanche is not in fact working wlith Wutai. Instead they were under the careful guidance of a mole within the company. That mole has already been identified and ready to stand trial."
This was the first for Cloud to hear of this. He turns to Tseng, who read his mind.
"He's using a scapegoat in placement of you."
"Why is he doing this then?" Cloud was amazed.
"To cover all tracks leading up to you. If you will continue watching." Tseng instructed, so Cloud turns to the screen.
"Mr. President! What is your stance on Avalanche now that you have uncovered they are not working with Wutai?"
"I still have every means to hunt them down for their crimes. However, now their crimes have been reduced from war crimes, but instead terrorism and the destruction of two reactors, and the destruction of Sector 7 Plate."
"Of course he can't admit we were the ones responsible." Cloud frowns.
"In the off chance Avalanche succeeds in striking you down like your father, who will take up the seat in your stead?"
"My little brother. I learned my mother ran while she was pregnant, and now he is back as my family. Forgive me, but he's currently a little camera shy, so he won't be making any public appearances anytime soon."
Cloud turns to his boss. His expression said it all.
"He names me heir? Is he insane?"
"With Heidegger and Scarlet out of the way, no one will fight his decision. At least, not openly."
"But I don't want to be the head of this company."
"At most this is just a facade to keep the public calm. We just violently lost a president, of course the people will be terrified of losing Rufus."
"I can't imagine him being popular removing two of the highest directors while we're dealing with terrorists."
"Don't worry, he already has placements in mind."
Later in the afternoon Rufus called him into his office. Cloud enters, not used to the vastness of the President's office. It even has a second floor and balcony.
"Would you like any of the newly opened positions?"
"You serious?" Cloud was skeptical. "Why are you doing all this for me? And don't say it's because I'm your brother."
"I trust your judgement. And should a situation arises, I believe you would have less problems if you were a director instead of a Turk coming into my position."
"There's the answer. Look, I don't even know how I feel about that still. I mean, I'm a former Honey who flaunts my make up and gender fluidity. I will be scrutinized more than adored."
"I see differently. You are a joy at the parties. If you can wow the high ranking families who support this company, then you can wow the rest of the world how amazing you are."
"... Still no. I can't. I agreed to helping you reshape the company. But from the shadows. I'm not a public face that the public should follow." Cloud turned him down.
And just like in a very subtle way the relationship between the two changed.
xXx
"So I noticed they put the blame on someone else." Barret stated when the Turks caught up to them in some forgotten lab.
"Yeah well, Turks don't out their own." Cloud shrugs indifferently. "Wait. How do you know of me?"
"Well, you were unconscious when we found you in an underground lab of Sector 7. Roche carried you out and we parted ways." Tifa explains.
Cloud connected the dots from there.
"I see." He activates his weapon to become two halves.
"Cloud. Will you really do this?" Aerith steps forward.
"..." He eyes them warily. They had grown by quite a few.
"Fuck it. Pretend we never met." He sighs, putting his weapons away.
"Come with us!" Aerith insisted, smiling with that glint in her eyes.
"Why would I do that?"
"... You are being used. With us, you have freedom." The man in a red cape and black leather shirt and pants said.
"I am aware. But what if I like my cage?" Cloud glared.
"The Cloud I know doesn't." Tifa steps forward.
"By all means you're Avalanche. There ain't no going back once you're one of us." Barret said with such conviction that Cloud actually reconsidered.
He weighed his options. Cloud sensed that he was at a crossroads. And one of the paths frightened him. So instead he decided to play it safe.
"My apologies, but this where I belong."
Cloud watched them leave with a heavy heart. Why did this bother him so much? It shouldn't have. He turned to head back to his boss.
The laboratory was a maze. It took him a while to remember which way he had come from. Luckily he had marked which corridor he had been down on. However he still somehow got turned around.
Cloud reached an opening to a room that somewhat appeared familiar. He cautiously enters, rod ready for any monsters hell-bent on destroying anything that breathed.
He takes a step and he heard a resounding click.
Cloud dodged a net that sprung to trap him. However something moved in a blur and suddenly he couldn't move. From the corner of his eye he could spot some twisted device levitating him, suspending him as if time itself stopped.
"Well, well. It seems I've caught one of the Turks." Hojo rounds a corner.
What was he doing here? The man in the white lab coat slowly comes into view. Those creepy eyes studied him with fascination. Cloud wanted nothing more than to punch him. Hojo merely tilts his head.
"Perhaps a fresh face for some experiments. I have plenty other labs no one knows about. There are quite a few variables that I wish to learn from you. After all, you are friends with that Ancient." Hojo smiles wickedly.
Cloud wanted to scream but to his horror he couldn't.
