[Reno...you are to release the bindings on the plate above Sector Seven. Do not fail.]
"The President is really serious about this, huh," Reno asked as he reclined in his seat.
"Honestly, I 'm not surprised," Liv scoffed as she looked down at the city below them.
"I guess this is what Tseng meant…too fucking late to grow a conscious now," Reno sighed.
{Avalanche has been sighted on the pillar grounds, and now are engaging the SOLDIERS there…}
The three TURKS had quickly gathered as they were called in by Tseng to complete the orders, they were given by President Shinra, orders to separate the Sector Seven plate and frame AVALANCHE for the fault. It was the President's plan to turn the people against AVALANCHE, make an example out of the group, and use it to stoke the fears of an invasion from Wutai.
Despite the story that was being weaved the TURKS knew that the country of Wutai was in no shape to cross the oceans let alone in any condition to invade.
Liv was seated in the back of the helicopter, listened to the radio chatter, and watched as chaos ensued on the Sector Seven pillar below. She could see bodies scattered along the stairs full of bullet holes, bodies burned, or impaled by debris from explosions on the different levels of the pillar.
"This is insane," Liv commented.
"We know…" Reno sighed.
"This is the TURKS. Hold them off for as long as you can we will arrive there shortly to provide backup. Make sure to evacuate as many people of the Sector Seven Plate and Slums," Liv began.
{Understood}
"You're so thoughtful Liv," Reno teased
"There's no need for this senseless killing, especially of innocents," Liv replied firmly.
"Right. You knew the President was going to do some crazy shit…I guess he's not taking any chances this time," Reno scoffed. "Then again…he was stabbed,"
"This is too—" Liv began.
"Liv, this is part of the job," Rude stated.
"I know," Liv huffed. "But this is…"
"Reno, get ready," Rude began.
"Yeah-"
Rude suddenly weaved and jerked the helicopter to dodge the sudden hail of bullets from the top of the Sector Seven pillar.
"Liv," Rude began.
Liv unbuckled herself from her seat and grabbed her antique long-barreled rifle as she opened the door to the helicopter. Reno smirked as he got up from his seat and crouched by the door as Liv positioned herself next to the man at the door.
"Rude and I have your back," Liv said as she loaded her gun with bullets.
"Awh thanks," Reno smirked and turned back to the three AVALANCHE members on the top plate. "They're really going all out on this…well, I guess I'll play right into it,"
"Reno! You're up!"
Immediately, Reno jumped from the helicopter and right for the blonde-haired man, the man who had sent Reno to the infirmary during his mission to Sector Five to retrieve Aerith. Rude followed up with the failed mission on Reno's part but had been called away and was unable to retrieve Aerith.
The poignant fact about the encounter with the blond-haired man was the fact that he was an Ex-SOLDIER and had the eyes to match the claim. While Reno and Rude completed their missions, Liv took some time to research the man and was unable to find anything on the man but continued to search when time allowed it.
"I assume that's the Ex-SOLDIER you two fought, right?" Liv questioned.
"Yes," Rude replied.
"You catch his name?" Liv asked as she fired a shot at the man wielding a gun arm.
"Surprisingly, no," Rude replied.
"I see…well, I guess it doesn't matter as much anymore if they don't survive," Liv replied. The sunglasses man was silent in the front of the helicopter, he could feel her trepidation but knew they could not fail.
"Please provide back up as necessary," Tseng began as he led a small group of helicopters over the Sector Seven slums. "Yes sir, I've found something most interesting. I will return back to HQ momentarily,"
While the other TURKS continued with the plan of separating the Sector Seven plate from the pillar, he along with other Shinra military patrolled the slums playing into the story that the President Shinra had crafted against Avalanche, he caught a glimpse of patrolling the chaotic Sector Seven slums, he caught a glimpse of the woman one of the TURKS main targets
Aerith.
Everything had quickly gone downhill and quickly, Rude passed the controls of the helicopter to Liv to join Reno below in the fight against AVALANCHE as the man was outnumbered. Just as luck seemed to favor the TURKS the man wielding the gun arm managed to severely damage the helicopter and forced Liv to eject and join the fight with her fellow TURKS. The fight was brutal but the three TURKS were able to complete their mission of imitating the code to drop the plate as ordered and make it out alive.
The three were able to escape the destruction but behind them was nothing but fire, destruction, deaths of thousands of people.
A day had barely passed and the destruction of Sector Seven left Liv in silent shock and disbelief. The news being broadcast across Midgar did nothing to help her digest what had taken place and the fact that what was being reported was far from the truth.
The Eco-terrorist group AVALANCHE attacked the Sector Seven plate pillar and caused its collapse. The number of those shoes have perished or injured has yet to be reported. The Shinra company…
It was all a cover story, a cover story that President Shinra had spun against AVALANCHE and the weakened Wutai.
Liv stood in the lobby of the Shinra building in front of the large screens that broadcast the news for all of those visiting to consume. She knew that she should be resting especially after such a dangerous and adrenaline-filled night but she couldn't sit still.
"There's no way that AVALANCHE would go this extreme. What would they get out of dropping the plate?"
"What do you mean? Wutai is paying those fools to kill us,"
Liv glanced at the two Shinra employees as they spoke.
"It doesn't make any sense, that's all I'm saying," the male employee explained.
"I can't believe you're saying that here," the female employee sighed.
"AVALANCHE doesn't want to kill people senselessly but they want to stop Shinra from consuming and using the lifestream... it's hurting the planet...I-"
"As noble as you think you are for standing up for AVALANCHE you shouldn't say those things in the open like that," Liv turned to the two employees.
Immediately the two employees jumped, frightened she would take them in due to their conversation.
"Get back to work and I'll pretend this conversation didn't happen," Liv crossed her arms and she gave the two employees a firm look, immediately the two employees bowed and quickly ran off to their offices.
Liv watched the two employees quickly retreat, she sighed and grimaced at the pain and soreness from the battle on the pillar. In the depths of her mind, she knew what the male employee mentioned. She knew that AVALANCHE was focused on stopping the use of the Mako Reactors and not senseless killing nor were they working with Wutai, or at least the group that the security cameras caught. They looked to be civilians taking matters into their own hands.
The company she worked for was indeed killing the planet by consuming the lifestream for commercial and capitalistic reasons.
Again, Liv sighed as she thought about the reason she had been recruited into the TURKS by the former leader, Veld. Her education focus and the inherited studies from her parents, planetology, and history of the Cetra was something that held the interest of Shinra. Veld had the plan to slowly have the woman transition into a more administrative position where he knew that she could make a difference within Shinra- The Research Development Division.
"Yo Liv,"
Liv turned to her left to see a casually dressed man with dirty-blonde hair approaching her, Liv knew the man worked for the Intel Division of Shinra. The TURKS were usually supplied their intel for their missions from the young man.
"Ken...did you need something?" Liv turned to the man ignoring the pain in her lower back.
"You look terrible," Ken chuckled.
"Part of the job," Liv sighed and crossed her arms. "What is it?"
"Wow...so direct. I was coming to deliver a message is all and see if you were ok…" Ken replied with a smirk. Liv stared silently at the man as her pale green eyes quickly looked at him from head to toe.
"What is it?"
"Tseng wants to see you… and it looks like you're not as hurt as the others...even though you were in the frey...or so I heard," Ken began.
"A message from Tseng? Why didn't he-?" Liv began as she began to pat her breast pocket and soon realized that her phone was missing.
"He has your phone...which is why I am here," Ken replied and tilted his head as he looked at the woman. Liv sighed and ran a hand through her hair.
"Thank you," Liv nodded and immediately began towards the nearest elevator.
"Hey so-Ignored once again," Ken sighed as he watched the woman walk past him and to the elevator.
A few moments later Liv arrived at the Public Administrative Office for the TURKS and was given the task of making sure the Ancient was being treated as a highly respected guest even though she was in the care of Professor Hojo. Begrudgingly, Liv took the task that Tseng gave her despite him knowing how she felt about the man. She made her way to the sixty-fifth floor. Though she was expected to be moved here years ago she decided to stay in her position as a TURK instead of moving due to the man himself.
"Professor Hojo…"Liv began as she entered the laboratory, the man was nowhere to be seen. Cautiously, Liv traversed the laboratory as she knew that the man had dangerous creatures housed within the depths of these the walls of the Shinra building as well as secrets pertaining to SOLDIERS and this entity known as Jenova.
She knew that this thing called Jenova was something that Chu was looking into before the vanished.
As she continued through the laboratory she came across a dog-like creature that was sealed away in a circular chamber. Liv slowly approached the resting creature, the creature perked up as it saw her approaching, it looked docile but she knew better.
"I wish I could set you free from this torture chamber," Liv said to the creature, the creature looked up at her from its resting position.
"I'm sorry," Liv placed a hand onto the thick glass of the container. "Especially since your kind is extinct,"
Liv sighed and continued to make her way through the laboratory.
"Professor Hojo!" Liv called out to him again.
"You better have a good reason for your disturbance little TURK,"
"I do," Liv replied as she followed the sound of the man's voice and heard the man scoff as she found where he was hiding.
"I have orders to check on the wellbeing on the...Cetra here," Liv began a bit guilty of referring to the woman as such, she didn't know the woman's name.
"Orders to check up on me you mean," Hojo corrected.
"Whichever you prefer but," Liv began as she looked at the woman staring intently at Hojo and the woman's emerald green eyes focusing on her.
"She is to remain unharmed. President's orders," Liv finished, Hojo scoffed.
The man waved off the orders as he walked away from the containment chamber the woman sat in. Liv placed her hand on her hip as she watched the man walk away in thought, she then turned her attention to the woman who seemed distressed. Without thinking, Liv approached the container and spoke softly.
"My name is Liv. I'm going to make sure that the professor doesn't hurt you ok?" Liv began. The woman stood and looked over Liv's shoulder to see if the man was indeed gone. Cautiously she approached the glass.
"My name...is Aerith," Aerith replied in a hushed tone. "He's still such a terrible person,"
"I know," Liv replied apologetically. "I will try best Aerith to keep you safe,"
"Thank you...I appreciate it,"
"How is she?"
"Liv took less damage than us...which we were worried about. Also, thanks for caring about my well being," Reno huffed and winced as he reclined in his seat.
"I do care and I can clearly see how you are Reno," Tseng replied. "I am glad that you all made it back safely,"
Reno hesitated for a moment as he thought back to the Sector Seven Plate mission and the successful result of completing the mission.
"She seems to be fine...but her little obsession is showing again," Reno began. "It makes me wonder what would happen if she found out the truth of what happened.
"I am not sure, Shinra doesn't have anything to do with their disappearances," Tseng began.
"Then why don't you tell her that?" Reno question, surprised at the nonchalant answer from the usually stoic man.
"Because she has that information already," Tseng replied. "She believes there is more to the entire situation, and well there might be. Who knows,"
Reno sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"Reno...please continue to monitor her," Tseng began as he rubbed his temples.
"You think there's a chance that she may defect or something?" Reno questioned.
"President Shinra's orders…"Tseng trailed off. Reno glanced at the man and sighed, not amused at his response.
"I was gonna keep an eye on her anyway," Reno replied.
"Thank you," Tseng sighed in relief, Reno waved off the man's words as he seemed to recline even more in his chair in thought.
Why would President Shinra be interested in Liv to the point to have the TURKS monitor their own?
Liv had made her way to her condo not that far from the Shinra Building in Sector Zero, she needed rest in a more comfortable environment. After a long shower and an even longer soak, Liv slipped into more comfortable loungewear and stood in front of the floor to ceiling windows, gazing down at the city below. From her condo, she could see the clear damage of the missing Sector Seven Plate to her left and the damage of Reactor One to her right.
"Drinking is always a good way to relax your nerves Liv…let's have a drink"
Reno's words lingered in her mind as she looked at the honey brown colored liquid in her cup. He had gifted her a rather large bottle of whiskey. Whiskey wasn't her choice alcohol but the warmth she felt from the drink felt warmed her limbs numbing the pain from the night before.
"Thanks...Reno," Liv chuckled slightly.
"A war with Wutai...despite the cease-fire...for what?" Liv mumbled and nursed her drink before her cell phone vibrated.
She quickly retrieved the device and opened the messages that she had gotten, most of them were from her parents about her upcoming engagement and marriage to someone she only knew by initials and scarce background. When her mother first approached her with the idea of arranged marriage she thought nothing of it. Her parents were picky and so was she, even though she was being subjected to something so archaic she had the final say. With her position, she had access to personnel files on everyone in the city and used the information that Shinra had on the suitors to make her final decision.
The young man she was supposed to meet had a clean slate, no blemishes, nothing. Roy Salvas. A thirty-something-year-old, CEO of the top five companies in Midgar. She didn't really think much of it or him but she knew she was scheduled to meet him within the coming days and soon be engaged to him. But with the sudden downturn of events, she hoped that she would be able to her parents and Roy to meet at a later time due to work.
As she mulled a plan to get out of meeting the man her thoughts were interrupted by a phone call.
"Hello?"
[Wow you could sound a bit more excited to hear me]
"Just a little beat up and sore," Liv replied as she immediately recognized the deep baritone voice on the other side of the phone.
[And here I thought my voice would cheer you up]
"You're still so full of yourself Rod," Liv replied bluntly.
[Ouch...did you get beat up that bad?]
"Truthfully a lot of insane stuff happened...didn't you see it?" Liv began.
[How could I not? Lemme guess, President's orders]
"Yeah…" Liv trailed off.
[Of course… Liv...if you're having second thoughts about being loyal to Shinra...I completely understand]
"I'm fine...just frustrated is all," Liv replied. "Besides you forget my phone may be tapped at any time. I'm not immune,"
[I have an extra room in my Costa del Sol Villa if you need it]
"I can hear you smiling all the way in Midgar," Liv laughed.
[God I miss that laugh of yours. I'm glad I was able to make you laugh]
Liv sighed softly as she listened to the man talk about his day in exile in Costa de Sol. The man was one of the former TURKS that had voluntarily exiled himself to avoid being prosecuted after the threat of Zirconiade and Fuhito. Because of the number of TURKS that were involved with the affair had dwindled the numbers of the TURKS to just four. During their time together, Rod became a close friend of hers which started rumors about the man having feelings for her. Though the man said nothing to confirm or deny the rumors, the two left it for what it was.
[Also...about the blonde that you mention...I've seen him before]
"He claims he was in SOLDIER but without a name, there's no way I can narrow down my search..." Liv trailed off.
[I know and I think he hung out with Zack Fair and Kunsel back in the day]
"Isn't Kunsel still with Shinra, First-Class now?" Liv began.
[He is or at least the last time I heard]
"Thank you for that information...I'll look into that," Liv nodded excited at the fact that she had information for their current mission of looking into AVALANCHE and also for her own personal research.
[You're welcome. Are you still looking into Chu's disappearance?]
"I may or may not have decided to look back into it," Liv replied coyly. Back then the man helped her to the best of his ability but once he found out the truth he attempted to deter her from digging deep into Shinra's secrets.
[Listen. Don't dig too deep into Shinra's secrets. You'll get burned]
"I am well aware of that. Thank you for the reminder," Liv huffed.
[I'm serious Liv. I don't want anything to happen to you. Especially because you're getting married...soon]
"Yeah, yeah," Liv sighed as the man reminded her of her upcoming engagement to the man she had yet to meet and knew nothing about.
[Don't worry. I'm sure he's a nice, young and handsome fellow,]
"Please spare me," Liv sighed heavily.
[You'll be fine. If you don't like him or fall in love with him…I'll have a room for you regardless]
"Oh stop. I'm sure the man will be too terrified that he'd probably run away or avoid me like the plague," Liv half laughed.
[Wow, you're an intelligent, beautiful young woman. If he doesn't see that then it wasn't meant to be]
"Thanks but we'll see if that's enough to keep him from being scared away," Liv replied.
[I will wait for the details]
"I can hear you smiling again," Liv laughed.
[And on that note I think you should get some rest you sound really exhausted and at the end of your wits...]
"You can tell all of that over the phone?" Liv questioned.
[You did ask if I was paying attention to the news and well...it looks like the TURKS put up a hell of a fight]
"Ah...yeah…" Liv sighed as she thought back to the news and the story that was being spun against AVALANCHE and Wutai.
"Alright...h-have a good night Rod...ok?"
[Sleep well...Liv]
As soon as the phone call ended, Liv downed the rest of her drink and made her way to her bed promptly collapsing into the plush comforters and pillows.
"Is the way you really want to go Mr. President?" Liv murmured before sleep took her.
You're my back up plan, Liv
Liv shot up drenched in sweat, frantically Liv looked around her condo as if someone had broken into it and nearly was about to assault her. With a heavy sigh and the realization she was alone in her condo she collapsed back into her bed.
"Another dream...about her," Liv sighed again as she lay motionless for another few moments before the vibration of her phone caught her attention. She reached for the empty space next to her grabbing the device. She had received messages from Tseng and a missed call from Reno.
It wasn't normal for the man to call her, she called him back immediately. As soon as the man answered the phone she wanted to fire off an array of questions but was stopped by the man who answered the phone.
[Get to the President's Office now]
Just that one phrase sent a shiver down the woman's spine and the abrupt end to the phone call did nothing to alleviate the dread that was quickly settling in her gut.