Chapter 52. Strategy

Sephiroth's POV

I prepared all the documentation and took care of all the details.

Rufus Shinra would be taking hold of the company today and I had to keep certain things under my control, strategically letting him think he was in charge of everything.

First thing, I would return to my post as the General, head of SOLDIER, with my usual duties and responsibilities - with some extras.

Turk would be inevitably linked to SOLDIER, being Tseng the head of the Turks obviously, both forces giving unique support to the Science Division and hence, Medina.

We all formed a triangle of authority, and I wanted to have full access to whatever John was doing, considering he was my only chance of… seeing Stevens again.

I dived my thoughts in matters of the company, as much as my mind let me. But inevitably it was there - the memory of her smile, her smell, the way she felt.

It made my heart constrict, and I wondered what feeling this might be. How did I name an emotion that consisted of missing someone terribly, someone I cared about this much?

I didn't know.

All I knew was what I felt - the need of her didn't fade, which meant I would have to find a way, press John and all the scientists of this Planet to just find a way.

No matter what, I had to have Stevens back to me, with me.

Or I would go secretly insane.

Sometimes I recalled Cloud Strife and his 'apparent' determination in doing things right. Blindness had led him to do things unwise and indirectly… he had been the responsible for taking Elie from me.

The thought revolted me, filled me with rage - and I, faced with powerlessness… threw my disgust and stress inside the training room. There seem to be no end to that unbearable feeling, nothing able to placate it… or at least soften it.

The weight of not knowing a thing about Stevens consumed me.

-/-

Eventually the day Rufus Shinra took hold of the company arrived. He had done things wisely, I had to admit - he had managed to kill his father without compromising himself. AVALANCHE would always be a convenient excuse for everything.

It felt somehow ridiculous, to stand in the middle of all the board, Turks included, and receive the brat Rufus Shinra as the new owner of the company when we were all certain he was the responsible for his father's death.

Sadly, our certain was mainly instinctual - there was no actual proof of that and no one would dare to openly accuse the man of such act.

After all, he was the president now.

The ceremony took the whole morning but thankfully around midday we were dismissed. People returned to their working positions, wearing that frown of uncertainty - a frown that gave away the doubt everyone had about Rufus Shinra capacities of running a company like Shinra.

But, then again, what could people do or say? Nothing. Just wait. Patiently. Silently.

"Would you mind giving me some directions? This is new for me."

I didn't recognize his voice first. It took me some time to adjust to Rufus Shinra presence right there beside me, his blue eyes meeting mine with little transparency. I didn't trust him one bit, but it was a fact I hold him allegiance now - considering who he was… and mainly because I honored his father's memory above all.

I looked around, taking my time to understand Rufus Shinra meant the colossal amount of files and stuff Shinra-related his father took control of. The office in which we stood now - his late father's office, now completely remodeled, was foreign territory to Rufus Shinra.

"It's all catalogued." I offered him, with a steady tone. "You'll get the hang of it."

Rufus Shinra eyed me with disbelief, clearly in doubt if I was being sarcastic.

"Hum." He nodded, turning to scan with false interest one of the shelves. "I hope that my being here won't be uncomfortable for you… General."

I didn't particularly enjoy that little provocation of him.

"Why would it be uncomfortable, Sir?"

The blue gaze of the most recent Shinra man met mine, now with blunt disgust.

"I had nothing to do with my father's death."

I took a deep breath, considering what to answer to that. Should I be honest and tell him my real opinion about him? Should I punch him in the face instead and tell him to grow up? Should I cut him into pieces with my sword, an act definitely pleasurable to perform?

My mind considered all the options. But in the end I didn't do any of it.

I just simple bowed and resumed to be on my best behavior.

"Enjoy your new post, Mr. Shinra."

And with that I just left the new President's office. My left hand searched immediately for my mobile phone and I just dialed that very same number I knew by heart already. A familiar voice answered me after the third beep.

"Yes?"

I didn't even bother to identify myself.

"Medina, we need to talk."

"I'm at the office."

"I'm on my way."

And with a sudden move I killed the line, making my way to the Science Division.

John's POV

I stood there, staring at the phone's screen, meddling in deep thought.

I didn't like when the General called in a rush, saying he needed to talk to me. Sephiroth had changed since that day, since that explosion that killed the PORTAL. I didn't know what to think, but deep down inside I had my suspicions he and Elie had finally understood each other.

His sense of possession over her had now reached new levels… and considering their abrupt separation… there was few to doubt about the nature of their relationship.

I was so sure they were involved it hurt. In a way, I was happy for Elie, because I knew that's what she wanted… she always had an adoration for him I didn't fully understand. Why? And how? He was so… unpleasant most of the times.

Well. But that was me… of course Elie didn't think that way. She always saw Sephiroth through some lens. She always found explanation, excuse and a reason behind everything he did.

I shook my head, realizing I had to get over this once and for all. I wasn't an active element in their universe, period. I was just someone… a by-stander.

Lazy footsteps took me to my office, where a very tense General stood. He was silently waiting for me.

"Hey." I greeted, taking my spot behind my desk. "You look thoughtful, as always. What consumes you?"

Sephiroth took a deep breath before speaking.

"Well, first things first. Rufus is definitely in charge of the company." He spoke with his stare on the window. "What bothers me the most is that I know for sure he was the one behind his father's assassination and I have no way to prove it. Then, it's… Veld."

"What about him?"

"He will try to contact his daughter, Elfé. I put him on permanent leave to let him play around and feel safe."

I blinked and tried to do the math.

"You think he'll handle us AVALANCHE."

"Eventually, he will. And we won't have to do a thing." Mako eyes met mine suddenly. "When that happens, maybe - just maybe we can link Rufus to his father's death."

I raised my eyebrows and took my time answering back.

"Sounds tricky. What if… Veld betrays the company and gives information to her daughter?"

"It's a risk we have to take. Tseng is aware of that possibility, we've talked it out."

"Well… that's a lot of if's."

Sephiroth took his time studying me, approaching my desk with his predatory steps. With the change of his stance, it was obvious now the subject of our conversation was about to change.

"I'd like to know what you have about the PORTAL."

Good grief.

"Really, Sephiroth, I don't think you should-"

"Just say what you have!"

My eyes met his with impatience, but what choice did I have but to tell him the truth. I sighed and sat.

"Two things, for now, but it's all very experimental, I don't even know if it's viable in any way." I said, retrieving a device from a shelf in my desk and showing it to him. "Intercom with coordinates. I've been working on this. It runs on Mako. I planned to test it to develop some kind of communication through the PORTAL but didn't have the chance before it died."

Sephiroth's stare changed, as he scanned the device with his own hands.

"Interesting."

"Yes, but for us to eventually test this… Physics would have to have their project complete."

"Project?"

"They… kind of found out the way the PORTAL works but they're having some problems rendering it stable when trying to expand it."

Mako eyes shone in front of me, clearly doing the math and concluding the right thing.

"So…is there any chance to get stuff in and out using the Physics version of the PORTAL?"

I took a deep breath.

"In theory, yes, but we haven't test it yet and-"

"Sounds great to me." He said, interrupting me. "I want your full attention on his project, Medina. And I want to be there when you're testing it, too."

Oh, for God's sake. As if things were that simple!

"It may take months, years, Sephiroth… it's not that simple!" I said, now standing behind my desk. Our stares were leveled and we fought a battle of wills, his determination versus mine, until Sephiroth finally spoke.

"I don't have months… or years, Doctor." He said, with a low, somehow menacing tone. "I will retrieve Stevens soon, even if it's the last thing I do in this Planet."

I blinked at his words. Who was this man!?

"You can't be serious."

"I am always serious." He declared. "See it done and summon me when the testing begins."

And, just like that, Sephiroth left my office.

Leaving me with one hell of a weight on my shoulders.

Elie's POV

I was actually dead scared to go home alone.

I didn't know what to think about the whole 'Patrick's dead' thing - namely because he had been quite alive next to me some days ago.

As expected, Larry's reaction to that thug's death wasn't nice, and he basically resumed to his office the rest of the night. I silently served drinks and many other things to costumers, in and out, feeling off most of the time.

My mind was a haze - the sadness and nostalgia I felt for the man I didn't know I would see again mixed with coward fear of considering Patrick had visited me from the dead.

The thought was actually stupid, but I didn't deny it had its logic. I wasn't a very spiritual person, but I tended to respect what I didn't understand.

And all this screamed unusual in the freakiest way.

I took my time arranging things to finally leave - it was 1 a.m. already and the thought of walking alone along those streets until I got home… scared me like a little kid afraid of the boogey man. A mental fight dominated my senses, but eventually I left.

My feet met the cold, snowy ground. The night was silent and the breeze icy, and I walked in silence, wary of every detail, any suspicious movement.

My heartbeat pumped, audible to my ears only, as I walked carefully but with the right amount of haste through those streets. I reached the main door of the building where I lived and sighed in relief.

Now, now, it had been quicker than I actually thought. I closed the door behind me, greeting a much comfortable temperature. The footsteps were dull, echoing in the place, since most of the people living here were now asleep.

Thankfully the lights were on, and I could see perfectly all the details of the hall that led to my apartment. The place was deserted, what soothed my worries.

With haste I reached for the keys, entering home with a swiftness of someone afraid of being chased by the breeze.

Once at home, I popped the lights on - all of them. My apartment looked like a merry-go-round from the outside, considering all the other apartments were in the dark. Not that I cared. I needed light, and I checked every corner and door and room of the area as if I actually expected to find something. Or someone.

Which was ridiculous, to say the least. Of course no one was there, silence bathed the apartment and all I had to make me company was… the sheets.

The sheets in which I had slept with Sephiroth were still on the bed, I hadn't taken them off the bed - not yet. I wasn't ready to wipe off every and each memory I had of him since…

Since.

I closed my eyes and shook my head, the thought compressing my heart once again. It made me wonder, when would it pass? Would it ever go away, this feeling of loneliness, abandonment?

It wasn't his fault.

My mind justified whatever had happened. Fact was, I didn't know why the PORTAL was now gone. All I knew was that I missed him terribly and that we were apart.

Indefinitely.

The will to cry emerged, treacherous and swift, but I bit back the tears. I had to react, come on, this wasn't a way of living! I tried to gulp down the knot in my throat and sat a little in a place I rarely sat: my dinner's table right next to the window I had in my living room.

I needed composure, needed to find words to ease my pain, my restlessness. And, in the middle of my meditation, my eyes landed on a piece of paper.

It was right there, on the table, the size a little bigger than a post-it.

My gloved hand reached it, as I wondered what on Earth had I left there to abandonment.

The text on it was hand-written, and I took my time reading what was in there.

'We're trying to get you back.

If you get this message, leave it at 06.00 am sharp of the second day of the tenth month of the current year. The coordinates are the following'.

I read the paper dozens of times. I couldn't believe the piece of paper I had in front of me, gradually coming to terms that they were actually trying to reach me.

They - John, and most likely Sephiroth. The thought overwhelmed me completely and I felt so much things at the same time: hope, anxiety, happiness… it was all so unreal but actually happening, at the same time.

I got up the table with my hands shaking, afraid of losing the damn paper. I connected the PC and scanned for the coordinates they had provided me with. I sat calmly and waited to see what the search retrieved: the local cemetery, exactly in the place where… Zack had been buried.

"Well that's comforting." I whispered, my eyes on the screen.

My trembling fingers found the paper once again and I took my time examining it. How I wanted it to be true, my thoughts, my suspicions. How I wanted to be him, the great General, the one initiating a whole search for me, trying to retrieve me at all cost.

How I missed him.

However, things changed from this moment on - I finally had heard from them - kind of, and I wanted to believe things would find its way.

I checked the time - it was 2 a.m., and I was willing to bet I wouldn't be able to sleep a damn thing until the rendez-vous moment.

-/-

I sat patiently in front of Zack's empty grave. I had the paper on my hand and ready to put it right there, according to the exact coordinate John had written. When my clock showed 5:59 am, I put the paper down.

Thankfully, there was no breeze, so the paper remained quiet and still for the endless minute that slowly passed.

I stared at it, focused and waited, not knowing exactly what to wait for. Something would happen, that was for sure and I had to be focused enough to-

I trembled as blinked, realizing the piece of paper had disappeared right in front of me. Just like that, with absolutely no sound as a warning. It had literally poofed in front of my bare eyes.

I didn't know what to think - if I should feel confident, if I should feed this hope of seeing him… and everyone from that world again. I was afraid hope would lead me nowhere. I was afraid I would live my daily living based on a silly hope of seeing the love of my life again.

I took a deep breath and tried to gather composure. I had to be positive over this… or I wouldn't find a purpose to my life.

I gulped down the tears and the grief I felt, trying to loosen up the knot in my throat, and made my way home again… hoping my tired body would capture my mind into a peaceful sleep.

Sephiroth's POV

My eyes opened automatically, facing the smoothness of the ceiling of my bedroom.

I felt strangely revigorated, even if I hadn't slept much. I turned to my left size, wondering whose time would be now.

My eyes met the alarm clock, neon green digits blinking. I narrowed my eyes at the unusual event.

Digits blinking?

I was up in a matter of seconds and went to the kitchen. The same happened with the microwave clock and the oven as well. I took my time reaching the living room, where the sound system and TV blinked like crazy, leaving the imprint of the hour: 06:00 am.

It was a known fact there wasn't casual power outages in the city. Mako was stable enough to handle the energetic demands of the city, so…

"You son of a bitch…" I murmured, as I strode to my bedroom again, in search of my mobile phone.

The call making was fast.

"I told you I wanted to be there when you started testing." My tone was harsh enough, not letting Medina say a word against.

"How did you-"

"Please John." I smirked. "Power outages with Mako supply can only happen in very special circumstances." I shook my head, feeling a little revolt building inside of me. "At least tell me if it was worth it."

There was positivity flowing through the line.

"Come and see for yourself." Medina's tone was smiley, which meant something had been achieved.

"I'm on my way."

A/N - I'm back, sorry for the delay! Family grew and I had some trouble adjusting… but all is settled now.

The feedback on this fic has been wonderful and I can't wait to continue to tell this amazing story. I'll try to impose a rhythm of posting, bear with me people.