Chapter 5: That time Chuck wasn't expecting a distressed Lady at his door
Chuck looked up from his book, frowning, hearing someone knocking furiously on his front door. And that continued beyond the time that most people took when they knocked on his door… at nearly midnight, he noticed, glancing at his clock. Marking his page with an annoyed groan, he stood up, putting on his slippers with a sigh of relief at the protection against the cold tiles. The old SOLDIER walked to his front door with a certain annoyance, if these little shits couldn't even get rid of a small basic monster, they were going to hear him for having disturbed him in the middle of the night! It better be an emergency! He told himself angrily, unlocking the door and opening it almost suddenly… before blinking in surprise at the person standing in front of him. And who was honestly the last person he would have expected, considering what Kunzel had said.
Caroline, however, couldn't help but mentally bug when she saw Chuck. She would have expected to see him in almost any outfit... but not that kind of pajamas. The top was sky blue with a sleeping Chibi Chocobo, lying on its stomach, a small bubble coming out of its beak, and the bottom was a little darker, the whole thing looking particularly comfortable, especially with the Moogle slippers that the old SOLDIER was wearing. The vision was enough to completely blue-screened her, unable to compile the information and associate Chuck with the man in front of her, the contrast seemed so violent.
Before she had time to regain her composure, however, Chuck immediately led her into his apartment, checking with a look that no one had opened their door and seen her, before closing the door. To see the woman reappear as she had disappeared, that is to say from nowhere, was almost as shocking as her condition. She was in tears, clearly terrified, and he wondered what the story behind it might be. However, where had she been during those eleven days? He wondered, accompanying her into his living room, sitting her gently on the couch. She couldn't have ended up in Hojo's clutches, anyway, because she couldn't have escaped alone, especially knowing how badly the twisted freak wanted to get her.
When he asked her the question, however… she burst into tears. The poor girl was unable to answer him, her red eyes showing that she had already cried a lot not too long ago. After a few uncomfortable minutes spent trying to comfort her, he ended up calming her down long enough to go and prepare a hot chocolate for her. Letting her drink it softly, he waited to see that she had calmed down enough to be able to answer a few questions.
"What happened, kid?" He asked gently in a gruff tone, handing her a packet of tissues. "According to Kunzel, you disappeared while he was in the apartment, and he swore to me that he had checked that someone hadn't had fun hiding an Exit Materia inside. And he is certain that no one entered or left without him noticing. So what happened to you?"
Caroline took a deep breath, wiping her tears, before beginning her explanation.
"I… went back home," she admitted softly.
Chuck raised an astonished eyebrow upon hearing this.
"Yet it seemed to me that you said you didn't want to go home? Or that you couldn't?"
"Technically… it's more like I couldn't," she replied softly, her throat tight. "And after a while… I no longer wanted to. I didn't want to leave," she sobbed softly. "I was dragged home against my will. In my home world. And for a month… I wasted away little by little," she confessed. "I think a few more days… and I would have started to be suicidal. Until the moment… when the Goddess of my world's Lifestream… at least I think she was… appeared. She left me a month to prepare… before sending me back here. Never to return again," explained Caroline, starting to cry softly again. "But I needed to come back, to try to save Zack and Seph… and I couldn't save them!" Sobbed the young woman. "Why?" She moaned. "Why did I had to be brought back after Seph died and Zack landed in Hojo's hands?"
Chuck gently grabbed the young woman's cup, coming to sit next to her and wrap his arm around her, placing the mug on the coffee table. He let her lean against him, letting her cry heartbreakingly, thinking fast. He had listened to her with a raised eyebrow, taken aback… struggling to believe her. The old warrior couldn't deny, however, that she had disappeared without a trace… and the rumors concerning the tantrum that Hojo had given at about the same period… all that made him consider believing her, especially if she had proof. Gently, he spoke again when she had calmed down enough, asking for details.
"It looks to me to be quite an adventure you lived, kid. And do you have proof?"
Caroline didn't get upset when she heard him say that. She knew her story was hard to accept, Sephiroth and the others having found it hard to believe… until the Turks apparently told them that she didn't exist in this world at all. And relations with Wutai have been extremely tense since the end of the war… it was impossible for her to come from there, foreigners were rarely admitted, even before the war. Genesis had been fascinated by the theory though… before quickly becoming frustrated as the Curse prevented her from speaking of her world. Nodding, she blowed her nose, sniffing.
"I brought back… everything I could," she explained softly, voice hoarse. "I had to leave the bag in the living room, however, it was too heavy for me to take it with me. Especially taking into account the fact that I also wanted to get things from the apartment. There are… a lot of things I want to get back in there," she admitted softly, her tone exhausted. "And the first thing I did after I got the stuff I wanted… was to come see you."
Chuck nodded with some satisfaction. Regardless of the fact that her plan seemed to have been fairly basic… she obviously had the intelligence to not stay in the apartment for too long, and immediately came looking for him. And he understood why. He was practically the only one that even the President feared, and especially the one that Hojo feared. And without the presence of Sephiroth or even Zack… she had turned to him for protection. And the old SOLDIER had no intention of disappointing her. Gently, he hugged her, speaking.
"So, did you get everything you wanted, lassie?" He asked softly, making her look up, nodding with some confusion. "Are we going to recover them?"
"Now?" She asked, visibly surprised.
"And what better time to do this?" He pointed with a bit of amusement. "Considering what time it is… everyone is asleep. Or about to go to bed. So the chances of you being seen are minimal… and no one would dare to enter this brat Sephiroth's apartment, even if he is apparently dead."
The young woman blinked, bewildered, before realizing that he was right. It was the perfect time to do that… because no one would see them. Nodding, Caroline got up, followed by the old warrior, and headed for the door. In other circumstances, she would have found the situation funny, especially with Chuck's outfit… but she was emotionally exhausted, if she had to be honest. All she wanted at that moment was to fall into a bed to sleep, too exhausted from her emotions and grief to express her despair. The idea of coming back later to the apartment she shared with Zack and Sephiroth, however… was even worse. Getting there in the middle of the night had already been extremely hard for her. Finding out that her PHS had run out of battery… didn't help. And to find out after plugging it in and charged enough to turn it on that the date was October 3… had almost been the last blow. The young woman had been unable to restrain herself from collapsing on the ground, in tears, seeing this. Because it meant it was too late to try to call them and tell them she was fine. And Sephiroth was dead. Without her being able to help him. She had finally calmed down after a while, yes… but she still felt that she was missing something. The only consolation… was that Zack was still alive. Hopefully… she could convince Chuck to go rescue him.
The old SOLDIER couldn't hold back a raised eyebrow when entering the apartment, seeing two large bags placed on the floor in the living room, one twice as large as the other, and glanced at the young woman, who couldn't help blushing, visibly embarrassed.
"When you said you had taken all you could, I didn't think it was that much, lassie," he said, unable to hide his amusement. "And I understand better why you preferred to leave them here. Do you have everything you wanted?" He asked gently, respecting her obvious grief.
Caroline nodded, a lump blocking her throat. Anything she could reasonably get back, anyway. The rest… she couldn't. Getting her stuff back was already pretty risky like that, if Turks ever came to inspect the apartment in the future… So Sephiroth or Zack's stuff? It was too dangerous, she was aware of it. Even if she couldn't help but take a few of her companions t-shirts. A faint smile escaped her despite all at seeing Chuck lifting the bags as if they weighed nothing, treating them with caution, knowing that they contained all that she had the most precious in the world now, except Zack.
They quickly returned to the apartment, both unwilling to linger outside longer than necessary, and Chuck left the bags in one of the bedrooms, which he never used. He had never had an apprentice, and most of the rest of his squadron had long since lost their lives. He was one of only three survivors, the other two living on different floors to make sure the younger kids weren't doing anything stupid… even if they were less feared than Chuck. He hadn't been given the nickname "The Invincible" for nothing, after all. Gently, he pushed Caroline to go to bed. Fortunately, he always kept one of the rooms in his apartment ready in case he welcomed a friend, and therefore it was clean.
When he returned a few minutes later, it was to see the young woman collapsed on the covers, asleep, clutching a Moogle plush against herself. Shaking his head softly, he entered the room, tucking her in gently. The poor girl was visibly exhausted, he said to himself while coming out silently, closing the door behind him. The old SOLDIER decided that asking her for proof could wait a few days, until she recovered and settled down. He was in no hurry after all… even if the idea that the Puppy was in the hands of the madman running the scientific department made him fume with rage. That explained in any case the absence of the sadist in the last couples of days. However… rushing in would be the worst possible idea, he told himself as he also went to bed. Especially now. Waiting for things to calm down was vital if he wanted to mount a rescue operation.
oOo
Caroline absently turned a page of her book, immersed in her reading, glad that she had been able to cram a few books from home in her bag. She and Chuck had agreed to take turns cooking, as well as cleaning except for their respective rooms, and today it was her turn. The old warrior had kindly refused her help, pushing her firmly into the living room, suggesting that she try to relax. And the young woman… had become better as days passed. She was still having episodes where she started to cry without being able to help it, not to mention the nightmares… but it was already much better than on Earth, she said to herself with a sigh, turning another page. The feeling of emptiness was almost gone, and it was a partial relief, which suited her. She rolled her eyes when she heard Chuck sing something that sounded very much like a dirty song, and turned up the volume on her music player. Not that it shocked her more than that (on the contrary, it made her almost laugh), but the old warrior sang horribly wrong. Pushing her to put music loud enough in her ears to cover his voice.
It had been about a month now since she came back, and, if she really wanted for Chuck to go rescue Cloud and Zack… the old soldier's reasoning was that if he went… Shinra would be immediately placed on red alert, putting her in danger too, because they would come and search his apartment to find out what the hell was wrong with him. It was far too early to attempt a rescue mission. The best time to rescue him… would be when they got to Midgar, even though she wasn't sure which direction they'd come from. But that meant waiting another five years, she told herself, her heart heavy. Letting her boyfriend be tortured by Hojo for the next few years… and pursued by Genesis… made her feel sick. At least the proofs she had shown him had convinced him that she was telling the truth. Especially her gaming consoles. There was nothing like those here, although their power was visibly equivalent.
What she didn't know was that the paperboy who had come to drop off papers for Chuck (she had no idea what it was, and didn't give a damn about it to be honest, it wasn't her business) had recognized her. While he hadn't dared to ask what Fair's girlfriend was doing in the Dragon's Nest, as people called Nokia's apartment, he couldn't help but talk about it with one of his friends.
"I swear, Jeff, I saw the Puppy's girlfriend in the Dragon's Nest!"
Jeff looked at him skeptically.
"And can you tell me what she would do there, Joe? Frankly?"
Joe rolled his eyes in response.
"Fair is dead, Jeff. Maybe she just wants to fuck another SOLDIER?" He suggested, shrugging. "Even if, frankly, she could do better than the Dragon," he said, rolling his eyes. "This old schnock is almost old enough to be her father. With the Puppy, at least, she was famous… even though we haven't seen her go out often with him. His girlfriend was almost a shadow… yet she's cute."
The hand that suddenly grabbed his arm made him jump, and he turned his head to ask the person to let go, before losing colors when he saw Dr Creepy. The latter looked even more crazed than usual, an evil gleam dancing in his eyes.
"What did I hear you say?" Asked the scientist in a sickly sweet tone. "You saw Fair's companion? Where exactly?"
"In… in the Dragon's nest," Joe stuttered, panicked. "It was her who… who opened the door for me when I went to bring him some papers."
"Oh really?" Whispered the mad scientist. "And where exactly is it?"
"On… on floor 42," the poor paperboy stammered. "The apartment in front of the elevator, has a red dragon on the door."
"Good, good," Hojo murmured, his mind turning away from his terrified victim. "So like that… she was there the whole time…"
The two paperboys shivered when they heard him mumble to himself as he walked away, Joe wanting to take a shower more than anything in the world, the freak's touch making him feel dirty. Part of him wondered if he should remind him that it was Lieutenant Nokia's apartment he was talking about… and especially that he was home… before deciding that it was better for Dr Creepy to realize it by himself. And he didn't want to approach him of his own free will if he could avoid it.
When he got to the floor where his prey was, Hojo headed straight for the apartment, impatiently trying to open the door, growling in frustration when he saw it was locked. Turning around, he missed the puzzled and worried looks of the SOLDIERS and the Turk in the common area of this floor where there were some arcades and other games, as well as candy dispensers. Seeing what he needed, he grabbed the ax used by the firefighters to open the doors, and returned towards his goal, ignoring that the Turk had taken out a small camera when he saw him do it, saying to himself "Oooooh, that's gonna be good!". He didn't even need to be asked, the SOLDIERS staring at the scene with a morbid fascination quite similar to that experienced in an imminent and inevitable train wreck. Seeing Hojo force the door to the Dragon's Nest, as they called it… showed that he had completely lost his survival instinct.
"Hey, we did see Lieutenant Nokia come home earlier, right?" Whispered one of the SOLDIERS, watching the scene.
"With his monthly grocery, yep," replied the Turk, leaning forward a little more.
Watching Hojo enter the apartment seconds later… before a female scream of terror echoed shortly after… very soon followed by a sound seriously resembling a pissed off dragon roar.
Caroline had just looked up to look at the time… when her heart stopped when she saw HOJO standing in front of her, his usual disturbing smile on his face. What is he doing there!? Wondered the part of her mind that wasn't paralyzed with terror at his sight, almost thinking he was a hallucination… before the mad scientist grabbed her arm, pulling her roughly to stand up and making her drop her book and music player. The gesture was enough to break the trance, however, and she screamed, terrified. Hojo silenced her with a slap, hissing maliciously:
"What a noisy specimen… I will have to silence you quickly…"
Before freezing suddenly, turning pale as a low rumbling growl echoed behind him, a chill running down his back. Turning slowly, he swallowed hard when he saw who was behind, staring at him with a pissed off look.
"RELEASE HER RIGHT NOW IF YOU DON'T WANT ME TO TEAR YOUR HEAD OFF!" Roared Chuck, furious, and the mad scientist let go of Caroline, the latter moving away from Hojo as quickly as possible, coming to take refuge behind Chuck. "HOW DARE YOU COME INTO MY HOME YOU FUCKING FOUL SLIMY CONTAMINATED MALBORO'S PILE OF SHIT!"
The roar was heard not only on that floor, making the SOLDIERS present exchange incredulous glances, but also on the other floors, the one above and below, making everyone freeze.
"Did we just hear the Dragon roar at someone?" Carefully asked a 3rd Class.
"Yep… and if it's not Dr Creepy, I'll eat my boots," replied one of his friends.
"With this description? Who else could it be?" Replied the third. "But is that Creep suicidal or what?"
"I knew he was crazy," admitted the first, "but to the point of trying to kidnap someone in the Dragon's lair? Did he completely lose it or what?"
"I don't know and I don't want to know," said the second firmly. "Your turn to draw a card, man. Lose the boxer!"
"In your dream," snorted his friend. "You're the one who's going to lose the boxer!"
"Less talk, more cards," said the last firmly, drawing. "And this time, it will be my turn to fuck first!"
On the floor below, Chuck firmly grabbed Hojo's collar, dragging him behind him, before literally throwing him down the corridor, making him fly the full length of it just as the elevator doors opened, letting through a SOLDIER. The latter hurriedly dodged to the side when he saw something flying in his direction… before seeing that it was Dr. Creepy, as the scientist was nicknamed by almost everyone in Shinra. The doors closed on the madman spread out at the back of the elevator's floor, probably unconscious, with a slight "ding" that seemed almost incongruous in view of the situation. At the entrance of the common area, all heads had turned as one to follow the creep's path, their owners almost admiring the long flight. One of the oldest SOLDIERS then spoke, sounding strangely calm.
"And that, kids, is how you take out the trash."
The one next to the elevator looked at them, looked at the elevator, before looking at them again, confused, also seeing Lieutenant Nokia fuming in his doorway, a head poking slightly from his side to look at what was going on, seemingly fearful. The old warrior literally growled in the SOLDIER's direction, making him tremble, before turning away and replacing his broken door as best as possible. The newcomer looked at his friends, confused and perplexed.
"Guys… what exactly did I miss?" He asked cautiously.
"Just Dr. Creepy showing that he had lost his survival instinct, nothing too bad," replied the Turk, snickering. "Wanna watch the video?" He asked with a big amused smile.
"I feel like I'm going to regret it, but show me?" Asked the SOLDIER.
Before holding back a facepalm when he saw Hojo axed the door of the Lieutenant's apartment, barely missing the dragon-shaped ornament hanging on it. No one dared touch it, not even the Turks, knowing that it had been gifted to Chuck by one of the members of his former unit, now dead. If Hojo had damaged it… the old warrior would probably have thrown him through the nearest window, suspected the SOLDIER. He didn't know who the head he had spotted peeking to the side of Nokia could be… and he didn't want to know. On the other hand, he was ready to bet that the video of the almost suicidal acts of the madman would go around the building in half an hour. Reminding everyone why Chuck Nokia was nicknamed the Dragon. And in any case, he could see the old rogue having an armored door installed, he said to himself, observing the damage. And probably in the day.
As the SOLDIER had predicted… the video of Hojo's spectacular flight down the hallway went around the building in less than half an hour, the Turk had first sent it to the other Turks, the latter taking care to circulate it even further in the company. Tseng had shaken his head wearily when he saw this. If it didn't prove that Hojo was a dangerous fool… he didn't see what could prove it. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough for the President, who was furious to see that someone had humiliated the Head scientist by broadcasting the video. Even if he too could see it had been the stupidest idea in Hojo's entire career, he wouldn't say otherwise. Even Veld had rolled his eyes over the video, though he wondered what Hojo might have wanted to do in Nokia's apartment… to the point of going and breaking down his door.
He got his answer a few hours later, when a Hojo still moving carefully entered the official HQ of the Turks (the unofficial one hidden behind a back door in a wall), heading straight for him. Concealing a disgusted grimace (he still suspected the nutcase to have made his former partner disappear, even if he had been unable to find evidence… and Hojo went too often in the Shinra Manor in Nibelheim for him to take the risk of sending one of his men to investigate), he greeted the scientist with a straight face. Aware that all the Turks present were observing the scientist with barely hidden distrust and disgust.
"Professor Hojo. What can I do for you?"
The concerned looked at him with contempt, his expression slightly drawn by a remnant of pain. It was common knowledge that Hojo regarded people at best as unworthy of his attention, at worst as test subjects. Finally, he spoke, not even deigning to sit down.
"I need… you to get a specimen for me, imagining you can do it, since your… men are unable to get a hold of this Ancient," he said, his tone dripping with contempt.
Veld's eye ticked imperceptibly to an outsider, noticing how some of his subordinates tensed… including several cleaning their weapons. The mad scientist was playing with fire… and the old Turk wondered if he was aware of it, or if he was persuaded to be protected by the President. Most didn't show it openly… but they were far more loyal to Rufus Shinra than his father. He, at least, shared their opinion on Hojo that he was a dangerous fool. Acquiring… "specimens" for the weirdo was the thing they hated the most in the world, and if one of these people managed to "escape"… generally the Turks designated to transport them didn't do much effort to recover them if they were in an isolated location. Regarding Aerith… even Veld was reluctant to capture her, knowing that she had spent her early years in his hands. So even if the Turks were ordered to capture her on sight… only the most reliable were assigned to her surveillance, their real order being to watch over her, not to capture her. And the infantryman responsible for the death of her biological mother had never been found, Hojo regretting that he couldn't "teach" him to not cause the death of "precious specimens". But the Turks were even less enthusiastic about letting someone fall into his hands. So they took care of his case. And if his death hadn't been painless… at least it had been relatively quick.
"And who is it?" Veld asked, his tone almost devoid of emotion.
Hojo scoffed contemptuously.
"No need to worry about that," he replied his tone dripping with contempt as usual. "All you need to know is that she's in Lieutenant Nokia's apartment…"
And there, Hojo was cut by a resounding "OH FUCK NO!" emitted by about 3/4 of the Turks present. Only the youngest recruits remained silent, confused, even if just seeing the more experienced shivering at the thought of going against Lieutenant Nokia didn't help to reassure them. Seeing the scientist do what could only be defined as a tantrum because the Turks refused to obey him… threatening to take it to the President… didn't convince them any more to agree to obey him.
Despite everything, it took a good quarter of an hour for Hojo to calm down, the freak intelligent enough to not threaten the Turks to end up in his labs, especially since the disappearance of Vincent Valentine… and Veld's suspicions towards him, even if he had taken great care to remove all traces that could associate the crime to him. Hojo spent another good half-hour trying all possible threats to convince the Turks to comply with his request, without success, and left the headquarters swearing it wasn't over. Going directly to bring his complaint to the President… who flatly refused to order the Turks (or anyone else) to break into the old SOLDIER's apartment to kidnap the person in question.
He didn't really believed in Sephiroth's threat that he would crawl out of the Lifestream if it were necessary to take revenge on him… but Nokia was alive… and the pervert had no trouble imagining him throwing out the window anyone who dared to break into his apartment. And maybe even himself if the old warrior ever found out that he had allowed it. Bringing on yet another furious fit from Hojo, which he had stood up firmly for once, much to the freak's frustration. The latter ended up reluctantly leaving the presidential office, fuming in frustration and helpless rage. Now that her two main protectors were either dead or between his claws, he had hoped to be able to get his hands on the young woman.
oOo
Tseng almost wanted to curse Veld for designating him for this mission, knowing that there were probably other Turks who were better able to obtain this information and were in less danger. At least he had been able to get Wutai cigars, so as not to approach the Dragon empty-handed. The old SOLDIER was already scary in normal times, people bothering him only if they had no other choice, but there, the Turk suspected that he must still be pissed. All that remained was to hope that he had calmed down enough that he could at least start speaking first, he told himself while pressing the button for the 42th floor.
Exiting the elevator when the doors opened, the Wutaian shivered when he saw the door to the apartment. The old one, which was damaged (and therefore out of use), had been removed from its hinges and placed on the side, a technician being helped by one of the SOLDIERS living on this floor to put in place the new one. Judging by the thickness and the color, Tseng would have bet his pay of the month that the new door was armored, and probably with several locks on top of that, since the technician in question was now busy marking shapes in the doorframe. The SOLDIER then seized the old door, moving away from the apartment as quickly as possible, and Tseng noticed almost absently that the dragon-shaped ornament had already been placed on the new one. The Turk couldn't help but gulp when he saw Nokia watching the process, still clearly fuming, almost giving Tseng the impression that little clouds of smoke were coming out of his nostrils.
Before shivering when he saw that the old warrior's attention was on him, his eyes shining brighter than usual, showing how angry he was. Stepping away from the wall, he turned his head to the side, saying in a strangely soft voice that he would come back immediately to someone Tseng couldn't see. Then advancing in the corridor, he bypassed the technician still busy installing the new door, coming to dominate the young man with his size. He wasn't afraid to admit that he was sweating in spite of himself, thanking Leviathan for the fact that the only person who could witness his stress was too busy to notice anything.
"What are you doing here, brat?" snarled Chuck, bringing the Wutaian's attention back to him, an audible rumble in his voice. "If you're here to take her and bring her to Hojo…" he trailed off, cracking his knuckles, making Tseng shiver.
"No," he replied in an even tone, raising the cigar box to show it to the old SOLDIER, who raised an eyebrow. "Lieutenant Nokia, Veld would like to know the reason why Professor Hojo had the suicidal idea of entering your home… as well as the possibility of closing some of the bets the other Turks did for my part… after which I would leave this gift for you and I'll be leaving," he explained, unable to help saying the name of the madman with disgust, shuddering.
Chuck looked at him hard for a long time, before nodding and turning around, making Tseng blink in surprise.
"Come in, kid," Chuck ordered sharply. "There is no question of discussing this outside, I don't want it to reach the rumor mill."
Blinking again, before doing so, bypassing the technician who continued to ignore them, obviously not wanting to draw Lieutenant Nokia's anger on him. Tseng was about to ask the question again when he entered the living room… before blinking again in amazement when he saw the figure bundled up in a blanket, curled up on the couch, who looked up when she heard him enter.
This explains why Dr. Creepy completely lost his survival instinct, Tseng thought to himself as he watched Caroline stare at him with a mixture of astonishment and terror, obviously still in shock after what had happened. The Turk let out a long, weary sigh, his free hand rubbing the bridge of his nose with some weariness. Cautiously, making sure to keep his movements as little threatening as possible, aware that Chuck hadn't let him out of his sight, he placed the cigar box on the coffee table, sitting on the corner furthest from her. The young woman looked hesitantly at the SOLDIER, who had resumed his vigilant position against the wall, keeping an eye on them and on the technician, but Tseng had no illusions about his chances of survival if he did something stupid. He had been able to see, both with Zack and Sephiroth, how fast a 1st Class could be if they were motivated. And if he ever took a wrong step… he would go through the window… without a parachute.
oOo
Tseng entered the Turks headquarters wearily. And he who thought things couldn't get stranger… he had just been shown the opposite. Even if his education had pushed him to accept these things more easily… it was still difficult to accept. But he couldn't deny the evidence she had shown him. Taking a deep breath, ignoring the looks the other Turks who wanted more than anything that he tell them who Hojo wanted in the Dragon's Nest, he headed straight for Veld, who raised an astonished eyebrow when his right hand discreetly signed that it was necessary for them to go to his office… which was the only place in HQ that wasn't under surveillance.
Nodding, the old Turk took the lead, carefully closing the door behind them and discreetly activating the runes preventing anyone from spying on them. Veld combed his desk himself daily, and several times a day. That way, he was certain there was no microphone or camera in his office… and he found at least one of each when he searched it. However, not having left yet today, he didn't take care of looking for possible bugs, contenting himself with sitting down and looking at Tseng… who seemed somewhat… frazzled, if he had to be honest. He had no apparent injuries, however, which made the leader confused as to the reason for his condition. Motioning him to sit down, Veld stared at him carefully.
"Well?" He asked after a few moments, seeing that Tseng still seemed reluctant to choose his words. "What news from Lieutenant Nokia?"
The Wutaian took a deep breath before starting to speak.
"Lieutenant Nokia… gave me some Trusted Coffee," he explained softly, knowing that his superior would understand.
And indeed, Veld stiffened instantly. There was only one person with that code name, to his knowledge… and she was supposed to have disappeared a month and a half earlier. Without a trace.
"Really?" He said slowly, his mind turning the situation all over the place. "And where did he find it?"
"Apparently it was more the coffee that found him," said Tseng wryly. "And the person who had… misplaced it, shall we say… is beyond our reach."
Veld narrows his eyes at this.
"Really? At which level?"
"At the level of Minerva herself, it seems," replied Tseng, shivering, unable to help himself doing so.
Veld blinked in surprise, knowing that the Wutaian never joked with certain subjects, Leviathan and Minerva coming to mind without problem. Sephiroth… had also been a subject he didn't joke about… just like Caroline. Raising a hand on the young woman had been the closest thing to a death sentence, with Sephiroth as with Genesis… the two holding back only because they didn't want to deal with the excess of paperwork that a murder (as justified as it was, sometimes), would bring them. Even Zack wasn't a joke among the Turks, the young man loved by everyone… except Hojo, who hated him for the fact that he prevented him from getting his girlfriend. And that explained why he made the mistake of violating Chuck Nokia's sanctuary. His obsession with the young woman could almost have been compared to that which Genesis had had towards her… except that the Scarlet Mage had always treated her with respect before disappearing. And he would never have tortured her.
The Head Turk sank into his chair with a sigh, massaging his forehead while thinking. Now that he knew who Chuck Nokia was protecting… there was even less question of sending one of his subordinates there. The new kids… would literally fly out the window, he didn't even have to think about it to see that. And the older ones… would not only refuse to bring her back to Hojo… but they could cause the fall of the department by trying to eliminate the creep. The reason they dubbed Caroline Trusted Coffee… was because she often offered coffee to the Turks she met. Going so far as to ask them what they preferred, and all without a second thought, it seemed. Just because she could. Because of this… the vast majority of the department adored her, and had totally refused to hand her over to the madman, much to his frustration. Blocking all his attempts on their side, ensuring her safety where Sephiroth or Zack could not. And if the news were to spread… he doubted that Cissnei would resist the urge to eliminate the madman. Not that it was a big loss, from his point of view, but… it was far too dangerous.
Which meant… they had to eliminate the leak. The idea… didn't pleased him at all, to be honest. But it was better that it was the Turks who took care of that rather than Hojo. At least their deaths would be quick. Coming out of his thoughts, he looked at Tseng, who immediately stiffened when he saw his gaze. The metallic glint in his eyes… was only seen when he was making his most difficult decisions.
"I supposed, Tseng, that you know what you have to do, don't you?" He asked firmly.
"Stop the leak," replied the latter without hesitation. "Without leaving a trace."
"Good," Veld said with satisfaction. "So go ahead."
Nodding, the young man turned and left the office, determined to deal with it as soon as possible, before anyone knew about it. The fewer people that knew about Caroline… the better. For her as for them. It only took him a few minutes to get hold of the Turk who had filmed Hojo's flight, which answered his questions without problem, giving him the name of the only person to have entered the old SOLDIER's apartment that day. It took him longer to get his hands on the paperboy… and also his friend when he stammered talking to someone about it. Fortunately, being with the Turks had taught him to think creatively, the Wutaian thought as he came out of the building, two frogs locked in a suitcase normally used to transport papers. Luckily, he had found a real mission to Kalm, even though there were far fewer papers than the briefcase suggested. His interlocutor raised an eyebrow briefly when he saw him take the papers out of his inner pocket, but wisely didn't ask any questions, it was much less dangerous that way with the Turks. And maybe he had another mission elsewhere, he thought to himself as he watched him go.
Tseng detoured by one of the many ponds in the vicinity of the city, taking care to not be followed. Kneeling by the water, he opened the case, taking a Materia from his pocket to cancel Stop, which he had cast at the frogs to make sure they wouldn't make any sound. They jumped when he countered Stop, croaking and jumping all over the place in panic when they realized their situation. The Turk looked at them coldly, silencing them and they huddled up against each other.
"If you had kept your mouth shut, you wouldn't have found yourself in this situation," he said sharply. "I hope you will be more intelligent in your new life," he said as he closed the suitcase and got to his feet. "Because you have shown a rare stupidity in this one," he finished by turning away, leaving with great strides.
By the time the two humans turned frogs came out of their shock, the Turk was out of sight. Immediately returning to Midgar, Tseng reported to Veld, confirming that the information leak had been taken care off. The chances that someone would guess that these frogs weren't true ones were close to the negative, since the Touch-Me didn't exist in that region, being endemic to Gongaga. So the risk of someone accidentally using Esuna on the two idiots was close to none, especially considering the fact that he had taken care to choose a pond as isolated as possible. The two paperboys were doomed to end their days as frogs… if they weren't devoured first by a monster or an animal. Some could have described his actions as cruel… but he was aware that otherwise, they could have ended up in Hojo's hands. Better to live as a frog than to be tortured by the sadist.
Things then settled down fairly quickly, Hojo fuming at the fact that he hadn't been able to get hold of the two paperboys for a while, before calming down. In the years that followed, Tseng kept an eye on the mad scientist as best he could despite his missions, trying to distract him when he saw him trying to break into Chuck's apartment. He wasn't always able to, even if Hojo avoided retrying his stunts for a few months when the Guard Dog that the old SOLDIER had collected apparently tried to tear his leg off, if he had understood the Creep's furious mumbles. Zack and Cloud's escape in December 006 didn't help his task, however, even if AVALANCHE's actions helped distract Hojo a little. Having to "kill" Veld and his daughter the following year had pushed the majority of the Investigation Department closer to Rufus Shinra, the latter having negotiated their lives in return. Tseng had found the heir's honesty refreshing, who told them he didn't do it for them, but for himself.
Tseng… had never been able to voice his suspicions about Zack's possible survival to Veld before "killing" him. House was spotted heading for Lieutenant Nokia's apartment with heavy medical equipment the same day the young man was "killed", with two of his most trusted assistants. The doctor and his assistants then made numerous trips back and forth to the old SOLDIER's home, at least one of them coming every day, and several times during the day at the start. Tseng… unfortunately had too much to do to be able to go to Chuck's and confirm his suspicions… but he hoped he was right, and that Zack had survived. If only for Caroline. Anyone could see that these two were madly in love, and he didn't really understand why the boy hadn't asked her to marry him. Especially knowing that the young woman fully accepted his needs, not getting angry because he needed to have sexual relationships with other men because of the Mako in his body. Because of this… he could understand why Zack… as well as Sephiroth in the last months before Nibelheim… had been so protective of her. It would have been suicidal to dare to raise a hand on her in their presence… what Hojo seemed to become, unfortunately. Showing himself to be more and more unstable.
The Wutaian was almost afraid for the future… especially when he was forced to capture Aerith to save her from the collapse of the plate. Yielding to her request to take the little girl to her adoptive mother far too easily to be credible… but children had always been his weakness since he first saw her, so small and fragile.
oOo
"And that's what has happened in the past five years," said Caroline softly, caressing Trico, who had come to rest his head on her legs at one point. "I would say… that I was lucky, in a way."
As they had promised, Sephiroth and Zack had remained silent throughout her story, listening to her without interrupting her once, contented with holding her gently against him for the silverette, and squeezing her hand for Zack. Neither… knew what to say. Their partner… had sacrificed everything to return to them. Leaving everything she knew, her family and friends, behind her. And all that… just for them. Because she loved them. Part of Sephiroth… almost wanted to tell himself that they didn't deserve her, and him in particular. She accepted them as they were, with their shortcomings and their needs, giving them her full and complete trust. And what did he do? He wondered sadly. He had listened to an evil voice, which had pushed him to destroy an entire village, killing all its inhabitants, and he had died for it. And yet, despite that… she hadn't looked at him in disgust or rejection. No, she comforted him, accepted him again.
Looking up, he met Zack's purple gaze… who seemed to be thinking the same kind of things as he did, judging by his sad smile. Sephiroth… had always thought Caroline was precious, and he knew that the younger man thought it too. What she had just told them… further reinforced that impression in his eyes. Which didn't stop him from having no idea of what he could say… and it was clearly the same for the Puppy.
Fortunately, they were saved by someone knocking on the door. Turning around a bit, Sephiroth saw that it was Lieutenant Nokia… who was holding plates full of food in his other hand. The smell of Behemoth's steak hovered over to the silverette, who heard his stomach growl, making him realize that Caroline had spoken longer than he thought. Of course, the plate for the ex-general was almost three times more stocked than that of Caroline (and larger too), making it easy to see who each plate was for. Chuck snickered softly when he heard Zack's whine of envy, giving him a smirk.
"Sorry kid, solid food isn't for you right now. And I frankly doubt that these two want to leave you to eat in the kitchen."
Sephiroth could see Caroline blush, visibly embarrassed, but she didn't try to deny it, taking her plate, thanking him gently. He himself couldn't deny that leaving Zack alone… especially in his condition… didn't pleased him at all. Keeping him in his sight… comforted him, and it was the same with Caroline. The old SOLDIER quickly got out of the room after reminding them to not stain the sheets, leaving them in peace. The black haired man asked Caroline other questions with curiosity while they were eating, asking her things about her world, staying away from the subject of the games in which they were apparently the heroes… or the villain in his case, suspected Sephiroth. But the young woman had never judged him. She had treated him like a normal man… just one with a painful past, which she hadn't tried to use against him. She even tried to help him… and he suspected he could never thank her enough.
Bringing the empty plates back to the kitchen, he let Chuck chase him out without protesting too much, wanting to stay with the other two as much as possible. He blinked in surprise, however, as he entered the room and saw Caroline with a laptop in her hands. Her explanation that laptops were extremely common in her home world left them speechless, especially when he learned that hers was more geared towards playing video games, its power almost equivalent to that of a game console, maybe even more. Not to mention the price, which she compared to that of a natural Summoning Material. Even if, according to the young woman, hers was rather in the mid-range for these, some could reach almost double in price, with the performance that went with it. If Sephiroth had wanted to buy a laptop… he would have been forced to spend three months of his salary. A desktop computer was much more accessible, although they were usually reserved for work. So a computer dedicated to gaming? The silverette could easily see Reeves begging Caroline to let him dismantle her computer to study it. Even if he doubted it would happen.
Zack nodded enthusiastically when she offered to watch one of her favorite movies, and even Sephiroth had to admit to being curious about her culture. He did so without hesitation when she asked if he could move one of the bedside tables to put the computer on it, helping Zack straighten up by placing pillows on his back too. The young woman launched the movie, settling against her two companions, relaxing. She liked the movie very much, and hoped they would like it too. After all… How to train your dragon was about people accepting those being different. And it was the first time… that she could watch a movie with Sephiroth too. The poor man had never had time before, given his mass of work. But now… he could learn to relax. And she had no doubt that he would seize this opportunity with both hands.
The island began to appear, Hiccup commenting at the same time, and she relaxed, immersing herself in the movie's universe, at the same time explaining to her companions what they didn't understand.
To be continued…
Is Chuck badass? Yep. Will he be even more badass in the future? You can count on it! :D