My Vietnam

17 June 2014

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This is a FFVII fic by klepto_maniac0. I own no concepts and no characters except the ones you've never heard of, which means they're ones I've made. I freely admit I will take liberties with the FFVII canon because this is an alternate universe fic (in case you haven't figured that out already.) That's why some details are different, some events are ignored, and some people don't exist or act in a different capacity. Ain't fanfic fun?

"My Vietnam" (henceforth shortened to MYV) is a continuation of "Put Your Lights On" (PYLO), but it is not necessary to have read PYLO before reading this story. Whenever PYLO-specific events are referenced, the pertinent chapter will be indexed in the author's note.

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I'll never forget

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Being an engineer at heart, Reeve reckoned he was more excited about the launch of Shin-Ra No. 26 than Palmer (who honestly had more enthusiasm than brains when it came to space). Reeve packed up his family to attend the launch, which was far more complicated than it should have been; Rose didn't want to leave her boyfriend (so Jack came along), Naomi suffered from terrible jetlag (so they took several small flights instead of one continuous one), and Meryl was constantly airsick (and spent a lot of time in the bathrooms). Despite all the bumps, Reeve was still very excited when they arrived at Rocket Town.

"Just think, in two days we'll be part of history!" Reeve gushed as they checked into the hotel. He was not so enthusiastic that he missed Naomi's disapproving grimace at the rustic setting, nor how Rose rolled her eyes and Jack just managed to hide his smile. Meryl, still somewhat green, nevertheless smiled at him and then flopped onto the nearest bed to rest.

"Rest up, kids!" said Reeve, determined to bring the enthusiasm. "I'm going out and finding food!"

"Or you could place an order with room service, Mr. Tuesti."

Meryl popped off the bed like she had springs and flew toward the doorway, arms thrown out side. "TORY!"

"Gah," was all Toriko managed to get out before Meryl tackled her into the hall. An alarming thud made Reeve wince but the next second the girls were laughing.

"They have room service?" Naomi asked skeptically as Toriko and Meryl got up off the floor.

"In a manner of speaking," said Toriko. "There's a card on the table with a few options. Circle what you want and one of the villagers will cook it for you."

"Oh," said Naomi. "How...quaint."

"The food is very good," said Toriko with a serene smile. "I've been enjoying it for the past three days."

Reeve looked at Toriko closely. She seemed in very good spirits, all things considered. A month had passed since Sephiroth's funeral and she was still attending school and keeping her grades up. She hadn't visited them in the month since, however, hence Meryl's enthusiasm.

"How are you holding up?" Rose asked, her brow creased with worry. Her fangirl crush on Sephiroth had faded over the years, replaced by an honest respect for the General and friendship with his daughter.

Toriko shrugged, but it was a helpless sort of gesture. "I don't know what to say. Nothing changes the situation. Rufus has been suggesting that I hire a maid, but I don't know what I'd do with the free time."

"Spend it with meeeee," said Meryl, and as the rest of her family frowned at her apparent insensitivity, she said, "Your dad would want you to be happy."

"That is quite true," said Toriko. To Naomi she said, "Take your time with the card. I'm carrying mine downstairs now, but I can wait a bit for yours."

Dinner turned out to be a superb roasted chicken with leeks and potatoes, accompanied with fresh fluffy rolls and butter so sweet and creamy that there was a near fight over the last of it. The inn had a rough sort of patio at the back, which was where Reeve and his family took their meal. Some of the other Executives were there also, though not the President; he would be flying in the day of the launch. Palmer needed to be on the ground in case of disaster, however, and Heidegger apparently had nothing better to do. Both of them were on the opposite side of the patio, each reviewing something that looked like it had to do with work.

"Toriko, did you fly here alone?" Reeve asked in surprise.

"Yes," said Toriko. "Originally I was supposed to come with Rufus, but he was held up with business and I went on ahead."

"Aren't you super bored?" Meryl asked. "It doesn't seem like there's much to do here."

"I like breathing the fresh air and talking to people who are very proud of their work," said Toriko. "Plus it's giving me time to look at university applications."

"You're two whole years from graduation," said Meryl incredulously.

"Well..." Toriko said slowly. "The thing is, Father wanted me to go into the military, which I would have done this year. But I never wanted to go." She looked at Reeve. "You knew him longer than I did. Do..." She ducked her head, her voice coming out in a whisper. "Do you think he'd find me a bad daughter if I didn't go?"

"Oh, sweetie," Naomi gasped. Instinctively she reached across the table and grabbed one of Toriko's hands, her eyes full of pathos. "No, never."

"Regardless of what happened, it's your life," said Reeve. Folding his hands together, he said, "And if you don't want to go into the military, that's perfectly fine. Did you have something else in mind?"

"Science," said Toriko softly. Reeve's brows shot nearly to his hairline.

"Wow," he said.

"What?" Rose asked, looking from Reeve to Toriko and back again. "What is it?"

"The General haaated the Science Department," said Meryl, looking at Toriko with wide eyes. "Especially whathisname, Hobo?"

"Hojo," said Toriko, not even a smile in her eyes. "It was mutual."

"Why do you want to go into that field?" Jack asked, frowning.

"I've always found it interesting," said Toriko. "I just...had to hide it. Father didn't hate intelligent people, you understand, he just..." She hunched in on herself. "He was extraordinary. And he hated being singled out like that, by people who just wanted to dissect him. Who didn't care about him at all. That's not the kind of science I want to do, but he just never listened."

"He could be stubborn," agreed Reeve.

"So you're looking at science programs then?" Meryl asked, tilting her head.

"Yes," said Toriko, lifting her head slightly. "Midgar and Junon University have competitive programs in molecular biology, but the Center at Cosmo Canyon is unparalleled for Planetary Studies and Professor Bugenhagen is still teaching. He was the original head of Shin-Ra's Science Department."

"That sounds pretty cool," said Meryl. "What is it about Planetary Studies you like best?"

Reeve marveled at his younger daughter's ability to draw Toriko out; in a few minutes, Toriko was excitedly going over the finer points of the Planetary Studies field, which Meryl and Reeve listened attentively to. Naomi, Rose, and Jack did their best, but broke off into their own pod of conversation.

The launch was the day after tomorrow, but the toils of travel and the lack of bright lights had everyone yawning early. Reeve was a chronic insomniac, however, and around 3am he kicked off the blankets, got dressed, and went out for a walk. The massive spectacle of Shin-Ra No. 26 seemed to sparkle against the moon, making Reeve sigh with happiness. Mako Reactors and cities were big, but this... This was beyond big. This was beyond humanity. Reeve paused near the inn door, basking in the sight of hope and inspiration made real.

Something poked Reeve in the arm, nearly making him yell. To his surprise it was Palmer, wordlessly offering him a cup of something steaming. The spring night was on the chilly side, so Reeve accepted.

"Thought I'd die before this got done," said Palmer without preamble. As Reeve blinked at him, Palmer said, "You get it, don't you?"

"...yeah," said Reeve, looking back at the rocket. "Humanity is amazing."

"Humanity?" Palmer exclaimed, startling Reeve again. "That's what you see? With that rocket," he gestured grandly. "There won't be any more dark places to hide. We'll know the world as it is, Reeve."

"Don't we already?" Reeve sipped the coffee. In stark contrast to the food, it was terrible. Reeve just barely managed not to spit it out and he wondered if Palmer had brewed it himself. Using old socks.

"Of course not!" Palmer said, and while Reeve mentally reconnected to the conversation, the older man added, "Manned space flight is just the beginning. Once this works, I'm going to pitch the idea of a space station."

His eyes were gleaming. Reluctantly Reeve asked, "And the purpose of said station?"

"Surveillance, Reeve. Can you imagine it? Looking down at the whole world all at once."

Reeve took another sip of horrible coffee. "But why look down when you can look up and out?"

"It's going to be a grand day," said Palmer. "Can't wait."

"Uh-huh," said Reeve. "Listen... I'm going to continue on my walk. Thanks for the coffee."

"You're welcome. Brewed it myself."

"...thanks so much."

Palmer wasn't moving from his spot, so Reeve set the coffee down on the inn stoop and started walking. The rocket was still an amazing piece of technology, but after hearing Palmer's little speech Reeve was suddenly less than enthusiastic. He sighed heavily and took an oblique path around the launch site, perversely choosing a path that went through some thick, heavily shadowed trees.

A snap made him whip around again, his skin prickling with the awareness of being followed. But there was no one in the shadows. Reeve nearly relaxed, but he heard another snap and instinct made him duck down by the roots of a particularly old tree. Rocket Town had a very well-functioning fence, so it wasn't a monster; despite the dark and the late hour, Reeve was more curious than afraid. Like a hunting cat he waited motionlessly, barely breathing as the moon crept across the sky.

Someone stepped out of the shadows. There was a furtive look to the way they moved, though from where he was, Reeve could not tell if the figure was male or female. He/she/it was approaching the village from the rocket and wearing technician blue overalls.

"That's odd," thought Reeve. "What sort of repairs needed to be done at this time of night?"

It turned out not to be repairs. Reeve almost laughed when someone else came out of the shadows in the woods, obviously female, and then fell upon the technician with quite the furious hugging and kissing. As carefully as he'd ever done anything in his life, Reeve straightened and crept out of the forest, leaving the couple to their illicit romp.

The incident was completely out of his mind the next day, during which Toriko took it on herself to play tour guide. The early morning was spent hunting for mushrooms and fiddleheads, which Rose complained to be "the uncoolest thing ever" until she found a mushroom taller than her hand. Citybred all his life, Reeve was amazed at Toriko's outdoor knowledge.

"Are you sure these are the bad ones?" He asked, pointing at a mass of pointy brown mushrooms.

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Mr. Tuesti, I am sure as the day is long that if you eat those, you're going to have un-fun hallucinations and seizures. And you'll miss the launch."

"But how do you know these are the bad ones?"

Toriko pulled a knife out of her pants pocket. That was something new, she'd taken to wearing pants almost exclusively after Sephiroth's passing, particularly the cargo style that was studded with pockets. And the knife she had was just barely legal carrying size in Midgar. She flicked the blade out and knelt by the mushroom patch, gesturing for Reeve to do the same.

"Firstly, notice how the folds look like a wrinkled brain rather than discrete cells," said Toriko, pointing at the outside of the mushroom with the knife tip. "Secondly, upon dissection, you will observe that the stem is solid rather than hollow, which means this is not the sort we want to eat now." She sliced one open and showed him the inside, which was indeed solid. "Thirdly, the irv reflects differently."

"The what?"

"The irv."

"What's the irv?"

"The...irv," she said with a helpless shrug. "It's like a color. I don't know how to explain it."

"Like a color?" He repeated. Something clicked. "Toriko, are you saying you have infrared vision? Because the only time I've ever heard that word is when SOLDIERS talk among themselves."

She shrugged again. As Reeve stared, she said, "Father didn't act like it was anything special. I just started seeing it recently."

"You are full of surprises," said Reeve. "I don't suppose you'd happen to know which band you're seeing?"

"I didn't know the irv was infrared vision until just now, so...no."

"Amazing," said Reeve, sitting back on his heels. "That's a very rare ability you have, Toriko. Something like less than a fifth of SOLDIERS and less than a third of First Class have it."

"Must be genetics," said Toriko.

"Must be."

"Tory, are these poison or not?" Meryl called from another part of the woods. Toriko and Reeve left the poisonous mushrooms and headed toward her.

"I'm guessing you know all about this stuff from your dad too, huh?" Reeve asked.

Toriko nodded. "We used to go camping frequently when we were getting to know each other. Almost every weekend."

A pang in Reeve's heart made him sigh. Toriko glanced up at him.

"Thanks for sharing this with us," said Reeve. As Toriko ducked her head, he said, "I know you miss him a lot. But I'm glad he was able to teach you and spend a lot of time with you. I'll admit, I'm kinda jealous."

"He was less busy than you," said Toriko. "And he liked being out of the city more than being in it, which I suspect is not the same for you."

"Ha! That is true." He looked around, saying, "Someplace like this is nice to visit, but I want the girls to go to good schools and meet lots of people. Kinda need a city for that."

"I suppose."

The acommodating innkeeper fried up the savory, creamy mushrooms and fiddleheads with more of that excellent butter, and after a shower and a nap, Reeve was surprised when Toriko said she was going to the kitchen to help cook.

"It eats up time," she said. "Meryl is right. It is kind of amazingly boring around here."

So the innkeeper suffered the presence of Reeve and his family in the kitchen too. After witnessing their general incompetence at chopping, deboning, and knowing when water was boiling, the innkeeper wisely set the five of them to pinching out and shaping buns, which was pretty idiot-proof. Naomi fancied herself a cook and sulked a bit at being relegated to the dunce corner, but Rose and Meryl had a lot of fun rolling perfect little spheres, cutting X's into the tops, and then brushing an egg glaze over top to make them bake up shiny. Toriko meanwhile cut up vast quantities of meat and vegetables, seemingly as fast as a professional chef.

"Genetics?" Reeve asked as he watched the knife fly.

"Practice," she said. "Father and I used to make this a contest."

"Who won?"

"Him. Until I got a smaller knife. It was much easier to handle. But he still won most of the time."

"It's hard to imagine your dad doing, y'know... Dad stuff," said Meryl. "Remember the time I slept over and..." She stopped. "Wait, that's not a good story."

"But it's a very funny one," said Toriko. Reeve suddenly became aware that the kitchen had become quiet, no doubt the employees and innkeeper attempting to listen in on Sephiroth-stories.

"It was funny to you," said Meryl, though she didn't sound particularly embarrassed. "Do you remember how annoyed he was?"

"Oh yes," said Toriko with a smile. "Like you could do anything about it."

"And then he just gives me this roll of paper towels?"

Toriko laughed. Meryl caught her father's eye and grinned.

"And then he goes, 'a whole roll of paper towels is insufficient?'" Meryl mimicked the General's voice as best she could, which just made Toriko laugh harder. Reeve chuckled too, but it was a brief thing. Toriko kept laughing.

"Uh..." Rose looked at her worriedly as the younger girl started to curl in on herself, her laughter deepening into something far more upsetting. "Toriko?"

Reeve shot to his feet and went to Toriko. "Okay, why don't we put that down," he said, prying the chopping knife out of her fingers. She had a death grip but Reeve patiently worked from her pinky inwards, eventually sliding the knife free. He hustled her out of the back of the kitchen and into the yard, away from prying and concerned eyes. The chickens ignored them as Reeve sat Toriko on the bench by the rain barrel. She didn't look anything like alright now, her face pale and her green eyes shining. Too late she covered her face with her hands and put her head on her knees, but her body still shook with suppressed sobs.

Something brushed his side. Reeve glanced down and nearly tripped over his own feet trying to get away from Dark Nation, who headbutted Toriko in the shoulder. When she didn't respond, the massive pantheround leaned against her, reminding Reeve in that instant of a very large retriever. A moment later, Rufus appeared from around the side of the building, looking immaculate in his usual black and white.

"Reeve," he said by way of greeting. They could have been at the office.

"Vice President," said Reeve in the same tone, though he couldn't help but glance at Toriko.

"Thank you for your time," said Rufus firmly. Standing by Toriko, he bent down slightly put his hand on her shoulder and said, "I'll take it from here."

"How?" Reeve thought, trying not to stare. Rufus was not exactly known for compassion. But he stood there staring a moment too long, because Rufus looked up and glared at him, ever so lightly. Reeve bobbed his head and went back inside, where everyone looked at him in concern.

"She just needs some time," he said, not untruthfully.

"I thought she was being kind of weirdly cheerful," Jack commented.

"I never should have told that stupid story," Meryl said miserably.

"It wasn't the story, honey," said Naomi, shaking her head. "She misses her father. It just came down all at once. Sometimes that happens."

The rest of the bun-making went by in silence, though chatter from the normal staff resumed. When Meryl couldn't stand it anymore and went to look outside, Rufus, Dark Nation, and Toriko were nowhere to be seen.

They didn't see Toriko until the next morning, right before the launch. While the President and the Executives stood on a raised platform before the rocket, their families and guests of honor had seats facing Shin-Ra No. 26. The press had to stand around the edges. The neverending flash of their cameras made Reeve squint, but he was able to see Naomi, Rose, and Meryl find Toriko in the seats and sit with her. She looked tired, but not hyperactive (by Toriko standards) like yesterday. She'd gone back wearing dresses too, though Reeve wasn't sure if he should be relieved by that—her outfit today still had a distinctly military sort of styling to it.

"I'll have to keep a closer eye on her," he decided. "She needs to have a normal father figure in her life. And the girls would like to have her around too."

Obviously Toriko would miss Sephiroth for a very long time, but breaking into hysterical laughter and tears was not a normal response as far as Reeve knew.

Despite his worry and mild disillusionment, the quickening of excitement made Reeve smile as President Shin-Ra talked about the space program, the development of the rocket, and the betterment of all mankind. He couldn't help but glance at Palmer, whose round face shone with happiness. Reeve noticed that Scarlet and Heidegger were exchanging slightly bored and conspiratorial looks. Hojo was absent. And Rufus looked as bored as possible without being outright insubordinate, which he'd practically developed into an artform by this point. Reeve suppressed a wry smirk; young people always thought they knew how things should be run, but truthfully experience was the only thing that mattered. President Shin-Ra expounded on and on, and Reeve practiced his own artform; "paying" attention. Anyone looking at him straight on would have realized his eyes were unfocused, but from the press's vantage point and his own family's, he looked attentive indeed.

That was how Reeve spotted motion near the base of the rocket. It was not a blue-suited mechanic. It was someone in a white coat.

"One of the engineers," he thought. "I hope it's not serious."

"And a few words from our brave pilot, Captain Cid Highwind of the Shin-Ra Air Force."

Reeve glanced at the man climbing up to the stage. Late twenties, though he looked older; Reeve guessed he smoked. Fresh haircut and shave just for this occasion. He looked uncomfortable in the stiff dark blue dress uniform of the Air Force, but Reeve thought that was half nerves and half hatred of formal clothing. Reeve glanced at the man's hands and saw hair-fine dark semicircles of engine grease soaked into his nailbeds, which made him feel better about having the man behind the wheel. Captain Cid Highwind was a decorated war vet, though he'd made his name in the last two years of the fight, flying supplies into and out of hotly contested areas.

"Thank you," mumbled Captain Highwind as President Shin-Ra stepped away from the microphone. Captain Highwind pulled a stack of index cards out of his pocket, or tried to. A flurry of white cards fell to the ground, making the audience chuckle. Captain Highwind reddened and half-bent to pick them up, but at the last second he stood up and straightened his uniform. Reeve was just close enough to hear the man mutter, "Fuck it," under his breath.

This was either going to be a trainwreck or a highly entertaining trainwreck. Reeve grinned.

"M'name's Cid Highwind," said the man, bending awkwardly toward the microphone and making everyone wince as his voice boomed through the speakers. Reeve caught some of the press flapping their hands at him and Captain Highwid straightened, making his voice drop to a normal level. "Thanks for coming out. This here, uh... This... Damn it." He paled abruptly. "No, not damn it. I mean, shit." He looked even more horrified and Reeve stifled his snicker. The audience started laughing as Captain Highwind barreled on, apparently unable to stop himself. "I mean, fuck. I mean, #$%^&*(!"

Naomi looked absolutely horrified. Rose, Jack, and Meryl were cracking up.

But Toriko was looking at the rocket.

Before Reeve could wonder why, Captain Highwind went "AAAARGH!" and grabbed his head. He messed up his neatly pomaded hair and straightened again, but there was no wretched anxiety this time. There was a glint in his bright blue eyes that had probably served him well during the war, and even the wild mess on his head didn't detract from the man he now was.

"I've been wanting to fly my whole life, especially when people told me it was impossible," said Cid clearly. The audience quieted down and the press started taking pictures. "When Mr. Palmer and President Shin-Ra asked me if I wanted to pilot the first manned vehicle into space, of course I said yes. We've had troubles. We've had roadblocks. Weather, animals, supply, you name it. But I never lost sight of the goal."

He pointed up. Everyone looked up, even though it was a clear blue sky.

"That's us, ladies and gents," said Cid. The audience looked back at him, but Cid's eyes were still on the skies. "That's our life. That's our future. And thank you for letting me and the crew—tech and flight both—break the way for everyone else."

He stepped away from the podium. Polite applause came from the audience, but Reeve felt like giving the man a hug. His chest was full again, like it hadn't been since running into Palmer. As Cid came down the line of Executives, shaking hands with each, Reeve clasped his hand firmly and grinned as broadly as he could.

"Thank you," he said wholeheartedly.

Cid seemed stunned, but he mumbled, "Thank you," back and then got off the stage. Reeve sighed happily.

A flicker caught his eye. President Shin-Ra was coming up to speak again, but once again Toriko was looking at something else. Something she didn't like. The flicker that caught Reeve's eye was Toriko rising from her seat, something that made her gray-green eyes narrow into slits. Reeve followed her line of vision, which led directly to the stage. Reeve looked down just in time to see the first curl of smoke coming up from between President Shin-Ra's feet.

"What the—?"

A blue blur rushed from the back of the stage and yanked President Shin-Ra off his feet. Reeve yelled as something grabbed him from behind and threw him off the platform; Reeve landed in a Turk's arms.

"Sorry," said the Turk. He didn't look familiar, but Reeve wasn't worried about that; he didn't have much to do with them. "Mechanical fai—"

A gunshot cracked the air. Reeve spun and saw Scarlet swinging a pistol at him, her eyes sharp as chips of diamond. Someone in a blue suit who used to have two eyes fell past her.

"Not a Turk," she snarled, her eyes on Reeve's rescuer. She shot again. Reeve barely shut his eyes in time before the false Turk's head jerked back. The next second, Reeve hit the ground, his breath popping out of him in shock rather than horror. Something warm was on his face but he couldn't acknowledge what it was just yet.

Scarlet shrieked as someone grabbed her from behind. Reeve saw it now, the suit that was too blue and had buttons of zippers. What a stupid mistake for these people to make, though Reeve hadn't noticed. Reeve yelped as someone grabbed him too.

"Nice and quiet, Director," said an unfamiliar voice. "Or—"

Lightning blasted by Reeve and his attacker, making even his beard hairs stand up. A blue-black blur flowed like a nightmare among them, all flashing white teeth and a growl from Satan himself. Reeve blindly threw himself forward and out of the corner of his eye, saw Scarlet go limp on purpose. As the fake Turk grabbing her staggered, she twisted in his arms and did something to his crotch that made the man scream and nearly faint. Reeve didn't have time to turn away before she shot him in the head.

"Where were you even hiding that?" Reeve demanded.

"Wouldn't you like to know," she quipped, shooting twice past his head. Reeve did not turn to see if someone was still behind him. He ran for the woods, Scarlet a glittering red mass by his side.

This was not the first time the Executives had come under attack, though they'd never been shot at all together. Where were the Turks?

"Probably dead, if they've been swapped with fakes..."

"Miss Scarlet, here!"

"Bless his fat heart," Scarlet muttered as Heidegger waved at them from the shadows of the trees. "I might even put out."

"Ew," said Reeve.

As they reached the trees, Reeve saw that Heidegger had two large handguns. He glanced at the pistol in Scarlet's hand.

"Are you out?" He asked.

"Five left," she said.

"Good," said Heidegger. Reeve stiffened as Heidegger looked at him and said, "You shoot?"

"Uhh..."

"You in the middle. Miss Scarlet, the rear?"

"Where are we going?" Scarlet asked, stepping behind Reeve.

"Rocket workshop," said Heidegger. His eyes glinted in the forest-shadowed darkness as he looked around. "Stay close."

Heidegger was definitely no Sephiroth, but he moved with surprising quiet and agility through the shadowed woods, his gun held in an expert grip. Reeve clung as close as he dared, powerfully aware that if he gave voice to his usual yells of shock, he might die by friendly fire. Fortunately the rocket workshop wasn't far, and once they got through the woods a group of army soldiers spotted them.

"Ours?" Scarlet asked Heidegger as they approached. Heidegger nodded curtly but did not let go of his gun until they were all inside the rocket workshop. It was tight; there were still bits of machinery and testing equipment spread around the room, but enclosed in triple ranks of armed soldiers, Reeve nevertheless breathed a sigh of relief. Turks, real ones, were standing guard also, though they looked rather worse for wear; materia healed the wounds but the burnt and bloodstained clothing remained. Reeve counted, knowing that two always went with President Shin-Ra and one usually went with Toriko and Rufus each.

"Where are the guests?" Reeve asked, looking at Heidegger.

"Hangar," said Heidegger. "Worried about your wife and kids, are you? They'll be fine." He looked at his soldiers with pride, saying, "I won't speak ill of the dead, but against rabble like this, quantity is more important than quality."

Reeve did not miss the annoyed looks from some of the soldiers. Well, he'd be annoyed too in their place. No one liked being insulted.

"Rabble?" Palmer asked. As he wiped his sweating face with an already-damp hankie, he asked, "What do you mean?"

"They seemed pretty organized to me," said Scarlet. She hadn't let go of her weapon either, and Reeve wasn't sure if he should be glad or worried that she constantly scanned the area. The sight of dried blood flecking her arm made Reeve wipe at his face, though he didn't look any longer at the blood on his sleeve than he had to. There was a lot of it. "What's the plan?"

"Wait for the sweep," said Heidegger. "And—"

"Where's Rufus?" President Shin-Ra interrupted.

Everyone looked around. They were in a fairly tight circle, half-shielded by a failed escape pod. It took less than five seconds for everyone to realize someone was missing.

"Shit," said Heidegger. President Shin-Ra opened his mouth, but instantly Heidegger whirled on the nearest commander, shouting, "YOU! Where is the Vice President?!"

"Sir, no squad reports him emerging from the woods," said the man, saluting sharply. "No body matching his description has turned up in the search either."

"They were trying to make us go with them," said Reeve thoughtfully, thinking about the fake Turk. "So he's probably alright."

"They took him hostage," Scarlet murmured. She exhaled hard, shaking her head. "Well, if it had to be anyone, at least he's had experience with this before."

"My son is young, unarmed, and far too 'smart' for his own good," grated President Shin-Ra. To Heidegger he said, "Find him. Use whatever you need."

Heidegger nodded sharply and gestured at six of the soldiers in the inner rank. They left immediately, giving President Shin-Ra more room to pace. Reeve took his phone from his pocket and dialed Naomi. She picked up almost immediately.

"Reeve?!"

"Hey honey, I'm alright," he said. "How are the kids?"

"The girls and Jack are fine," said Naomi. "But we lost Toriko."

"...what?"

"When the stage caught on fire—"

"The stage caught on fire?"

"Yes, right after all of you disappeared. The soldiers evacuated us, but we lost Toriko in the mess. She just disappeared!"

"She's a smart girl," said Reeve. "And remember who her father was."

"I feel so stupid, I should have made sure—"

"Naomi, it's okay. You did the best you could." Reeve glanced around. Everyone was looking at him with varying degrees of annoyance, so hastily he said, "I'll call again when it's time to meet up, okay? Business calls."

"Love you, honey."

"Love you, bunny." He hung up, only slightly embarrassed to be overheard. To President Shin-Ra he said, "It seems like Toriko's gone missing too."

"Dangerous time to be a Shin-Ra," drawled Scarlet, but her grip on her pistol only tightened.

"Wonderful," muttered President Shin-Ra. To another commander, he said, "Inform Heidegger that there are likely two hostages about, Rufus and Toriko."

Reeve thought about Toriko's ease in the woods. And how wide the skirt on her green dress had been. She'd be able to run like the wind. He thought about how easily she handled her knife. And how she could see the irv, which only few SOLDIERS had ever been able to do. He thought about how close she'd been with Rufus lately, and the memory of her hysterical laughter seemed to burn in his ears.

"Please God, if you're listening, let Toriko be a hostage. Tied up somewhere, unconscious. Because if she's not, I think she's going to do something stupid and she's going to get hurt. She's still a kid."

Unconsciously Reeve started pacing as well.

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a/n: Mweeheehee. See you in about 3 weeks.

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