Author's note: Welcome to yet another fast-updated chapter.
Warning: This chapter is very dark, so brace yourselves for it.
I don't own Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy Type-0, Sailor Moon or Pokemon. I do own Arien, though.
Chapter 8: Invasion in Edge.
Two weeks later...
June 2nd [12:35 AM]-Year-1994.
Militas Ultra HQ-Southern Parts of Midgar Ruins.
(Steel Arm-FINAL FANTASY TYPE 0)
Things were looking grim, that Aulstyne knew. Given Qator's report two weeks ago, now the enemy was becoming more and more aware of their pasts, all because of an immortal soldier who after awakening from his 8,000 year sleep and attack in Cosmo Canyon, simply just vanished without a trace. On top of that, those insufferiable Turks had foiled their plans yet again and spared the endangered species of the Guardians of the Planet who still existed despite being few in numbers.
This shouldn't go on any longer. Four years on, and Militas Ultra were no where near closer to their goal. It has gone on long enough, and ShinRa and the Turks must be destroyed.
"High Commanders," Aulstyne spoke with authority, standing tall at the head of the table as the said High Commanders, including Qator who stood beside him as always. "Four years, we have against ShinRa Company and yet they still counterattack and eliminate our mission, each time we attempt to fight for a better future of the world. I will no longer tolorate their interference. Negotiation is out of question. The Company and all who follow them must be put to their execution. Spare the citizens as possible, but kill all within the company. Should there be citizens who refuse to surrender or have sided with the enemy...they must suffer the same fate."
He paused as he gazed at the members of his council, before continuing, "They have been played fools and the more they remember their past, the more they will obey the laws. Their very existance threatens that of humanity. We attack at full force tomorrow afternoon, 1300 hours."
"Yes, sir!" The High Commanders saluted, obeying his command.
No sooner the meeting ended, as most of the council left the room, Aulstyne gazed at his Second in Command, saying softly, "Qator."
"Sir." Qator stood smartly.
"Tseng is yours. Torture him as much as you want and take whoever else that stands in the way." Aulstyne informed him, adding, "Veld and the leader of Highground should she appear are mine."
"Yes sir." Qator nodded, secretly grinning. (~End Steel Arm~)
June 2nd [1:55 AM]-Year-1994.
Highground HQ-UnderEdge.
(~Elfe's Theme*Arecia Al-Rashia's Theme-FINAL FANTASY TYPE 0*~)
It was frustrating. Militas Ultra still continued to slip from their fingers, and not even ShinRa managed to stop them yet. It's been going on for four years now, and Elfe was sick of it. Each time they managed to catch one or two soldiers, they kept ranting on about being released and making the world a better place for the Organization to rule once ShinRa Company and all who follow or resist are executed. On top of everything else, it seemed that Militas Ultra has had enough of this squbble that lasted for almost five years and plan to attack Edge by tomorrow afternoon with no mercy.
"Looks like they're pushing up their game to the hardest level." Shears remarked, grunting as he clutched his fists tightly. Like the Highground leader, the Second in Command was frustrated with all of this.
"With a cheating sheet with them." Elfe agreed sarcastically. She knew what has to be done; Militas Ultra had their way long enough. Standing tall, she informed all of the members of their organization. "When Militas Ultra begins their attack, we move in to fight back. If they succeed, they will take over the world without mercy. We can't allow that to happen. One group will move east in Sector 8, another will guard Sector 7, the rest of you surround parts of Edge and make sure the civilians are not caught in the disaster. ShinRa may order an evacaution if their smart enough, but I doubt they will find out on time. Down with Militas Ultra!"
"Down with Militas Ultra!" The Highground soldiers and Shears shouted loudly in unison.
"Be ready by morning first thing." Elfe ordered.
"You heard the lady; Move out!" Shears added sharply.
The soldiers saluted.
As soon as the meeting ended, it was just Elfe and Shears left in the room. Though as they were about to leave to prepare for tomorrow's war, the dark-haired woman winced and hissed before grabbing her left hand as it began to sting and hurt, which was also making her feel dizzy, slightly drained in energy and nauesous. As soon as it started though, it ended. But each time it left her more and more tired.
"Elfe? Are you alright?" Shears asked, taking notice of his leader's condition.
"I'm fine." Elfe brushed it off. "I will not allow myself get sick at a time like this."
"But it's getting worse, isn't it? It's been going on for a few years now." Shears pointed out.
The leader of Highground sighed, shaking her head, "That and the visions will have to wait. The longer we delay the counterattack, the more advantage Militas Ultra will have in gaining their goal. You know that."
He knew better than to argue with someone in higher rank than him. Shears sighed in slight defeat, "Will make this as quick as possible."
"I'm counting on you." Elfe replied. (~End Elfe's Theme*Arecia Al-Rashia's Theme*~)
June 2nd [11:35 AM]-Year-1994.
Turks Headquarters-ShinRa Building-Edge.
Despite the theory Freya came up with about Militas Ultra having a scientist spread some invisible chemical into the air to confuse and brain-wash people, the Turks once again came up empty handed as everyone in the building, including President Rufus ShinRa, were given a clean bill of health with no symbtoms found in their bodies. Which meant that they were right back to square one; trying to figure out the meaning of Militas Ultra's words. However, Veld issued an order to investigate in case the scanners failed to find the particles of the chemicals.
Unfortunately, everyone was finding that things were getting worse as they kept on seeing more and more images of 'fake' memories-as Reno would put it-that were steadily becoming more fequant. Rosalind in paticular was seated by the window deep in thought. How can she focus on her job when the images in her mind, and the nightmares she kept on having ever since Christmas Day two years ago seem to distract her?
As she closed her eyes to think, the young woman suddenly felt the painful jolt appear again and, to her dismay, the same image of her nightmares appear.
She was battling the monster, but no matter how hard she tried, Rosalind was beaten and tossed all over the place by the giant beast. It continued to hover over her, somehow growing stronger. What could she do? How can she beat this thing?
"Zinconiade is too strong..." She heard herself say weakly.
The monster, Zinconiade, then drew one of it's arms back and made to grab the fallen Turk. Rosalind, too weak to move, could only gasp before shutting her eyes and braced herself for her bitter end...
Rosalind gasped sharply in fright when she felt something grab her by the shoulder, only gently though, and sharply turned before drawing her gun at whoever or whatever grabbed her.
"Whoa, hey!" St. Andrew protested, standing back in shock as he withdrew his hand and held both of them up in surrender, more than a little freaked out by his fellow Turk's overreaction. "Calm down, Rosie! It's only me."
Realizing who it was and that she only just had another horrible vision, Rosalind sighed in relief before lowering and putting away her weapon, and glared at the redhead. "St. Andrew, don't scare me like that!" She hissed.
"Geez, sorry. I was just checking if you were okay. You looked like you had another headache or something." St. Andrew tried to ease his friend.
"I told you not to approach her like that, you idiot. One of these days she'll be so freaked out you'll end up having a blood hole in your head." Rafe grunted from the table as he and Patrick were playing cards while having coffee.
"Yeah and then we have to explain to Veld why we have a dead Turk who died by accident." Patrick added, shaking his head.
St. Andrew glared at the other two men and grumbled, "Can I help it that I'm worried? For Ifrit's sake, do you people really think I'm a complete jerk and don't care about my friends?"
"Well, you and Reno are nosey." Patrick shrugged, which made Rafe snort in amusement.
"Hey!" St. Andrew protested childishly, folding his arms to his chest. "FYI, I am nowhere near like that obnoxious guy. Sure we both have the similar fighting styles, that doesn't mean we have the same personality. Besides, I'm not nosey."
Rosalind shook her head at the childish bickering, before speaking up to make sure St. Andrew wouldn't continue to rant, "I'm fine, Andrew. I'm sorry for being jumpy and nearly shooting you. I...don't know what to make of these images other than Reno's description of them being false memories."
(~The Encounter-KH:BBS~)
Before anyone else could reply to the female Turk, they heard the elevator ding and a very frazzed and panicky Arien raced over, calling out, "Guys! We have trouble! Veld wants us to meet him and the other Turks in the Briefing room ASAP! Like, right now!"
Seeing almost immediately how serious their fellow Turk was, Rosalind, St. Andrew, Rafe and Patrick immediately stood up and followed Arien to the Elevator, all relaxation activity abandoned and long forgotten. Whatever it was had Veld extremely concerned, it was very bad.
Arien apparently wasn't the only one in a panic, because the moment the five Turks left the Elevator onto the Briefing Room floor and raced towards the said room itself, Reno, Rude, Freya, Cissnei, Jake and Alana looked rather stunned and shocked themselves as they waited for the other members of team to arrive. Soon all eleven Turks barged into the room where Veld, Tseng and Balto waited with grim and very concerned looks on their faces as the screen on the projector on the wall had red dots-hundreds of them-heading towards the map of Edge, straight towards the city.
As soon as all of the Turks are assembled, Veld went straight to the point. "We have an emergancy situation. It seems that Militas Ultra is coming in on a full scale attack on Edge, and according to Balto's report, the assembled time for the invasion will be precisely 1300 hours; 1:00 PM this afternoon."
The other Turks except Tseng and Balto all held horrified and shocked expressions, sharing very worried glances before turning back to their superiors.
"That's like only an hour and 30 minutes from now!" Reno shouted in realization.
"Not to mention how many people would be put in grave danger. Sweet Shiva, that's tens of thousands of people put at risk!" Freya added worriedly.
"And who's to say that they won't let innocent people live?" Jake asked.
"DAMN!" Reno roared in frustration, slamming his palm onto the table loudly. "We don't need this right now!"
"Calm down, all of you!" Tseng shouted with authority. When the Turks obeyed, he continued more calmly but also with urgency, "We have no time to discuss how the enemy plans to attack. The fact is many people's lives are put at risk."
"Which is why we must do in all of our power to keep them safe." Veld added. "The President has issued orders to evacuate Edge. Director Kain will send half of SOLDIER to leader half of the army to deal with Militas Ultra soldiers, while the other half of both will evacuate the people. See to the evacuation and take down the enemy as possible without casualties."
He turned to the other Turks and gave out his orders, "Reno, you take on Sector 5 and lead the evacs to the Train Station. Rude, Sector 4 is yours. Alana and Patrick, you lead the citizens out of Sector 3 and make sure there are no surprising explosives or what ever else the enemy has possibly installed. Jake, you and Arien keep an eye on Water Reactor 6 and do not let anyone enter. A couple of SOLDIERs and WRO troops sent by Commissioner Tuesti will be there to help."
"Freya and St. Andrew, you both see to evacuate the executives from the ShinRa building. Tseng and I will see to the President's safety before we join you in Edge. Rosalind, Rafe, see that the enemy do not enter the building and evacuate Sector 8, just in case. Balto, Cissnei, check the surveillance cameras to direct all of us for incoming enemy attacks. Move out in 10 minutes!" Veld concluded the order. "I'm counting on you."
"SIR!" All of the Turks saluted, immediately taking their leave to prepare for their assignment. They would not waste time on this. The Turks were going to put everything in their power and will to do what they knew had to be done. The lives of the people in Edge, including the ShinRa building, depended on them.
(~End The Encounter~)
June 2nd [12:55 PM]-Year-1994.
Edge.
It felt like no one would be able to make it out of the city on time. There was so many to evacuate, so many that were in grave danger by the hands of Militas Ultra. But the Turks couldn't give up now. They had to do this, despite that no one gave the actual information on what was going on other than that it was an emergancy situation and that all citizens must evacuate. Rosalind panted as she tried to calmly get everyone to follow the evacuation route on the East side of Sector 8. Thankfully troopers of WRO were helping via the aid of Commissioner Reeve Tuesti. There were numberous vans that were going back and forth to take people to Kalm until the situation is dealt with.
"Please stay calm and be patient. The vans will carry you shortly." Rosalind requested, though she couldn't help but feel vague in her words. She certainly didn't feel calm and patient herself. More than anything, she was worried to death. She wouldn't have the time to see if her family had made it out of the city already. Her mother, her father, and her younger sister...Elena. Their lives were in grave danger as well.
At least Rem would be safe. Since Militas Ultra had abandoned Banora two years ago, most of it's citizens returned home, which included Rem who reunited with her parents. Yet even after four years, there was still no sign of her close friend Machina which sadly signed him off as dead. The poor girl had been devastated and Rosalind couldn't blame her for the loss. Now with Militas Ultra coming to attack, the female Turk couldn't help but fear the worst.
What if her family would get caught in the line of fire? What if they hadn't been able to evacuate?
'Mom...Dad...Elena...please be safe.' Rosalind thought to herself, before shaking her head. No, now wasn't the time to think of worst case scenarios. She had a job to do and she had to focus with a clear head.
Hidden from the City gates, one of the Militas Ultra special Ops were spying on the people until he saw the signal. He spoke through the hand-held radio, "The Turks are in the City. Begin operation in one minute."
(~Showdown at Hollow Bastion-KH2~)
Finally, the last of the people were loaded into the van and Rosalind let out a sigh of relief. That sorted out the people. Now all that's left was fighting off Militas Ultra and save the City. She immediately pulled out her PHS to dial Tseng's number.
"Sir, the citizens of the West side have evacuated." She reported.
"Good work. The other sectors are also cleared as well." Tseng responded.
'I hope so. I'm worried about my family.' Rosalind thought to herself.
BOOM!
A huge explosion that roared through out the air and the large quake that came with it nearly knocked Rosalind off her feet. She wasn't the only one was everyone else left in the city felt the exact same thing, each members of the Turks, SOLDIER, and WRO soldiers wondering what was going on. Then, group by group in each Sector, troopers of Militas Ultra stormed in, weapons ready and even blocking the remaining evac Vans from leaving.
"Militas Ultra!" One of the ShinRa soldiers exclaimed.
Rosalind was so shocked that she nearly dropped her PHS in the process when line with Tseng dropped before it rang again, this time with Veld calling.
"Everyone! The attack as began. Do what you can to fight them off and push them back. Do not get killed out there!" Veld's voice commanded.
Rosalind and pretty much all of the other Turks held determination. They will not fail. Because they were Turks!
"GOT IT!" Rosalind and rest of the Turks exclaimed, before each of them hung up and got into fighting positions, ready to fight.
The battle of the City had began. (~End Showdown at Hollow Bastion~)
(~The 13th Reflection-KH2.5 HD ReMix~)
Militas Ultra soldiers were everywhere. Some with swords, some with machine guns, some with cannons, and even some in robots that showed no mercy to anyone. But those who were fighting to protect the City of Edge were not going to back down either. Rosalind fired several shots at several Militas Ultra men who went down at her perfect aim before she dodge-rolled out of the way to avoid the rapid fire that came to her. The men though were taken down by the ShinRa Army with similar weapons to the enemy. She quickly used that time to reclip her gun before returning to the fight.
One managed to get close to her and attempted to slice her in half, but the female Turk kicked him in the stomach which forced him to drop his weapon and punch him squarely in the face, before shooting dead another that came up too close to her. When more came, she switched to the use of her Materia, casting Comet which rained down at the soldiers who unfortunately managed to shoot dead some of her men who dropped to the ground in no time flat. This surged her anger as she and those who didn't die jumped out of the way to avoid more rapid fire. When the Militas Ultra soldiers made to fire again or those with swords made to charge, the ShinRa army charged as well and fought in a struggle of swords and rapid fire and other fighting skills.
Rosalind in the meantime flared up Firaga spell at three other men before shooting them dead to finish them off, but was caught off-guard when two of them managed to punch and knock her over from behind. Wincing as she hit the concrete ground face first, she rolled out of the way before getting shot and killed herself and flipped backwards to continue dodging. Finding another hiding spot, she ducked just in time while the men who were attacking her had to reclip themselves or their machine rifles were jammed. Risking a peak, she carefully aimed and fired a single shot at both of them twice where they fell dead much like their fallen comrades. Feeling exhausted, she casted Curaga on herself before quickly jugging down one of the few Elixirs she saved, though she knew she had to make this count or she'd be in real big trouble.
Meanwhile, Rafe was shooting Militas Ultra men of his own with his double Guns before dodge-rolling out of the way to avoid in getting hit himself. Some of the men with him were having trouble themselves and were falling to their deaths quicker than the enemy soldiers were which was a bad thing. If this didn't end soon, he'd run out of ammo and be dead before the day would end. Well, if he had to die today protecting the City, then so be it.
Sensing movement, he spun around and shot dead an would-be-ambusher before knocking the Militas Ultra soldier away and then punched and kicked several more that came at him and both the ShinRa soldiers and the WRO soldiers who both fought back against the enemy, all of them having the same thought as he did; this was very likely a fight to the death.
With Arien and Jake...
Arien was smacking and whacking her opponents with her Whip, knocking away many of their weapons before dodge-rolling out of the way and back-flipped to avoid the rapid fire Militas Ultra were doing at her and the SOLDIERs she was right. Jake was crushing the skulls of his opponents with his Nunchucks, spinning them expertly before ducking to avoid a sword and then returned the favor by cracking the enemy's neck with his weapon. The two Turks and the SOLDIERs were doing everything they could to prevent Militas Ultra from getting into the Water Reactor which, if it was destroyed, it would take out the entire Sector and cause devastation to this part of the city.
With Alana and Patrick...
Alana was tossing her Knives at as many enemy soldiers as she could before casting Lightning to zap them, and when she approached them to collect her weapons, she finished them off by slicing at their throats which killed them almost instantly. Patrick was doing the similar thing, except he held his knives between his fingers by the handles and slashed and punched his opponents to punch and stab the Militas Ultra soldiers and Ops which killed them almost immediately at the same time.
With St. Andrew and Freya...
"Buzz off, Militas punks!" St. Andrew shouted furiously, setting his EMR on high and when he whacked another Militas Ultra, the sparks of electricity seeped into the man's body as the enemy screamed before falling to the ground, either unconscious or dead. The redhead spun around and punched another in the face before being punched himself and knocked to the ground, nearly dropping his weapon. The Turk stumbled to retrieve it before rolling out of the way, narrowly avoiding gun shots that nearly got his hands.
Freya shot fired another Militas Ultra soldier after one of the ShinRa soldiers were gunned down which surged her anger. She kicked at another enemy's hands which cracked his wrists and his machine rifle flying out of his hands which she quickly caught and returned fire at as many of the Militas Ultra soldiers until her burrowed weapon was out of ammo and jammed. She furiously tossed it at another one's face which was a direct hit, because he stumbled and was out cold. She casted Blizzard on him for good measure before she, St. Andrew and the surviving soldiers on their side continued to face even more Militas Ultra soldiers.
With Reno...
Reno grunted as he spun before whacking another Militas Ultra soldier when he got too close to the redhead's liking before kicking another in the face. He ran out of the way quickly to avoid more of rapid fire and sword attacks that kept coming at him and his little army of ShinRa soldiers and WRO soldiers who were having just as a difficult time as he was. He then surged his EMR at it's highest setting before thrusting it at three opponents which electrocuted them that they screamed in agony before slumping to the ground dead while his arm tingled at the vibes of his own weapon but not enough to render him shocked as well.
But one managed to catch him off guard as he was punched in the face and sent back crashing into a couple of WRO soldiers, crashing to the ground in a crippled pile. Leap back to his feet, Reno randomly grabbed a rifle from one of the men and while he wasn't skilled in a gun fight, he still knew how to use a couple if he had to. The red haired Turk opened fire and shot dead the Militas punk that knocked him to the ground before standing up along with the other soldiers and were soon faced with even more of the enemy.
'They just keep on comin'. There's no end to these guys!' Reno thought to himself, becoming more and more convinced that he wasn't going to get out of this alive, and if he was struggling, he was scared to think of how the rest of the Turks were doing.
With Rude...
Rude heaved a Militas Ultra soldier and flipped him over in a backward toss which forced his opponent to crash into three others as they landed on the ground hard. The bald Turk then headbutted another and punched him squarely in the face, fracturing his skull and breaking his jaw with some teeth falling out in the process. But as he did, he was grabbed by the arm by surprise and to his shock tossed him over where he landed hard on the ground in a crushing thud. Wincing, he grabbed hold of the sword that was about to be perched into his chest and shoved it upward, the hilt of the weapon bashing it's wielder right into the nose.
He used this chance to push himself up and thrust the enemy soldier to the ground before using the latter's sword on him, only to discover that most of his ShinRa soldier group were dead and more of the Militas Ultra soldiers were coming.
With Tseng...
Tseng, who along with Veld had returned before splitting up into different parts of the city, fired three more shots before any of the three Militas Ultra could attack, but when one got up too close for him to fire again, he punched and kicked him which was strong enough to send it flying and he then switched for a Lightning Materia, summoning it's spell and electrocuting him to death. Yet more appeared, which was a bit of a problem. Still, Tseng refused to back down. So, careful with his Mana, the Turk conjoured another Lightning Spell which weakened five more before dodge-rolled out of the way when one rapid fired at him with a machine rifle.
Yet Tseng was hit when a single shot grazed him on the leg and he hissed in pain, but didn't allow this to stop him. Ignoring the pain and the blood seeping out from his leg wound, the Wutaiian Turk responded by using Comet, hitting the enemies that attacked him while he then used Cure on himself even though he knew he had to be in surgery if he made it out of this alive.
(~End The 13th Reflection~)
"So we meet again, Tseng of the Turks." A very familiar voice spoke behind him once Tseng somehow managed to defeat the soldiers and no more appeared. The raven haired Turk spun around and saw a familiar figure he hasn't seen in four years. One who was one of the people responsible for the betrayal done by Rufus's father.
The Second in Command of Militas Ultra. Qator Bashar.
"You..." Tseng hissed a whisper, recognizing him almost instantly. "One of the people resonsible for manipulating the late President."
"There had to be a way to deal with the problems of the worlds. That biggest problem being you and all of the other Turks, and Rufus ShinRa." Qator replied with a smirk, which increased Tseng's anger as the Wutaiian name grunted angrily.
"You tell me; what is it that Militas Ultra are after, other than our untimely deaths?" Tseng demanded, standing on his guard despite the fatigue of exhaustion, but he wouldn't allow that stop him.
Qator smirked, drawing out a black and silver pistol from the helt of his belt. "World domination to free the world of ShinRa. But what I want for a very long time...is your blood on my hands, and yours alone, Tseng."
Tseng gritted his teeth, before declaring, "The only blood that wil be shed today, will be yours!"
The Second in Command of Militas Ultra chuckled cruely, before positioning himself into a fighting stance of his own. "Spoken like a true Turk. Excellent."
The two Seconds in Commands stared each other down, before charging to strike.
Rosalind leaned against the wall, panting in exhaustion was things had finally became silent in her area. Deathly silent. She only had two potions left; two of each of healing and magic regenerating. She had to collect ammo from the fallen ShinRa soldiers that had died along with most of the enemy. There was a cut on her cheek which still bled sluggishly, and she was tired.
Who knew how much more Militas Ultra soldiers there were, but so far things were quiet. Maybe the enemy has realized that this was a losing battle and had decided to retreat. She didn't know. The female Turk had yet to hear from the rest of the team. Maybe they were still fighting? Maybe she should call or check on them.
"So, you are one of the many Turks who foils our goal." A deep and unfamiliar voice hissed, alerting Rosalind into a fighting position and turned sharply to her right, to see an unfamiliar man who looked more like a Commander of a large ship. Cid Aulstyne, Leader of Militas Ultra. "You people are too dangerous for your own good."
(~Another Side, Another Story-KH:BBS~)
"Who are you? Are with with Militas Ultra?" Rosalind demanded, ignoring the fatigue that was starting to overwhelm her.
"You seem to know me quite well." Aulstyne remarked.
"I never seen you before, and considering on what you said, you're the enemy. If I also had to assume, given the way you look, you are one of the higher members." The female Turk glared hard.
The man smirked slightly, admittedly impressed with the Turk's knowledge. "Clever little girl. I had a feeling you Turks were smart, which explains why you always get in the way. Amuse me, however; why? Why were you reborn to live in the future? Why did you rejoin a group whose very existance will destroy all of the worlds, by restarting the cycle of death and rebirth?"
Rosalind's eyes narrowed angrily as she shouted, "Shut up! I'm sick and tired of your nonsense! If you're thinking of manipulating my mind into becoming your puppet, it won't work! I'm going to kill you, right here, right now!"
As the Turk stood in a fighting position, Aulstyne's eyes narrowed as he studied the young woman, before they mentally widened as he could see, some kind of glowing aura around her body. An image that formed in his mind ever since he learned of the legend. Growling low in his throat, Aulstyne stood in a fighting position as he drew out a gunblade from his helt.
"I see. You are the chosen one. The one who vanquished the beast before the return of the hybrid one who was destroyed by the chosen of the Planet. Show me your strength, Turk!" He declared, before rushing forward for the full scale attack.
Rosalind leaped out of the way to avoid the man's shockingly increased speed and power before she opened fire to attack him. But he blocked her gunshots with his weapon which reflected from the blade. He then opened fired himself but she used a Barrier spell she learned from Reno quickly to protect herself before dodge-rolling out of the way just as Aulstyne thrusts his gunblade, only managing to hit the ground as the blade scraped it slightly before looking at his left. Rosalind fired again, but the man blocked it once more and returned the favor.
The female Turk cartwheeled out of the way to avoid in getting hit before she casted Blizzard. However it was shattered into pieces when her target easily dodged out of the way without second thought or even seeing it above him. He then sped forward with a yell to stab her which she narrowly avoided before going for punching him in the face, but he stepped out of the way to avoid her punches. So Rosalind tried kicking him, but he caught her foot and then tossed her to the ground where she landed hitting her head on the hard ground as she gasped in pain. Feeling a concussion, Rosalind rolled out of the way before the enemy could kick her in the stomach or stab or shot her, she couldn't tell which he had in mind.
Thinking quickly, she casted Comet which managed to distract him enough for her to open fire again, but while Aulstyne was hit by the Spell, at the same time he blocked the gunshots with his Gunblade before firing again even though he had to reclip as the ammo began to run out quickly. Rosalind had to restort the same thing, but she wasn't quick enough as the man opened fired once more, forcing her to dodge-roll to avoid in getting killed despite that she was becoming increasingly even more exhausted due to the heavy battle against the Militas Ultra Army that attacked her hometown.
She tried using Lightning, but Aulstyne used a similar but much stronger attack which not only blocked her own, but also oblierated her own attack. Rosalind didn't have the time to dodge it as she was hit by it and screamed in pain while being electrocuted and rendered a bit paralyzed. She gasped as Aulstyne then appeared in front of her in a matter of two seconds before thrusting his weapon at her which knocked her back, sending her flying through the air and halfway down the streets where she landed hard onto the ground. Winching in pain, she weakly casted Curaga on herself, but it only managed to restore half of her health before she was forced to roll out of the way again while her opponent opened fired once more.
However, she wasn't fast enough as one got her in the leg which made her scream in pain and she dropped the ground once more. Rosalind held a hand over the gunshot wound which bled through her fingertips.
(~End Another Side, Another Story~)
While she was busy with her leg, Rosalind failed to move as Aulstyne approached her calmly before slashing her on her side of her waist with the gunblade, his expression blank and cold while she screamed in agony, wrapping her other free arm around the other wound, her vision going grey as she felt herself dizzy from the overwhelming wound. She felt tears form in her eyes as she was unable to move.
(~The Key-KH:BBS~)
"You lack the knowledge of your memories, you lost the power that destroyed Zinconiade 8,000 years ago. You deny the truth, and just like ShinRa had always done, cover up your owm blame by placing it onto others over mind games. YOU are nothing but puppets of the new cycle that is being born once more." Aulstyne declared darkly.
Rosalind could only breathe in and out, unable to move as her tears started to fall. She didn't understand. Why was this happening? And...her eyes widened in shock as memories of her nightmares filled her mind; Zinconiade, that horrible monster. But...if this man knew it's name...would that mean it was real? How did that make sense?
Not that it would've mattered now. Aulstyne was going to kill her, she just knew it. Rosalind was about to die.
"So I suggest you prepare to meet your punishment, because it's over." Aulstyne said before raising his weapon for the killing blow to finish the Turk off. Rosalind squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the end.
It never came.
Because Aulstyne sensed movement and before he knew it, he was forced back when both Veld and surprisingly Elfe who came from above, much to the Turk Leader's surprise, appeared out of nowhere and blocked the madman's weapon, Veld using a Barrier Spell while Elfe using her Sword to block Aulstyne's weapon.
"Rosalind! Can you move?" Veld questioned, not taking his eyes off of the leader of Militas Ultra.
"S...sir?" Rosalind asked weakly, looking up and saw that her superior and the leader of Highground had arrived, saving her life. She was so dazed and weak she could barely move.
"You leave with the girl. This man's mine." Elfe ordered the Turk Leader, glaring heatedly at Aulstyne who took a good look at the two other leaders.
"You expect me to leave this to you?" Veld questioned sharply, but as he gazed at the woman next to him with his eyes, they widened as he let out a soft gasp of shock. This was the first time they were this close. Wait...her hair...it was much like his own...the same with his eyes and the expression she held, one that only he had. Yet the face...was much like...
'...What?' Veld thought to himself in shock. He has seen this woman before. The pangs of familiarity thrusted painfully in his chest as he struggled to hold back Aulstyne.
Elfe had a similar reaction, but unlike the older man next to her, she had no clue. Why was this man extremely...familiar?
"Veld, Leader of the Turks...and Elfe, Leader of AVALANCHE, and keeper of one of the pieces of the Support Materia." Aulstyne grunted, somehow knowing who these two were. "I've been waiting for you two."
"AVALANCHE? You're mistaken, old man. I am the leader of Highground! However, my feelings are the same as yours: I've been wanting to kill you for years." Elfe grunted, yet for some reason...this 'AVALANCHE' sounded familiar too. But why? And what was a Support Materia? The more she was hearing all of this, the more her body and mind ached. What was going on?
Aulstyne snorted, "You are just like ShinRa and the Turks..." his eyes then gazed at Veld as he added to the woman next to male Turk, "Especially your father."
"What!?" Veld grunted. He gazed at Elfe who stared at him in shock and confusion as well. No, it couldn't be...how did-
Using this distraction to his advantage, Aulstyne kicked Elfe in the stomach which made her lose her focus as she grunted in pain before he knocked her back which sent her flying and crashing onto the ground next to the fallen female Turk. Veld turned sharply at the other woman's fall, which allowed the leader of Militas Ultra to shatter the Barrier Spell and by the time the Turk Leader turned, Aulstyne slashed right at the other man's arm, slicing it cleanly just inches from the elbow and his right hand and wrist were sliced completely off.
"AAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH!" Veld screamed in pure agony, falling to his knees and clutching the rest of his arm to his chest, his left remaining hand covering the wound as it bled rapidly in his finger tips.
"DIRECTOR VELD!" Rosalind screamed out in pure horror as she saw that her boss's hand has been sliced off completely. She tried to will herself to move, anything to help the Turk Leader. But she was far too weak, and there wasn't a thing she could do.
Aulstyne stared down at the injured Turk, and prepared to finish him off while Rosalind shut her eyes and looked away, silently sobbing and unable to see the end of her superior, when something caught the enemy's eye before he was suddenly smacked to the side where he hit the nearby building hard.
"That's as far as you go." Another male's voice, sounding smooth, said coolly. Rosalind, Elfe and Veld all looked up and one by one, each of them were stunned in shock. Aulstyne gazed up and for the first time all day, his expression held some other expression besides calmly determined murder.
(~End The Key~)
"You...! Sephiroth." Aulstyne grunted angrily, recognizing the man that had just saved Rosalind, Veld and Elfe.
Sephiroth, the tall silver-haired man in black leather armour and a wicked looking long sword-the masamune-stood before the leader of Militas Ultra with a deep glaring frown. The legendary hero who appeared and then disappeared in his spare time. No one knew of the man's origins, but he was definitely hero material.
Yet somehow Rosalind for a split second saw another painful jolting image that made her even more dizzy. 'No, not now!' She desperately thought to herself. Given her wounds and the painful jolts that made her pass out before, she was certain she was going to lose conscious for sure...and she may not awake up again due to her injuries.
But the image in her mind made her heart freeze.
Rosalind was standing before a burning village in the mountains, the intense heat that had destroyed everything. Standing by were two men; one a SOLDIER with black spiky hair and a huge sword on his back, maybe no older than 19 or 18, and a lone trooper with his helmet on. Both looked horrified as they gazed up at a small hill. The Turk followed their gaze and her eyes widened in shock and disbelief.
Sephiroth, legendary SOLDIER of ShinRa, smiled almost evilly, his long sword in hand, and the flames were strangely not effecting him, stood there. If anything, it was as if the fires weren't there at all, when Sephiroth turned and calmly walked away...leaving the town to be destroyed by the fires and most of the town's population left to die...
As soon as the image stopped, Rosalind felt the last of her strength to keep herself awake leave her and, unable to hear what Aulstyne-or Sephiroth, maybe?-was saying. All she could do was gaze weakly at the sight before her before her head went limp and her world went black.
"So you heard of me." Sephiroth remarked to Aulstyne who slowly stood up to recover, glaring at the younger man down. "Who are you?"
(~Blue Soul(Fading Heart?)-FINAL FANTASY TYPE 0~)
"I am Cid Aulstyne, leader of Militas Ultra, and savior of humanity of all worlds." Aulstyne responded.
"Hmph. Not very heroic if you are putting the lives of people in this city in danger." Sephiroth scoffed, not believing this for a single minute.
Aulstyne scoffed as well. "Hmph. Tell me, Sephiroth; why were you of all people reborn into this generation?"
Sephiroth remained silent as he gazed at the older man suspiciously. What was this fool on about?
"...I should have known. Even you are oblivious of your past." Aulstyne sighed, before he put away his gunblade and began to walk away. "Very well. We will retreat for now and spare the lives of those fools."
He then paused and turned his head to gaze at Sephiroth once more, saying darkly, "Mark my words, Sephiroth. You, those Turks, the daughter of their leader, and your own enemy, Cloud Strife, will know better sooner or later, and then you will see that every single one of you are the cause of the new cursed cycle that will doom all of this Realm." (~End Blue Soul(Fading Heart?)~)
With that, Aulstyne walked away, leaving Sephiroth behind with the three injured people, one of them unconscious. The silver haired man stood in silence, deep in his thoughts of what the retreating man had said. For some reason, some of it sounded quite...familiar and there was a brooding sense of...anger and hate maybe? It was deep within his heart, yet he did not understand the meaning of it.
(~Human Weaknesses and Strengths-FINAL FANTASY TYPE 0~)
"Rosalind! Sir!" Reno's voice called out, sounding horrified. Veld, who'd been busy keeping a steady pace of his bleeding, gazed behind him to see the redhead himself along with Rude, Rafe and Cissnei who all gasped at the sight before them. A couple of Highground soldiers also arrived and raced over to Elfe who was standing up, her energy spent from the hard landing. The other four Turks hurried to their fallen comrade and leader.
Reno and Cissnei went over to the unconscious Turk while Rude and Rafe hurried over to Veld who weakly acknowledged their presence. All four Turks had injuries of their own, some cuts which were still sluggishly bleeding, but they were fine compared to what the severally injured Turks were going through. Reno had a cut on his right upper arm, Rude on his left leg, Rafe on left cheek, and even Cissnei on her forehead.
The redhead gently cradled the unconscious female Turk in his arms, resting her head on his leg as he bend on one knee, while Cissnei worked on quickly taking off her suit jacket and wrapped it around Rosalind's waist wound to stem the bleeding and using Curaga to help a little. Reno awkwardly took off his own to wrap around her leg to do the same thing while not letting go of the unconscious Turk.
"Rosalind? C'mon, Rosie, don't give up on us!" Reno pleaded, his voice choaked up in tears, which also took form in his eyes. "You're a Turk, damn it!"
Once he was done with her leg, Reno checked Rosalind's pulse. It was weak but steady. She was still alive. But for how long, though? By then, the two Highground soldiers helped Elfe away from the scene, even though their leader gazed back at the people who were injured, and the man who had unexpectedly saved their lives. So that was Sephiroth. She was impressed, but she felt anger rise inside her; the hatred of the man who saved her and the Turks, which she didn't understand. But another part of her anger was the failure of killing Aulstyne who had gotten away.
Yet there wasn't a thing that could be done now. She would have to retreat to recover. But next time she saw Aulstyne again, she will kill him with her hands. She wanted his blood, more than anything.
Veld was still in a state of shock as Rude took off his own jacket and used it to bandage the older man's stump arm to stem the bleeding while Rafe quickly pulled out a PHS to call for help.
"You all." Sephiroth spoke, turning to face the Turks who all looked up, and the newer arrivals' eyes widened in shock and disbelief that the rumored man they heard of so much was standing right there. "I sense that man's soul corrupted with vengeance. Do not take him lightly. One more thing; make sure your comrades rechieve proper care immediately."
(~End Human Weaknesses and Strengths~)
Without waiting for a reply, the silver haired man turned and began to walk away, once again in his thoughts as he spoke to himself, "Cloud Strife...why does that name sound...familiar? I wonder..."
The Turks were left in stunned awe, before shaking those thoughts away and focused on getting both Veld and Rosalind to hospital immediately, thankful that at least there were still people there and that some of the WRO soldiers are also medical surgens. Yet none of them still had any idea what Militas Ultra truly wanted.
Tseng had taken quite a beating as he struggled against Qator who was evenly matched against him, yet the Wutaiian Turk had already been worn out from the fight against the Militas Ultra soldiers. Unfortunately, just as the Turks Second in Command was about to cast Lightning, Qator was upon him once more and kicked him so hard in the chest that the Wutaiian was thrown back and he hit the wall behind him hard which zapped away most of his energy. He fell to his knees and slumped forward, gasping and grunting in pain.
"It's over." Qator declared, taking aim with his pistol to finish off the Wutaiian Turk. He was about to pull the trigger when his commication cracked to life, making the Second in Command of Militas Ultra pause in what he was doing.
"Qator, fall back immediately. It seems we will have to attack another time." Aulstyne's voice spoke.
"Sir?" Qator asked, shocked at the order. Why the sudden retreat, when he is this close in killing the man right in front of him.
"Sephiroth...he is here. If you haven't killed Tseng yet, fall back for now. We will get him and Veld...and his daughter, Felicia; also known as Elfe."
Sephiroth!? He's here? But that would mean...Qator held back the urge to yell in frustration, and instead camly but angrily responded to his Commander's orders. Orders always took top priority. "Understood, sir."
The eye-patched man turned his gaze to Tseng who must have realized he has another chance to live, because the Wutaiian gave him a questioning glance.
"Hmph. Consider yourself fortunate to live today, Tseng." Qator spat angrily, turning to leave as he gave his parting words, "But do not think you have much longer to live. Someday, I will return, and I will kill you with my bare hands."
With that, he walked off while comissioning an order to the surviving members of Militas Ultra to fall back and recover for now, just as Arien, Freya, St. Andrew and Balto arrived and gasped in shock at the sight of Tseng who just continued to gaze the retreating form of the man who had come so close in killing him. On the other hand, the numbers of the enemy soldiers had fallen even before Qator's arrival.
Why had that been, though?
June 2nd [4:23 PM]-Year-1994.
Edge General Hospital.
(~Forgotten Tears-DIRGE OF CERBERUS FINAL FANTASY VII~)
It's been hours since the brutal invasion in Edge. Militas Ultra had thankfully retreated and things were calm once again...except for the Turks and the survivors of SOLDIER and the army. Even WRO soldiers had it tough, losing a large number of men. The Turks had taken quite a beating, but were patched up with small bandages and a broken leg or arm, but the ones who took the most beating were Veld, Tseng...and Rosalind.
Now Reno, Rude, St. Andrew, Freya, Cissnei, Arien, Alana, Patrick, Jake, Rafe, and Balto were waiting in the Waiting Room for the results on the conditions of two of their leaders and their co-worker, some fearing the worst, others hoping the best. On top of everything else, they had no idea what to do with the citizens who were still waiting to return to their homes as they stayed in Kalm.
Reno though, having been promoted to Third in Command two years ago, about a week after the Militas Ultra and the people in the black coats invading the ShinRa building incident, did call Rufus to let him know that the threat of the enemy had been quelled for now. The President acknowledged it and gave him orders to inform him of Veld, Tseng and Rosalind's conditions before making the order to have the people return home.
The redhead though was anything but calm. He'd only been Third in Command for two years; TWO YEARS, and already he was doing such a terrible job at it. From the looks of things, given Veld and Tseng's injuries, Reno couldn't help but ultimately fear the worst. If neither of them survived the surgery, they would be losing two leaders instead of just one. Which ultimately meant that he would be promoted as the new Director of the Turks, taking on sole responsibility for the entire team who would look up to him, expecting him to know what to do in missions.
He wasn't ready for that responsiblity. Hell, he may never will be. It was bad enough with the thought of being promoted to Second in Command should anything happen to Veld. But to be instantly promoted straight up to Direct Commander if both of them died today? That was too much to bear. Reno wouldn't be able to handle it, but he would have to. He couldn't let the team down. It was just...he looked up to Veld and Tseng for different reasons.
For Tseng, it was because he found Reno when the latter had been lost and alone. He saved him from the life of the streets and the possible death that would've most likely happened if the Wutaiian didn't. He took care of him, brought him in, nursed him to health and fed him. Tseng was like a mentor to Reno, and he couldn't bear to lose him, not the same way he lost his parents.
For Veld, it was because he understood Reno's feelings, believed in him, saw potential like Tseng did, and gave him a chance to join the team. For a stern and sometimes terrifying guy...he cared. Much like a parent would, given he used to be one before the tragedy deaths of his wife and daugther. Veld had been like a second father to him, or maybe third since Tseng was like a parent to Reno too. But Veld was the Father of the Turks, not just a Director.
The very thought of losing both, it'll be like losing his mom and dad all over again...if not worse.
And Rosalind...Reno could never forget about the once-rookie. She'd been so serious, but she cared for the Turks, and betrayal was an alien-concept to her. She might be a bit of a workaholic, but she was a skilled Turk, and would surprise him when she would show her more lighter side. Not only that, on her first mission, a mission was a day when everything changed, she had saved his life. The redhead had come to respect her determination and bravery ever since. The blond-haired female Turk was just as big of a part of the family as anyone else were.
But from the way how badly injured she was...she could very well be lost as well. Having her dead would be utterly devastating.
One thing Reno was certain of, though, if he ever saw the two bastard leaders of Militas Ultra...he was going to kill them. He was going to kill the ever-living hell of those two, and he was going to do it very slowly, to make them endure the pain and agony he was currently feeling on the inside.
His violent train of thought were interrupted when he and the rest of the Turks heard footsteps approach them. The redhead and everyone else looked up to see a familiar man with dark hair and a thin beard approach them. He had a black uniform complete with a black tie, but they knew he wasn't a Turk.
The tag name "Reeve Tuesti" was written in silver thread on the suit jacket. He was the Commissioner of WRO.
"Are they okay?" Arien asked immediately as she and everyone else stood up, bracing for the news and hoping that it would be good news.
"They are in a stable condition, but very lucky to be alive." Reeve told them, and everyone immediately felt most of the weight lift from their hearts. "Tseng sustained a bit of burns and cuts to his body, but he will recover over night. Rosalind, though, will be on crutches for about a week. However, the cut on her side has been stitched up, but she will have to remain in bed for the next week which will also give her leg enough time to fully recover. She's awake as well."
(~End Forgotten Tears~)
'Oh, thank Shiva.' Reno thought to himself, closing his eyes in sheer relief at at least most of the good news. He'd been so afraid that they'd be losing Turks today. Though that left Veld. The redhead Third in Command asked, with some hesitation in his voice, "What about the Director?"
Reeve looked uncomfortable and at first the Turks thought for a split second that it was horrible news. They needn't be worried, but the news they did get didn't make it any better. "Veld's in a stable condition. However, he lost 50% of his right arm. He will be out of commission for at least a month as I'm told. If not longer given the...request he spoke of."
"...What kind of request?" Balto inquired.
"An operation for an artifical arm with materia slots put into it, as a replacement for his lost one. It's a risky surgery, but he says that he would rather have that than just one arm. No one could talk him out of it. It's going to take several weeks, and then he will have to wait for a week or two before he is cleared to return for duty." Reeve explained.
"Tseng's not gonna like that." Reno commented, sighing shakily. With Veld out of commission for a while, Tseng would be the acting Director, which also means that Reno himself would be the acting Second in Command. Still, at least it wouldn't be for long and it was much better than being promoted straight up as the new permament Director.
"It can't be helped." Rude pointed out.
"Can we see them?" Freya asked Reeve.
"Tseng and Veld are resting. Though you can visit Rosalind, but only one of you can, and I think the current acting Director for the day would be permitted to see her." The Commissioner told them.
It disappointed the Turks to hear this, before most of them turned their gaze on Reno who sighed in exasperation but acceptence.
"I'll let you guys know how she's doin'. Keep me informed if there's a sudden issue or if you need me for anything." Reno informed them. The Turks nodded in agreement before he left to follow Reeve to where Rosalind was resting.
(~Missing You-KH2.5 HD ReMix~)
Reno entered the recovery where the injured female Turk was while Reeve waited outside and walked down the hallway after recieving a call. The redhead peered from the doorway and saw that Rosalind was gazing at arms, tears already sliding her cheeks. It hurt him to see her that way; he somehow figured out what she was thinking.
"Hey." He greeted softly with a small smile, getting his injured but very alive Turk's attention as she looked up to see him approach, slowly and awkwardly. He took a seat on the chair next to her bed, asking, "How're doin'?"
"I've...been better." Rosalind replied, wiping away tears to try and not make herself anymore weak than she already felt. She'd woken up feeling sore and tired and...memories of what happened to Veld earlier...it was a miracle that she's still alive. "I couldn't stop him..."
"Who?" Reno asked.
"The leader of Militas Ultra...I fought him and he beat me. I'm only alive because Veld and...and Elfe saved me. But he...he killed Veld after taking away his arm...it's all my fault!" Rosalind sobbed, losing her battle to keep her emotions in check.
"Shh...Rosalind, calm down. It's okay. Veld's still alive." Reno whispered, placing a hand onto his friend's shoulder.
"H-he is?" Rosalind asked, gazing up at her superior with a glimmer of hope.
The redhead nodded, "Yeah. He's lucky...naturally speakin'. It's too bad he's gonna be out of commission for a while, and the next time we see him...let's try not to comment on that artifical arm of his he's gonna be havin' for the rest of his life."
"Artifical...arm?" Rosalind asked, feeling chilled by that information.
"Crazy old man wants it put into where his right arm used to be. That's gonna take several weeks to do, though and then he has to stay in bed for another week or two after that. So, starting tomorrow, Tseng's gonna be in command 'til Veld is given the clean bill." Reno explained.
The young woman looked away, her heart aching. If she hadn't foolishly fought against Aulstyne, this never would've happened. But she had thought she could at least drive him off, but he was too powerful. The only person to have been able to send him away was Sephiroth. Her eyes widened as she suddenly remembered the mysterious soldier and, couldn't help but feel chilled at the image she before passing out. And those two men in that vision...
Why did they seem so...familiar?
"What about Sephiroth?" She asked softly.
"You saw him too?" Reno asked, surprised.
"I saw him stop that man before I passed out. He...has incredible strength. He saved me, Veld and Elfe." Rosalind answered, before remembering the Highground leader and asked, "What happened to Elfe?"
The red haired Turk shrugged, "Dunno. Think she might've been charted off by two of her men who were with us. Apparently Highground had the same idea we did; taking on Militas Ultra to save the city. That guy Shears from four years ago mentioned something about wanting to kill Militas Ultra's second in command named...Qator Bash-something."
"Elfe wants to kill the man that cut off Veld's arm too. She mentioned that she'd been wanting to do so for years. I don't get what she means by that, though." Rosalind remembered.
(~End Missing You~)
"Huh. A big grudge, maybe?" Reno guessed cluelessly. "Not I blame her. I was...scared to think that we might've lost you, Tseng and Veld today to the point that I was thinkin' of makin' that guy and the other guy who hurt Tseng and kill them myself. Hell, I still might considering all of the crap they put us through."
"Reno?" Rosalind blinked, surprised by Reno's violent thought.
(~Friends in My Heart-KH2~)
The redhead sighed shakily, unable to meet her gaze at first, before looking at her and dared to share his feelings he'd been wanting to do so for years, admitting. "You guys and everybody else in the team are like family to me. If any of you get hurt, it hurts me too. I wanna do everything I can to keep you guys alive and safe, even though I've been doin' a crappy job at it lately. We've been through a hellva lot together, and I can't think of life without either of you."
He then smirked and added, "Sure I act like a kid and tend to be lazy at times, but ifrit help anyone if they hurt you or anyone else in the Turks. That's not to say that I don't think you're capable of fightin'. 'Cause you're a pretty damn great Turk. You saved me more times than I can count...I wanna repay we dept. Not just you, but everyone else. You guys make me whole."
Rosalind was stunned and amazed at Reno's speech. Who would have thought that the obnoxious Turk had such a sweet nature in him? Yes, it wasn't secret that he cared for the team, but to actually hear him say it...inspired her even more than ever.
"Thanks, Reno. You're so sweet." Rosalind muttered with a smile, which made the redhead look away in embarrassment as his face turned a hint of pink and red which the latter colour almost matched his hair. Her smile widened a bit more. Seeing him like that made him look adorable.
"Hey, got an order for ya." Reno then said.
"Huh?"
The redhead smirked, "Next time you run into that guy who tried to kill you, don't fight him on your own. Just run and call for help, unless you're stronger than him someday if that happens again. We don't know much about him, so don't do anythin' that reckless again. Got it?"
Realizing what Reno meant, and, given that he is Third in Command, the female Turk nodded, "Got it."
"Good. Remember that next time, 'kay?" Reno nodded, pleased with his fellow Turk's response, just as his PHS rang. Gesturing Rosalind to hold on a minute, he flipped it open and answered, "Reno here."
"Are you ever going to inform me of Rosalind, Tseng and Veld's condition?" A familiar voice spoke on the line, and from the sounds of it, he was getting impatient.
(~End Friends in My Heart~)
"Oh. Sorry, sir. I kinda forgot." Reno replied apologetically, mouthing 'Rufus' to Rosalind when she gave him a puzzled look on who the redhead was talking to. "Good news is all three of them are still alive. Bad news is Veld's out of commission for a month or so, and Rosalind's gonna be on bed rest for a week. Tseng's gonna be up and walkin' again by tomorrow mornin', though."
"That's...very fortunate. See that they recover soon enough. There's something I'd want to inform all of you of great importance." The President sounded very relieved even though he tried to hide it, but Reno caught wind of the relief in his voice. Rufus might be a tight stuck up, but he wasn't heartless.
"Sir?" Reno muttered.
"You recall that theory of Militas Ultra having a mad scientist working for them despite no proof had been found. Well...I think I have a fair idea who one or both of them could be." Rufus replied.
"Two?" Reno stood up quickly in shock.
"I may be wrong but...I saw them...in an very uncomfortable vision."
Reno's eyes widened and suddenly he and even Rosalind who tried to hear what Rufus was talking about, saw a jolting image form in their minds, of two people whom looked fit for evil mad scientists.
One was a tubby and fuzzy, and hardly much of a threat but mad enough. But the other...almost as clear as day...had black smooth graying hair, with spectacles, lab coat, and a sinister and ugly face as he smiled evilly.
As soon as the image ended, Reno closed his eyes and mentally shook the image away.
"I'll inform the Turks, sir. Soon as the Director and Commander recover." Reno promised, bidding the President farewell before hanging up. "Sorry, Rosie, but duty calls."
"Right...Reno?" Rosalind spoke before Reno could head out the door, "I'm certain that it's the fake memories again but...I saw someone...a mad scientist who...fits the description of evil."
"...Yeah. I did too, and I think I have a fair idea who that is, even though it's more than likely fake no thanks to whatever's in our heads." Reno admitted.
Whatever it was, and whoever that man is, Reno felt that they may finally have a lead on who is responsible for this mess.
One who sided with Militas Ultra.
Despite the surprise aid from the legendary hero Sephiroth, the Turks were left with injures, as Veld had forever lost his right arm and would have an artifical one in it's place.
The Turks' memories are starting to become more clear, but they still believed it was nothing more than false images done by Militas Ultra's cruel ideals of controlling mindless puppets.
However, one image in paticular gave them a new lead; someone as evil and more of a monster filled their minds, and the mind of Rufus ShinRa who would soon inform the Turks another lead that may be the key to help them defeat the enemy.
Yet, Veld had questions of his own; why did Aulstyne call him Elfe's father? Could she be...someone whom he thought he lost in his past?
The Turks next assignment was just around the corner, as a new member was soon to join them under Veld's request.
A/N: I've been in the sudden mood to continue this story. But I think this is definitely the last chapter I'll be posting for 2018. If not, then the next one will be the final chapter posted in 2018, but not the last chapter of the story as it will be completed next year.
If so, then...well, see you in 2019!...Again. ^-^;