Disclaimer: I did not create Final Fantasy VII… I did not compose Easier to Run… Thanks for the many great minds who made this story o' mine possible… Easier to Run by Linkin' Park… Final Fantasy VII by Square… Either way… I own this story! Hehehe…
Author's Note: Thanks for all the people who read my story! The next chapter will focus mainly on Rufus Shinra and what he has to deal with in reviving their corporation. This will give you some light on what the corporation is up to now. Hope you enjoy this chapter!
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ETERNAL DAMNATION------------------------------
CHAPTER 3: RUFUS
Wounds so deep they never show
They never go away
Like moving pictures in my head
For years and years they've played…
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"Did you sleep at all last night, Reno?" Rude asked gruffly.
He looked pitifully at the red-haired Turk leaning against the elevator wall. Rude and Elena had not commented much when he had come slinking in the Shinra main building not in his usual easy gait. But they noticed he was off as soon as they saw the pathetic excuse of a sleepy expression on his face. His electromag rod swayed lazily behind him as he walked up to the other two and said good morning in a low tone.
Reno looked up, swept his hair with one hand nodded.
"About an hour, I think," he answered.
Rude nodded as he watched the redhead stretched his arms.
"This is too much, yo," he said. "Overtime again…" he nodded to the Shinra soldier who saluted them. "We should have a rest day or a free day after we've done work!"
The elevator sounded and they got in.
"They are our bosses, Reno," Elena said quietly.
"No," Reno retorted. "Our boss's our leader."
"We work for them."
"We work for ourselves," Reno snapped.
"What are we then?"
"Guns for hire."
"We still do things for them."
"For money."
"So then," Elena sighed. "Who leads?"
"Tseng," Reno said flatly. "He leads."
Elena quieted down while Rude refused to even look at them. Suppose Tseng is the taboo of the Turks who were left in Shinra. They reached the floor in a moment. Elena was all for welcoming the cool air of Rufus' office and forgetting their little argument inside the elevator. She walked behind Reno and alongside Rude. It was always like that. She knew that Reno had assumed command when Tseng left for another mission and she also knew that Reno had hated every second of it. According to him, it's always easier to follow orders, not give them.
It never occurred to Rude and Elena that it was always hard for him to handle everything on his own every time they have a mission. He was afraid to make decisions that will endanger his team… his only family… if they ever considered themselves as one.
It had been easy when Tseng was around and now that he is gone away on some foreign mission, Reno hated him for leaving them and leaving everything in his damn hands.
Reno headed for the long hall, which leads to where Rufus' office was. It separated the other functional rooms in the huge building and kept the President's office well away from the bustle outside. But it does give off a kind of feeling of deep isolation.
Reno slowed his pace a little as they neared the double doors of the office.
For some reason though, it was not Reno's custom to use the speakerphone outside Rufus' office to let him know that they were already there.
He knocks instead.
They heard a muffled sound and the shuffle of papers.
"Come in," they heard Rufus' voice.
Reno pushed the doors open and walked in unceremoniously. Rude and Elena followed.
Inside, they saw the young blonde President of the Shinra Corporation, sitting on his office chair and currently stacking a thick file inside a folder. He appeared somewhat slack, although there was an evident sign of smirk on his face.
"Rufus," Reno said. He was never one to acknowledge formalities and authorities. Besides, he made it crystal clear years ago that he was under no one, not even Rufus. He had enough of leaderships and disappointments so to speak.
"Your usual self, I see," Rufus smirked.
Reno shrugged.
"You sent for us Rufus?" Elena said.
"Ah," Rufus leaned back on his chair. His ash-blond hair fell over one eye as he surveyed them. He often marveled at the concept as to why his father and the rest of his so-called ancestors hired these Turks to work for them.
They were not the most respectful people but they're an awfully good group of assassins or whatever and they know a lot about the world under.
"You did a good job relieving us of the resistance group," Rufus said, commenting on their mission last night.
Reno snorted.
We weren't cut out for those type of missions anyway… he thought to himself.
"You know it wasn't our job to prevent uprisings…"
"But it is your job to follow orders, right?"
Reno sighed.
"Fine," he said.
Rufus stood and faced the window overlooking the slums. He saw the flurry of movement of the many people below.
"Now," he started. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to give you some bad news."
Rude remained unmoved as Reno cocked his head and Elena looked grave.
"I will not be able to give you the time out you all have been wanting."
Reno shifted his weight on one foot.
"Why's that?" he asked.
Rufus faced them.
"Because I'm going to send you on a mission again."
"What mission?" Reno looked up and saw the change in Rufus' eyes. His usually clear face showed signs of uncertainty. Not at all like the Rufus they knew.
"Reno," Rufus started. "Do you believe in… reaping what you sow?"
Reno stared back at him. They were level now. No boss. No assassin. Just individuals.
Elena shifted uncomfortably.
"I believe only in survival, Rufus," Reno said in a low tone.
"You wouldn't sacrifice yourself…?"
Reno shrugged.
"A pro isn't someone who sacrifices themselves for a job," he said. "That's just a fool."
Rufus laughed, an audible laugh that echoed inside the office.
"You know, hearing someone like you talk like that…" Rufus managed to say when he quieted down. "Those words… took me by surprise."
Like me? Reno thought. Someone like… me?
"What are you trying to say, Rufus?" he asked directly now.
The smile on Rufus' face faltered a little. He ran a hand through his hair.
"The day after tomorrow, I will be meeting a certain group of people who are in search for something that we are keeping dear."
Reno looked at the floor and his hands went instinctively inside his pockets.
"What?" Reno proceeded. "The leftover of Jenova's cells?"
Rufus looked blankly at him before speaking again.
"You may call it that, Reno," Rufus said. "But that is exactly what they wanted. Jenova."
Reno stared a Rufus.
It cannot be… Jenova was destroyed only a year ago by a certain ex-SOLDIER they deemed to be living a quiet life at this time. They found most of what's left intact when Jenova came crashing to the earth. They kept it and hid it away. Hopes of never hearing of it again lay in the deep recesses of Reno's mind that he cannot quite comprehend what Rufus was telling him now.
"How did they know?" he asked.
Rufus sneered.
"I suppose they don't," he said. "They were making guesses on where it is. And where better place to start than where it all began?"
The destructive I-have-my-own-mind creation of the deemed genius of Shinra has instilled in the minds if many that Shinra was the sole cause of all the destruction they suffered. Many did not wish to know that it had been the people themselves who had unleashed the world's wrath and engulfed all in a darkening force that had sought to destroy everything.
Shinra has been rebuilt over the year, quite a feat for anyone but Rufus Shinra. But it now stands for restitution and change. It was the least they could do for what the people believed they had caused.
Elena shifted, fixing her steady gaze on Rufus.
"And you want us to---" she began.
"Keep it safe, yeah," Rufus said, brandishing his hand. "More than that, I want you to find out what they want. I want you to find out what they are going to do with Jenova's cells."
"Oh, you want us to watch over Jenova and prevent the others from taking hold of… it?" Elena concluded questioningly.
Rufus nodded.
There was a long and uncomfortable silence after that. Each of them was lost in their own thoughts. The deafening silence was only broken when Reno spoke.
"Would they be…" he said distantly. "…just like the first ones?"
First ones? Rufus thought.
"What do you mean?" he asked, uneasiness seeping in his voice.
"This is not just about getting back Jenova's cells and putting it up for collection, right?" Reno said blankly.
Elena's eyes widened at the realization of what Reno was talking about.
"You're not thinking…" Elena voiced out. "Reunion?"
Rude made a noise that sounded like he got something stuck in his throat.
Rufus rubbed his temple.
"Well, we can't rule that out," he said. "But it will take much more than what Jenova's cells can do, now that Sephiroth is gone."
"You think?" Reno asked. "We never found proof that he is indeed gone… A body? What will a body tell us? Transferring will and power is easy as a snap of the fingers for that guy."
Before any of them made another comment, it was Rude who spoke up.
"There is a power unfathomable than any others," Rude said plainly. "The Ancients are living proof of that."
Reno glanced at Rude. He surprised them with his words. Rude was one person who rarely voice out his thoughts anyway. But he was right though. Ancients had been powerful vessels of an ancient knowledge that, if were given a chance, could have saved the planet from the earlier disaster.
Rufus nodded.
"Reunion or not," he said. "We will have to find out what they want with Jenova."
Silence again.
"I understand," Reno said after a long painstaking moment of silence.
Reno nodded at Rufus and proceeded to go out of the office. Elena and Rude followed suit. There were no more words needed. There was a kind of understanding between all of them anyway.
"Good luck," he looked out his office window, watching the paced movement of the people moving below. He heard the careful closing of his door and he slumped on his chair, soon too lost in his own thoughts.
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Author's Note: Yay! I've finally finished this chapter! Thanks for holding out for me! I've been so busy with school work lately that I barely found time in finishing this. Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter. I promise the next will be grand! Hehehe… See you later!