Before Crisis: The Beginning
By DarkAngel
Disclaimer: Of course I don't own Before Crisis or the FFVII Compilation, silly-billy. :D Square-Enix does.
Chapter 9: To Junon (Rosalind)
With the wounds Rosalind and Reno had received in battle having been taken care of, the two of them had started the trek back to Shin-Ra headquarters. Reno was muttering something about wanting a drink to get rid of his headache, every now and then trying to cajole Rosalind into joining him. She ignored this, insisting firmly that they had to report back to headquarters. The redhead sighed.
"You're no fun, you know that rookie?"
The streets were eerily quiet after everything they had been through. Rosalind found this chilling. It had only been less than half an hour ago that she'd been in an intense life or death situation. The denizens of Sector 8 had no idea how close they had come to calamity.
A PHS went off then with a shrill chirruping sound. Rosalind started.
"Yeah," Reno said. They stopped walking.
"The President's?! Gotcha, we'll leave right away." He hung up.
"What was that about the President?" She was getting a bad feeling about this.
Reno grimaced. The sinking feeling in Rosalind's stomach got worse. "Is the President being targeted?" It was the worst possible scenario she could think of, and after tonight, it was wholly in the realm of possibility.
"Yeah. We've got to haul ass to Junon – and I mean right now."
Within the next hour they were on a chopper heading straight for Junon. Rosalind sat in the co-pilot's seat beside Reno, trying to get some sleep. She'd been on active duty since early yesterday morning, and judging by the state of things, she probably wouldn't get to rest any time soon.
Opening her eyes, Rosalind gave up. She was too wound up just now.
Reno wasn't saying much either. Normally he would be the one winding Rosalind up, cracking jokes or else trying to flirt with her, but now he was all business.
"Sir, who were those people?"
"They call themselves AVALANCHE," Veld responded, his face grim. "They're an anti-Shin-Ra group, very well organized. It seems as if they've begun to stage an operation in Junon. Our intelligence reports that they will likely target President Shinra on his press jaunt there."
They were all gathered in the small conference room where they had their daily meetings and reports. The other new recruits and Rude had been called in as well.
Samantha, the other female recruit crossed her arms. "Why are they targeting Shin-Ra in the first place? It doesn't make any sense."
"That remains to be seen," Tseng answered. "In the meantime, a large number of these AVALANCHE members have gathered in Junon."
Rafe raised his head. "Isn't that where -?"
Veld nodded. "The President is due to carry out a press junket there. Reno, Rosalind, since you've both had direct contact with the hostile elements, you will leave immediately after this meeting for Junon. Continue to send in periodic reports. Your first job is to protect the President at all costs."
"What about the rest of us?" St. Andrew asked, leaning back in his seat.
"I'll be sending you out to gather information," Veld replied.
They looked at each other. None of them had expected something like this to happen.
Rosalind shook her head. Well, she had wanted to do something different, and she was doing it. She could say with an almost absolute certainty that she wouldn't have come across this kind of a situation had she elected to join the army.
"We're in sight of the city now," Reno announced. He flicked a glance at her. "You ever been to Junon?"
"Once," Rosalind replied. "My father was stationed here for a couple of years, and the family went to visit him."
The city of Junon was located to the southwest of Midgar across the Junon Bay. It was the second largest city in the world, another construct of the Shin-Ra Company. It had come into its present form only at the time of the conflict with Wutai, and had been designed as a modern day fortress. Everything about the city was designed with defence in mind, and it was evident in the design of the city.
"I should warn you," Reno said at last, "the President's a difficult old bastard to deal with."
Rosalind gasped. "Reno!"
He laughed. "It's true, kiddo. You'll see when you meet him. He's grumpy, hard to please and –" He sent her another sidelong glance. "He has a thing for pretty young ladies. Try not to let him push you around or treat you like some ornament."
She straightened up in her seat. "I'll be fine."
"Yeah, well, we'll see."
Reno led the way along the upper streets of the city, whistling tunelessly. They came to a stop in front of a four story building indistinguishable from its neighbours but for a revolving door and a discreet metal plaque that read 'The Excalibur' – and the presence of soldiers on either side of the entrance.
One of the blue uniformed men saluted. "Sir! The President is waiting for you."
Reno nodded, taking out his PHS. "Yeah, I bet he is," he muttered. Punching in a number, he reported to Veld that they'd reached their contact point.
Inside the hotel, more guards were stationed strategically in the reception area, up the stairs and down the corridors. Rosalind wondered just how the hotel guests were supposed to enjoy their stay with the heavy security presence here. She supposed it couldn't be helped – AVALANCHE most likely knew where President Shinra was staying, so it was best to err on the side of caution.
They took the stairs up to the second floor. Reno spoke briefly with one of the guards, who pointed with his rifle to a spot just up ahead. Nodding, Reno turned back to Rosalind.
"The President's in his suite. Come on rookie, let's go."
The guard moved out of the way, allowing Reno and Rosalind to pass. Rosalind leaned forward as they passed the guardsman. "If anything happens, let us know."
He saluted smartly. "Leave it to me, ma'am."
Rosalind smiled briefly before running to catch up with Reno. They came to a set of grand double doors with heavy panelling and tastefully painted frescoes on the walls on either side. In front of the doors two more guards stood at attention. Reno nodded to the guards, who nodded back. Saluting smartly, they opened the doors.
The President's suite was, as Rosalind might have guessed, quite palatial. The crimson carpeting was, if possible, plusher than the carpet outside the suite. Large and obviously expensive portraits hung on the walls; substantially heavy drapes graced the windows. The room they were in now had a heavy desk of polished oak and behind that was a large monitor, which somehow felt incongruous when one took into account the rest of the room's décor.
There was a movement off to the left, and Rosalind got her first look at the President of the Shin-Ra Company.
He was a heavyset man in his middling years, with short blonde hair neatly combed back and a thick moustache that somehow seemed to add to his imposing girth. He wore a suit of a shade slightly lighter than aubergine, which if Rosalind had to admit (if only to herself), was in bad taste. An expensive crimson silk tie and polished dark shoes completed the ensemble. At the moment he was chomping impatiently on a cigar.
"It's about time you got here." His tone was one that Rosalind didn't much care for, and it was only her years of military training that kept her from making a face at him.
"Sorry we're late, sir," Reno said obsequiously, bowing slightly. If it weren't for present company, Rosalind would have laughed. It was hard to imagine Reno being deferential to anybody, even the President of the Shin-Ra Company, but he was doing an admirable job. "We'll be escorting you from here on out," he continued.
The President grunted. His eyes fell on Rosalind. He jabbed his cigar in her direction, ash falling onto the rich carpet at his feet.
"Who's the broad?"
"Er –" Reno glanced quickly at Rosalind, whose eyes had gone flinty. "She's one of our newest recruits, sir. She's the one that uncovered AVALANCHE's movements," he added.
"Hmph." President Shinra didn't seem impressed. "I hope you can hold your own, girl," he growled.
"I assure you sir that I can," Rosalind replied coolly.
"We'll see," he said, turning away dismissively. "Reno, get me a scotch, would you? It's been a long day."
Ignoring the fact that it was not even mid-afternoon, Reno nodded. "Sure thing, boss." He had just turned around when the door to the presidential suite opened with a great bang. Both Reno and Rosalind spun around, drawing their weapons.
A Junon guardsman stumbled in, eyes wide. "AVALANCHE is here –"
There was a whooshing sound, and the guardsman screamed, crumpling to the ground in a smouldering, fiery heap. Rosalind gasped. He'd been burnt alive.
"What was that just now?!" President Shinra demanded, gaping at the blackened corpse sizzling on the floor.
"It's all right, Mr. President," Reno assured him, though he looked a little taken aback himself. We'll protect you. Maybe I should get you that scotch now –"
A tall man in a dirty reddish orange outfit entered the room.
"I've found you, President."
Rosalind placed herself quickly between the President and the intruder. "As if I'd let you!" she shouted. In one swift motion, she'd reached for her weapon and in the next moment, the intruder lay dead, face down on the carpeted ground.
"They've managed to get past the security guards," Reno observed. "They're well organized, aren't they?"
Rosalind shot him an admonishing look. In return, Reno raised an eyebrow, as if to ask her what her problem was.
President Shinra still seemed to be in a state of shock. "What is this?" His voice rose. "What's going on here?"
"AVALANCHE," Reno said. "They've gathered in Junon."
"AVALANCHE?" President Shinra repeated. "You mean those renegades from Midgar?" He seemed to be getting some of his composure back. "How dare they…" The President's face was starting to redden, as if he was working himself into a fine rage. Reno certainly seemed to think so, because he scrambled to prepare the scotch that had nearly been forgotten in the commotion.
Rosalind looked down at the body of the intruder. That had been too close. What had happened to the security in the hotel? There had, after all, been quite a lot of them. How could they have gotten through that easily?
A beeping noise interrupted her train of thought. The monitor she had noticed earlier switched on and she found herself looking at Veld's face.
"Sir, are you all right?" His voice came in loud and clear without the slightest static crackle. It sounded like he was right in the room with them. For a split second, Rosalind wished that was true. She pushed the thought aside. What good would that kind of thinking be?
Reno, meanwhile, had handed the President a large tumbler of amber liquid, from which he took a sip. "Oh, it's you Veld. I'm fine." His voice seemed to have lost some of the shakiness it had possessed earlier.
"Sir, I strongly advise you should put off the inspection. If you proceed with your original plans, you'll make it easier for AVALANCHE to carry out their objectives."
President Shinra bristled. "No!" He took a great swig of his scotch, emptying half the glass in one go. "We'll continue with the inspection as planned – we can't let the public think that we can be bullied by a snivelling band of miscreants."
Rosalind stared incredulously. Didn't the man realize how close he'd just come to being snuffed out? The most prudent course of action would be to do what Veld was suggesting and wait until they had settled things in the city. He could go on his press tour anytime.
Veld seemed to be thinking along the same lines. "Have a look at this," he said. Veld's image disappeared, replaced by shots of the hotel – he'd switched channels to the security camera feeds. In nearly every pan, there was at least one AVALANCHE operative searching the corridors.
"What the hell is this?!" Reno demanded, sounding incredulous. "The place is crawling with AVALANCHE!"
The video screen switched back to Veld. "This is the reality of the situation. Do you understand now, Mr. President?"
President Shinra stabbed a finger in Veld's direction. "Do something about it, Veld."
There was a pause as the two men stared each other down. Finally, Veld nodded. "Very well. I've sent additional reinforcements to the hotel entrance. Reno, you stay there and guard the President. Rosalind, you'll sweep the hotel and take care of any AVALANCHE members that you find."
"Yes sir. I'll get right on it." She adjusted the handgun in her grip.
"Hurry it up," President Shinra growled. "I'm behind schedule and there are a lot of things I have to get done today."
"Yes sir," Rosalind said automatically, ignoring his tone. He knew as well as she did that he couldn't get on with his important engagements until she had finished her work here. Turning back to Reno, she smiled rather archly. "Good luck, Reno."
Catching her meaning, he laughed. "Yeah, rookie. You too."
The corridors outside the President's suite were empty, if one didn't count the crumpled and charred form of one of the guards that had been watching the entrance to the suite. Stepping over the body, she started out with her weapon at the ready.
Come to think of it, she hadn't seen any other guests in the hotel, and it was far too quiet given the current situation. She took a right at the end of the corridor. Aside from the sounds of her own breathing and the soft pressure of her footsteps on the carpet, she couldn't hear a thing.
At the end of the corridor were two rooms. She heard scuffling noises from behind one of them. Taking a deep breath, she laid a hand on the door knob, readying her gun with the other. Swiftly, she shoved the door open, weapon out in front of her.
She'd caught an AVALANCHE operative by surprise. He fumbled with the jackknife he'd been holding. "A Turk?!" Composing himself, he readjusted his grip on his knife. "Where is the President? If you tell me, I'll spare your life."
Who was he kidding? The way he was cautiously coming around the bed between them, and the way he kept on shifting his grip on the knife told Rosalind clearly as if it had been written on his face that he hadn't the slightest clue what he was doing. Briefly she considered taking pity on him – it was clear this was one of the first fights he'd been involved in. But no – she couldn't leave anything to chance. If she just knocked him out there was a chance he'd escape, and if she tied him up, there was the possibility that he'd get loose. Besides, she'd be wasting time. She squeezed the trigger.
The other room also had an operative skulking inside. She dispatched this one too. Coming back down the corridor, she started climbing the stairs to the next floor. Just when she was a few steps from the top, two AVALANCHE operatives came running from opposite directions. They stopped at the top of the stairs, right in front of and above Rosalind.
"Hey, have you found –" One of the men spotted her. "Hey!"
"Get her!" the other one said, a female voice. "We'll get information about the President from her!"
"Down with the Shin-Ra!" her comrade shouted. They both started down the stairs. Rosalind yelled out a spell. Two bolts of lightning sizzled through the air and struck her opponents. They both fell down at her feet.
She was inspecting one of the rooms when the door burst open. Rosalind had a brief sense of déjà vu – this had been exactly what had happened to that first AVALANCHE she had encountered in her search – only their positions were now reversed. For a split second, they both froze, surprised. The operative recovered quickly, however. Leaping straight across the room, he took out a metal rod. Rosalind dodged. She backed up.
"Where's President Shinra?!" the operative snarled.
"You're not getting anywhere near the President!" she said. She ducked as he took another swipe. Jerking her elbow up, she caught the operative in the chin, then quickly shoved her gun into his chest. He was dead before he'd even registered what had happened.
Well, this had been the last room. She was reasonably sure there were no other operatives left in the building. She sighed. Time to get back. She hoped Reno and the President were holding up all right…
To be continued…