Maranda calmly stood in front of her employer's desk, not a trace of her distaste showing on her face.
"So the first day home and the boy spent it slothing in his bed?" Reginald intoned softly as cigar smoke briefly shrouded his face.
Maranda's shoulders shrugged slightly. "It would appear so, Sir!"
Reginald nodded. "Did he have a company with him?" His tone becoming snide.
"No, Sir!" She answered straight forth. She would be damned if she was going to give the man any reason to twist and distort the truth by mentioning that Rufus had been escorted to his suite the night before by a Turk.
"And what of his mutt?" He growled, taking a long haul off his cigar, blowing the foul smoke into Maranda's face.
By an effort of sheer will, Marenda kept a straight face. "Rufus's pet was brought to his suite this morning, still under a sleep spell!" She replied.
Reginald grimaced. That hound was a problem! Forever by Rufus's side and trained to guard him made Reginald's efforts more difficult. But he refrained from commenting. This woman-only had this current position because she had worked for his family since he still lived in his father's house, and so far as he or any of the Turks had been able to ascertain, she was loyal to the Shinra name. But that trust only went so far, as far as Reginald was concerned.
"Keep me appraised of any new developments!" He growled in dissatisfaction.
Taking that as a dismal, "Of course, Sir!" Maranda bowed, turning; she sedately walked out of the ornately decorated office.
Not pausing, Marenda headed out of the tower and straight to the train terminus. Her destination was her sister's house located in the Sector Three slums for their weekly visit.
Veld had waited in the alley until he saw Tseng leave the dinner and discreetly tailed him to the Peach Bottom house. A modest-looking house at the edge of the business district in this sector. And one of the houses Tseng frequented.
Sighing, Veld shakes his head. It would seem, Tseng would need a bit more time to adjust to thinking outside the 'professional' box! Oh well, there wasn't much more than Veld could do about the situation, so he headed back to H.Q. And to the piles of paperwork waiting for his signature.
Tseng, frustrated with himself, had gone to the peach bottom to alleviate his wayward thoughts. But after all was said and done, Tseng still felt dissatisfied. And his mind was still in turmoil as it continued to speculate about a certain blonde-haired, blue-eyed man who Tseng had no right to be thinking those kinds of thoughts about. Shiva's sake! Rufus was his employer's son. That alone should put the lad in the category of out-of-bounds but hearing that the President wanted his own son eliminated seriously conflicted with Tseng's sense of duty. And there laid the problem! Rufus wasn't a lad anymore in need of protection. He was a full-grown man who, technically, wasn't his boss; Heidegger was!
And being honest with himself, Tseng conceded that Rufus could no longer be considered a bright-eyed youth flushed with innocence. Not only had Rufus become a very handsome man, but there was also an edge of danger to him, as his eyes cloaked a hidden desire. And damn if that didn't pique Tseng's interest! So what had caused Rufus to become so-so cynical?
Sighing purely to himself. Tseng heads to the train station and boards. Then, deciding that sleep would be a struggle, He heads to sector six and Madame M's massage Palor in Wall Market. She had the knack of helping people get to the root of their problems and not so incidentally pass on valuable information for the cost of a Luxurious Hand Massage—a small price to pay as far as Tseng was concerned if it gave his mind respite from the chaotic thoughts and feelings that were spiralling through it.
Trapped in the clutches of a nightmare, Rufus panted hard as the images flashed through his mind.
Tseng was examining a mural of some kind. A faint noise causes him to turn suddenly. A look of shock on his face, but before Tseng can even draw his PeaceMaker, he is impaled by a massive katana-like sword. Dropping to the ground, blood begins to seep out of the wound.
A young woman, who was kneeling on some stone altar, was praying. She looks up and smiles before she too is pierced by the same sword as Tseng had been. Then, she falls limp and lifeless into someone's arms.
He, standing in front of the Junon office's gigantic windows, watched in horror and fear as a monstrous being speeds rapidly towards the coastal town. Next, he sees himself standing at the windows of his father's office, watching in horrified fascination as white balls of destructive energy crash into the tower.
Tseng and a rookie Turk in a frozen cavern lying on the ground as pain lances through their bodies. Both holding back the screams as three beings mercilessly interrogate them about Mother.
And then back to him; His body is wracked with waves of pain as his muscles twitch and spasm uncontrollably. His nerves alight with painful jolts of electricity. Nausea rolls through his belly as he alternates between hot flashes and cold sweats. Looking down at the right side of his body, he sees that it has turned black and is secreting a strange black substance.
With a scream of terrifying horror, Rufus jolts awake. Dark purrs comfortingly as she presses herself against Rufus. Lying her weight on top of him, providing him with a physical anchor to hold on to has he struggles to release himself from the grip of insanity he had been experiencing in the dream. Wrapping his arms around her and burying his head into her shoulder. Rufus lets out a shuttering sigh. Focusing on his breathing, he begins to calm and can focus on the here and now.
Once the terror of the nightmare finally subsided, Rufus swings his legs over the edge of his bed and puts his head into his hands, breathing even deeper as the painful images fade into the recess of his mind. He had had these types of vivid dreams before, but none so real! Glancing at his alarm clock told him it was only eight P.M., but his room seemed darker than the darkest pits of Helheim. Sighing gustily, Rufus gets up and heads into his bathroom to splash cold water on his face. Looking into the mirror, he sees that he is paler than usual; his eyes were crystal blue in colour and still held a hint of fear in them. His sweat-soaked hair clung to his head in messy disarray. He laughed sardonically at himself. "Rufus, you are a mess!" He stated to the image in the mirror.
Dark padded into the room and nudged him. Vocalizing a unique sound from deep within her chest. It was a combination of a deep purr and soft growl, followed by a deep rumble from her belly. Turning, Rufus looks at her and laughs at the pathetic look she was giving him. "Guess you're hungry, aren't you, girl!" He exclaimed and rubbed her nose affectionately. "Well, let's see if they left anything suitable for you!" Rufus states as he heads for the kitchen.
Rummaging through the cupboards and fridge turned up nothing suitable for his friend. Turning, he holds up a finger, she sits. Pointing to the ground, she lays down but watches him with interest. Rufus pours himself a glass of juice and sets up his laptop. Once booted up, he begins the program that will sweep and disable any Bugs. As the program ran, he casually heads back to his bedroom and quickly dresses. Choosing darker clothes of less quality than he normally wore and were all darker in colour. Running shoes and a trench coat finished the attire as the coat had been made especially for him. As it not only held but effectively cloaked the long barrel handgun he had, he had made for himself while still living in Costa. And carried with him whenever he travelled outside the safety zones, as it were.
Once he was attired, Rufus went back to his laptop to see if the program was complete. Seeing that it was, he let out a sigh of relief. "Well, that will give us some breathing room. We should be back before they are aware of the glitch in the security system. But how are we gonna slip out of here unnoticed, huh girl?" He asked the hound conversationally as he lets his laptop scan his keycard to see if something might stand out. Dark, sensing they would go on an adventure, perked up and hissed softly with excitement. Rufus had to laugh at her. It might have taken a while for him to train her to understand him, but it had taken longer for him to understand her fully. And it still amazed him at the interesting sounds and tones she was capable of and how well she communicated her needs to him.
A moment later, a 3-D image popped up on his screen. It was the section of the tower where his apartment was, and it showed that the service elevator, in fact, went from ground to level sixty, but the key card he had in his possession wouldn't allow him access to the floors below the garden level. A few keystrokes later and a feral glint in his eyes, "Not this time, You old bastard!" Rufus asserts as he reprograms the card with new access codes. "Okay, girl, let's go!" He delightfully exclaimed as they headed out of his apartment and ultimately to the train terminus, where he and Dark would then be able to get down to the slums and prime hunting grounds between sectors five and six.
Maranda stepped off the train in Sector three and quickly but calmly merged with the rest of the pedestrians heading off the platform. She easily adapted to transitioning from an Upper-plater to a Grounder. Her posture, gait and manner of speech slipped easily back into the familiar patterns of her childhood as she made her way to the safe house where her sister now resided.
It has been ten years since her sister, Helen, accident. A stupid mistake, really! She had been a waitress at the Sour Lemon and was up a ladder getting stock from one of the upper shelves. Unfortunately, the ladder hadn't been secure. As she reached precariously for the needed items, the ladder tipped sideways and flung her into the shelves hitting her head so hard she had been knocked unconscious. By the time the manager had realized something was wrong and went to look for her, the damage had been done. The swelling of her sister's brain was irreversible, and she would live in a catatonic for the rest of her life.
Maranda had been at her wit's end. She could not afford to have someone come and care for her sister. Nor could she afford to quit her job and care for her. And that was how Evelynn Shinra had found her. Folding laundry as tears of anger and frustration streamed down her face. Then, taking the older lady to her tea room and sitting down with her, Evelynn had managed to extract Maranda's situation from her.
Firmly stating not to worry, Evelynn assured Maranda she would see that Helen was taken care of. And so Helen's house had been refurbished, and a team of support workers were hired to provide the twenty-four-hour care that Helen would need. The only thing Evelynn had asked for in return is Marenda's loyalty to her and her son, which Maranda gave without a moment's hesitation. It was that loyalty and devotion that had repaid itself a hundredfold. As Evelynn had died, her 'younger brother' Ethan took over the Mahy estates' management and Helen's care.
Walking up to the ramshackle house, Maranda knocked loudly so as not to startle her sister. "Helen, I'm coming in!" Opening the door, Maranda quickly steps into a well but modestly furnished sitting room that was lit well with modern lighting. Helen was sitting in her rocker, rocking it back and forth, staring listlessly into space. But when the person who was sitting beside her turned, Maranda cried out in joy. "Evelynn, My Lady!"
Smiling, Evelynn stands up and accepts the heartfelt embrace from the older woman. "It is so good to see you, Maranda! How have you been? And have you seen Rufus? How is he?" Evelynn asked in a rush of words.
Laughing, the older woman took a long hard look at Evelynn, dressed in her 'boy' disguise. "You still trotting all around Gaia in that get-up? And I am fine, and so is Rufus. Even though it is hard to believe he is a man now!" She chuckled ruefully.
"Come sit and tell me everything. I can only stay the night, and I dare not go topside!" Evelynn emphatically stated.
So the two women sat and conversed well into the night. Catching up on all that had happened in the last few years.
Veld sat at his desk going over and assigning mission reports for the following day when his computer pinged, alerting him to a potential security risk. Switching to video surveillance, he sees Rufus and his hound enter the private service elevator. Curious as to why the system alerted a security breach. Veld types in a few commands and then begins to laugh. "The little bugger!" He mutters quietly. "Seems our little playboy has a few hidden skills!" Veld mused to himself when he realized that Rufus had accessed, bypassed and changed the security clearance in the main system. Too bad he didn't realize that the system The Turks used was separate from the companies.
"So, where are you off to, my errant child?" Veld thought as he sat back to monitor Rufus's movements. That is until he realized that Rufus was heading for the train station, and once he covered his head with the hood of his jacket, you wouldn't know it was Rufus; did Veld become slightly alarmed. He watched him get onto the car that allowed for animal transport. Rufus I.D./Key Card Identified him as Rue Shin, Middle Management. Living in Sector Five-The Slums. "What the Hell are you doing?" Veld mused as he verified Tseng's whereabouts and then called him.
Tseng made his careful and observant way back to the sector five train station after a relaxing and informative session with the formidable Lady when his phone chimed. "Veld?" He inquired softly.
"It would seem our Price has become restless and is heading your way!"
Stunned, Tseng stopped dead in his tracks. Then, looking around, confirming that no one was paying any attention, he steps to the side of the road and continues, "I beg your pardon, Sir, but I thought the castle was locked uptight?"
"Indeed it is, but all locks have a key, and he has the knowledge to make them!"
"Odin-be-damned!" Tseng cursed savagely. "What in Gaia's name is he up to?"
"I don't know, but he is taking his stead for a walk, soo...?"
"How long?"
"He just disembarked!"
"Roger!" And Tseng disconnected the call. "I'm going to kick his ass!" He muttered as he purposefully strode to the Sector Five station.
Rufus was delighted and relieved at how smoothly everything had gone so far. No one had even questioned him on having a Deamon Hound as two other infantrymen had theirs. So he had a relatively peaceful ride from the plate down to the slums. Even the two security checks went by uneventfully. So as Rufus steps onto the platform, a few people giving way to Dark's presence, he makes his way down the road and to the open area surrounding sector six.
As Rufus walked, he watched Dark's posture as; her senses were a hundred times keener than his, and before too long, he saw that she was indicating, with her tail-whip, that they were being followed. And whoever was ghosting them seemed to stay a safe distance from them. So Rufus casually traded sides with Dark and loosely help her chain in his left hand while his right reached inside his coat and took a firm hold of his gun.
Slowing his pace slightly and letting his sense attune better to the surrounding environment. Rufus waits until Dark indicates the person or persons were within reach. Turning quickly and drawing his gun. Rufus calmly but angrily states. "You had better have a damn good reason for following me!" Holding the gun, levelled at the person's forehead.
"Rufus! Put the Goddamn gun away!" Tseng intoned mildly
"Tseng? What the Hel! Do I have a tracker or some shit?" Rufus growled.
Dark whined in confusion. She knew the human's scent who followed them and knew him as safe, but Rufus's anger towards the man had her hackles up and stepping in front of Rufus to protect him.
"Rufus, Why are you in the slums unescorted?" Tseng calmly asked. He could see the young man was pissed, but Rufus did not have the luxury of walking around Midgar without security.
Sighing and holstering his weapon, Rufus replies. "There was nothing left at the apartment for Dark, and she has been under a sleep spell and couped up for almost three days! She needs to run and hunt, and this is the best area. And as for needing security?" Rufus points to Dark and then taps where his gun lays concealed. "You would have been dead if your intent had been anything besides tailing me!"
Tseng stood with his arms crossed, a stubborn look on his face. "I am escorting you back to the Tower and your suite!"
"Fine, but Dark is going to hunt first, and then we can go!" Rufus countered just as stubbornly. Tseng nodded, and Rufus let Dark of her lead, then ran and barked happily, searching for prey. And as the two men stood at the verge of the road, in stony silence. They waited for Dark to return.
Tseng had had prior acquaintance with the hound and had empathy for her plight. He also knew that this would likely be an ongoing occurrence, and Veld would likely assign Tseng. He sighed. The fates were wicked and cruel and determined to keep throwing Rufus at him. He turned slightly away from Rufus's blazing eyes. Perhaps it would be easier if he kept Rufus angry with him then again, Perhaps not.