Chapter 41: An Old Enemy

Zack had continued on his way. The terrain began to change as he rode on, with the wasteland becoming more green. Soon, he found himself in a boreal forest, riding his motorcycle down a winding, dirt road.

As Zack turned a corner, he could see a concrete cylantral structure. After that, he passed a sign that read "Healen Lodge." He slowed his motorcycle down. Soon, he was at the bottom of a set of stairs. He shut off his motorcycle and dismounted.

He noticed his phone had one unheard voicemail, so he checked it.

"What up, fool, it's Barret!" greeted the eponymous called. "I am the man! Oil, Zack! I just found the biggest damned oil field you ever seen! Surveyin's done, so I suggest you get your ass back over here. Is somethin' goin' on?"

Zack sighed and began to walk toward the stairs. It was a messed up world now, and he was barely in the mood for any potential drama.

Zack's phone buzzed again. So he checked it.

"Do I need to take a belfie to get your attention?" Yuffie texted. "Reno called me again. He sounds kind of weird. Well, weirder than usual. Watch your hot sexy ass, okay?"

"Will do," he texted back, with a heart emoji.

Zack began to climb the stairs. He stopped, and put his face mask on. He then reached the door, and stopped.

Reno seems off, he thought.

He drew his sword.

Time to watch my sexy ass.

Zack kicked the door open. He charged into the room, only to feel a clang against Reno's metal baton.

Reno lowered his baton and charged Zack. Zack jumped out of the way at the last possible moment, causing Reno to literally run outside.

Reno noticed his mistake, and turned to charge.

Zack quickly shut the door, trapping Reno outside.

"Okay, so you're good," Reno taunted.

At that moment, another door opened. Out came Rude, tightening his glove.

"Yeah, Rude, looking sharp!" Reno quipped from outside.

Rude pulled out a baton.

Zack immediately aimed his sword at Rude, leaving it an inch from his face.

"Good," a voice complimented. "You fight like the SOLDIER you once were. You haven't lost your touch."

A man in a motorized wheelchair emerged from the same door as Rude.

Zack squinted.

This can't be, he thought. He's dead! Tifa knocked him out of a glass elevator!

"You haven't rusted a bit," the man in the wheelchair continued.

"Rufus Shinra," Zack greeted. "How could you have possibly survived that fall?"

"I didn't fall," Rufus answered. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Although that would explain why there's only one of me in this world."

"What do you want?" Zack demanded.

"You'll be so surprised when you find out why I'm alive and well!" Rufus continued.

"All I know is Tifa killed you," Zack said. "She beat the shit out of you and knocked you out of an elevator."

"That wasn't me," Rufus dismissed.

"So you're not Rufus Shinra, then," Zack deduced.

"I most certainly am," Rufus insisted.

"Then who did Tifa kill?" Zack demanded.

"Rufus Shinra," Rufus answered.

"That doesn't even make sense," Zack sighed. "But, more importantly, why are Sephiroth's spawn trying to kill me? Sephiroth is alive and well and on the loose. There is no need to bring him back."

"There is a connection between my being here and your being here," Rufus continued, ignoring the question.

"I've had enough," Zack sighed.

"We need your assistance, Zack," Rufus pleaded.

"Forget it," Zack dismissed. "I'll never trust you again.

"I acknowledge that Shinra owes the planet a lot," Rufus continued. "It goes without saying that my company and I are the ones who put the world in the sorry state it's in."

"You made your bed," Zack grunted. "Sleep in it."

"Therefore, it's our responsibility to set things right," Rufus continued.

"I'm still out here!" called Reno from outside.

"As a first step, we have commenced an investigation in Sephiroth's wake," Rufus announced. "It's been two years. Now that the world is on its feet again, what poses the greatest threat? Well, that one's easy. Geostigma. And we have reason to think Sephiroth is the one responsible. The populace, they blame Mako energy, and the reactors… even the Lifestream for causing the stigma. However, isn't that blame misplaced? The Lifestream has existed as long as the planet, and even Mako energy has been part of our lives for over forty years. And yet, there's no mention of the stigma in recorded history. So, what happened during our time to change all that? I can think of only one thing. The arrival of Sephiroth."

"Sephiroth is a person, not a disease," Zack dismissed. "And he's not dead. He's not in the Lifestream."

"I also noticed that Geostigma is a virus this time," Rufus said.

"What do you mean 'this time?' Zack inquired. "We've only dealt with Geostigma once."

"It's a first time for you," Rufus answered, "but a second time for us. We went to look for traces of Sephiroth. We started….do you know where?"

"Yup, at the Northern Cave!" called Reno, still locked outside.

"And what do you think we found?" Rufus asked.

Zack stared him down.

"Nothing," Rufus continued. "Nothing at all. You can relax. However, not all went as planned. We were…interrupted. By the same three who attacked you. Kadaj and his gang."

"Kadaj?" Zack inquired.

"It seems he doesn't want us finishing what we started," Rufus suggested. "Really, what could he be thinking?"

"This really isn't any of my goddam business," Zack sighed.

"You're our buddy, aren't you?" Reno called sarcastically from outside.

Zack kicked the door.

"I'm not your buddy, guy!" he retorted.

"Kadaj's group is young and violent," Rufus continued. "As dangerous as they come. That's why we decided it might be in our interest to hire a little muscle."

"I'm not getting involved," Zack dismissed.

"You're all we have," Rufus pleaded. "You're an ex-SOLDIER, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Zack replied. "Ex. Not current."

He then turned, and finally unlocked the door.

"What's this 'Mother' bullshit, anyway?" Zack inquired.

"Why?" asked Rufus. "Did Kadaj say something to you?"

Zack nodded.

"No surprise," Rufus observed. "There are plenty of kids that miss their mothers. That's the kind of world we live in. I hear there are orphans living with you."

"Just one," Zack replied. "And another temporary guest. And my girlfriend, Yuffie."

"Think about it," Rufus insisted. "Don't you want to put smiles back on their faces? All we want in the end is to rebuild our world, Zack."

Zack turned to face Rufus as Reno entered behind him.

"You're full of shit," he sighed.

"Come on Zack!" Reno begged. "Think about it. Together we could rebuild Shinra!"

"Why the hell would I want to go that?" Zack dismissed. "They left Cloud and I in a tube for four years. Then they tried to kill me."

With that, Zack stormed out of building.

"Oh, Zack!" Reno called. "You dropped this! It fell out of your pocket."

Zack turned to see Reno holding a tiny open box with an engagement ring inside.

"What's this?" Reno taunted. "An engagement ring?! You're actually going to propose to that little thief?"

Zack grabbed the box and gave Reno one last look.

"You know," Zack began, "I haven't seen you in a while, but you look years older. Maybe you're the one who needs to reconsider what he's doing."

Zack stormed down the stairs, and mounted his motorcycle. He pulled out his phone, and texted Yuffie.

"Rufus is alive," he typed. "Reno and Rude have turned on us."

A few moments later, his phone buzzed.

"You're full of shit!" Yuffie texted back.

He then realized he needed to call Barret back.

"What up, fool?" a familiar voice greeted.

"You're never going to believe this," Zack began. "Rufus is alive."

"I watched him die," Barret dismissed.

"There's more," Zack continued. "Reno and Rude have sided with him. I just saw them up at the Healen Lodge. They both attacked me."

"That's not possible," Barret replied.

"I just dealt with it," Zack insisted. "How is that not possible?"

"Because Reno and Rude are standing in the town square as we speak!" Barret answered.

"Seriously?" Zack demanded.

Barret then switched his phone to video mode and faced it out the window.

Zack could see two figures in the town square.

It was indeed Reno and Rude.

"What the hell is going on?!" Zack exclaimed.