Chapter 53

Rufus's last statement worked to quiet the uproar better than any other commotion could have. All eyes in the room were turned to him—most with confusion. All of Alex's worry fell to the wayside as she looked at him with furrowed brows. "What was that?"

If anything, Rufus looked smugger than he had previously as he said, "The Promised Land. A place of unlimited mako, and the location of Neo-Midgar. Surely, you've heard of it?"

Alex rubbed one of her temples and opened her mouth twice before she could figure out how to respond to that question. "Of course, I've heard of it. That wasn't what I meant. The Promised Land is the project you want me to take over?"

One of Rufus's brows quirked up. "Is that a problem? If you want to be the new Director of the Science Department, it makes sense for you to take up all the outstanding projects. Within reason, of course. Your group's defection has proven how profitless human experimentation can be, so any of those projects would be nixed."

By then, the rest of the group seemed to have gotten over their shock, even if most still seemed tongue-tied. Thankfully, Angeal was not. "First, no one said anything about Alex taking over the science department. Secondly, how are we supposed to complete research that was destroyed?"

It looked like Sephiroth had something to add, but he kept it to himself. Alex thought it was probably the same thing on her own mind. The vice president might think of human experimentation as profitless, but even if it wasn't, there was no way in hell she would have agreed. Had Rufus even suggested it, she would have gotten up, walked away, and damned the consequences.

Still, what he had asked for was problematic in its own right. She tried to keep from glaring as she ignored her brother's objections. "My brother has a couple of valid points, but the bigger problem is that I can't help you find the Promised Land."

Rufus's expression turned colder, as did his voice. "Miss Hewley, may I remind you that I have already expressed my displeasure with negotiations. I believe what I have offered is more than reasonable."

Alex's jaw clenched as she tried not to glare too hard. "I didn't say I won't. I said I can't. Would you care to find out why, or do you want to keep posturing?"

Veld took a step forward with a frown, and Zack looked at Alex with wide eyes. Shockingly, Rufus only raised one hand to stop Veld but never lost eye contact with Alex. "Explain."

At least Rufus wasn't stupid. Alex was glad he wasn't as narrow-minded as his father, either. Or she hoped so anyway because she doubted he would like what she had to share. "I am sure you are well aware that the research into the Promised Land had next to no evidence. All that remains are a few documents and stories."

Rufus's expression turned slightly dour again. "Yes. That is the only reason we have not yet discovered it. Or so Professor Hojo has stated."

Alex made a disgusted noise and shook her head. "Hojo was using your father just as much as your father was using Hojo. All that madman wants is to play god, so he gave just enough information to pique Shinra's interest. The reality is that it isn't an actual place. There is no Promised Land. At least not in the way you believe."

That confident statement seemed to raise more questions with most of the group, but Rufus did not look phased as he said, "And how can you confidently claim such a thing? You said yourself that the evidence is sporadic at best. Is there not just as much reason to believe that it does exist?"

Alex straightened her spine to hide the shiver trying to crawl up it. Rufus hadn't raised his voice, but the look in his eyes made dark promises she had no desire to see fulfilled. She had to clear her throat before she could say, "What Hojo had isn't everything. Or at least not what he shared. There are word-of-mouth histories that can only be found in isolated places throughout the planet, which speak of the Promised Land in more detail. However, if you do not want to believe in oral traditions from backwater tribes, you can hear the words directly from the last living full-blooded Cetra."

Mentioning a living Cetra was a gamble, as Alex didn't want to get the girl in her visions involved in this mess. However, something had to be said, or Rufus would never let go of the idea. It seemed to pay off when Rufus sat forward with a glint of interest in his eyes.

"A living Cetra? How can you be certain?"

Alex had to take a deep breath and remind herself that speaking could save lives in the long run. She might not remember every detail, but it was enough for the thought of putting the girl, Aerith, in danger to make her stomach churn. That didn't keep her silent. "I didn't see all the research available, but there is—or was—documentation of why it was finally decided that Jenova was not a Cetra. A living Cetra was captured and held until Professor Gast helped her escape."

She had to look away, nearly overcome with disgust at the faded memory. Thinking of Aerith's mother in Hojo's clutches was horrible but also a reminder that the poor woman had not been the first nor the last life Hojo had mutilated. Alex had to swallow the rising terror along with the rising bile before she could continue. "The two of them were eventually caught by Hojo, but from what I found, Professor Gast continued his research into the Cetra with Ifalna. Hojo brought some of it back.

Rufus sat back with a contemplative look. Alex was just happy that she had managed to figure out how to tell him the truth without elaborating on her source. Since Rufus had not said anything yet, Alex opted to continue. "The records stated that Hojo found them in Modeoheim. From what I could discern, the original copies of the research should still be there unless Hojo hasn't gone there to destroy that, too."

The idea that all her bargaining chips might be null made Alex pause and grit her teeth, but she had no choice but to continue. Not now. She took a deep breath through her nose before she continued, "Once you find that information, you can see it straight from a Cetra if you can't believe me."

As soon as Alex was done speaking, Rufus gestured toward Veld. "Dispatch an operative immediately. Have them take a unit of infantry."

Veld nodded curtly before he stepped from the room, pulling his phone out along the way. Once the director was out of the room, Rufus refocused on Alex. "You speak as though the Cetra is no longer available for direct questioning."

Alex couldn't entirely hide her grimace at how Rufus had said Cetra, as if Ifalna was nothing more than a lab rat. She had to take a deep breath to keep from showing more as she replied, "That is because Ifalna escaped Hojo's clutches with her daughter. Unfortunately, I do not know what happened to them after that."

That wasn't entirely true, as her visions had cleared considerably since her first encounter with Vincent. But Rufus didn't need to know that. Although, she couldn't keep her eyes from flicking up to look at Tseng. And immediately wished she hadn't. One of the Turk's eyebrows lifted the slightest bit before she could look away.

She was almost grateful when Rufus stood and said, "It does not matter. At the very least, it would seem you won't be useless after all."

Alex bristled at the derogatory statement but bit her tongue to keep it to herself as Rufus looked at Sephiroth and continued, "General, all is not lost. Will you consent to come back to work for me? I admit I cannot force you, but as Professor Hewley has already stated, Midgar is your best hope, correct? If you agree, I can still instate her as Director."

Most people would be unable to tell that Sephiroth was upset by the request, but Alex didn't miss the slight furrow between his brows. She could understand how he felt. The thought of having unfettered access to the equipment in Midgar was enticing, but being tied to a Shinra put a damper on the idea.

Still, she gave her lover a slight nod when he looked in her direction. She saw her brother do the same when the general looked at him and Genesis. Finally, Sephiroth sighed as he faced Rufus. "I will agree. However, it will be with the understanding that all of us have immunity to prosecution or further experimentation. Also, Hojo must be banned from ever returning."

Rufus's smirk was self-satisfied as he lowered his chin infinitesimally. "It is a deal then." He paused and glanced back at Tseng for a moment before continuing, "If that is settled, we need to discuss our next steps. None of us will be returning to Midgar until my father has been dealt with."

The thought that someone had to die—to be murdered in cold blood—was unpleasant, but Alex couldn't refute that it was valid. Her life and the lives of everyone she cared about would continue to be in danger as long as the current Shinra was in power. At least her part in things was settled. The rest would be up to her brother and the other Soldiers. She only hoped something could be figured out that would keep them safe, or at least as safe as possible, given what they had yet to face.

After Rufus's cold statement regarding the president, Sephiroth leaned forward and partially blocked the man from Alex's view as he said, "I agree that we cannot return to Midgar under these circumstances. However, no matter how powerful Genesis, Angeal, and I may be, we cannot retake the city alone. We will need to find allies."

One of Rufus's hands went to his chin as he considered the dilemma. After a moment, he nodded once before he said, "Agreed. I have already been made aware that Avalanche should be here any time now, but given everything Tseng has recently reported, I doubt they will be able to supplement our forces enough to turn the tide in our favor."

Alex frowned at the remark about Avalanche. Not that she had any problem with Elfe, but just the mention of the group's name made her think about Fuhito, which led to thoughts of who he had last been seen with. Remembering Hojo and Weiss made her want to be sick.

Thankfully, she was distracted before thoughts of what almost happened could settle in. The last person she expected to see walked in with a lazy salute. "The director told me to report that Avalanche just arrived. He seems ta be busy, yo."

"Reno?" The man's name was out of Alex's mouth before she thought better of it.

The Turk in question shot her a wink and a smirk as he said, "Hey, look at that; ya do remember me. Heard ya got cozy with the Ice Princess. Hard to believe, but figured if that was the case, ya might've forgot the rest of the male population."

Tseng's clipped voice cut across the blatant flirting before Alex even had a chance to process what had been said. "Reno, now is not the time. Where are the members of Avalanche waiting?"

Reno looked anything but reprimanded as he lazily gestured over his shoulder. "Over by the inn. Group seemed a little prickly bout all the smoke and blood in the streets, but no shots fired yet."

Alex groaned at the reminder. They had all been too busy the night before to worry about what Avalanche might think of the attack. Or at least Alex had been, and none of the others had mentioned anything. Instead of worrying about it, Alex headed straight for the door. If Elfe hadn't immediately left, maybe she could run interference and keep things from escalating.

Angeal held the door as everyone filed out. Everyone wore grim expressions, but that changed to wonder for at least one of them as they approached the inn. Veld and Elfe stood a short distance from the rest of the group, but Angeal's gaze was pinned to the rest. His voice was barely more than a whisper. "Lorne?"

The petite woman in question had been speaking to one of the other people in the crowd but froze when Angeal called her name a second time. She turned slowly and stared for a moment before she ran to Angeal.

Alex couldn't hold back a genuine grin as her brother caught Lorne in an embrace. The tiny woman didn't even come to the middle of Angeal's chest, which was why her feet were dangling as Angeal swept her into his arms.

The uncharacteristic display of public affection did not last long. Angeal seemed to come to his senses and put Lorne back on her feet. However, he kept one hand on her shoulder as he grinned down at her. "I wasn't expecting to see you again. Not for some time."

Lorne's grin had been fit to match Angeal's, but it dimmed at his unspoken question. The tiny woman had to swallow once before she could answer. "After you left, it hit me how dangerous your journey would be. I mean, I knew it was dangerous, but your absence forced me to think about how I would feel if I never got to see you again, and it hurt. As soon as I heard the news that Elfe was supposed to be meeting you all, I realized I couldn't stay behind in Cosmo Canyon."

Angeal's brow drew down into the expression Alex immediately identified as his lecture face. She almost stepped in to avoid a public spat between the lovers. Before she could, Lorne moved back and put her hands on her hips as she frowned up at Angeal. "Don't try to tell me it's unsafe for me to be here. I already know that. I may not be aware of everything that's going on, but you told me enough for me to understand what I'm getting into. This is my choice; all I ask is that you don't push me away. I want to help. I want to be here…with you."

There was a hitch in Lorne's voice at the end that almost sounded like pleading despite the firm stance she still held. Several seconds passed before Angeal sighed and pulled Lorne into another embrace. It almost looked like he was about to kiss the top of Lorne's head, but he paused when he noticed everyone looking at them. When he caught Alex's gaze, he gave her a tired smile as he said, "Why am I surrounded by stubborn women."

The quip drew an involuntary laugh from Alex before she pointed to Lorne. "Don't look at me. That one was your choice."

A wet chuckle came from Lorne as the woman turned to face Alex as she said, "It's good to see you, too. I hope you are well."

Alex had to suppress a grimace at the unintended reminder of her still-tender jaw. At least the bruising wasn't visible anymore, so she smiled as she responded, "As well as to be expected for a fugitive."

It had been meant to be a self-deprecating joke, but Alex immediately regretted her words. An awkward silence fell over the group at the reminder that they were not only in danger from Hojo but were also technically wanted criminals. Safety was a distant dream until something could be done about Shinra Sr.

Alex was almost relieved when a new voice cut across the silence until she turned to see Shears had stopped a few feet away. Words would not come as her fight or flight instinct warred in her head.

Shears must have taken her silence for permission to speak. "I'm sure I'm the last person you want to see, and I get it if you want me to leave. Elfe didn't tell me she didn't mention me until we were almost here. All I can say is I apologize for what happened in Cosmo Canyon. There are no excuses, and won't offer any, but I can promise that it will never happen again. Elfe had a talk with the rest of us. We aren't going to walk away from our drive to save the planet, but we do need to be more conscious of the lives that our actions could affect negatively. Killing innocents defeats the overall purpose of what we want. We hope that humanity can learn to live in harmony with nature."

All of Alex's muscles were still tensed. Despite Shears's apparent sincerity, she couldn't help but think of the most recent kidnapping effort. She wasn't typically such an indecisive person, but every instinct in her body wanted to either delete Shears from the equation or run until she could no longer see him. Images of Hojo's experiments floated up unbidden, causing her to finally take a step back.

The motion made her bump into another body, which caused a clipped scream before she felt the familiar warm leather of Sephiroth's gloved hand wrap around her arm as he stepped partially in front of her. The safety Alex felt in his presence was immediate and enough to make her stumble slightly as her unconsciously clenched muscles released.

Sephiroth's voice was clipped and had a hard edge as he said, "Trust is something that we are trying to cultivate, and while I do understand the tactical decision to hide your presence, this does not make me inclined to work with you."

The tone Sephiroth used was enough to make Shears take a few steps back. The motion pulled Alex back into the moment. Now that the perceived danger had passed and she could think more clearly, she realized they couldn't afford to alienate Avalanche, not without speaking to them first.

Despite knowing that, Alex stayed close to Sephiroth's side as she said, "After everything that has happened, I don't know if I will ever trust you." She paused as her eyes flicked to where Elfe and Veld were still talking before she continued, "However, you all have just as few reasons to trust anyone who was once associated with Shinra. This won't be easy, but we need to talk before anything can be decided."

Sephiroth glanced at Alex with a slight furrow between his brows, but she only shook her head. The furrow deepened for a moment before his blank mask was back in place.

"There are no dreams, no honor remains, yet it seems as though we have no choice but to find it once again."

The quote notwithstanding, Alex was grateful for Genesis's interruption. She nodded to her long-time friend once before she focused back on Shears. "Genesis is right."

Before she could add any more, Rufus reminded them all that he had not gone away. "If all the drama has concluded, I suggest we prepare for negotiations." He then paused and looked to where Elfe and Veld were standing. His voice barely raised, but it was enough to demand immediate attention. "Director, now is not the time for personal matters."

A frown marred Veld's expression for a split second before he nodded curtly. No other response was needed before the tense group headed back toward the house Rufus had procured.

AN: Surprise! and apologies. Life has had me in a death grip, but I have been working on this for a while and finally got it done. I also have some free time in the next few weeks, so I am going to try and take advantage of that so I can update several things. That being said, I hope you have enjoyed the couple of little twists in this chapter. We still have a long way to go, and it's all planned. I will get to it as soon as I can. Thank you all for your patience!