Chapter 45: The Reunion

Rufus entered the front room of the Healen Lodge to find the prime Reno and the prime Rude laying wounded on the ground. He quickly saw who was standing over him.

"I hate liars," Kadaj said.

"I apologize," Rufus answered. This time you'll get the truth. The object you seek fell from the helicopter while we were running from you. We were clumsy."

"Is that right?" Kadaj demanded.

"I swear it," Rufus assured him.

In response, Kadaj produced what appeared to be two cards.

"Then swear on these!" he demanded.

He tossed the cards toward Rufus, who quickly caught them.

They were the prime Tseng and Elena's ID badges. Both had drops of blood on them.

"Why are you doing this?" Rufus pleaded.

"We need Mother's power," Kadaj replied. "The Reunion is coming and we need her."

"Reunion?" Rufus asked skeptically.

"My brothers and sisters who share Mother's cells will all assemble," Kadaj explained. "And together we'll take revenge on the planet! We've already sent out the invitations, but, you know, someone's gone and hidden the guest of honor."

"Invitations?" Rufus inquired.

"The stigma," Kadaj clarified. "But you know all about that."

He then pointed to Rufus.

His right hand revealed he was infected.

"Mother's mimetic legacy lives on in the Lifestream and makes it happen," Kadaj continued. "She does so much for us, and we don't even know where to find her. But what can we do? We're just remnants of Mother's legacy. Until we find Mother and receive her cells, we can't be whole again. Geostigma and a legacy aren't enough. Not for a true Reunion."

"What do you mean?" Rufus demanded.

In response, Kadaj walked up to Rufus and grabbed his wrists. He yanked them.

"Get out of the chair!" Kadaj demanded.

And suddenly, Rufus was on his feet.

"I was having premonitions," Kadaj said. "So I knew you weren't really wheelchair bound. But you…I sense that you're experiencing something different…you're the original Rufus from the original timeline."

"You remnants are smart creatures," Rufus rudely complimented.

"And I've also been having premonitions that we'll be stopped," Kadaj continued. "By Cloud Strife."

"Not in this timeline you won't," Rufus informed him. "You might have foreseen him as a reluctant owner of a delivery service in a city called Edge, which also doesn't exist in this timeline. But in this timeline, history has been changed. He is now the First Gentleman of the Western Continent, and a stay-at-home dad. His wife, the former Tifa Lockhart, is President of the Western Continent, and the most powerful woman in the world. Those two won't be in your way this time."

Just then, Jack and Sumner Balen appeared in the doorway.

"In fact," Rufus continued, "they won't be in anyone's way at all."

MEANWHILE….

"Are you okay?!" the 0007 Tseng frantically asked the doubled 0007 Elena.

"I think so," the Elena groaned with her teeth clenched. "Other than the fact that I just had a contraction and I just saw myself killing a man on the news!"

She then turned, and sat upright on the couch.

"Is this your first one?" he asked.

"Negatory," she replied as she caught her breath and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "I had one earlier, while you were out."

"And you didn't call me?"

"It could be hours or even days before I go into actual labor," Elena informed him.

"You've been burning your eyes on the internet again, haven't you?" Tseng asked.

"Um, does anyone have anything better to do, since we're supposed to be on lockdown?"

Tseng was silent; he had no comeback.

Elena giggled and playfully pointed her finger at her husband.

"Gotcha there!" she said triumphantly.

Just then, the voices began. At first, they were quiet, but then they grew louder and louder. They began to sound angry.

"What's going on out there?!" Elena asked nervously.

"Let me check," Tseng replied as he quickly walked toward the window.

"Be careful," Elena warned him.

Tseng moved the curtain an inch and peaked outside.

He could see some protesters, shouting at the house. He couldn't count them. But he knew they weren't there to wish him well for parenthood.

He turned to his wife and delivered the news.

"There's an angry mob outside," he whispered.

"No need to ask why," Elena sighed. "They want us for murdering that chopper pilot."

"But we didn't do it!" Tseng insisted.

"They don't care," she said. "They're here to arrest us. Or worse."

Tseng began thinking as Elena nervously placed her hands on her bump. She was terrified of the possible outcome for the three of them.

"Thought of something," Tseng said as he pulled his phone from his pocket, aiming it at Elena. "I'll take your picture and show it to them. Then they'll know there's two of you."

"Tseng," she protested as she looked down, "you can't show me like this!"

"I'm just getting your hair!" he assured her. "And the top of your bump. Then they'll know."

Elena fixed her with the fingers as best she could. The 0007 Elena's hair had grown longer, as she was afraid to go out and get it cut, and its length was now mid-back. Meanwhile, the prime Elena's hair was still the same-old neck length. They were easy to tell apart for now.

"Okay," Tseng announced. "One, two, three!"

He took the picture. He then cropped and enhanced it.

"Well," he said, "let's see what we can do."

"Hold it," Elena announced.

With that, she turned and waddled into the kitchen. She opened the cupboard door below the counter. The doors were big enough to fit a person, and there was nothing stored below.

"I'm going to hide under the counter," she announced.

Tseng was about protest, but then, he realized it was the safest alternative.

"Kiss me for luck?" Elena requested.

Tseng gently pressed his lips against hers.

Then, he walked to the front door as Elena took refuge under the counter.

When he opened the front door, there were no less than fifty protesters out there.

Many were armed.

All were hostile.