EPISODE 18: SURPRISE OF TWO WORLDS
Summary: Something changes with our Human Killer, and things happen!
Note: After posting Episode 9 (Pelawan Naga – Ange [AU]), I decided to write this in time to readily publish this on this specific day (which will be explained in the bottom A/N). Warning: OOC.
Disclaimer: I don't own Cross Ange or any of its characters and original plot, excluding the original characters I created for this story. This is a spin-off series of the main 'Cross Ange: Living Hell' story. So please read that before here.
Cross Ange and all its rights belong to King Records (Japan), Sentai Filmworks (USA), and Sunrise/ Bandai Namco Entertainment (Japan). This fanfiction is meant for entertainment only and not for profit. This story contains heavy language, blood and violence, and mild sexual themes not for audiences under 16-18 years old.
For some reason, despite knowing that he was feeling alright like every other day for all his life despite a few setbacks in his youth, with yesterday being the same, he felt that today might go awry even with him. He doesn't know why…but he has a hunch.
A tired groan lazily released at the start of the morning but, as he suspected even when he felt it during his sleep, he couldn't fathom the feeling that something was wrong. He is sleeping with his full clothes on the bed, including his black boots, but something under the pillow and head feels hard that easily helps him wake up. But his confusion grew once he blinked his tired, icy blue eyes to see an unfamiliar ceiling above him when he sluggishly raised his white-sleeved arms and black, fingerless gloved hands to rub the sleep out.
'Wh…what…where am I?' The man tiredly asks himself as he shakily rises and sits on the bed, looking at his clothed body. A customized white, formal suit with an ankle-length white skirt over his matching pants and multiple belts hanging down, and a grey dress shirt and a black tie under his suit jacket. That may be normal for him if not for looking around to see where he was sleeping.
"…Okay? Where am I?" The man wondered in tired annoyance. His room and bed are bigger than this and the wide window showing the clear blue sky with so many clouds alarmed him…knowing that this is not the same sky he would see every morning in HIS bedroom. As he turned around to stand on his hands and knees on the bed, almost moving his leg over the side of the bed, the blonde-haired man spotted a strange lump under the pillow he was sleeping on, aware of the hard thing under his head which prompted him to slowly reach his right hand and pull something out…bewildered to see it is a large and customised double-barreled handgun.
'This is almost exactly like my gun…but the different parts might look powerful.' The man mused in amusement when looking at each side of the gun, impressed by its strong-looking parts and ammunition.
"Hey." Both the strong sound of a cat hissing and a woman's voice angrily calling him from behind alarmed the man who hurriedly looked over his right shoulder only to hastily whirl his body and sit back with his arm holding the gun aiming at what he is not expecting right after waking up, trying not to show fear in his slightly stoic glower. Why does this bedroom he woke up in have a wildcat-looking beast sitting in front of him but also strangely not attacking him and just sitting like a tamed cat?
"Hmph. You looked and even smelt almost like Rush, but I know you're not him." The man subtly looks around the room for the source of the woman's voice but focuses more on the tame creature staring deep into his eyes. Despite wanting to think his guess may be ridiculous…he always believed that it could be what he was thinking.
"Easy, easy. Good…Cuahl?" The man tried to reassure the creature, hoping it wouldn't attack him when he watched the Cuahl seemingly snort from its sarcastic smile(?) and leisurely raise its right paw and carefully pull the gun down, startling the man watching the spotted cat-looking animal unfazed of about to be shot down. "I don't know what you called me, but I know that you're NOT my owner, Rush."
"Oh. You are the one speaking…sort off." The man sighed, unsure to feel relieved or still confused about his new situation.
"You sound okay for understanding me. Or do you feel like you've gone crazy right after waking up and somehow switching places with my owner?" The Cuahl-looking creature mused her amusement, hopping over the bed and facing the man slowly rising off the bed, keeping his distance from the animal in case she struck him despite seeing that it would not, making him see her as a tamed cat.
"Yeah…I have a Guard Hound made and trained for me, and somehow I can understand and talk with D when no one can. I think whoever your owner is can do the same when somebody made you as an experiment to be his… pet?" The man wondered aloud, initially not seeing the spotted cat's suspicion and confusion only to react in anger that alarmed the man almost pulling out the gun onto her when she yelled, her fur sticking up in defence.
"I'm not some pet cheetah! Yes, other animals and I were once an experiment but for something sinister if not for Rush's people saving us, and I made myself Rush's furry companion to love and protect him from those who want to force him to love what he doesn't love even if it means making Rush's so-called enemy his future mate! And don't you dare call me a pet! The Haven bans any animal to be called a pet!"
"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you." The man apologized, waving his hands with his right still holding the gun until he saw that the cheetah cat slowly but surely calmed down with a soft purring. Whoever this Rush is…must be a bold or lucky guy to keep something like a cheetah for a furry companion and want to have an enemy as a partner.
"You seem like a chill human, despite almost upsetting me. But still, we should know what happened to Rush and why you two switch places." The cheetah calmly noted, bringing back the topic that attracted the man's attention with a nod. "Oh yeah. My name is Sheeta. What is your name?"
The man, whom Sheeta saw as an almost doppelganger of her owner and best friend, was silent for almost a minute before he calmly introduced himself with a collected smile that looked like Rush even with both their matching eyes instead of her owner's only right eye.
"…Rufus. Rufus Shinra."
"Ugh…what the fuck?" Rush tiredly slurred with a tint of anger from feeling that he is wearing his normal clothes instead of his sleeping clothes, even with his bandages tightly wrapped around the usual parts where he hides his secret, his pillow strangely doesn't have his gun underneath the side where he would hide it in case of shooting any of his Haven stalkers trying to sneak in his room and sleep with him, and for some reason he felt his body almost being crushed by something on top of him. "Sheeta, why are you so goddamn heavy…" Rush almost finished whispering when his eye flickered wildly to see, not his baby cheetah, but a strange and big animal that looked like a dark indigo-coloured, canine-feline hybrid with a large tendril sticking out of its back and a blue collar with chains, snarling its jaws and red-looking eyes at him like a predator ready to maul its prey.
But instead of fear of sleeping and seeing a beast's face ready to eat him closer to…
"Sorry. Let me go back to sleep if you want to eat me." Rush confidently yawned and went back to sleep on this strangely large bed bigger than his, back at the Haven.
"Hmph. You're not afraid I'll bite your face off for sleeping in my master's bed, despite looking, speaking and smelling like him?" Rush heard a gruff male voice coming from the creature on top of him.
"I don't know who your master is, but I don't fucking know how I got in his room." Rush narrowed his single eye open and glared back at the cat-dog-looking creature immediately reacting dumbfounded and hurriedly climbed off Rush, allowing him to sluggishly climb and sit on the bed with his arms resting on his knees.
"You…you can understand me?" The hound cat(?) asked in surprise. "I thought that only my master could."
"Yeah. Thanks to Moon, most of the Haven including me can talk to animals, and I have a cheetah for a…I can't call the animals in my land this, but they're like our pets. To the Haven, the animals are also our family." Rush acknowledged, feeling his mouth twitch into a grateful smile when thinking about the night he and the Haven saved Moon and the animals which made their homes a million times better than the Mana-humans' world.
"O…Oh, I see. I supposed, despite being created to serve him since young, Master Rufus does treat me as a family, more than his late father." The creature admitted, sounding like he was still surprised to talk with someone who could also talk with him. Rush could wonder about his owner. Didn't he say Rush looks, smells, and even speaks like him?
"Your master has a shitty dad too?" Rush wondered, getting off the bed and curiously walking towards the large, metallic doors that automatically opened after Rush got closer and headed outside to find himself in a large office or living room, with the intimidating cat-dog quickly following him from behind.
"W…Well, sort of." The creature's initial tint of disdain when kindly answering his question alarmed its surprise shifting into anger when it shook its head and growled at Rush, trying to get back into the topic that Rush wanted to ask. "But I demand to know where is my owner and why are you here!?"
"I want to know that too. I remember sleeping on my bed, even waking up a bit for one second to check on Moon before going back to sleep and then I find myself here…wherever this place is." Rush recalled, looking at the wide window behind the office chair and over the outside surroundings, unsure of reacting bewildered or surprised. Wherever he is, he ends up inside the top floor of a massive facility that not even the Mana world will look like, either their technology must be more advanced or abysmal than his world, and below is an unfamiliar city that strangely brought Rush to compare it to a gigantic pizza by eight sections having some kind of colossal power and energy reactor releasing some kind of glowing green energy looking like the Light of Mana and the sky is heavily darkened with thick, darker grey to black clouds.
'Where the fuck am I?' Rush wondered, slowly raising with a flick of his right, bandaged hand to realize that he cannot conjure the Light of Mana in this world. 'I can't call Em in here…' Rush realized with his face slowly widened in shock. What will happen to Rush if he cannot leave this place…and what will happen if everyone including Em finds out that he is missing in the Haven?
"You mentioned Haven, but I don't think I heard of that place before." Rush heard the nameless cat-dog-looking thing telling him from behind, somehow starting to feel pleased but still concerned for its owner, collecting Rush's curiosity to nervously look away from his hand and the city towards the Guard Pet (?).
"H-Hey um…sorry, I don't know your name."
"Master Rufus calls me Darkstar or D for short. My master's name is Rufus Shinra." The creature he called Darkstar introduced himself with such pride and happiness that almost made Rush laugh out loud at what he said but managed to calm himself down. 'Why do you call your own guard hound D as a nickname!?'
"Thanks. Darkstar…can you tell me about this place?" Rush nervously exclaimed, looking back to the night-time city with a suspicious glower bearing sadness for thinking about his predicament. 'Why do I get the feeling…I'm in another world or dimension?'
Other than being in another world, Rush immediately realized something about Darkstar's owner, ignoring the curious pet who was watching Rush waving a bandaged finger in front of him before his face bore surprise, almost in dismay. '…Holy shit, the guy's full name is like an anagram of my fucking real name.'
"So from your words; I'm in another world where humans have powers called the Light of Mana, the girls who cannot are Norma who must fight dragons to death, and the person who made everything including this world and every human being in here…is Rush's boyfriend?" Rufus summarised what he got from Sheeta kindly answering any questions he gave her regarding being in another world Rufus ended up in a country called Haven, home of humans, Norma who escaped incarceration, and animals like Sheeta. Rufus may not lie but when he looked over Rush's office window to see the bright afternoon sky and the sun…he had a tint of wanting to remark his admiration of seeing that sky. Normally, unless he is outside in places like Junon or Costa de Sol, he always sees the sky as dark as the night even to the day in Midgar. For some reason, Rufus felt like he was at peace.
"You're almost right; future boyfriend. But I guess you are indeed in another world since you said Midgar and this Shinra Electric Power Company. No place or country here has that name nor company." Sheeta nodded, surprisingly happy when calling this Embryo, or Em that Rush calls him according to her, a future boyfriend.
'Rush… you must be some lucky guy.' Rufus mentally remarked his impressment. He doesn't even have the time to ask Tseng who willingly swore his oath to protect him as his primary bodyguard from the Turks.
"Then I guess, I need to call Rush's man for his help. At least he has a phone I can get through." Rufus decided with his right hand slowly reaching through the pocket of his pants, feeling a familiar sensation he knows that he never put inside his pants at home to pull out a flip phone that Rufus saw resembled the ones back at Midgar.
"That would be the smartest idea. But you need to be careful when you do make the call." Sheeta warned, attracting Rufus's surprise at the cheetah's suddenly firm tone bearing anger. "Because Em is what people called him a God to the arrogant Mana-humans who blindly obey him and his rules, he is also the enemy of almost everyone on the planet including the Haven. As the Human Killer since he was a cub, Rush swore that he must kill Em to save the Norma from their deaths against the DRAGONs and the humans' discrimination, for the Haven."
"If Em is the enemy, and Rush must kill him, why are they each other's future boyfriends? And that you're helping them be together?" Rufus questioned in confusion and suspicion.
"Because on the day Rush first met Em and also gave him a tour of the Haven as an order, the Haven was baffled that their leader slash Human Killer didn't share their hatred against Em. Instead, he sees Em as a person rather than a God. Something no one has ever said even to the enemy." Sheeta explained in anger not directed to Rufus. "Before all this; Rush's cruel past caused him to be distant and even not want to have a girlfriend or wife, but the Haven mindlessly wants Rush to forget the past and just kill Embryo before pushing him to have a wife. Rush and I saw that Haven wanted him to do what he didn't want and love simply because THEY want Rush to be normal. THEY want Rush to break his feelings to kill Embryo despite proof that those two look happier together compared to before Rush's first meeting with him. Finding it disgusting and wondering why is Rush openly happy with him instead of realizing that they are breaking his heart without knowing."
After Sheeta finishes releasing angry pants of fury, he sees and senses that she is worried for Rush and wants him to be happy, Rufus slowly lowers his arm and hand holding the phone…unsure of why he suddenly felt a bit sad for someone he doesn't even know but switched his place in another world. From what he assumed from Sheeta's words and expression, Rush is a leader of his people who, instead of allowing him to do as he pleased for both him and THEM, wants him to disregard his desires for them even interacting with the enemy they want Rush to kill instead of accepting their leader's friendship. He has mixed feelings that he is confused about.
But he wasn't about to say a word, even wanting to stroke Sheeta's fur to calm her down, when the two witnessed the office doors bursting open from outside and alarmed Rufus and Sheeta to see a group of seven people, with one of them being a giant man in red, one half-masked man with weapons around him, and a frail-looking boy with two snakes around him.
"Rush! We tried calling you but you didn't pick up your…Mana…" The brunette boy with purple eyes called in surprise yet he and his friends looked up in shock at seeing Rufus, who stared at the group in befuddlement for their breaking arrival. Sheeta said that Rush had bandages for his left eye, right hand, and some parts of his body and legs. Since he doesn't have bandages and his hair is more platinum blonde than Rush's bronze hair, Rufus hopes that Rush's teammates can see the differences and maybe they can help him find a way to get back to Midgar…
"Ru…Rush! You look good with your new disguise!" The spiky green-haired boy with amethyst eyes commented in amazement, immediately shocking Rufus to snarl his befuddlement while Sheeta deadpanned in disappointment for seeing Rush's team unknowingly mistaking Rufus for their leader. "I don't know how you just dyed your hair and hid your scars but you look like a real human!"
"Ammo, hush. You can't just say what will get Rush to kill you, after so many attempts." The brunette woman warned with a soft scowl, unable to see the real picture in front of him.
"But this might work." The blonde and blue-haired woman wielding a goddamn chainsaw mused with a subtle smile. "That way, Rush won't get people looking at him in disgust by his bandages, both in the mainland and sometimes in the Haven."
"But how did he have the time to change his appearance? Moon, was he like this before you left him to sleep longer?" The giant helmeted man wondered even asking the white-haired snake tamer who looked at Rufus in shock with his two snakes seemingly hissing closer to his ears. Rufus is hoping that at least, even to the child called Moon, someone can see through the ruse.
"…No. But I don't think that is Rush, despite having an exact scent as him…"
"No way. Commander Rush may change himself to hide his awful past, but it could also help fool that bastard Embryo for trying to seduce our leader. You must be mistaken by how good his disguise is. " The half-masked weapon specialist interrupted Moon, who Rufus saw that he may be the only one who saw it but also that almost Rush's team was fooled…but why did Rufus suddenly feel so angry he wanted to shoot them with the gun in his left hand?
"Those idiots …" Sheeta whispered her anger towards Rush's team but did not call the same to Moon, Ular, and Hebi. She finds it ridiculously easy to see that Red Death, Cynical, Hyacinth, Ammo, Tusk, and this Apache immediately misunderstand the entire situation by believing that their leader is in disguise and dare interrupt Moon who can smell through Rufus. 'Some smart and powerful team Rush has…'
"…I'm not Rush…" Everyone heard Rufus mutter to look at him initially looking down to hide his eyes, that everyone in the Haven knows he hid his left eye until now, but Rush's team is confused by Rufus's tone hissing in vehemence until he looked up. "My name is Rufus Shinra. I don't know why and how I got here from my world, but I don't want you all to think I'm your leader! And what do you have against Rush's look and boyfriend, huh!? Even if he is some god or enemy you people want him to kill, can't you accept Rush being happy with a friend?"
Although dismayed by his words and anger now glaring at them, their horror and anger flinched when he indirectly mentioned Rush's boyfriend, Rufus and Sheeta can see in anger that they are still refusing to believe when the boy called Ammo raised his hands with a shaky smile. "Ru…Rush, I think you've gone too far with this disguise and calling Embryo a friend. There's no way you think of saying 'YOUR world'…"
Almost ready to fire a bullet even in Rush's team for still mistaking him as their leader, making sure not to hit the innocent snake tamer, a sudden vibration and odd ringtone rang from Rush's phone still in Rufus's right hand which he raised to look at the phone's screen for the caller's name, confusing everyone… "Sheeta, I think Rush's boyfriend Em is calling for him now. Should I answer it?"
"Embryo!?" Hyacinth gasped in dismay with Red Death, Cynical, Ammo, Apache, and Tusk readily pulled out their weapons and fists when they recognized Rush's nickname to the enemy. "Commander, don't answer that bastar…" Apache was about to step forward, about to throw Rush's phone away from Rush when a flash of yellow and black almost pounced on him in front, surprising him to take a step back and almost bump into the others shocked to see Sheeta snarling her rage at THEM.
"Rufus, answer the call! Maybe Em can help save Rush!" Sheeta demanded, readily swiping her claws to push the others trying to get closer.
"Rufus?" Moon whispered Rufus's name in surprise, seeing him nod his silent agreement for Sheeta's suggestion before he immediately pressed the call button, accepting the call to almost everyone's dismay.
"Hello? Is this Em…I mean Embryo?" Rufus desperately asked, aiming Rush's gun at the others in case they got closer or attacked Sheeta defending him which further baffled the others. Rufus heard a surprised gasp from the other line after he asked before the male voice demanded Rufus in anger and worry. "…Who are you? You have Rush's voice but I know that you're not him! He never calls me without his nickname for me unless he's with his people, and he doesn't sound this scared!"
"Oh thank god, Rush's boyfriend gets it!" Rufus boldly cried his relief in his smile, ignoring Rush's team looking at him in horror, as if Rufus was crazy for calling Embryo their leader's BOYFRIEND, with Sheeta shooting a cruelly proud grin releasing a snort from her snout when she hurriedly walks closer to Rufus but still eying the group for movement. "Please listen to me, but I'm not Rush. My name is Rufus Shinra, I'm from another world and don't know how I ended up here or where your boyfriend is. I can talk with Sheeta and she told me you might help me get back to Midgar…"
"Rush…what are you talking about?" Tusk whispered his dread with everyone expressing the same but Moon's shock also believed in Rush's words. There's no way he instantly thought this up; calling himself Rufus Shinra, being in another world, Embryo as his boyfriend despite knowing Rush's past, and getting back at this Midgar? That sounds too much for a fake story with his weird, humanely failproof plan. There's no way Embryo would fall for that! When he looked down, Tusk saw something that made him cry his shock. "R-Rush! You're fading!"
Rufus had to stop talking, irritated by both the interruption and still being called Rush by his teammates, but noticed in confusion everyone including Sheeta and Moon's snake was looking at his feet which he did...seeing that his legs were indeed disappearing with a brim glow of white light now climbing past his thighs, shocking him to almost back away and hit his back on Rush's desk.
"What the hell!? Why am I fading!?" Rufus gasped his dread, hearing a brief silence of Embryo's call ending just when he felt both movement and a sudden pair of arms swiftly wrapping around his neck and hurriedly pulling him to stand against a body from behind, surprising Rufus with a gasp while he saw Rush's team looking at both him and his captor in fear but more to anger at the latter. At least when he and Sheeta look down, whoever holding him now also surprisingly reclaims Rufus's legs from fading into existence with a flicker of light.
"Em!" Rufus heard Sheeta calling a name that made him hurriedly look at the shoulder where the long, blonde-haired newcomer almost rested his head on the same shoulder, staring back at Rufus's icy blue eyes blinking his surprise at such beautiful, glowing green eyes widening his shock at him. Quickly, Rufus carefully turns around but still holds his fingerless gloved hands onto the man's hands, in case he possibly helps him not disappear by his touch, but a glance at the man wearing the green suit and red tie also looking at his face in disbelief and worry alarmed Rufus…
'This guy…is Rush's boyfriend or enemy?' Rufus wondered in surprise and maybe a tint of jealousy. At least this guy came at the best time; otherwise, he would've disappeared out of his world.
"You bastard!" Apache yelled in anger with his gauntlets releasing their blades. So that guy who just teleported out of nowhere is the enemy who ruined the lives of the humans who care for Norma and even Commander Rush. And now he dared try to apprehend him right when he made the mistake of calling HIM. Unfortunately, a warning shot above their heads alarmed everyone to back away and away from Rufus who released himself from Embryo to fire that shot, Sheeta, and Embryo stared his horror at the former aiming Rush's gun at his team and now fading past the waist and floating.
"Don't you dare. At least he sees that I'm NOT your leader, unlike you guys." Rufus threatened in anger, almost unaware of his slowly vanishing form if not for feeling Embryo quickly grabbed Rufus's left arm with his hands, helping Rufus's body glow and his missing parts return in a flash when he first looked down before Embryo.
"Rufus, no!" Embryo cautioned in dread, carefully climbing down the desk to stand beside Rufus. "I wanted to call Rush for our work, but I'm glad you answered because, with my powers, I see that you are from another world and luckily came in time to stop you from fading outside your world."
"Wait, so you're not Rush after all?" Ammo realized in dismay. All this time, they were fooled even when Rufus was speaking the truth.
"Of course, I'm not Rush, for god's sake! Even if I am, I would be disappointed for having a heartless team not caring for his feelings." Rufus sighed his irritation, both his words and Sheeta annoyingly nodding her agreement with him baffled Rush's team yet Apache's eyes flared in anger to almost attack Embryo AND Rufus.
"What was that?" Now relieved that this doppelganger is NOT Commander Rush, Apache will not hesitate to slice him down for saying such lies about their leader.
"Rufus, please! If you won't let me hold you to temporarily give you a bit of my powers through touch, you will disappear faster and be erased from existence. If you're here, then Rush must be in Midgar, so I shall locate and bring him back before he disappears in your world as well!" Embryo warned, attracting everyone's panic for his words but quickly backed away to almost hit themselves on the shelves when Embryo led Rufus, still holding the other's hands or arm to help him stay visible, to the centre of the room with Sheeta.
Ignoring the people and animals' curiosity and suspicion, Embryo raised his right arm off Rufus's arm, glowing his hand with the Light of Mana alongside a growing orb of Mana flaming like a palm-sized Sun with a ring of Mana-like particles of light orbiting the sphere like tiny moons until he swiped his glowing hand down. When he hit the sun-like Mana orb, the glowing particles burst into tiny explosions that rose to the ceiling and flew around the room, alarming everyone with gasps or screams of seeing Rush's room now darkened, and the light Embryo conjure had changed into a holographic view or map projection showcasing and materializing what looks like countless planets, Earths, galaxies, and stars around them from top to bottom, while under their feet and filled the floor is a giant glowing green sigil with a design of a fox's head. It is like Embryo has made them walk through a universe projection or bigger than that.
"What is this? Not even our Light of Mana can do this…" Rufus ignored the blonde and blue-haired woman's gasp, looking around the universe's projection in awe even when watching Embryo busily looking at multiple holographic screens he summoned and his green eyes surprisingly glow to hide his irises as he tapped his fingers on a few of them, focusing more of locating Rush. Rufus knows that not even the Shinra Power Electric Company's technology can do what Embryo did, even the digitalized story of the Neo-Midgar projection.
'Woah…Rush, you lucky motherfucker.' Was what Rufus wanted to say when everyone saw Embryo stopping what he was doing with a hopeful smile, the glow in his eyes dimmed into its original tenacity. "Found him!" Immediately Embryo raised the same hand in front of his and Rufus's faces as the universe projection show disappeared to brighten Rush's office to normal without the universe and everyone watched Embryo throw another orb of Mana he held forward.
Once hovering in the centre of the room, everyone watches in mixed anxiety as the orb grows bigger and elongates its width to almost reach the ceiling and the floor, which still bears Embryo's magic circle brimming with light. Inside the portal shows a vision of another office room larger than Rush's with a grim-looking atmosphere from the dark clouded sky outside from the wide, wall-filled window at the side, and inside the office is what Rufus recognized as Darkstar and the half-bandaged man who looks almost exactly like him.
"That's Rush?" Rufus asked Embryo with a finger pointing at Rush inside his office in surprise, seeing Embryo nodding with a timid smile before Rufus glanced back at Rush pacing side to side in irritation and hearing D talking towards him that everyone heard, making out grunts and growls to everyone but Rufus for understanding D. Now he understands the confusion between him and Rush by their appearances.
"Rush!" Red Death and the others cried, not wasting time to dash to the portal and ready to pull Rush away from that terrifying animal-looking thing and out of Rufus's world. But when Tusk reaches his hands first, they realise in shock that alarmed Rufus that they cannot put their hands through, instead feeling like they are touching an invisible wall.
"What the!? Why can't we go in!?" Ammo wondered in dread when he also felt the imaginary wall or gate in the portal blocking their way of saving Rush who was now being greeted by a random person walking inside the office and caught Rufus's annoyance when he recognised who it was. 'Oh no…'
"Hey, asshole! Make us go in there to save Commander Rush!" Apache yelled his vehemence at Embryo, whom Rufus felt his hands tightening the latter's left hand gentler but understandably angry with a glance at the enemy's calm glower looking at the half-masked man before back to the portal allowing everyone to see and hear Rush's conversation with the other person.
"I'm sorry. But because it's my power to travel to other worlds, I must only bring the one I wish to go with me through the portal. If you all forced yourselves through and ended up in a different world, not only would you not return to your world, but you would also disappear and I can't bring you all back to life." Embryo confessed to Rufus, Rush's team, and Sheeta without changing expression to confidently speak with the calm frown that startled the former while the group was baffled with Moon and Hyacinth visibly horrified while Red Death, Cynical, Ammo, Tusk, and Apache snarl in rage.
"So we have to let YOU save Rush!?" Cynical argued with Apache stepping a bit farther from the portal to almost stand in front of Rufus and Embryo with the former aiming the gun at Apache's face if he comes closer and tries to strike them. "No way! We'll save our leader, not you!"
'Wow, Rush. Your team IS SPECIAL.' Rush sneered his annoyance. That's why Sheeta does not seem pleased with her owner's people before feeling her softly nudging her head at his right hip, alerting both Rush and Embryo to look at the cheetah chirping her sentence that Rufus and Moon can hear. When she finished telling Rufus, he raised an eyebrow in curiosity but understood with a nod to look at Embryo's confused face.
"Em? Sheeta just told me to tell you to please save me and Rush. The sooner we go and come back, the sooner we can say goodbye and go on our way…and you and Rush can do what you both were supposed to be doing."
"You bastard!" Apache growled, his anger for Rufus boldly forcing Embryo to be friendly with their Commander increased when seeing the other's surprised reaction faltered into a sad but pleased smile just as everyone heard a scream from the portal alongside heavy, slamming noises…the source inside Rufus's world brought all to react aghast.
"RUSH!" Red Death's team cried but no matter how hard they tried, even by Red Death punched his large fists onto the surface, they could not get into Embryo's portal. No way in hell that they have to sit back and allow their enemy to save Rush! It has to be a lie! They must save Rush from Embryo!
Unaware of the others now trying to force themselves through the portal, despite knowing the consequences, Moon backed away in fear for their incense that always scared him but also caught him, Ular, and Hebi to see Embryo, Rufus, and Sheeta watching their plight with sadness and disappointment, almost pitying them, before Moon gasped his shock that alarmed the team when Embryo, Rufus, and Sheeta's bodies glow green from top to bottom before it flashed into nothing, showing that they have disappeared. "Embryo! Sheeta!"
"Okay, I think I get a big picture of your master and this world…but fucking hell this is also confusing. Especially the weird timeline and how you people call your years." Rush groaned with his bandaged and fingerless gloved hands rubbing his temples with Darkstar watching his master's slightly bandaged doppelganger pacing back and forth after telling Rush everything about this world, the Shinra Power Electric Company including its current affairs with the Avalanche members that tried to attack Rufus after his father's deserved death, and in return, Rush kindly told Darkstar everything about his world from the Norma to their sympathizing human families and friends that serve Rush of the Haven.
During the conversation, Darkstar picked up some comparisons between his master and Rush. They do look almost alike and have the same scent and voice, but Darkstar is confident that Rush is crudely foul-mouthed and childishly temperamental than Master Rufus… yet it is also strangely pleased with Rush by immediately being the first person outside Rufus that Darkstar might trust for his understanding and bravery compared to the humans' apprehension of its appearance.
"Calm down, Mister Rush. At least you might understand a bit about this world." Darkstar reassured, seeing Rush's only right eye glancing back at him. "What I am curious about your world, is the one who created this World of Mana. Your god that your people want you to slay, or slay him to SAVE you."
"Heh. Em… maybe the enemy who may cause everything that happened…but I don't see him the same as everyone does." Rush chortled with a sad smile and lowered his arms, startling Darkstar who sensed anger, sorrow, and guilt. "Everyone calls him a monster or God depending on what they know, see, or presume he did in the past. But even if I accidentally have feelings for him sometime after meeting him, because I didn't know who he was at the time, or even not being with Em…I rather be with a guy who can kill me than a bitch that everyone forces me to be with."
"Out of love or…?" Darkstar presumed, feeling sadness even when Rush subtly shook his head.
"I only told them a gist of my past, and yet they want me to be with a girl, ever since I was twelve and even try breaking me up from fighting or dating Em. I'm so pissed off at my past and what the Haven tried to do with my life; that I wish Em is here to help me other than taking me back to the Haven!" After Rush's confession which almost came out as a furious scream, but reigning his feelings in, Darkstar sadly looked down with a pitiful whine.
"Forgive me, Mister Rush. I didn't mean to hear what I think you should keep to yourself." Rush heard Darkstar apologizing on the couch, alarming the former to sadly calm down with a faint frown. "Nah, I'm sorry for rambling…"
"No. You deserve to let your true heart out." Darkstar curtly elucidated, surprising Rush with its firm anger. "Yes, everyone wants you to both throw your feelings and even break the oath YOU made to them to kill your 'enemy'. But if they continue to be blind to their hurt towards you, then you are better off doing your mission by yourself than relying on your people who will break you! Be a one-man army for love or death!"
Rush wasn't expecting even Darkstar to be more supportive of his wishes than most of the Haven, but it does make him better that at least someone or something is cheering him up, even in another world. "…Thanks, D." Suddenly, Rush and Darkstar heard a noise at the side and watched one of the room's automatic doors opening for the arrival of a person whom Rush heard Darkstar growling his indignation when she arrived. A seductively dressed, blonde-haired woman with blue eyes, her satin dress bares a glimpse of her breasts with the neckline and a slit at the side, black stay-up stockings, and red high heels.
'Who the fuck is this old bitch?' Rush wondered in annoyance towards the woman smirking with her crude pride even when she looked at Rush from head to feet with a chortle.
"…My, Mister President. What on earth happened to you to have bandages, dyed your hair, and even wear unlike your normal clothes?" The scarlet-wearing woman asked, trying to be seductive to Rush who only scrunched his bandaged face in stoic disgust for being mistaken as Rufus. 'Rufus, if this bitch is your hagging girlfriend, I'm so sorry for your bad taste.' Rush wished he could speak his mind.
"D, who the fuck is this bitch?" Rush boldly asks Darkstar instead of answering the woman's arrogant question, not seeing her face offended in shock and anger for being called a bitch and being ignored, pleasing Darkstar to scoff from his smirk before answering Rush's question. "That is Scarlet, the Head of Weapons Development. Known to be quite a slutty bitch, in my Master's words, and have the most annoying laughs alongside the gorilla brute Heidegger…"
"Kya ha ha ha ha ha!" Rush and Darkstar cringed in anger at the loud, mocking laugh coming from Scarlet angrily smirking her mouth open, laughing like some annoying rich bitch. "President Rufus. You must be so tired that you must've mistaken me for such a word and even talking to your pet like a person."
"…See what I mean," Darkstar muttered aloud in exasperation, agreeing with Rush nodding his annoyance just when the two tensed at seeing Scarlet walking towards Rush with her disgustingly seductive smirk widening in delight.
"I will ignore what you call me since you are the President if you accept my proposition," Scarlet suggested when she stood a few steps in front of President Rufus, curious to see him with bandages, a new dye job, and looking at her in fury, but paid no mind for her plans she is anticipating. "…As the new President of the Power Electric Company, I think you should need a right-hand woman serving you and that I can be that woman for you and OUR benefits."
Rush peeked at Darkstar, visibly showing his disgust that is shared by the Guard Hound who openly shook its head, silently telling Rush to NOT accept the proposition. "What makes you think I want that, even if you propose it?" Rush coldly demanded, taking a step back which made this hag take a few more steps to stride closer to him like a smirking predatory bitch.
"Well, Mister President, I am the only female executive part of your father's inner circle before his death. And with your ascension later, you need someone who's been here longer and willing to help and protect you from even those Avalanche and Wutai nuisances in the future, like me. Not that gorilla fool Heidegger, fat pig Palmer, idiot Reeve, disgusting scientist Hojo…"
"Get the fuck away from me," Rush warned with his back hitting the side of the desk, stopping him from backing away when Scarlet now stood and even pressed her body and open breasts against Rush's torso, smirking her cruel delight even if Rush sneered his gritting teeth at her.
"Awww. Is our new President scared of little OLD me…" But before Scarlet could seduce him further, despite the age difference, what she received was not a kiss or a complaint that would rile her up…but a heavy, bandaged fist straight to the face now making her see her colour red after releasing an agonizing scream and her mind shut itself into a blank void to not realize her now unconscious body fell her back on the floor and received more violent punches in the now bloodied face by President Rufus.
'Little old my dick, you fucking old bitch!' Rush angrily punches his fist straight to the bitch's face and body for trying to seduce him, not caring about her age and position to further try to kill her on his knees even when he heard but ignored Darkstar shouting at him when he dashed from the couch and got closer to Rush, using his jaws and canines to grab the back of Rush's collar and effortlessly pull Rush away from Scarlet's unresponsive, bloodied body and face almost became unrecognisable. "Rush! Wait, stop!"
Even when Darkstar pulls him away from him out of shock and concern, hurting his butt dragging on the floor, Rush keeps struggling and flailing his arms and legs wanting to finish beating that bitch to a pulp…wanting to get rid of the aggravating stress that broke him for years and even now by almost everyone in his world.
"D! Get back from Rush/ Rush / Rush!" It was when he heard HIS voice but not from his mouth alongside two more yet familiar voices that stopped Rush in surprise and gasped his pain when he fell backwards by Darkstar dropping him, his upside-down vision saw not only his look-alike who could be Rufus but also his cheetah and the only one he hoped that could save him running towards him with the former running to his Guard Hound.
"Em, Sheeta!" Rush frantically climbed on his feet and dashed to hug Embryo's neck, almost sending both falling onto the floor even when Sheetah stood against their sides with her hind legs. "I'm so glad to see you two! Em, I almost got flirted by an old hag bitch! I don't want you to think I'm cheating on you!" Rush cried in relief, worry, and anger, resting his head against one shoulder to not notice the portal from where Rufus, Embryo, and Sheeta came out and the people watching them from the other side…all but one or three were horrified by their leader's words, his attempted murder out of traumatic rage, and hugging his enemy.
"It's alright, Rush. We came at the right time you almost killed that obscene woman. But I must fix her to avoid getting us in trouble with this world's order." Embryo assured after accepting the hug and stroking a hand against Rush's back for comfort, both relieved and happy for Rush's feelings although he noticed something that also caught his puzzlement. 'Rush doesn't seem to be disappearing, unlike Rufus who's luckily safe, even when he almost killed this woman. But that only happens if Rush…' What he immediately theorized about Rush collected Embryo's surprise to look at Rush first before Rufus, not fading from existence by his return, finished assuring his terrifying panther-like guard dog and joined the two in stoic concern for Rush. '…Rufus.'
"Rush?" Rufus called, seeing Rush slowly look up from Em's shoulder and turn with a faintly irritated glower almost breaking down from almost killing Scarlet. "I don't know if I should say it's nice to meet you, or thanks for almost killing Scarlet. But are you alright? Did she try to hurt you or worse?"
"Y-Yeah…nice to meet you too, by the way," Rush spoke with a small but confident smirk, with Embryo seeing that the other was slowly calming down from his trauma which made him feel a bit better as well. "If I tried to kill your fucking old girlfriend, I don't know to say sorry or think that you have bad taste in girls, I'm glad I don't have."
"Oh, no, eww! Scarlet's just a disposable pawn who used to serve my father…" Rufus cringed his disgust with his smile at Rush's assumption. However, he and Rush noticed Embryo look down and winced with a terrified gasp from seeing Darkstar reaching closer to them and looking at both Embryo and Sheeta, with Rush feeling his arms returning the embrace hugging tighter for his fear of dogs. "Your man's not a fan of dogs?" Rufus noticed in perplexity.
"Nope. Good thing I have Sheeta as my cheetah and make Em happy. But I don't mind being both a dog and cat person." Rush confirmed with a grin, both men removed their arms from each other with the former faintly nodding at Darkstar. "Sorry, D." Rufus finds Darkstar playfully walking away to join his owner's side, pretending to be offended and sad, both cute and hilarious.
"Well, thanks to Em for saving me from almost disappearing in your world. Your team, except for the snake boy, kept mistaking me for you and I almost killed them because of that and speaking badly of your relationship. At least you confessed." Rufus affirmed, chortling at Rush's only right eye blinking with a startled smile facing Embryo slowly calmed down from his cynophobia with an amused smirk even when Rush almost walked away from Embryo for a punishment only to be caught by the other grabbing the back of his collar with his right hand.
"Don't worry, Rush. I'm happy you did. Let's return before you might fade out of existence." Embryo reassured, removing his hand from Rush's collar with a tired grin before giving Rufus the same hand for a shake. "Thank you for meeting and letting me help you, Rufus."
"Thanks, Em…" Right when Rufus accepted the shake… Embryo, Rush, and Sheeta were too late to react from Rufus swiftly pulling the former towards him and gently grabbing his victim's cheeks with a bold kiss on Embryo's lips. Slowly opening his eyes he closed them before kissing him, Rufus mentally smirked his pride and amusement at not just Rush and Sheeta gawking their horror but also the former's team spying on them through the portal with all but Red Death and Moon also opening their mouths wide in mixed shock until Rufus gently broke his kiss to see Em's now blushing red face squeaking petrifying whines in aghast…that Rufus find the other's virginity cute.
"Consider this as my payment for your assistance. If we see each other, even if Rush dies, I don't mind having you." Rufus flirted with a loud lick of his smirking lips to feel Embryo shuddering with another terrified whine and playfully release his hands from his kisser's surprisingly squishy cheeks.
'I knew it! Rufus and Rush are the same!' Embryo hurriedly backed away from Rufus and Darkstar, now blushing anxiously from receiving a second kiss from a man other than Rush who was strangely silent right after witnessing the kiss. "…Em? Can you hold me up? Sheeta, help Em walk us back to the Haven." Both confused and alarmed by Rush's sudden order, unsure of his reaction, Embryo curiously and nervously followed by effortlessly lifting Rush off the ground, surprising Rufus and Darkstar for seeing Rush held like the lion movie he had once seen as a child, and Embryo is surprisingly stronger than he looks…
…until Embryo almost fell backwards in shock at Rush immediately whirling his body to now being held against Embryo's body by wrapping his legs around his stomach, resting his stomach on Embryo's shoulder, and flailing and clawing his bandaged and fingerless gloved hands at Rufus like a furious cat. "…You motherfucker, Rufus! Even if we're like doubles in different worlds, you can't take Em from me with a non-consensual kiss! I don't care if people think I'm not his friend!"
"R-Rush! Calm down! And what do you mean if you're not my friend!?" From watching in puzzlement at Rush trying to fight his way to him while surprisingly being held by Embryo's left arm and sluggishly walking towards the portal with Sheeta carefully biting the end of his right sleeve to lead them to the portal, Rufus finds this whole ordeal entertaining him to smile, even playfully flip his left middle finger at Rush who furiously flips both middle fingers back until Embryo's portal immediately burst into a brief explosion of golden light once Rush, Embryo, and Sheeta went through and disappeared from Rush and Darkstar's eyes, hiding evidence of the world or dimension hopping.
'Even if Rush dies, huh? … I would've thought he's me if I must've had.' Rufus wondered with his smirk widening into a tired but exhilarated amazement. He felt something odd inside his right pocket which he grabbed and saw, what initially surprised him but smiled his amusement when he flipped a finger on it to switch it on, that he somehow had Rush's flip phone with his picture folder showing Rush and Embryo possibly having fun on their dates. 'Sorry, Rush...I got your phone.' Rufus mentally chuckled.
A low groan of pain from behind and under their feet attracted Rush and Darkstar to see, with the latter growling, at whom they almost forgot although the former noticed in surprise that, unlike how she looked when Rush almost killed her, Embryo must've used his power to turn Scarlet back to normal but sleeping in pain. "D. Throw her out of my office. I'll deal with her later. And we shall keep this between us." Rufus calmly ordered Darkstar who responded in his highest duty and proceeded to do his chore. "Yes, Master."
"R…Rush." Moon gasped as he and the others inside the room could not believe what happened. First, they initially mistake some doppelganger from another world for Rush if not for Embryo coming in to save HIM, then they were helpless to watch Rush almost beating a woman trying to seduce him, possibly mistaking as Rufus whom he, Embryo, and Sheeta teleported and stopped him from dealing the final blow, and they had to see Rufus boldly kiss Embryo just to make Rush both angry and jealous of all reactions for THAT.
Noticing Sheeta carefully leading Embryo and Rush back to the portal while the latter and Rufus are flipping each other off, Red Death silently moves them back once the three emerge from the portal that busted and disappeared from their return with Sheeta and Embryo slowly move to Rush's desk where the latter carefully place Rush to sit and face everyone after accidentally flipping his teammates for what he gave Rufus. When he finished, everyone saw Rush immediately looking down in sorrow, again dropping his arms around Embryo's neck and pulling him against the other in another hug, surprising everyone with his bold reactions...
"Rush? Are you alright?" Tusk nervously asked, holding his dagger ready to jab through Embryo's back and spine with a quick look at Red, Cynical, and Apache also preparing their fists and the latter's bladed gauntlets. If only Embryo would let go of Rush but Sheeta noticed them sneaking closer to growl her vehemence, ready to pounce on them again…
"…Em. Thanks for saving me." Everyone froze from Rush sadly THANKING Embryo, something unheard of to glare their bewilderment at Rush still hugging Embryo like a child seemingly crying on his parent, or worse a guy hugging his partner who surprisingly hugs him back with sadness and concern also painting his face. But immediately seeing his Commander still hugging the enemy, of all people, made one of them think the worst of his thoughts about that sight, gritting his teeth so much he could feel a bit of blood from his gums out of the pressure…
"G…Get away from Commander Rush, you bastard!" Apache's furious scream towards Rush and Embryo, mostly the latter, alarmed the entire room with the latter two looking at him with the enemy faintly frowning his annoyance, inducing more rage by the weapon specialist stomping closer to them. "You're just distracting him to kill him when you feel like it for what you've done to us! You piece of shit! You don't deserve Com…" But before he could forcefully break Commander Rush and Embryo away from each other, ready to slice the latter into holes instead of allowing his leader to kill him as promised thirteen years ago…Apache's mind immediately shut itself off in a second with his now light body fallen onto something before possibly land on the floor.
Embryo's eyes blinked with a slightly brighter glow than normal, using one of his abilities that made not just Rush's teammates but also the boy he sensed his soul to be one of the two surviving descendants of the foul, abusive Destruction Clan from the old humanity fallen on the floor unconscious, with Embryo gently catching the weapon man's body with a hand before lightly drop him on the floor without hurting himself.
'What a day for us…' Embryo tiredly sighed. Aware of his and Rush's positive friendship that would confuse everyone presuming a blooming relationship, Embryo always feel angry with people's negative reactions mistaking him for plans to kill Rush and his heartfelt confession. At least his children happily prefer them being friends than each other's enemies or master and subordinate.
The Haven has wanted him to find a girl for years, which almost acts like their obsession that Rush hates…it reminds Embryo of some filthy, crude-minded boys he thought in his mind.
"Em, did you just kill my team?" Rush asked Embryo who looked back to see his surprise breaking his sadness from earlier but apprehensive and worry for their unconsciousness, with the two briefly watching the annoyed Sheeta recklessly walking and dragging Apache's body away from the two by biting its teeth against his collar, just like Darkstar dragging Rush away from Scarlet, before returning to her owner's side.
"No. I made them unconscious to soon rewrite their memories. I'll make sure that everyone in this room will not remember this terrible ordeal. Until the day I die, that will break this spell, only the three of us will remember Rufus." Embryo assured with a shake of his head, seeing Rush shakily nod his understanding but still saddened or annoyed by what happened. "Don't worry Rush….this is just a filler chapter for Rebirth. So it's not canon unless it's whatever the both of us and the audience want to believe."
"…Yeah. Hey, Em? Since we're ending this filler; wanna teleport us to Granny's?" Rush faintly smiled his usual crude grin for Embryo's reassurance, with the thought of asking him out for a secret lunch at Granny's bistro delighted Embryo with Sheeta happily meowing and waving her tail for lunch. "Oh, of course!"
[Bonus; Meetings of Different Worlds…]
"Welcome, lucky citizens of Midgar, to the Shinra Electric Power Company for our yearly annual 'Shinra Tour'. We hope you can enjoy today's benefits from the Planet's powerful company..." Rufus Shinra, dressed in one of the formal attires his father specifically 'chose' him to wear for today, stood beside his father greeting the citizens of the different sectors luckily joining them for a one-day tour around the company, all to garner the commoners' interest to 'work and die with Shinra'. But even when he first joined his father on his first tour all for appearances, Rufus never cared… anything his father 'heartfully' gave him is not sincere for someone who calls himself more powerful than everything else, except their First-Class Soldier.
After his father finished his speech, Rufus joined him and the other executives in interacting with the group of people but Rufus only answered the questions those old, arrogant geezers foreseeing about their future President. That would be the only thing Rufus is anticipating: replacing his father to be the President of the Shinra Electric Power Company and ruling the world as a better ruler once his father is dead.
"Are you alright?" Rufus heard a young voice asking him from the side, surprising the short blonde-haired boy in white to look at the side, ignoring his father walking away with one of the guests without his son, and be greeted by another blonde-haired boy possibly twelve years old as well but his long hair tied in a ponytail and dressed in a commoner's clothing from a baggy, long-sleeved shirt with a V-shaped neckline, wide pants, and sneakers. But what surprised Rufus about this boy was not mistaking him for a girl, by his voice, but his eyes. They shine a beautiful blue or green almost like that SOLDIER boy Sephiroth.
"Y-Yeah. I'm fine, thank you." Rufus hurriedly answered, realizing he was stalling from the boy's concern for him…somehow making him feel pleased. "I don't think I've seen you before." Rufus faintly smiled at the meek boy's embarrassed smile.
"This is my first time coming here in this world - I mean place! My foster father and I saw the people coming in here so I asked my father if we could join."
"You're lucky that today's the day you can. Because no one can unless they shall work here. My name is Rufus Shinra, by the way…" Rufus was about to ask for the boy's name when both noticed his father walking towards them with the crowd awaiting the start of the tour.
"Rufus. I see…you made a friend for your age." President Shinra noted, his mouth scowled in suspicion towards the boy looking at him and Rufus in fear and dread at the former's expression before he bowed to them for a farewell.
"Y-yes, Mister President. Please excuse me, sirs." Rufus couldn't stop him from running away to join one of the adults who could be his foster father when he was forcefully turned around by his father to follow his side when the tour commenced with Rufus, his father and the executives walking in front of the people, rich and poor.
"Don't worry, Rufus… your friend will grow to die either as a SOLDIER or as the street rat like the lot of them. If he joins SOLDIER, you can see him protect you until death." Rufus heard his father 'reassuring' him, something he knew at a young age that his father never cared despite acting like a father to him. During the tour, Rufus would sometimes peek at the crowd and catch glimpses of the same boy looking around the facility in awe just like the others, holding hands with his foster father…
What caught Rufus was when the boy spotted him spying on him but happily waved his free hand at him with his nervously cute smile and closed eyes… That was the only time he saw him after that day…
...
Rufus woke up with a gasp for dreaming a memory of what he had almost forgotten about his first Shinra tour, sluggishly climbing on his butt which may have woken up D in surprise at his highest duty as his bodyguard, other than the Turks. 'Why…did I remember that?' Rush wondered, wiping a little bit of sweat from his forehead with his right hand but surprised to also feel and see a rare tear drop on his palm, aware of suddenly crying about the person he immediately remembered of that day but knew he couldn't introduce himself.
Who…was that? And why is he crying about him?
...
[Two years later … ]
Looking at his Geostigma-infected palm hovering above him, lying on his single bed with his wheelchair parked beside the bed, his fresh and used bandages and the box containing Jenova's remains placed on the right side drawers, Rufus solemnly mused in boredom before lowering his arm at his side to stare at the ceiling. It's been two years since everything happened to him and this world; a resurrected Sephiroth cast Meteor that nearly destroyed the Planet if not for the Avalanche members led by ex-SOLDIER Cloud, the Shinra Electric Power Company was destroyed with Rufus and the Turks survived the catastrophe and now reside in his new headquarters in Healen's Lodge, yet multiple people including Rufus are infected with the possibly incurable disease called Geostigma by Jenova's influence in the Lifestream.
For some reason, Rufus isn't afraid if he were to die from the stigma. As long as those boys would not get their hands on the box, he would do it.
However, regardless of his current affairs in his world, Rufus cannot forget his surprisingly mysterious visit to another world, the Haven, and meeting both Rush and Embryo. Thinking about those two made Rufus close his eyes including his left eye behind the bandages with a chuckle. Every time he looks at himself in the mirror, he immediately sees himself as his bandaged, childish, doppelgänger from another world but will also never forget the other's godly boyfriend, whom Rufus now understood that he is the same boy Rufus met at their first Shinra Tour 13 years ago.
'Rush…Em…' Rufus was just about to reminisce about his visit to the Mana world when, although initially presuming to be hallucinating, something slowly glowing a bright white light that grew almost the height of the ceiling confused Rufus who curiously rose to sit on the bed and stare a single glare at the strangely familiar white light…only to receive a sudden crash-landing by a screaming man falling from the portal of light and on top of Rufus on the bed, releasing a cry of alarm and pain from both Rufus and the unexpected magical visitor who's portal immediately burst and flickered out of existence from the ceiling. At least this person is surprisingly soft and squishy which didn't completely break Rufus's already damaged body than when he escaped from the Meteor.
"I'm so sorry!" Rufus almost released his arms unconsciously hugging the visitor when he instantly tightened his grip, alarmed by the other man's voice while making sure the fidgeting man would not escape him. Is that's Em's voice? Curiously, Rufus hurriedly but gently helped the other man climb and sat on his waist in astonishment to see his appearance while he checked for any damages in his pair of glasses. But Rufus is surprised with a tinge of happiness inside to see that this man is Em but unlike how he remembered; he wore a white lab coat and black pants instead of his green suit, now wears glasses for his illuminating green eyes, and looks meeker than when he was the so-called God of Mana.
"Oh dear, I'm sorry sir! I didn't mean to..." Rufus watches as Embryo, obviously not recognizing him, hurriedly climbs off his body and the bed to kindly pull Rufus now sitting back on the bed. However, the sudden silence alarmed Rufus to see and flinch of Embryo curiously leaning closer with his face slightly tilted side to side at Rufus's bandaged face. Could Embryo see Rush from Rufus… "Ah! You're the boy I met thirteen years ago in Midgar!" Embryo's happy but clueless realisation immediately made Rufus pout in mocking sadness, trying to be more hurt than angry which got Embryo panicking again. "Aaaaahhhh! Is something wrong!?"
"You forgot me, even though we only spoke once when we were kids that day?" Rufus's sarcastic tease from his smirk made Embryo more anxious when Rufus chuckled from being shaken by the scientist hugging and crying his apology for the reaction. "It's okay. I don't know your name that day, so I guess we're even. Let me help you remember; Rufus Shinra." Rufus reassured, smiling his amusement once Embryo calmed down with his mouth shakily smiling his embarrassment before composing himself with a bow.
"Ah, of course. Eric Asmodeus Zechs; codenamed Embryo of the Unified Economic Federation." Rufus was startled to hear Embryo's real name and his current name being a codename from his organisation but paid no mind when Rufus willingly invited Embryo to join him for a private conversation, with Embryo kindly helped Rufus changing his bandages on the bed. Rufus made sure not to mention the World of Mana and Rush out of his suspicious thoughts for Embryo but did mention everything in his life to the aftermath of Sephiroth's demise. "My goodness." Embryo softly gasped his dismay once he carefully placed Rufus to sit on the wheelchair, with the latter grabbing both Jenova's box and the sheet he used to cover himself.
"As the only Shinra survivor, I shall do whatever I can to atone for what my people...what I've done to the Planet. But I'm also making my mark in the people's minds." Rufus affirmed with pride with a glance at Embryo's face expressing concern and apprehension for him. "Enough about me. It's good to finally see you again. What brings you to this world, Em?" When Rufus asked, he was so surprised to see Embryo's shock that he quickly clasped both hands at Rufus's mouth to not say a possible secret.
"Shhh! No one can know about other worlds and me being a world traveller!" Embryo warned in dread but slowly calmed down to release his hands from Rufus's mouth, collecting his surprise. "...But since you somehow know, I supposed I can answer if you promise to keep this secret." Curious but understanding, Rufus silently nods his acceptance and watches Em sitting back on the bed now in front of Rufus's vision, speaking with a soft smile. "I was trying to create a Portal that would take me and my foster father to his home world. He was unfairly exiled and sent to mine which helped save and raise me better than what I almost used to be as a child. He protects and trains me to grow my powers, and we both secretly travel to different worlds to both expand my horizons and how we met."
"Glad that your father's great for you to be a good son." Rufus did not hesitate to note his satisfaction for Em's reason for his father, aware of the irony that Em realized to silently gasp his shock and hurriedly look up but Rufus held Em's hands with his unmarked and Geostigma-infected hands, stopping him from apologising for what is unnecessary. "Don't worry, Em. You can tell that my father was never the good kind when we met. He's dead and so's that. But I'll never be a fool like him and his loyal members." It was when the two men heard a few soft knocks from outside Rufus's bedroom door that they turned around with Embryo looking over his shoulders.
"Sir? I'm coming in to check on you." Rufus heard Rude's voice calling behind but the former and Embryo froze in shock, making sure the latter would not be seen as a trespassing world traveller. "Quick, Em, make your Portal!" Rufus whispered and released Embryo's hands from his, moving his motorised wheelchair to the side and facing the wall Embryo conjured and threw his orb of Mana in front to make an exact portal of light he did when Rufus and Rush unknowingly switched places in their respective worlds. Behind Em's portal, Rufus sees an office fitting for a laboratory but Embryo is about to run past through when he stops mid-way and looks back to Rufus.
"…If I come back to this world, can I see you?" Embryo enquired with a small but hopeful smile for Rufus's response, seeing him blink his right eye in surprise for a second before his mouth curled into an amused smile, anticipating the answer as well.
"You're more than welcome, Em. I hope to see you too." With a nod and proud answer, Rufus sees Embryo close his eyes with a chortle from his smile and hurriedly runs back into his world past the portal that slowly shrinks unusually like before. But seeing the last thing of Embryo was him turning around and waving his farewell with that happily cute smile, just like when we were kids, Rufus smiled even when the portal burst and flickered into particles of light that also disappeared, hiding evidence of the other world traveller in time for his door to be opened by one of his men.
"Sir? Is everything alright?" Rufus heard the surprise and confusion in Rude's voice when he asked but he made sure not to reveal what happened with him and Em to the other.
"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you, Rude. Where's Reno?" Rufus brushed off the concern with reassurance, controlling his wheelchair to faintly twirl and face Rude who strangely looked embarrassed when he asked about his red-haired and hotheaded partner…
"He…I knock him unconscious. Couldn't wake up from oversleeping until I hit my fist in his face." Rude's secretly nervous answer immediately made Rufus deadpanned with a bemused smile. 'Of course, he did.'
...
[498 years later...]
Outside the overgrown-filled remnants of Midgar and the Shinra Power Electric Company, now an inhabitable Planet free from humans into a giant forest, a large continent is filled with graves made of the late denizens from the civilians of different parts of the world to the heroes who saved them from the evil that plagued them before, and even those who would've killed themselves. In front of one of the graves, a single human man NOT from the Planet stood and looked at the tombstone…
Just one look at the name was enough for the man exiled by the wicked Tyrants of his former world to shed tears of sorrow.
'RUFUS SHINRA'
[Present time...]
"Em?" Embryo flinched with a brief gasp from hearing and feeling Rush gently shaking him up, surprised and fully awake to see Rush standing on his hands and knees above him, already dressed in his shirt, shorts, and bandages despite being so early in the morning with his children still sleeping soundly. But both seeing Rush's concern for him and feeling the familiar sensation flowing down from his eyes alarmed Embryo to shakily reach his right hand on his cheek. "Are you okay? You suddenly started crying."
Despite being aware of his vulnerability in front of his enemy, Embryo cannot help but stare at Rush in distraught… even in different positions and the other looks slightly different, he does feel like he is with HIM again…
"Y…Yes. I...I'm fine, Rush." Embryo answered, making sure not to tell Rush more of what he remembered in his dreams. Fortunately, Rush never asked more of it from that day onward...but Embryo never thought that he would get to hear that name again days after the Haven tour when his call was answered by someone who, although sounded exactly like Rush, Embryo knew by his tone that it is not him...
"Please listen to me, but I'm not Rush. My name is Rufus Shinra, I'm from another world and don't know how I ended up here or where your boyfriend is. I can talk with Sheeta and she told me you might help me get back to Midgar…What the hell!? Why am I fading!?" When Embryo listened to Rufus's plea...he was dismayed.
A/N: I want to make this chapter and post on the day Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is live (I don't play the game, but I play the Global version of Dissidia Opera Omnia that unfortunately ended service on the same day; right when Rufus and Angeal are the last FFVII representatives in the (sadly JPN version) game).
I have been thinking of writing a crossover between Cross Ange and FFVII (maybe because of every lucid dream I have involving Rufus Shinra, Embryo, or both of them at the same time (My crack ship is Rufus Shinra X Embryo X Beelzebub/ Bubs (Granblue Fantasy). And yes I lucid dream the threesome yaoi together multiple times (safe or not)). That is also why I created Rush as Rufus's Expy since the main story)
[For this chapter, I also don't own Final Fantasy VII from Square Enix]