Rufus and Cloud

AVALANCHE had gotten away one week ago and hadn't been heard of since. Maybe it was all for the better that they had seemingly disappeared off the face of the Planet. But then maybe Sephiroth was also out there, slaughtering people while he just sat there at the top of the Shinra Building, staring down at the polluted city below with eyes that reflected vacancy. He didn't want to think about it anymore. There were so many new responsibilities that he had taken up on that day his father had died at Sephiroth's hands. He was now the president of Shinra Incorporated and the richest man in the world, richer than even Dio, who owned the world-famous Gold Saucer.

Despite this, Rufus Shinra was still depressed. Cloud had almost died fighting Sephiroth. Rude, Tseng, and Elena had gone after Sephiroth and hadn't reported back yet. His father's funeral had taken place only the day before. Sighing, the blond-haired man sat down on the edge of the roof, his legs dangling off the side of the building. He wasn't afraid of heights; never was and never would be.

"Ruf?"

Rufus didn't have to turn around to tell who it was, but he did anyway. His gaze fell upon Cloud, who limped over, clad again in his SOLDIER uniform. Even with numerous bandages and stitches, Cloud Shinra still managed to give his older brother his trademark grin -- the grin that Rufus could never not smile at. Cloud stood over his brother, looking down at him with eyes that seemed to hold mixed emotions.

"What's up, bro?"

Cloud shrugged, sitting himself down next to his brother. "You seemed to be down today," he remarked. "'Still bummed out because of Dad?"

Rufus' shoulders sagged. "It just hurts," he sighed, looking at Cloud sadly. "Even though he didn't pay attention to us or spent a lot of time with us, I feel that Dad really *did* care for us."

"He probably did," Cloud said in agreement, "but he just never sat down with us and told us that." He smiled wryly. "You know, it's funny. . . Mom was always traveling and yet we knew she loved us when she died, but Dad. . ."

Rufus nodded. "We didn't even know if he loved us, and he was right there. . ." The two brothers sat together in silence, staring downward at the great plate. "Sometimes I wish that I could fall from this building and just kill myself. Sometimes . . . I just wish I hadn't been born."

Cloud sighed. "I sometimes wish I could do that, too. Just because we stood back and watched Dad destroy the Planet with the Mako Reactors. . . We didn't even try to stop him."

A few moments passed before Cloud brought his arm up and put it over Rufus' shoulders. Rufus looked at him in alarm. "What are you doing??" he asked. "We might fall!"

Cloud grinned at his brother. "Well," he started, "if we're going to fall, we might as well fall together."

"Cloud. . ."

"I mean it. You hang onto me and I'll hang onto you. We'll support each other the whole way; give each other a reason to keep on living in this damned and corrupt world that our father made for us to rule." The younger Shinra squeezed his brother's shoulder. "What do you say?"

Rufus finally smiled. Weakly. "Yeah. . . All right. I'll hang onto you . . . if you'll continue to hang onto me."

"We managed it for five years, bro," Cloud said. "I think we can do it again."

"If we fall, we'll fall together," whispered Rufus.

"Until one of us, or both of us, is dead," Cloud affirmed.

"Until one of us, or both of us, is dead," repeated Rufus, nodding. The two brothers continued to hold each other for a long time, staring up at the star-filled sky.

"Junon?" queried Rufus, frowning at Tseng.

Tseng nodded. "Yes, Sir," he said. "We have reason to believe that AVALANCHE will be heading that way; it's the only city that has transportation off the continent."

"Then we'll just have to go there and cut them off," Rufus sighed, leaning back into his chair. "We'll catch them before they get anywhere near the base."

"Sir, I've been told that there's going to be a parade in your honor," Tseng said. "In honor of you becoming the new president."

A dark shadow fell over Rufus' features. "A parade," he repeated bluntly. "Over me becoming the new president." He finally exploded. "Dammit, Tseng, people *died*!! You should know very well what that means; you take the orders from Heidegger and give them out to Reno, Rude, and now, Elena!! There's no reason for there to be a ceremony or anything!"

Tseng was unfazed by it all. "Shall I have the parade canceled then, Sir?" he queried.

Rufus sighed, burying his head in his hands. "No," he sighed. His face was slightly red when he brought his hands away. "People will need something to lighten their moods."

Tseng nodded, his face completely unreadable. "We can leave tomorrow morning for Junon, Sir, if you wish. We can hold the parade as soon as we know that AVALANCHE is there."

Tseng didn't have to wait long for his answer from Rufus. "All right. We'll leave tomorrow. All the Turks will come, as will Heidegger and Cloud."

"Yes, Sir."

Reno grinned as he unwrapped the bandages from his head, looking at Cloud the whole time. "Ya know, Cloud," he started, "that was the stupidest stunt in history that you did with Sephiroth."

Cloud shrugged, smirking at the Turk. "Well, I didn't want to see Rufus get skewered by Sephiroth. Did you?"

"Nah," Reno replied casually. "We just got him back from Junon. That doesn't mean you should have jumped out of the helicopter and fought Sephiroth, though. You could have gotten killed."

"I wasn't really thinking about that when I did what I did."

The red-haired Turk reached into his pocket and pulled out his shades, putting them back into his hair before averting his green eyes to Cloud. "You're really protective of Ruf, aren't you?" He was serious; the slight frown told it all.

"Yeah," Cloud said, slowly nodding. He grinned. "Either that, or I was still drunk when that all happened."

Reno laughed outloud at Cloud's last remark. "I pray that isn't true."

Rufus watched Heidegger, Rude, and Tseng get into one of the helicopters heading to Junon, Tseng manning the controls with Rude sitting next to him; apparently, Heidegger was able to take the whole back seat up by himself. Chuckling softly to himself, Rufus strode over to the other helicopter, where Reno sat at the front with Elena. Reno had truly surprised him when he had told him that he could man the helicopter; Rufus would have to keep in mind that he shouldn't underestimate his friend. Cloud yawned as he sat back in the back seat; it was barely six in the morning.

"C'mon -- stay awake, sleepyhead," Rufus chuckled as he slipped into the back with his brother.

Cloud smiled lazily at him. "This is coming from my big-shot brother that stays up past midnight on a regular basis." He was dressed in his SOLDIER uniform; when Rufus had asked him why, Cloud had replied that it was more comfortable than that stuffy blue suit he had to wear to executive meetings.

Elena giggled up front. "You two are a unique pair," she commented.

"No kidding," agreed Reno as he brought the helicopter up into the air. Tseng's chopper was already ahead, but it didn't quite matter to Reno, or anyone else in the helicopter, for that matter. "I've known these guys for five years; met Ruf, then ended up getting to know Cloud more than Rufus. It's odd, actually. . . Rufus and Cloud are so different, and yet when you get to know one of them, you find yourself knowing *both* of them."

"Really?" both the Shinra brothers queried in unison. They exchanged glances in surprise before Cloud went on. "We didn't know you felt that way."

Reno shrugged, an action that the two brothers couldn't see from the back. "It's nothing bad," he replied. "I just find it interesting now that I think about it; you two are completely different and still seem to be able to attract the same kind of people."

"You mean wacky people that want to be Turks like you and Elena?" Cloud grinned.

"Hey!" Elena gasped. Then, she started to laugh. "You think Reno and I are wacky?"

"Anything's possible!" Rufus sighed, laying back against his seat.

Reno shook his head, grinning as he directed the helicopter. "You can't say that about Elena, Ruf!" he shouted. "*I'm* the only wacky one in this chopper!"

"Yeah, right," Cloud shot back, that trademark grin still marring his face. "We're *all* a little crazy here."

"Is that a good or a bad thing?" asked Rufus.

Reno laughed. "Who knows?"

Rufus was in a very good mood as he strode through Junon, no longer minding the fact that he was back on the base he had been stuck in for the last five years. SOLDIERs marched passed him, eyeing him with a certain respect that Rufus found likable. He went up to his office, his eyes immediately going to his desk. Shock took over his face when he saw the piles of paperwork piled up on his desktop.

The young president had no idea how long he was standing there in shock, but the next thing he remembered was Reno's voice from behind him. "*Damn!*" the Turk cursed, shaking his head at the pile of paperwork. "Well, Ruf, look's like you've got your work cut out for you."

Rufus looked back at his friend, frowning at the little grin he could see on his face. "Why me?" he queried. "Why do *I* always get all the paperwork?"

Elena walked up behind Reno, eyed the papers on Rufus' desk, and giggled. "Maybe it's because you're at the top of the corporate ladder, Rufus."

"Ugh," Rufus groaned. "I *hate* paperwork!"

Reno laughed. "Get used to it, Ruf; you'll be pushing papers for a *long* time." At that, Rufus groaned yet again. Reno smiled, squeezing Rufus' shoulder to comfort him.

When Tseng made his way into the room moments later, Reno and Elena snapped to attention, watching Tseng nod at Rufus before speaking. "Sir, we have a problem."

"Is AVALANCHE here already?" queried Rufus, falling back into his role as the cool president of Shinra Incorporated. He frowned, his blue eyes settling on Tseng.

"Yes, Mr. President," started Tseng, "but that's not our only problem. Professor Hojo is missing." When Rufus' eyes widened in disbelief, Tseng continued on. "We just received a call from Miss Cassidi in Midgar that Hojo was missing; they don't know how long he's been gone."

"Does Scarlet or Reeve have any idea where Hojo could have disappeared to?" the president asked, brushing back his blond bangs again.

"No, Mr. President," Tseng replied.

"Damn," hissed Rufus, shaking his head. He concentrated back on the immediate problem. "You said that AVALANCHE is here in Junon. Where are their exact whereabouts at the moment?"

"Scouts have reported to have seen them on the beach near the town underneath the base," the leader of the Turks said automatically. Rufus secretly wondered what planet Tseng had come from and how in the world he managed to keep that expressionless face of his. "Should we start the parade immediately?"

Rufus nodded. "Immediately," he said firmly. "I want all the soldiers prepared within the next hour."

"Yes, Sir," Tseng said, saluting before turning heel and leaving.

Once the black-haired Turk was gone, Reno turned and grinned at Rufus. "Wow," he started, "a parade? Heh, it's not fair; I've never been the main attraction in a parade before."

Rufus smiled at him a little. "If the whole situation wasn't so important, I'd be laughing." He turned away from the two Turks, gazing out at the ocean that stretched before his eyes through the huge windows. AVALANCHE was in Junon. . . That meant that Zack was in Junon. He gritted his teeth together as he thought about the ex-SOLDIER. He found it so unfair that Zack would take out his anger towards his father on himself and Cloud. Rufus' eyes narrowed on the darkness of the water that spread before him. Zack had been a friend.

*Had* been.

"Already?"

Cloud leaned against the wall of his quarters, his blue eyes on his older brother. He had always thought that Zack was smart enough to stay out of the eye of attention, but he guessed he had been wrong about his former best friend. Shaking his head sadly, the younger of the two Shinra brothers waited for his brother's response.

"Yes, already," sighed Rufus, running a hand through his hair. He had received the news of AVALANCHE's arrival less than twenty minutes ago. "According to Tseng, they were on the beach near the town."

"So what are you going to do?" queried Cloud, crossing his arms over his chest.

"We're going to do this parade . . . both of us," replied Rufus. When Cloud threw him a quizzical look, Rufus grinned. "I'm not going to be in that parade alone, you know! I hate faking a smile; if you were there, I'm sure to smile the whole way through."

Cloud smiled as well, his eyes shining brilliantly with happiness. "I'm glad to know I'm needed. We'll take down AVALANCHE and get rid of Sephiroth; together, we can do anything."

He received a nod. "Together, we can do anything," Rufus agreed. "Now, let's get ready."

Cloud and Rufus stood together in a fancy, Shinra-designed car, waving to the people of Junon as they drove by. Soldiers marched in front and in back of them, not one daring to mess up, as Heidegger marched at the front of the parade, leading the soldiers down the road with his head proudly held high. Trumpets blared, flutes trilled, and drums rolled to a parade march, lightening the mood in the dreary seaside base.

No one seemed to notice one soldier a few rows behind the Shinras stumbling to keep up with the rest of the soldiers, as if he didn't know the drills for the parade; as if, for some reason, he was completely new to marching with the others.

Zack Ebony winced as his "superiors" snapped at him for his performance during the parade. He glared underneath his helmet as he was forced to go through more drills and he listened as the red-clad soldiers told him over and over that the drills were to be performed for the president as he left for Costa Del Sol. Zack cursed as he heard the man mention Costa Del Sol. He was being dragged closer and closer to Gongaga . . . closer and closer to his past and family.

Once his "superiors" finally released him, Zack raced across the base, looking around wildly for Tifa, Aeris, Red XIII, Barret, or even Yuffie, the ninja brat they'd picked up in the forest outside of Junon. What he found instead was a gathering of soldiers that stood before Heidegger and . . . Rufus. 'Damn,' thought Zack, 'I hope he doesn't recognize me in this.'

From his position at the back of the group, Zack couldn't hear what Heidegger and Rufus were discussing. He could hear two names, though: "AVALANCHE" and "Sephiroth." Shaking his head, Zack moved to get away, but was pushed back into place by another red-clad soldier, who scolded him for moving out of his place. He watched Rufus climb into an lift that sported a banner stating "New Age President Rufus" and take off, but then returned his attention to Heidegger, who was quickly advancing on him. There was a fierce, frustrated look on his face that Zack didn't like, but he held his ground. For a brief moment, Zack thought that Heidegger could see through his disguise, but then pushed away the thought; Heidegger would have started barking out orders to the soldiers surrounding him to capture or kill him.

The next thing he knew was a huge, powerful fist, then stars. Yes . . . just stars.

Cloud watched as Rufus climbed down the ladder of the lift before approaching him. "So, what'd Heidegger say?" he queried. He was anxious to hear if there was any news of AVALANCHE's whereabouts in Junon.

"He says that there's no way that AVALANCHE can get into the base," Rufus sighed. He shook his head. "I don't take comfort in his words, though."

The younger of the two nodded in agreement. "Zack's very clever; you can bet that he's already on the base . . . somewhere."

"That's not our only problem," the white-clad Shinra said bluntly, running a hand through his blond hair. "Heidegger said that there's a chance that Sephiroth's on the base somewhere."

"What??" Cloud's gasp was audible. The young man gritted his teeth together and looked at his brother seriously. It wasn't quite settling to see Cloud serious; it was rare to see him acting this way, and when he did, it wasn't good. Ever. "Are you sure?"

"Heidegger may be a little slow, but he rarely lies outright," Rufus replied. "If there's even the slightest possibility that Sephiroth's here in Junon, we must be ready for anything. We'll double the guards and tighten up the security--"

"No," Cloud interrupted abruptly. When Rufus looked at him in shock, Cloud continued. "Sephiroth's not coming to kill everyone in Junon, Ruf. You know it; deep down inside, you know I'm not lying." When Rufus crossed his arms and lowered his gaze, Cloud put a hand on his shoulder for comfort.

"He wants us dead," Rufus whispered. Bringing his gaze up, Rufus locked eyes with his brother's. Blue eyes and blue eyes. "Cloud, I'm almost positive that Sephiroth wants us dead. He killed Dad. He wants to get rid of Shinra Incorporated . . . and we're the only things stopping him from doing so."

Cloud gripped his brother's shoulder firmly. "Don't worry, Ruf. We're survivors. We'll get through this together."

Solemnly, Rufus nodded. That word was the keyword. Together.

On to Chapter 6.

Back to Rufus and Cloud.