Rufus and Cloud

A frown marred his face at he leafed through the reports before him. Less then a week had passed since the incident at Rocket Town and it appeared that AVALANCHE was covering ground much more quickly than he had thought they would. Rufus Shinra raised his gaze to look out upon the city of Midgar, flicking his hair back with his free hand. He would have to learn not to underestimate them. With Sephiroth's intentions still unclear, and AVALANCHE causing trouble everywhere, he knew he was going to have a hell of a time trying to keep Shinra Incorporated from harm's way.

The latest sign of AVALANCHE had been found a fair distance from the city of Wutai. According to the report, AVALANCHE had burst through the defenses of the Shinra outpost in the mountains and had continued north to the city. But, according to Reno, Elena, and Rude, who were vacationing in that area, there wasn't a single incident in the city. It didn't take Rufus long to dismiss the report; he trusted his best friend's word above just about everything else. Tossing the stapled report on top of his desk, Rufus leaned back against his chair as he faced the windows.

Only three days after Cloud had given the Turks a vacation did Tseng come back, unwilling to rest with AVALANCHE still out there and Sephiroth's plans a mystery. At Cloud's urging, Rufus set Tseng out to find out more about the Keystone and locate it. He had left immediately upon receiving the assignment, much to Rufus' surprise. Cloud had only smiled as they watched the leader of the Turks take his leave. It made him wonder if Cloud and Tseng had done some talking while he was out.

Rufus' hand trailed down his leg as he sat, wincing as the dull pain returned. He had learned the hard way that it was impossible to heal from a Jenova attack in only three weeks. Especially with a direct wound to the back . . . and spinal cord. The young President glared a hole through the wall. He hated having to keep his pain a secret from Cloud, but he didn't need his younger brother fretting over him every moment of the day. Besides, knowing Cloud, he would push him back into the hospital if he ever told him. So, the secret remained with himself, Reno, and the doctors. Not even Tseng knew of his conditions . . . unless the leader of the Turks knew more than Rufus thought he did. And being the leader of the Turks, Rufus knew he had to know more than his group members did.

He sighed. Thinking about Tseng and his vast knowledge hurt his head. Before he could raise his hands to begin rubbing his temples however, Cloud dashed up the stairs, clearly excited. "Ruf! Reeve just reported that AVALANCHE's got a lead on the Keystone!"

Rufus arose from his chair and blinked, watching Cloud gesture wildly and run back down the stairs. Then, he followed in a swift pace, forgetting the pain in his legs.

". . . So Dio's had it the whole time?" Rufus exclaimed in disbelief, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked at Reeve.

Reeve nodded, his Cait Sith gear, consisting of a special headphone ear-piece, special lenses, and a microphone in his shirt collar, deactivated for the moment. "Yes, Rufus. He bought it from a collector of the name of Brenned. AVALANCHE is heading to the Gold Saucer as we speak to get the Keystone from him."

"Damn," the white-clad man growled. "We have to get to it before they get there--"

"I'm afraid that's impossible, sir," Reeve interrupted. "They will be there before sunset, and it will take the closest units several hours to get there. I suggest we allow them to get it, then use Cait Sith to steal it away from them."

"Is that wise, Reeve?" queried Cloud, the only other person present. "Should we blow our spy's cover this fast. . .?"

"The other members of AVALANCHE have always been suspicious of me as Cait Sith," replied Reeve. "We might as well make use of the little cover we have left for Cait."

Rufus, who had remained quiet since Reeve's suggestion, spoke up. "But how will we get Cait Sith out of there once he has stolen the Keystone?" he asked. "There's no telling how fast AVALANCHE will discover he's taken it, and then what? I doubt a robotic cat on a Mog will get far alone."

"Someone's going to have to meet Cait Sith and get the Keystone from him," Reeve murmured.

"Ruf, what unit's closest to the Gold Saucer that we can trust with this kind of a mission?" Cloud had thrown himself into a chair, looking across the small meeting room to his brother.

"Occupied town-wise, we have troops in Costa Del Sol," the other Shinra said. "Should we--"

The young man was once again interrupted, this time by a knock on the door. Following the knock came the sound of the door opening. A young, black-haired woman poked her head into the room. "Mr. President?" she called.

Rufus frowned slightly and looked at his personal secretary. "What is it, Aziza? I thought I asked not to be bothered unless there was an emergency."

"There's a Mr. Lander on the PHS," the woman quickly said, swallowing hard under the gazes of three of the highest ranking officials in Shinra.

"Tseng?" all three men whispered simultaneously. Rufus walked to his secretary and took the PHS from her. "Thank you, Aziza." The woman nodded, blushing from being so close to the most wealthy and powerful bachelor on the Planet. She then took her leave, shutting the door behind her. Lifting the PHS to his ear, Rufus went through the formal way of greeting someone.

"President Rufus," Tseng said, his tone clearly all-business, "I've located the Keystone. It is in the possession of Dio, owner of the Gold Saucer."

"Yes, I was just told that by Reeve," Rufus remarked. "How far are you from the Gold Saucer, Tseng?"

"I am within the vicinity of Gongaga, sir," reported the Turk.

"Ah, that's good." Rufus allowed a smile to reach his lips. "Hold on, Tseng. I have to discuss something with Reeve."

"Yes, sir."

Rufus lowered the PHS and muffled the speaker-piece in his shoulder. "Tseng's closer to the Gold Saucer than the troops in Costa Del Sol. If we act quickly, we can get Tseng into position to pick up the Keystone once Cait Sith steals it."

"That's a good idea, Rufus," commented Reeve, nodding.

Cloud nudged the executive and chuckled. "Don't comment, Reeve. You'll just inflate Ruf's ego more."

The older Shinra smirked and rolled his eyes, lifting the PHS again. He went into detail as to how they would steal the Keystone and where he would receive it from Cait Sith, and then went on to explain that he was to fly to the Temple of the Ancients and await further instructions. That done, he exchanged farewells with the Turk and turned his attention back to his brother and friend.

"I've been thinking, Rufus," Reeve began, stroking his short, neat beard, "what will become of Cait Sith once the Keystone is stolen? Surely you're not thinking of letting him be destroyed, are you?"

"I really don't want him to be," Rufus sighed, "but I don't see any way to avoid that. Cait Sith is too valuable to be destroyed; we'd lose a big advantage if they took him out."

All three men went into a thoughtful silence for a few moments. "I have an idea," announced Cloud. "We can capture someone important to the members of AVALANCHE . . . like Aeris Gainsborough's mother or something. If we threaten to hurt the person, AVALANCHE won't be able to touch Cait." The two older men looked shocked by Cloud's suggestion, but Cloud shook his head. "Okay, so it may seem cruel and downright evil, but you just said, Ruf, that we'd lose a big advantage without Cait. I can't think of anything else that'll work."

"I can't believe I'm agreeing with something like that, but I guess I have to," Rufus consented. "I'll send Reno and Rude to handle it."

"I'm afraid I have to object there, Rufus," spoke up Reeve. "I don't trust Reno and Rude to handle such a delicate situation. May I go there personally?"

"You, Reeve?" gaped the President. When the executive nodded, he began to calm down. "I . . . guess so. Are you sure you will be able to handle it?"

Reeve smirked for the first time in weeks. "Well, let me just put it this way: there are times when people believe those rumors of me being a Turk are true."

The two Shinras stared at their friend in disbelief.

Elena had been a bit surprised when Cloud had approached her, telling her of the mission she was supposed to do. What had really surprised her, though, was the fact that Reeve, Head of Urban Development in Shinra Incorporated, was going to accompany her. When she had asked if he would be able to handle the mission, Cloud had only shrugged and replied, "I have no idea." Coming from Cloud Shinra, those were not the most comforting of words.

As she sat in the car with the executive, she couldn't help but glance sideways at him. He certainly didn't seem like the type to take on such a task; his eyes, dark brown in color, had a gleam of kindness, of warmth. That was something that was lost in the gaze of Heidegger, and even Scarlet. But those were elements not found in Turks. The Turks were impenetrable where emotions were concerned, and that was because they locked their emotions away.

She snapped her attention to the car window, staring blankly at the scenery as it blurred by. What was she thinking? It was possible for a Turk to still be a Turk and still maintain those and other emotions. Reno was living proof of that. She also felt that, deep down, Rude and Tseng both weren't that bad. Tseng especially; she hoped with all her heart that there was some part of him within himself that she could reach. If not. . .

Elena blushed despite herself. Was it foolish to bear feelings for an older man? She hoped not. Tseng was certainly a lot nicer than he let on. Her fantasies were finally interrupted by a voice. "Elena, we have reached Sector 5."

She jolted slightly, blinking up at Reeve. A wry smile crossed his face as he withdrew, opening the door on his side of the car before exiting. Gathering her scattered wits, the Turk opened her own door and stepped out, averting her gaze to the slums before her eyes. Reeve had already started walking and was quite a distance ahead of her, making Elena have to jog to reach his side.

The executive was silent for a moment as she slowed into a stride next to him. Then, "What do you think about the slums, Elena?"

The question surprised Elena, and she looked at the man. "What do I think about them?" she repeated, as if not believing the question to begin with. Reeve's steady stare was her only answer, so she decided to continue. "Well, um, I don't like them that much. They're so dirty and . . . unlivable."

". . . And yet people still live in them," Reeve growled, surprising Elena even further. His brown eyes were filled with an anger that didn't befit him. "I stayed with Shinra Incorporated as long as I did because I knew that the late President's sons would work differently than him. Once this whole AVALANCHE thing blows over, I have a feeling they will begin cleaning up Midgar and Junon."

"Don't get your hopes up, sir," Elena murmured. Reeve's brow rose as he looked over at her. "I mean, no offense, but I don't think it's possible to save Midgar or Junon. They've become so polluted over the years that there's probably nothing underneath all the grime and filth. If you were to take away the slums of Midgar, you might as well rip apart the city."

"Perhaps you're right," the other sighed. "But there is always hope. I won't give up on President Shinra's sons until the very end." Elena smiled and nodded, realizing they had talked all the way to the front door of Elmyra Gainsborough's home. She blinked several times, taking in the flower-covered hill not too far away from the cozy, two-story house before her. It was shocking to see such a place in the middle of the slums. Reeve's voice suddenly filled her ears. ". . . It's places like this that fill me with hope for the future of Midgar."

The Turk allowed another smile to touch her face as she knocked on the door. A woman nearing old age answered the door, blinking wary green eyes at them. "Yes?" she whispered, not daring to open the door completely.

"Are you Elmyra Gainsborough?" Elena almost did a double take when she heard Reeve's voice. He had traded his warm voice for a flat, all-business tone in a moment's notice. It blew her mind.

"Yes, I am," Elmyra affirmed, still clutching the doorknob on her side of the door. The blue suits the two wore reminded her vaguely of the uniforms worn by the Turks. . .

"I'm sorry to say, then, that you must come with us to the Shinra Building."

And the poor woman's world screeched to a heart-stopping halt.

Zack kicked a stone as he stepped from the gondola, Tifa right behind him. She quickened her pace so that she was more in his line of sight, smiling gently. "I enjoyed tonight, Zack," she murmured as they walked.

The young ex-SOLDIER smiled and nodded wordlessly, his hand brushing against Tifa's. They walked together in silence, climbing into the warp hole that would take them back to the Station Square of the Gold Saucer. As Zack helped Tifa up, they noticed a very nervous-looking Cait Sith bound from the Ghost Square warp, clutching something to his little cat chest. The two glanced at each other, then gasped in unison when they saw what the cat held to itself: the prize they had earned only hours ago, the Keystone.

"Cait Sith?" Tifa asked hesitantly, taking a step towards the Mog and its rider.

"Huh? Uh-oh!!" Cait Sith took one look at the two and was off, guiding the Mog to another of the warp holes.

"Damn! What's going on?" hissed Zack, racing after Cait with Tifa only steps behind him. They leapt into the warp hole to Wonder Square, chasing Cait Sith. Many times they had to spin around to catch sight of the cat again, who continued to bounce from different areas of the Gold Saucer.

"There! There he is!" shouted Tifa as they entered the Chocobo Square. They sprinted up the stairs, curses ringing from Zack's throat as Cait Sith once again slipped past them. Turning to exit the building, the two caught sight of Cait tossing the Keystone up to a very familiar man in a helicopter.

Tseng clutched the Keystone and nodded down at the cat. "You've done well," he remarked before the helicopter left and disappeared from sight.

"Cait Sith!!!" Zack roared, stopping in front of the cat with murder in his eyes. "What the hell was that?!"

If Cait Sith hadn't been a robot, a calm, knowing look would have fallen over his furry features. "Yes, Zack, I've betrayed you. . . But let's not mull over this."

Unbeknownst to the two AVALANCHE members, Rufus and Cloud were hovering over Reeve as he spoke. "Who are you?" demanded Zack, ready to grab hold of the cat and hang him off the side of the Gold Saucer.

". . . I work for Shinra," admitted the cat, sighing. "I'm not ready to give my name, though. . . Let's just say I'm a high executive."

"Why should we trust you after what you just did?" Tifa was frowning as she stood next to the clearly enraged Zack.

"Well, you really can't, but I'm sure that it wouldn't look good for you rebels to kill me and leave my carcass to rot somewhere, would it? Besides. . . I have some insurance."

Cait Sith brought out a communicator, activating it with flick of a switch. "Papa. . .? Where's Papa?"

"Marlene!!" Tifa covered her mouth as he eyes widened in shock.

"We also have Ms. Gainsborough's mother with us. I'm sorry to have to bring them into this, but I can't allow you to destroy this robot."

"You bastard. . .!" Zack reached forward to strangle the robotic animal.

For a Mog and cat made almost completely out of metal and fur, Cait was quite agile. He narrowly dodged Zack's reaching hands and wagged a paw at him. "Now, now," he started, "getting rid of me won't help your current situation; Tseng of the Turks will still have the Keystone and will still be going to the Temple of the Ancients at daybreak, not to mention I'll still be safe in the Shinra Building. I suggest you calm down and get some rest. We can talk about this before we leave tomorrow."

"I'll tear you apart. . ."

But even as those words passed Zack's lips, Tifa was beginning to lead him away to the warp hole to the Station Square. Cait Sith watched them leave and sighed in relief before bounding after them.

Cloud applauded as Reeve deactivated his microphone and other equipment. "Give the guy a medal!" he exclaimed, grinning. "How many skills do you have that we don't know about, Reeve??"

Reeve chuckled lightly as he looked at the younger Shinra. "You'd be surprised, Cloud," he replied. "You'd be surprised."

Rufus smirked and flicked back his hair with his left hand. "Good job, Reeve," he commented. "You've really outdone yourself today." He turned to face the window of Reeve's office that overlooked the city of Midgar. "Send Elena to meet up with Tseng at the Temple of the Ancients. If we're lucky, we'll be able to get Sephiroth and AVALANCHE at the same time."

By the end of the next day, it was clear that there had been a fatal error to the Shinras' plan. A very fatal one. Elena had arrived back in Midgar after leaving Tseng in the Temple of the Ancients a few hours ago. She was clearly exhausted after having flown herself back alone, barely awake as she entered Rufus' office to check in. Reno and Rude had left soon after she reported she was coming back so they could accompany Tseng back. The rookie Turk was about to leave when Rufus' phone rang. She stopped, a bit curious as to who was calling the President.

Rufus sighed and picked up the receiver. "Rufus Shinra," he said, rubbing his temples wearily while holding the phone with his shoulder. These late calls never ceased to drain the strength out of him.

"Ruf." It was Reno. A very upset, jittery Reno. "Ruf, we have a big problem."

The blond President straightened at the voice of his best friend. If the problem was bad enough to make Reno sound so disturbed, it was more than likely a devastating problem. "What is it, Reno?" Hearing the name of one of her fellow Turks, Elena turned her full attention to Rufus. The man, however, was so busy concentrating on the call that he took no notice of her.

"It's Tseng, Ruf," Reno managed, his voice dipping into a strangled whisper. "Tseng. . . He's dead. We think AVALANCHE got him."

There was an eerie silence for a long, painful moment.

"What??" Rufus was out of his seat, eyes wide with something between anger and horror. His reaction surprised Elena, making her take a step backwards to catch her balance.

". . . The bastards killed him, Rufus." Reno's voice had suddenly risen into an angry, forceful tone. "Listen, Ruf, I don't care anymore that their leader is-- was-- whatever-- Cloud's best friend! They killed my boss! Tseng! . . . Damn them! Damn them all to hell! I wish that--"

Rufus slammed the receiver back down on the phone, not even noting that that was the first time he had ever hung up on Reno before. He buried his face in his hands as he sat down again, holding himself up by propping his elbows up on the table top. Elena cautiously approached, unsure if Rufus was crying or in deep thought.

". . . Rufus?" This seemed like a time where formalities were of no matter; if the man dared look so unprofessional, there was only Rufus before her, not the President of Shinra Incorporated. "Rufus, why did Reno call? What happened?"

The white-clad young man looked up, blue eyes glazed. ". . . Elena. . ?" he murmured. He immediately bowed his head, not wanting to believe this was happening. What was he going to tell her? Taking a deep breath, Rufus decided to be tactful. ". . . . Tseng's dead."

That didn't come out right.

Sadly, that was only time that Rufus would ever get to try his tactility with Elena on that subject. She didn't have to hear his words a second time; the tears brimming up in her eyes were clear evidence that she had understood what he had just said. It didn't seem right to see a Turk cry in Rufus' eyes, but that didn't stop him from rising from his seat quickly and catching Elena as she collapsed into a sobbing fit. She clung onto him, sobbing into his chest without regard or thought.

Elena was shaking against him; her sobs were that strong. Her tears stained his white coat and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, but Rufus didn't move from her side. Instead, he moved closer, closing his own arms around her as she continued to cry with what little strength she had left. She had lost her boss today. She had lost her crush today. She had lost a possible boyfriend today. To AVALANCHE. To a rebellion that had just crossed the line.

And all Rufus Shinra, the richest man in the world, could do . . . was hold her.

On to Chapter 10.

Back to Rufus and Cloud.