“Elena? What are you doing here?” Reno asked, surprised to see his ex
fellow Turk so soon. He figured she had gone into hiding, mourning Rude’s…
death by herself. The memory was still fresh and painful to Reno.
“To make sure Shinra stays dead, what else?” Elena asked in a crisp
tone, and it became apparent instantly that she had changed a great deal
since Rude’s death. For one thing, she seemed surer of herself, and her
eyes no longer held any naivety in them.
“Doesn’t everyone want that these days?” Christy asked, trying to break
the tension that had decided since the blonde had shown up. Everyone was
looking at her suspiciously, except for Reeve, Reno, Sephiroth, and Tifa,
Sephiroth calm, Reeve and Reno stunned, while Tifa was starring blankly
at the journal Nanaki had shown everyone. Elena smiled slightly, but the
show of emotion was gone in a flash.
“I suppose we could use some inside help. What do you have in mind?”
Cloud asked after a while, mistrust evident in his eyes as he stared at
Elena critically.
“You think you’re the only ones who lost something when Shinra was
destroyed? Luckily, a lot of them are willing to help us. Kinda like a
rebel group of sorts.” Elena said, putting a thoughtful finger to her lips
and cocking her head. “They’re just lacking proper… leadership.” Elena
stated after a pause, as if searching for the right words, but Reeve, Reno,
and Sephiroth knew she was just trying to flatter Cloud a bit to make him
underestimate her forces. Surprise was always a favored tactic by the blonde,
not being much of a physical fighter herself.
“What kind of distraction do you have in mind?” Reeve asked, hoping
for nothing too dangerous. It wouldn’t do to have another one of his friends
killed in the same building. Nanaki nodded, having the same precautions
in mind. He didn’t think he would stay though, whatever course of action
they would take. He had to get back to the Cosmo Canyon soon.
“Nothing fancy, just a break in.” Elena said mischievously, and even
if Barret didn’t like anyone who had any connections with Shinra, he had
to admit, she had the style he liked.
“Now tha’s ma’ type of break in!” Barret exclaimed, stirring up everyone
else in the room who thirsted for action.
“Let’s do it!” Christy cheered, Yuffie and her already jumping up and
down excitedly.
“Hold it.” Everyone looked at Sephiroth, whose voice commanded respect,
and it was apparent why he used to be a general. “Instead of breaking in
plain in sight, shouldn’t we devise a strategy?” Sephiroth asked, and Nanaki
and Reeve nodding in agreement.
“But we should strike now!” Elena persisted, and Cloud stood up, a
hush falling over the room. Instantly, every gaze fell on Cloud.
“I agree with both parties. Sephiroth, devise some strategy and Elena,
get your forces together. We strike tonight.” Cloud settled, no one having
any argument there.
“Yuffie, master ninja and materia thief, has finally been given a mission!
My talents have been noticed.” Yuffie whispered happily, creeping along
the brightly lit corridors of the Shinra building. The place reeked of
cleaners and fresh paint or whatever they used on the walls. It was a quick
get in and out mission, but it still sent adrenaline pumping through her
veins. So far, no one had noticed Yuffie at all, which she thought was
suspicious, but didn’t want to question her luck. Taking a cautious peek
around, and relieved to see no on watching her, Yuffie quickly scampered
up the thickly carpeted stairs that led to Rufus’s old office. The very
thought sent an unpleasant shiver down her spine. She hadn’t forgotten
when he had nearly shot her just because she annoyed him. A quick scan
of the room informed her it was empty, and with the ninja swiftness she
had trained for, Yuffie had top secret files tucked away safely in the
folds of her Shinra uniform she had gotten off an unconscious guard. Straightening
with glee, Yuffie stood up, about to leave when a familiar cold voice sounded,
accompanied by the all too familiar sound of a gun being loaded.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the little ninja spy. Come for revenge
too?” Yuffie slowly turned around, only to see the smug face of blonde
haired man. “Well, where are your friends?” he asked, and Yuffie glared
at him.
“Like I’m going to tell you.” Yuffie retorted bravely, her hand inching
toward her shuriken. The thought of a fight got the adrenaline circling
in her veins, like it always did. Her fingers itched to grab her shuriken,
but the guy’s gun was pointed straight at her head.
“Let me rephrase that: tell me or you die.” Edmund stated, and suddenly
the adrenaline had left her veins as quickly as it came.
“We go left, and you go right.” Cloud stated with authority, pointing
Elena’s rebel group down the right corridor, Avalanche taking the left.
A boom rocked the Shinra building, signifying Elena and her group were
actually causing a decent distraction. They hadn’t had any Shinra guards
to run into, which was suspicious. Where was everybody? As if to answer
their question, a familiar figure stepped out of the shadows, grinning
madly.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Avalanche sticking their noses where
they don’t belong.” James mocked, and Avalanche got into battle stances.
“Seems you got another rag tag team together.” Reno observed, and James
grinned, gesturing toward the group of people he had selected carefully
and painfully.
“We are Jenova’s Children. You should know our name before you die.”
James said in a smug voice, and Christy rolled her eyes. She looked at
Tifa, raising her voice barely above a whisper.
“Now I know what Yuffie means ‘deja vu’.” She stated, and Tifa nodded,
a grin on her face.
“Shall we get started then?” A cocky brown haired man with hazel eyes
asked, pulling out a scythe, like some grim reaper. With a battle yell,
Jenova’s Children darted forward, meeting Avalanche head on.
“So your name is Lucy? Interesting…” Tifa stated, facing her advisory,
who had a whip poised and ready for an attack. Lucy didn’t say anything,
just glared angrily at Tifa like she had just found out her worst secret.
With a small grin, Tifa pulled her sword out of her sheath, waiting for
Lucy to attack. With a battle cry, Lucy charged forward, whip twirling
around, electricity breaking the air. Snapping her wrist down, her sword
clashed with the metal electricity whip, and Tifa swung around, her elbow
breaking into Lucy’s delicate nose, sending the girl flying backward.
“Look out!” Tifa turned around only to have a rod come crashing onto
her temple. With a curse, Barret aimed his gun arm at the girl, shooting
like mad. Dodging out of the way, the purple haired girl jumped out of
the way, still brandishing her rod. An energy ball came rushing forward,
shoot by a black, cold eyed girl who was eyeing Avalanche coldly, ignoring
James and Sephiroth, who were locked in battle. Clangs of a scythe and
buster sword rang through the corridor where Cloud and a scythe wielder
battled, both with equal wounds on their bodies. With expert aim, Christy
shoot the girl’s rod out of her hand as she came dashing forward, Barret
as her target. Glaring, the girl got into a pose behind the magic girl,
who stepped forward, arms raised.
“Enough!” startled, everyone turned around to see the new voice.
“Yuffie!” Everyone exclaimed, seeing the young ninja struggling in
a blonde man’s vice like grip, a gun pointed to her head.
“Turn the Ancient over and I will let her go free.” Edmund sneered,
and everyone looked back uneasily at Tifa, who seemed oddly calm about
the whole ordeal.
“I’ll go.” Tifa stated, and everyone looked at her in horror, while
Edmund just smirked confidently. “Let the rest of them go too.” Tifa said,
gesturing toward Cloud and the others.
“Whatever you say.” Edmund said, flicking back a strand of loose hair,
and letting Yuffie go as James grabbed Tifa’s arms. Ignoring Reno and Cloud’s
vicious glares, James dragged her over to Edmund, motioning for Jenova’s
Children to follow.
“We should go.” Sephiroth stated, and Yuffie looked up at him angrily.
“I just got Tifa captured! Shouldn’t we do something?” Yuffie asked
guiltily, but Cloud shook his head, still staring after where Tifa had
last been. She would be alright, he reasoned, why else would she let herself
be captured so easily?
Reeve eyed the papers critically, sizing up the companies on the list
and then he turned back to the gang, his face a little relaxed.
“There is nothing much to worry about. These are only minor companies,
and I doubt they would send anyone after us. Excellent work, to all of
you, especially to you, Yuffie.” Reeve stated, trying to lure the young
ninja out of guilt with praise, but she only shrugged.
“Do we get ta’ attack now?” Barret asked, exasperated. He was used
to having things go his way, him being the leader.
“Do you think it would be wise?” Reeve countered, and Barret looked
uncomfortable, searching the room for any support.
“We just attacked now, didn’t we? Hold your chocobos. We will wait.”
Sephiroth stated, leaning his head back against the couch cushion, looking
relatively at ease. Christy looked at him, deciding no matter what he said;
he really did have some medicine to make him so calm.
“But Tifa…” Reno said, and Yuffie flinched, the guilt coming back full
force. Stupid emotion, Yuffie thought angrily, making me feel so guilty.
“She must have had a reason.” Christy said, trying to be optimistic,
and Sephiroth cracked an eye open.
“She did. Surely you have felt the planet’s unease, now that you know
your heritage.” Sephiroth stated, looking at the Saquri who were shifting
uneasily foot to foot.
“Now that you mention it, the planet is quiet.” Cloud said, and the
non Saquri looked at each other.
“Care to enlighten the ones who aren’t gifted?” Reno asked sarcastically,
and Yuffie looked at him with a probing glance, her guilt forgotten for
a second as the same shift occurred in her.
“More Jenova are being sent to the planet.” Yuffie stated, and everyone
looked at her in shock. Since when was she so ‘in tune’ with the planet,
and so, so… wise?
“More Jenova? Do ya’ mean there are more?” Barret asked in disgust,
and Yuffie nodded, curling into a ball.
“Great, the more the merrier.” Christy said sarcastically.
“Excuse me.” People looked at Elena in surprise, like they all had
forgotten she was there. “One of my workers informed me that the new scientist,
Koji, is experimented on another type of Jenova.” Elena said, and Christy
shivered, remembering how that evil scientist had injected her with Jenova
cells. That didn’t mean she belonged to a different Jenova, did it?