Across the Divide and Through Valhalla

Turks

Chapter 55

Once they were out of the room, Sephiroth frowned at Tseng. "The timing of this is too strange with the way Commander Rhapsodos has been acting. We need to see if we can find anything else out, so I will authorize an investigation, but I would like to advise you to keep your methods as nonviolent as possible. If there is even a remote possibility that she is somehow connected to his recent change in behavior, then it would only make things worse for him to return and find her harmed."

Tseng gave the General a piercing look. "Do you truly believe that?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "No, but at this point, I cannot rule anything out."

Tseng nodded once before he turned and walked away. Once the Turks and the strange woman were gone, Sephiroth finally had a chance to look around and noticed what it was that had caught his attention. The peculiar statue that Genesis had brought back with him after his last away mission was missing. Sephiroth frowned again before he turned to leave. There were too many unknowns for his tastes.

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Reno and Sherry were walking slowly enough that it was not long before Tseng caught up to them. He did not say anything except to direct Reno to which cell they would be taking her. When they arrived, Sherry wanted to groan when all that was there was a table and two chairs. She wasn't sure what it was supposed to be like when most l'cie woke up from crystal sleep, if they were supposed to at all, but she hurt all over. She was not looking forward to sitting through an interrogation with the Turks.

She wasn't even given the luxury of putting her head on the table either. The cuffs she was wearing were transferred to the arms of the chair, and her feet were cuffed to the legs as well. She ignored the stony looks from the second in command and let her head fall back for just a few moments. As glad as she was to not be in that darkness anymore, she wasn't sure how much of an improvement this was.

She lifted her head as the door clanged shut. She looked around to see it was just Tseng left in the room with her. He sat down in the chair across from her and gave her a flat look. "The General explained how he found you. I already have operatives looking into the video feed for the last six months. That should more than cover your excuse, don't you think?"

Sherry gave him a helpless look. "I have no idea. Like I said, I don't know how long I've been out."

Tseng gave her an evaluating look at her continued insistence. Still, they had only just started. He did have the chance to note that she exhibited signs of physical exhaustion, so perhaps she had been in the room longer than just the day. It could work to his advantage. If the General insisted on no violence, then he already had a solution in mind if she was not forthcoming. "If Commander Rhapsodos knows you, how did you meet?"

Sherry hadn't thought about an answer to that question yet. She desperately tried to figure out how to put it in a way that would make sense. "He told me that he was out on a mission and got separated from his men. I helped him find his way back. During that time, I was injured and ended up in suspended animation. I don't remember anything after that."

Tseng sat back at her answer. He could tell she was only giving him the barest form of the story, but he wondered if there was some truth to it. The Commander had undoubtedly been missing for several days only a few months prior. "And how did you help him exactly?"

Sherry sighed and wished once again that she was close enough to the table to lay her head down. This was going to be a long day or a long few days. She prayed Genesis came back soon. At least she had a good imagination. She knew she couldn't lie, but she wasn't going to be able to keep quiet either. "I gave him a place to stay until we could figure out how to get him back to where his men were. Nothing big, really."

Tseng gave her an incredulous look. "And that inspired one of the most infamous playboys in Midgar to instantly fall in love with you and bring your injured body back with him, hide you from sight, sneak you into his apartment, and keep you there until you woke up?"

Sherry had to fight to keep from rolling her eyes. "I have no idea about his motivations. I wasn't awake. Why don't you ask him."

Tseng gave her a long hard look and realized that she had no intention of making this easy. At that point, he stood and turned to leave. He paused when she called out to him. "Wait! What are you planning to do with me?"

He turned back and gave her a sharp look. "You will be kept here until Commander Rhapsodos returns. We will decide on further actions at that time."

Sherry watched with growing concern as he walked out, and the door clanged shut behind him. She was still manacled to the chair uncomfortably. Not only was she exhausted, but she was starting to feel hungry too. She tried not to focus on any of that and instead sent up prayers that Genesis would hurry back.

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Sherry had somehow managed to fall asleep with her head leaning back, but she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not when the door slammed open, and she jerked her head up at the noise. She groaned at the pain that shot through her stiff joints as they let her know her sudden actions were not appreciated.

Reno came in with a smirk and was followed by two other men in similar suits that she didn't recognize. She frowned as he pointed at the table, and the two of them grabbed it and started hauling it out. "What is going on?"

Reno smirked back at her. "Bossman said you'll be here for a few days. Just tryn'ta make ya more comfortable."

"You could have left the table and undone my hands. That would have been better."

Reno gave her a funny looked and laughed. "You really don't get it, do ya."

Sherry groaned as he stepped closer and knelt beside her. He gave her a hard look. "See, Shinra don't take kindly to strangers in places they ain't supposed to be, and from what I understand, you're a stranger, and you ain't supposed to be here. We can go about this one of two ways. You can tell me why you're really here, or things will get a whole lot more unpleasant goin' forward."

Sherry shook her head and bit the inside of her cheek to keep from crying. Or at least that was what she kept telling herself. She had to look away from him when she felt the first one fall. Her voice was still relatively steady when she answered. "Unless you want me to start lying to you, I don't have any other answers to give you. I let Genesis stay with me until I was able to take him back to where he could pick up the trail back to his men. There was mako there, and I got pulled in. I can't remember anything after that."

He grabbed her face and pulled it around roughly. His eyes widened slightly when he realized she had turned away to hide tears. He hadn't expected her to be crying. Sherry grimaced as he let her go. He stepped back and frowned at her. "If you refuse to cooperate, you'll stay here. You ain't movin'." Sherry didn't even get a chance to say anything to him as he walked out and shut the door behind him.

She sighed and started to lean her head back again. When the crick in her neck reminded her what a bad idea that was, she groaned and tried not to cry again. She shook her head at herself. This was ridiculous. She was stronger than this. She couldn't afford to start breaking down now. With that thought in mind, she tried to wipe the tears off on her shoulder and let her head hang down. Genesis couldn't get there fast enough.