Promise by Aridea Moons

{Part 2: Order}

The blonde chuckles covering his mouth as Rufus lifts an eyebrow.
R: "Don't believe me?"
C: "This is hilarious..even for Shinra. This is senseless , I cant even explain it", he continues to smile to himself, "There's just..this isn't this doesn't make any sense at all, Tifa was just a normal girl with a normal life until the incident"
R: "Ahuh that much is true yes..you believe in ancients?"
The blonde looks at him annoyed by his question as he rolls his eyes
C: "Of course"
R: "Well this is an ancient method Wutai has been hiding for the last couple decades. Its a practice and her mentor happened to know that practice"
C: "She would have told me-"
R: "How can she when she lost her memory after the Nibelheim incident?"
C: "Ive seen your files lie..specifically the death of a close friend of mine", he folds his arms lowering his eyelids giving him a blank expression then Rufus holds up a finger.
R: "Well do you see it written down?"
The blonde makes a face folding his arms
R: "As for Zack", he begins to walk with his hands behind his back, "You see we don't write down traitors in our company because it would make us seem weak of power"
C: "Back then was your fathers doing..why do you keep his 'practices'?"
R: "I see that your bothered by this...", he gets in his face smirking, "Lie"
C: "Since when did you plant a bug in me?", he lifts an eyebrow, "Don't remember that being a part of the deal?"
R: "Measures had to be made Cloud, you would know that if you went looking for whatever it was Sephiroth wanted you to look into"
C: "As far as I know there was no need since you had it all figured out..clearly", he nods his head
R: "Heh, I do whats best-"
C: "Your a murderer..just like your father when he brought Sector 7's plate down killing hundreds and he blamed it on us. I don't see how this makes you any better?..I think we're done here", he begins to walk out
R: "Did you look at the pictures? The contract its all there you know..Don't forget about our agreements"
The blonde stops
C: "As far as I know..this 'agreement' is no longer valid"
R: "You wouldn't want the orphan or Tifa to...get in danger, would you?"
The blonde lifts his eyes then walks back grabbing his collar
C: "You don't touch them", he whispers aggressively in his face
R: "Oh Im sorry, did I speak too soon? I mean Sephiroth will and..I dont need to protect whats left of what you have"
The blonde looks at him angry clearly holding back
R: "Did I poke the bears den by accident?", he says smirking, "Oh thats right...they are not just orphans, specifically that orphaned boy you have been having trouble with lately. He is what? Your cub?"
C: "Tsk! You have no right to take whats been given"
R: "Oh I see now, you still believe Aerith gave you that boy?", the blonde seemed bothered, "Still can't get over it can you? Oh Cloud typical of you really. The person who sent you that boy was none other than my father himself when he blew the plate, killing his parents", he smirks again, "So really you should owe it to me for giving you a fresh start at being able to have a new life". The blonde looks up at him threateningly causing Rufus to smile then says, "That boy is your karma, he's your doing when you were running around blowing up reactors playing tag, my father and the counsel made a choice and you were the cause of that choice so really you killed his parents".
The blonde lets go of his collar stepping back with his hair covering his eyes as Rufus was satisfied fixing his tie.
R: "Lets get to business shall we?"
The blonde suddenly punches him in the face then grabs his collar again wrinkling the fabric with his fingers.
C: "You don't touch my family..and you certainly don't try to use them to bargain up a deal with me. I don't care what you have to say, your all bark but no bite.", he lets go of his collar shoving him as Rufus wiped the blood off his nose.
R: "I suppose I deserve that, glad you came to your senses then"
C: "The Rufus I know wouldn't steep so low", he says folding his arms as Rufus smiles to himself, "Especially for a deal".
R: "Just making sure that your head is still on your neck but it seems Sephiroth still gets in there lately."
C: "Not anymore"
R: "Thats the SOLDIER I know always striving to fight through the battle", he smiles again slipping his hands in his pockets.
R: "Now then I have a new proposition, stop Sephiroth in return I'll buy you a new bar and keep your kids safe here for the time being",
he says hiding one hand in his pocket as he raised the other for a hand shake but the blonde walked away, "I take that as a yes then".
C: "I give you the orders this time, you can listen through the chip you planted me", he walks in the elevator folding his arms giving him the death stare, "You can tell me the 'catch' later after this is dealt with", he says before the elevator doors close.
R: "hm not the way I planned but..that works too, have it your way then as long as you pay me back", he says fixing his tie again then looks over at the clock in his office mumbling to himself, "It appears Im late for a board meeting again".
*DING*
Tifa looks over at the elevator to see Cloud walk out
T: "Cloud"
The blonde looks over to the three sitting down on the glossy black couch, she stands up with her hands behind her back smiling.
T: "Whats the plan?", she smiles but Cloud took her behind the pillar away from the kids speaking in secret.
C: "Tifa..your gonna stay here"
T: "What?"
C: "Its safer for you here and the kids, trust me"
T: "Cloud thats not-", she shakes her head
C: "Just listen to me, I have to go out and deal with this-"
T: "No thats not why I came", she says touching his cheek, "I didn't come so you can hide us-"
C: "The kids-"
T: "Me, I didn't come here so you can hide 'me'. I came here to help-"
C: "Its too dangerous-"
T: "No not for the both of us"
C: "Tifa", he looks over at the two teens talking as Denzel looks over at them speaking then he sees Cloud grab his hips lowering his head frustrated.
M: "What do you think they're talking about?"
D: "Probably going to fight again..", he leans back rolling his eyes with his hands behind his head and his foot resting on his other knee.
M: "hmm"
D: "Stop thinking about it, nothing good comes to thinking about pointless crap like that"
M: "Denzel, come on. Aren't you a little worried?"
D: "...", his hair cover his eyes then he leans on his knees looking down, "Its just like back then.."
Marlene looks over at him upset then he touches his back only to have him flinch
M: "...We both lost parents. I don't remember mine..but you do. I know its hard-"
D: "You had Barret...I lost my parents..no big deal not like Im the only one. Im no different from the other kids..."
M: "Well..at least your not a narcissist"
Denzel looks up at her
D: "What?"
M: "Its just that lately you been acting like one. It upsets Cloud and Teef..they worry about us a lot. Earlier they were terrified when you weren't around."
The teen looks down in guilt
D: "Sorry..you know what was happening in that orphanage. They just left us there this time it wasn't for a day...it was like a week or two and we didn't have any money"
M: "We didn't need it, the orphanage provided us everything. Why did you want it anyways? Did you want to buy something?"
D: "Its not that..I was getting ready.."
M: "For what?"
D: "...In case they didn't come back", he continues to look down with his hair covering his eyes as Marlene looks at him in sympathy then sighs.
M: "Oh Denzel, you can be a real idiot sometimes"
D: "Hey!"
M: "Lets be honest, you believed they wouldn't care enough to come back also it was a month by the way", she folds her arms
D: "Marlene...shut up"
M: "Hmph meany..but hey..it came back didn't it?"
Denzel widened his eyes
D: "How did you know?"
M: "...when we were kids you would have episodes whenever they were away for too long except this time I noticed that you show them now..more openly I mean", she looks down at her hands on her thighs.
D: "...Don't tell them..they worry too much"
M: "...you never really talk about what happened to you when they found you", she looks over at him
D: "..Theres no reason to talk about it because it happened..and Cloud taught me that. The beat way to fight is to just move on and say it was just a bad dream"
~
C: "Tifa we can't-"
T: "No! Your so..your just..so",she sighs, "You don't believe I am capable?", she looks up at him with big eyes
C: "I know you are very but..", he looks down at her with puppy eyes, "I can't help it, if your down there with me Ill get distracted..and"
T: "I know..but its better this way..why don't you call the others then?"
C: "I have to do it alone"
T: "No you don't, this is my fight too. Let me help"
The blonde gulps looking down
C: "Cant let you die"
A sudden image of Tifa getting impaled made him stare down at the floor
T: "Cloud?"
He snaps out of it
C: "..Okay..Lets go", he nods seeming bothered and Tifa sees this raising her eyebrows
T: "You okay?"
C: "Yea"
T: "Alright, Ill go talk to them", she walks towards the two teens and begins to talk to them as Cloud looked from a distance at her smile.
C: "I can protect her..right?"