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Final Fantasy VII: Angelic Threnody	By : DarkSeraphim1 Category: Final Fantasy VII > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1315 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core, Before Crisis, or Dirge of Cerberus. I do not profit from the writing and/or posting of this fic. I am just a humble fan paying tribute to another's wonderful creations.

Chapter List
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Final Fantasy VII: Angelic Threnody
Chapter 47
'My friend, the fates are cruel. There are no dreams, no honor remains. The arrow has left the bow of the goddess' –Loveless, ACT IV
The Director of the Department of Administrative Research stood at the windowed-wall of his office, his mind carefully sifting through all that he had just heard. He gazed unseeingly at the moon, which rose up high above the squalor of Midgar, its silvered rays obscured by the mako-spawned fog that was ever-present in the industrialized city, as he raised a cup of steaming tea to his lips.
He took a sip and sighed to himself, still unable to believe what Rufus had set in motion. He was careful to keep his features expressionless as he turned back to the other two men in the room. Lazard's fine features betrayed his horror, while Rude's were much like his own, blank and utterly inscrutable.
Tseng only shook his head as he seated himself behind his desk once more. Elfe was dead, he thought, his shock slowly giving way to the cold practicality that was essential to his job as a Turk. AVALANCHE was finished—or as good as with its driving force gone—and a psychopath had been unleashed onto an unsuspecting populace.
"Yo, you still there, boss?"
He glanced down at the phone on his desk, where Reno was waiting as patiently as he could for some kind of response. Tseng only wished he knew what that response should be. "Yes, I'm here," he said tonelessly. He set the cup on the desk before him and leaned back in his chair. "Does The General consider this Tsviet to be a serious threat to the party?"
"Yeah, he seemed to, especially since she went after General Asshole first thing. I guess, she wants His Royal Hotness all to herself." Reno chuckled at that, then cleared his throat and continued more seriously. "The remnants didn't see her as a threat at all, but Baby is just like that, yo. Yaz seemed kinda excited at the thought of fighting a Tsviet—Baby calls them Colors—but Loz and Kadaj totally blew it off. Although, Baby did say that he wanted to fight her. For the challenge, I think."
Tseng fought an urge to reach up and rub at his suddenly aching head. Baby was short for Baby Sephiroth, which was how Reno referred to the youngest of Sephiroth's clones—remnants—whenever he spoke of them. Yaz was Yazoo, the middle boy, whom Reno claimed bore the greatest resemblance to the great general, which meant that Reno was probably pursuing him as actively as he once had Sephiroth. Loz was the oldest boy, the one who was built like a tank, and Reno had described as an "oversized eight-year-old".
While Tseng was sure that that was an exaggeration, especially give the source, it was also clear that Reno had developed a fondness for Sephiroth's remnants, something which worried Tseng to no end. From everything the young Turk had told him about the Meteorfall and its aftermath, these boys were dangerously unstable, and nearly as powerful as Sephiroth himself. Reno assured him that they were doing better now, but Tseng had his doubts after hearing Reno's second-hand account of Jenova's "attack" on them.
She'd gone after them all, Tseng thought, as he concealed a shudder, even Aerith. Luckily, this Yazoo had been there to help the young Ancient, and Tseng couldn't deny that he was grateful that she had been unharmed in the attack. As much as he cared for Lazard, he would always have a soft spot for Aerith Gainsborough.
Rhapsodos and Hewley seemed to have been spared; Reno theorized that it was because their Jenova cells were "dead" cells. Tseng could only hope that he was right. If losing Rhapsodos had had such a negative impact on Sephiroth before he had lost his mind, Tseng could only imagine how much worse it would be now, after Sephiroth had sacrificed so much to change their fates.
"I'll talk to Rufus," he said abruptly, ignoring Lazard'salarmed expression. "It's past time I did something about Deep Ground. If this Rosso is reckless enough to go after Elfe on her own, then she cannot be trusted, and as such is a threat to Shinra."
"Be careful, yo," Reno told him in an atypically quiet voice. "If Rufus is as unpredictable as you've been telling me, he won't take you interfering too well."
Tseng raised both eyebrows, the only sign of his amusement, as he looked at the phone once again. "I can handle The President, Reno," he told the younger man evenly. "You concentrate on helping General Sephiroth. When you are ready to enter Nibelheim and deal with The Calamity, call me. I will have a team standing by to assist you."
A long pause followed his words. "I don't think that's a good idea, yo. If Sephiroth thinks that you're trying to stop him, he'll kill whoever you send."
"Then, you will simply have to assure him otherwise, won't you?" Tseng said flatly.
"Ah, come on, Tseng—"
"You will require assistance evacuating Nibelheim," he cut in smoothly. "While Mayor Lockheart might not listen to a rogue SOLDIER operative, he will assist Shinra in securing the safety of his town's citizens."
"Shit," Reno swore with feeling. "You're almost as crazy as he is, Tseng."
Tseng allowed himself a small smile, at that. "Perhaps," was all he said in response. "Regardless, you must prepare The General for our presence. Is that understood?"
"Yeah, yeah," the young Turk grumbled, clearly unhappy, but still loyal to the organization, "I'll talk to him. You'd better hope I find him in a good mood, boss, or things are going to go to shit real fast."
"I have faith in your powers of persuasion, Reno." A snort sounded on the other end of the line, and Tseng quickly forced down another smile. "Keep contacting Rude with regular updates," he ordered sternly, "and we'll help you to the best of our ability. Tseng, out."
He ended the call and steepled his hands beneath his chin. His dark gaze moved to Lazard, and the other man immediately began to speak. "This is a bad idea, Tseng," his lover told him urgently. "You were right before. I've seen how unreasonable Rufus has been about all of this. He still refuses to take your advice, or even allow you to discuss the situation with him. If you continue on this course, he may very well decide that you are a threat and take steps to—"
"He will not harm me, Lazard." Tseng released a slow breath and leaned back in his chair. "He knows that I am still loyal to him, that I only want what is best for him. He merely does not want to hear an opinion that differs from his own."
"He's dangerous right now," Rude inserted bluntly. "He isn't thinking clearly."
"He misses Reno," Tseng countered with a casual shrug. "He feels guilt for what he did to him, as well. He simply hasn't dealt with his feelings, yet. A phone call from Reno might go a long way towards calming his. . .ire."
"I don't know if Reno can do that," Rude answered with a slight shake of his bald head. "He's healing, but he's got a long way to go before he's back to one-hundred-percent, Director. He thinks of himself as a liability. He doesn't think he'd be able to return to his duties, even if Rufus was to somehow forgive him and let him come back."
Tseng only nodded in acknowledgement. "Do what you can, Rude. Rufus might not realize it now, but he needs Reno. Without him, he is in danger of becoming every bit his father's son. I would rather kill him than let that happen. Make sure that you relate that to Reno," he added meaningfully.
Lazard flinched, while Rude only inclined his head and left his room, his phone already in his hand. "Tseng. . ."
"I know." Tseng sighed and rose to his feet, rounding the desk to pull the younger man to his feet. He wrapped his arms around him and held him close, taking comfort even as he offered it in return. "It will be all right, koishii. Rufus is a good man at heart. He's lost his way now, but he'll find his path again. We simply have to make sure we are there to guide him in the right direction."
The other man only sighed and tightened his hold, and Tseng knew that he was unconvinced. "I don't like that you're willing to risk your life this way, Tseng. You were right, Rufus is dangerous."
"That's no way to speak of your brother, Lazard." Tseng's voice held a gentle reprimand as he released him. He leaned back against his desk and leveled a warning look his way. "He's young and confused, and he's desperate to get Reno back. Watching your father die wasn't easy for him, despite how it might have looked. What happened with Reno was. . .an unfortunate side-effect of that, I believe."
Lazard raised one disbelieving eyebrow as he settled back into his chair. "I don't blame him for hating the old man," he said with a shrug. "I would have killed him myself, if given the chance."
Black eyes narrowed ever so slightly on his own. "And I am glad that you never had the chance," Tseng returned sincerely.
The blond man reached up and removed his glasses, his pale blue eyes showing his own displeasure, as he carefully folded them and tucked them into his blazer. "I grew up in the slums, Tseng. I can take care of myself."
Tseng bit back a sudden laugh at the image of the finely dressed man before him slugging it out with the old, corpulent man his father had become, knowing it would more likely have been one of his Turks who would have had the honor, and that Lazard would have died in the attempt.
That thought sobered him instantly. He shook his head and pushed away from the desk, standing over his lover with a stern expression. "I'm going to talk to Rufus," he said in a low, intense voice. "I want your promise that you will not try to interfere."
When Lazard merely flicked him a silent glance before looking away, Tseng placed both hands on the arms of his chair and bent over him, effectively caging him. "I mean it, Lazard," he said in his most dangerous voice. "Give me your word now, or I'll make sure that Rufus is permanently inaccessible to you in the future."
Those ice-blue eyes shot to his, disbelief swirling in their sky-blue depths. "You wouldn't!" he gasped incredulously.
"I would." Tseng leaned in until he was mere inches away from that handsome, aristocratic face. "I won't let anyone jeopardize what Reno is trying to do, not even you."
Lazard looked absolutely furious as he nodded stiffly. "Very well," he relented tightly. "You have my word. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a great deal of work to do if I'm to find a way to integrate Azul and Nero into SOLDIER."
Tseng studied him for a long moment before forcing himself to back away. "Thank you," he said at last, hiding a wince as the other gained his feet and sent him a withering look. "Lazard—"
"Don't!"
The slamming of his office door was enough to make Tseng regret the threat he had made to separate Lazard from his only living relative. Perhaps, he'd gone too far, he thought with another sigh, but he truly didn't trust Rufus' volatile emotional state. He had to keep Lazard away from Rufus until he'd convinced Rufus that they only had his best interests at heart. Despite his earlier assertion to Rude, he truly didn't know if Rufus still trusted him. And as much as that thought might hurt, he knew that he had to tread very carefully here.
Veld would have to be informed, he thought, suddenly weary. His former superior had only recently been reunited with his daughter. While Tseng had been surprised that Veld had chosen exile over joining his daughter in AVALANCHE, he knew that he shouldn't have been. After what had happened with his partner, Vincent Valentine, all those years ago, Veld had held a grudge against Shinra, Inc.. He hadn't let it affect his work, until he'd learned that his daughter was still alive. He'd deserted then, and Tseng had not only allowed it, he had assisted his former boss with his defection.
He opened his cellular phone and dialed a number that was unknown to all but him, and a murdered revolutionary. He waited as patiently as he could for the telltale double-click that indicated that the call had been forwarded to an untraceable answering service. Once it sounded, he drew a deep breath and began to speak.
When he hung up several minutes later, it was with a heavy heart. Veld was nearing fifty, and Elfe had been his only child. To say that the former Turk would be devastated was an understatement. Veld would be out for blood. Tseng could only hope that his Veld believed his statement that a rogue SOLDIER was responsible, or Rufus wouldn't survive the former Turk's vengeance.
At least, Rosso would no longer be a problem, he consoled himself. No matter how powerful she was, Tseng highly doubted that she could dodge a high-caliber bullet shot from a long-ranged, silenced rifle.
Tseng released a long breath and rose to his feet. He retrieved the report of Lazard had given him regarding the news of Elfe's death and tucked it under his arm. It was time that he and Rufus a little 'talk' of their own.

Rufus kept his expression shuttered as he gazed at the forensic photographs that had been taken at the site of a local triple homicide. Elfe, the tough, no-nonsense leader of AVALANCHE, lay dead in a pool of her own blood. Fuhito and Shears lay only a few feet away, their bloodied corpses indicating the quickness of their deaths. Unlike her comrades, Elfe's death hadn't been quick. It was obvious to Rufus that she had put up a fight, only to fall to a "superior" warrior.
He felt his stomach churn as his gaze focused on the dead girl's hand. The materia that Elfe had shown him only once, as proof of her own sincerity in their shared venture, had been literally cut out of her hand, and an image of Rosso's long, razor-like fingernails flashed through his mind.
Rufus shuddered and quickly shoved the offensive pictures back into the file. He closed the folder and turned away, afraid to look at the man who was watching him with impassive ebony eyes. "Rosso did this?" he asked, hating the tremor which ran through his words.
"According to my source in Banora, Rosso was in possession of a magical barrier that rivaled Elfe's in strength."
He drew a deep breath as he closed his eyes. "Who is your source?" he said, wanting to know where Tseng had gotten his information, hoping to hell that the Turk's informant was wrong.
Tseng didn't hesitate as he answered, "Reno."
Rufus' eyes popped open, a cynical smile curving his lips, as he turned towards the older man. "And you believed him?" He only shook his head, relief pouring through him, as he realized just how questionable Tseng's source was. "He's a traitor, Tseng. He can't be trusted."
"But Cissnei can," Tseng returned simply.
The younger man blinked, the only sign of his surprise, before turning away once more. "Why would Rosso kill Elfe?" he questioned at length. "She wasn't under orders, and she had no reason to."
"She has become. . .enamored with General Sephiroth," Tseng replied tonelessly. "It would seem that after reading his file, and his comments on Elfe's strength, she decided that she wanted that strength for herself. Once she was in possession of the materia, she attempted to kill General Rhapsodos, to eliminate what she saw as her competition. She was unsuccessful," he added pointedly.
Rufus scowled, and Tseng realized that he had been aware of Rosso's fascination with Sephiroth, and had likely used it to his advantage. He was deeply disappointed in his young charge, but he couldn't allow that to show. Rufus was at a very precarious point in his life. Without proper guidance, Tseng had little doubt that the boy would became the same monster that his father had, and he had no intention of letting that happen.
"She cannot be trusted, Rufus," he said in a more gentle tone. "Recall her, before she costs you everything."
"I can control her," Rufus replied, his expression growing cold. "She is loyal to me, Tseng."
"And I am not?" Tseng countered in a low, dangerous voice.
Rufus waved one hand in a dismissive gesture. "Of course, you are," he said simply, as though it were a given. "You've never given me a reason to distrust you."
"Then, why won't you listen to me?" he asked as calmly as he could. "Why do you refuse to take my advice when it is given with only the best of intentions?"
The younger man fell silent as he looked away. "Why do you insist of defending him," he asked resentfully. "He betrayed me, Tseng. He turned on me. He let his crush on Sephiroth addle his mind, and he left me to follow him!"
"No, Rufus," he told the boy gently. "He left you to save you."
"Do not start with that nonsense," Rufus snapped. "Reno didn't come back in time to save me or anyone else. It's a ridiculous notion!"
"Agreed," Tseng allowed, "and yet, I believe him."
One corner of Rufus' lips curled back in a sneer. "You're a rational man, Tseng. Why would you believe something so preposterous?"
"Because he knows things that he shouldn't." Tseng took a step towards the desk, spreading his hands out before him in a supplicating gesture. "He recognized the Deep Ground troops sent to eliminate them by their uniforms, Rufus. None of us knew that Deep Ground even existed, and he knew them on sight."
"Reno's a hacker. I'm sure he found those records years ago," Rufus muttered, angry that his boyfriend had discovered something so important and hidden it from him.
"And the Genesis copies?" Tseng questioned quietly. "How will you explain away his knowledge of them, when Hojo didn't have any records of the experiments in the Shinra database?"
"I don't know," the young man admitted with obvious reluctance, "but there has to be a logical explanation for all of this. Time-travel simply isn't possible, Tseng, no matter how much Reno persists in this-this delusion."
"And if it is?" Tseng leaned forward, bracing his hands on the desk, as he met the younger man's gaze intensely. "If he's telling the truth, what then?"
Rufus sighed and leaned his head back against the chair's headrest, looking every one of his fifteen years as he replied, "Then, we're screwed."
"Only if you continue on your present course." Ice-blue eyes narrowed warningly on his own, and Tseng echoed his sigh. "I have dedicated my life to this company, but more importantly, to protecting you. I couldn't save you from your father, but I'm determined to save you from—"
"Myself?" Rufus wanted to scoff at the Wutaian's words, but he knew that Tseng spoke the truth. After what had happened the night of Reno's departure, he could only imagine what his best Turk thought of him. "I never meant to hurt him, Tseng. I just. . .couldn't control it."
"I know that, Rufus." Tseng gazed at his charge with a solemn expression. "Reno does, too."
Rufus drew a deep, shuddering breath and ran one hand through his white-blond hair. "I'll recall Rosso," he said abruptly. "The next time Rude calls Reno, have him tell him that I've done so. Maybe, that will help with. . .everything."
"You could call him yourself," the older suggested gently.
"No." Rufus shook his head negatively, his aristocratic features closing abruptly. Tseng opened his mouth to protest, and he lifted a hand to forestall it. "I'm not ready to talk to him, Tseng. I. . .miss him, but just. . .no."
"Very well," Tseng murmured, concealing his disappointment. "Thank you, for recalling Rosso. You're doing the right thing, Rufus."
"Yeah," the young Shinra responded with a strangled laugh, "sure I am."
Tseng bowed deeply, the gesture one which echoed the depth of his respect for the confused, yet strong young man he had chosen to follow. "Thank you, for time, sir."
Rufus sent him an annoyed glance as the older man returned to the formality that had always marked their odd relationship. "You're dismissed, Tseng. Take the night off," he added on impulse. "I'm sure you have other things to do besides worry about me. I think I'll do the same. It will give me time to think about. . .everything."
"There is nothing more important than you, sir," Tseng replied before walking calmly out of the room.
Rufus stared after him, grateful beyond measure that the older man had cared enough to risk speaking up. Tseng wasn't that much older his brother, Lazard, but he was wiser than anyone Rufus had ever known, and his advice really was invaluable. That he believed Reno's outrageous tales about the apocalypse and time-travel was enough to convince Rufus that it just might be possible.
"Shit," he whispered, rubbing his eyes as they began to burn. "When did it all become so damned complicated."
It should have been easy. He'd had the support of his Turk's, of General Sephiroth, in his bid against his father. The old man was dead, the company was his, and all should have been well in the world. Instead, he had overplayed his hand, and he had lost his most important players. Sephiroth was gone, taking the other Firsts—taking Reno—with him. Rufus had lost the most important pieces of the Shinra war machine, and replacing them was proving problematic.
Azul was a braggart, one with the power to back up his claims, and he wasn't shy when it came to challenging anyone who crossed his path. Rufus had already lost three Seconds to him, and half-a-dozen were in the labs, recovering from their 'spars' with the brutish Tsviet. Nero's time was spent at his brother's bedside, so much so that Azul had ignored all of his orders to date, with no repercussions. Rosso had gone rogue, killing marks not of his choosing, in her zeal to possess Sephiroth.
Rufus snorted at that. Sephiroth couldn't be controlled, or even contained. He was a force of nature, and it had been stupid of Rufus to think that anyone—even a super-powered SOLDIER—could take him. Sephiroth was a man on a mission, and he never failed a mission.
Time to rethink his strategy, then. Rufus reached for the phone and lifted it to his ear. The first order of business was to recall Rosso. She claimed to be loyal to him, and yet she had worked against him in going after AVALANCHE. She was quickly becoming a liability, one that he couldn't afford, whether or not her actions affected the "fate" of The Planet. And if she wouldn't cooperate, she would be put down. He would not allow another repeat of the episode with Sephiroth.
As a husky voice purred a greeting on the other end of the line, Rufus gathered his resolve and began the difficult task of setting things to right. Only time would tell if his actions were successful or not. He could only hope that he had more of the precious commodity than Reno had said, or The Planet was in dire trouble.
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Final Fantasy VII: Angelic Threnody