Jade, Wine, and Turk training

By Kimetara

Multi-part

Disclaimer: FFVII belongs to Square Co.  Is my name Square Co.?  No, it isn't, thank you.

AN: Alright, we're at the half-point!  Here's a quick summary (skip if you like) of what's gone on so far.

          Tifa leaves Cloud because Cloud loves Aeris over her and goes to Midgar to get lost in the city's huge population.  After working in Midgar for two years, she meets up with Reno and offers to make him dinner since he looks like he's in need of it, she's trying to be a nice person, and she wants to prove that she's really over her past.

          However, Reno, being Reno and still a Turk, abducts her for the purpose of giving her to another "Hojo" and obtaining a hefty sum of 700,000 gil.  His partner-in-crime tells him that he'll get his money after meeting Hojo, so Reno goes along for the ride.  On the way, the trio get attacked by four members of SOLDIER – three First Class, one Third Class – and Reno and Tifa are taken captive (or at least, Tifa is captive, Reno is treated nearly as an equal).  These six have now been traveling to Hojo's hideout for the past two months.  They have just reached the other continent by crossing the ocean and landing in Costa del Sol, where Cloud Strife was captured with the aid of a truck.

Other details: Reno and Tifa are now fairly good friends (thanks to 5-in-a-row on the road) and there's quite a bit of chemistry on Reno's part (being a male and all...just kidding).  It's been shown that Hojo is obsessed about learning how Mako and the Lifestream works, and that's why he wants to kidnap AVALANCHE, since he believes that they're the key to obtaining the knowledge.  Cloud's still in love and searching for Aeris.  Barret and Elmyra's wedding is going to take place in a month.

Okay, continue the story!

Chapter 27: Cloud Strife, enter stage left

          "Man...that was too easy."  Jason kept glancing back and forth at the trailer nervously, waiting for the blond hero to burst out any second.  Thankfully, the people strolling around in Costa del Sol paid them no attention.

          Reno shrugged, hiding his true apprehensiveness.  "You said those handcuffs were made for members of SOLDIER, right?  And we both checked him for any concealed weapons.  All he had was this," Reno motioned toward the Ultima Weapon, propped up against the wall. 

          Even wrapped in lengths of cloth, it was an imposing figure.  After loading the unconscious Strife into the truck, Jason had to drag the weapon away.  The blond SOLDIER was amazed at how well-made the sword was – its balance was incredible, the edges so well sharpened that they were almost translucent.  What equally amazed him was how much the weapon weighed.  It instantly gave him an idea of the strength the hero must have possessed, to use such a sword so easily.  Jason was tired just lifting it out of the trailer, and many times he had nearly cut himself.

          "Yeah...but damn..."  Jason rubbed his temples.  "You know how heavy that sword is...?"

          "Well, not like he can break the door down, right?" Reno reasoned.  Jason nodded hesitantly.

          "He shouldn't..."

          "Look."  Reno's voice took a commanding tone.  "I've fought against this guy before.  Yeah, he's strong, but he's not superhuman."

          Jason grinned sardonically.  "I think you've forgotten something, buddy.  He's a member of SOLDIER.  We're all superhuman."

~~~~~

          A disgruntled Simone came to a halt before the impatient Isa, Tifa limp in his arms.

          Isa breathed a sigh of relief.  "Did you have a hard time?"

          "...not really."  Simone laid her gently on the floor before stretching.  His back muscles were beginning to stiffen from the fall.  "I was lucky she never got a chance to get into her battle stance.  Too busy trying to run away."

          Isa nodded.  "I see.  Well, it'll be easier now that she's unconscious.  Load her up."

~~~~~

          Cloud groaned.  His entire body ached.  He felt like he'd been hit by a...well...a truck.

          Blinking, the blond hero rolled over onto his hands and knees, only to realize...he was handcuffed.  As he stared at his bound wrists, slowly what happened came back to him.  He immediately cursed himself.  How on earth could he have been so blind as not to notice a huge, hulking trailer coming at him?!

          ...okay, so he'd been a little preoccupied dreaming about Aeris.  Still.

          And the trailer had been coming on at full speed.

          And his chocobo had froze when it got too close.  And he'd been trying to save his precious gold chocobo.  And by the time he had decided it was a futile endeavor, the only way he would have been able to save himself was to cleave the trailer in half with his Ultima Weapon, which he'd definitely never do incase of hurting the drivers.  By the way, his Ultima Weapon...

          With a sinking feeling, Cloud cast about for his sword, already knowing what he'd find.  It was nowhere around.

          He immediately felt very vulnerable, but shook it off.  With a bit of struggling and a few winces, Cloud stood and began to search the area.

~~~~~

          A buggy drove quietly off the S.S. Maria at the dock.  If anybody had cared to look through its windows, they would have seen two stone-faced SOLDIERs in the front – the male driving – and an unmoving Tifa Lockheart laid carefully on the floor in the back.  As it was, nobody bothered to check, and the two certainly didn't offer.

          "Isa!  Simone!"  Jason broke into a silly grin when he saw the buggy coming out of Costa del Sol.  The small car soon came to a halt, and Jason jogged up to the pair.  "Damn, I was beginning to get worried!" he exclaimed, socking Simone on the shoulder.  Isa rolled her eyes while smiling fondly, and Simone grinned back.

          "Sorry Jase, we had a minor setback on the way."

          "Yes, due to this blockhead's arrogance."  Isa playfully smacked Simone upside the head.

          "Ahh!  Such abuse!"  Simone made an effort to look pitiful.  Jason and Isa burst out laughing.

          Reno looked away, acutely aware he wasn't a part of the close-knit group.  *Wonder where Tifa is...at least then I could bug her...*

          "WHAT?!"  A cry of disbelief from Isa re-caught Reno's attention.

          "I'm serious!  Cloud Strife is in the trailer."  Jason pointed.

          "But...how could you two have caught him?"  Isa's bewildered gaze went from Jason to Reno, and back again.

          "Easy.  We had a big weapon called a 'truck'," Reno smirked.

          "You ran him over?"

          "Uh...not really.  He just flew off.  His chocobo's roadkill though.  Too bad, it was a gold one."  The Turk shrugged.  "But I'm not complaining.  Rather have Strife knocked out and his chocobo dead than his chocobo alive and me dead."

          Isa frowned.  "Do you think it's a good idea to place two Avalanche members together?"

          "We do have that tool...the Barrier.  Plus the Seal," Simone remarked.  Reno looked at them quizzically as Isa frowned thoughtfully.

          "And I don't think I should go back to Costa del Sol for another trailer," Jason shook his head.  "The guy was already giving me weird looks."

          "Probably from the Mako in your eyes," Simone mused.

          "Yeah."

          Isa nodded.  "Then that's that.  We can't arouse suspicion."

          "Where is Tifa anyway?" Reno asked, carefully keeping his tone casual.  Isa shot him a look, but Reno appeared completely neutral.

          "She's in the buggy.  Simone, why don't you take her in," Isa ordered politely.  Simone nodded and lifted the motionless Tifa out.  Reno's eyes widened at her limp form.

          "...what happened?" he asked, again making sure his voice was even.

          Simone glanced at him.  "She's fine.  Just has sleep cast on her for the moment."

          Reno nodded, although he hadn't seen any materia on any of the SOLDIERs.  "Be careful when you open the door – Strife's probably awake by now."

          Cloud sat on the floor, glaring at his handcuffs, as if willing them to fall away.  He wished desperately for his sword, or even his materia and armor, but they'd stripped him clean.  *Thank the Planet I wasn't carrying my Knights of the Round.*  Who knew what his captors could do with such a powerful materia?

          The door silently opened, allowing a swath of sunlight to pour into the trailer.  Cloud whirled, ready to charge whoever was at the door.

          He froze when he saw Simone...and Tifa, unconscious, with a gun to her head.

          Simone locked eyes with him, gently set Tifa down on the floor, and backed out of the room, never wavering his aim.  The door closed softly behind him.

          Cloud swallowed and crossed the trailer, kneeling at Tifa's side.

~~~~~

          "Reeve!"  Elena rapped on the door.

          "Come in."  Reeve exhaled and looked up expectantly at his secretary.  "What is it?"

          "Look."  Elena handed him a small slip of paper.  Reeve glanced at it – it was one of those missing persons ads, the sort that come in as junk mail with little black and white faces, so often thrown away without a second thought.  Reeve was about ready to ask Elena what was so important, when he did a quick double-take.

          That face in the picture...

          The name in small, bold-lettered writing...

          Tifa Lockheart.

AN: And that concludes the first half of this story.  ^_^  Review please!