New Adventure
Chapter 2 - New member
Tifa: "C'mon, Cloud! We're gonna be late for the meeting, Barrett's gonna get furious about it!"
Cloud: "Yeah... but Tifa, you could've waited two more minutes, then I'd have my payment."
Tifa: "Sorry, but we're seriously late, if Barrett agrees to use you, you'll get more than 50gil.
Cloud: "Really?"
Tifa: "Yeah, if you weren't my childhood friend, someone who can be trusted, I'd find someone else for the job."
Cloud: "So, why don't you tell me a bit more about the job?"
Tifa: "We've gotta make sure if Barrett lets you in the game first. Also, before that you've gotta decide if you want to play, once you're in, you can't quit."
Cloud: "You want me to decide before telling me the rules and details about the game?"
Tifa: "That's the rule of the game. If I let out the secret to someone who decides no to join in the game, it's gonna be dangerous for us, so you've gotta be ready for everything. After hearing this, do you wanna go back?"
Cloud: "I'm more interested in the payment, so let's just see how much this Barrett guy's gonna pay me first."
They headed for the trainstation.
On the train...
Tifa: "Cloud? You've changed alot since the last time I saw you. Still remember five years ago in Nibelheim?"
Cloud: "Yeah... that fire destroyed everything..."
Tifa: "Have you... ever thought of... revenge...?"
Cloud: "Revenge? What do you mean by that? Isn't Sephiroth already dead?"
Tifa: "Yes, I know that Sephiroth is dead, but what about Shinra? You know and I know that they're behind all this."
Cloud: "I know that, but I have no intention to do that, I don't want anything to do with the Shinras. At the moment, most important thing is to get more money, besides it won't Shinra who ordered Sephiroth to burn down Nibelheim... Sephiroth... he betrayed my trust to him..."
Tifa: "Cloud, you really have changed alot... is money really that important to you?"
Cloud: "... ..."
Tifa: "Cloud?"
Cloud: "Everybody changes when they gradually get older, Tifa, you've changed alot too since five years ago I saw you. You've become much stronger... not the Tifa I used to know..."
Tifa: "Maybe you're right, everything does gradually change, even the surroundings have changed alot comparing to my childhood memories... but I believe one thing still remain the same..."
Cloud: "I know what you mean, you're talking about our friendship and the memories we share, I feel the same as you. I still remember the little Tifa... wearing a really cute dress, you were so cute, everybody wanted to protect you."
Tifa: "Was I... really... like that?"
Cloud: "Yeah... inside my memory, that is the Tifa I know. You seem so different now... so independant... a lot must've happened to you... you're even doing something against the law."
Tifa: "It was that incident that had made me change, I still remember every little detail so clearly, that it feels like it only happened yesterday..."
Cloud: "Tifa..."
Tifa: "... ..."
Cloud: "Look, Tifa, I'm not a good speaker, I don't know what to say to make you feel better..."
Tifa: "...I'm ok, don't you worry about me. You've said it yourself, I've become much stronger..."
Cloud: "... ..."
Sector 7... Tifa's bar...
Barrett: "What's up with that Tifa today? She's hardly ever late!"
Biggs: "Yeah, it's a suprise that even Yuffie got here earlier than her!"
Yuffie: "Hey! What are you saying? I'm never late! I'm always on time! It's just you guys got here too early!"
Wedge: "Tifa's never late, must've because of that newcomer."
Yuffie: "Newcomer? So what's this newcomer like? Is he rich? Has he got loads of money?"
Biggs: "Don't know, but heard that he's a childhood friend of Tifa's."
Jessie: "Yuffie, is the only thing you can think of is money?"
Yuffie: "Well, not really. I also think about materias, treasures, you know, all the valuable stuff!"
Barrett: "Ok,ok, we all know that you can't take your mind off money. But when the hell is that Tifa gonna turn up?! Let's not wait for her, c'mon, let's begin the meeting!"
The door suddenly swings open, Tifa was holding onto the door handle, panting for oxygen.
Tifa: "Ha... ha... (out of breath, not laughing ^0^), sorry, ha... ha... we... ha... ha... couldn't catch... ha... ha... the train... ha... ha..."
Cloud: "So we caught the next one up instead."
Cloud finished it off for Tifa.
Barrett: "You finally got here?! D'you know how long we've been waiting?!"
Tifa: "Ha... ha... sorry... ha... ha..."
Jessie: "Barrett, why don't you just let them two have a little rest, we're in no hurry."
Yuffie: "Yeah! And I'll go and make them drinks..."
She disappeared. Biggs pulls two chairs for Tifa and Cloud to sit down, and in no more than two seconds, Yuffie returned with a tray and two glass of drinks, she passes them to Tifa and Cloud, then holds out her hand.
Yuffie: "That comes to a total of 5gil please..."
Tifa: "Heard that this bar is called 'Seven Heaven' and it belongs to a girl called Tifa, not Yuffie..."
Yuffie: "Eh, sorry, my memory isn't always that good..."
Tifa gave Yuffie a little spank on the head, Yuffie then sits back in her seat.
Jessie: "Before we start, Tifa, would you like to introduce our new member?"
Tifa: "Yeah... this is Cloud Strife, 21 years old, and a childhood friend of mine. Cloud, this is Barrett, Jessie, Yuf..."
Cloud: "Ok, ok, I'm not interested in these people. I'm just interested in my payment, how much are you gonna pay me for the job?"
Barrett: "Tifa, is your childhood friend a 'Yuffie-number-two'? We've already having trouble with one Yuffie, now you've taken another 'Yuffie' here, you're trying to rob all the money outta me!?" I could always find someone else!"
Tifa: "... ..."
Cloud: "Hey! Barrett! What if I tell you that I was an ex-member of SOLDIER?"
Wedge: "You was an ex-member of SOLDIER!?"
Cloud: "Didn't Tifa tell you guys?"
Barrett: "Tifa?"
Tifa: "Well... yes... he was..."
Barrett: "...Ok, I'll give you 200."
Cloud: "Only 200? Guess I'll look for another job."
Barrett: "Wait! 300!"
Cloud: "Ok, deal!"
Yuffie: "No! You can't do that! I've been here longer than you, and I do my job better than you! Barrett, If you give this useless guy 300, then I want 400!"
Cloud: "This is no business to do with you, who are you?"
Yuffie: "WHAT!? You don't know me? I'm reporter Yuffie Kisaragi, the one who's always on TV!"
Cloud: "Yeah.. right... If this baka reporter gets 400, I want 500!"
Yuffie: "600!"
Cloud: "700!"
Yuffie: "800!"
Cloud: "900!"
Yuffie: "1000!"
Cloud: "1100!"
Yuffie: "1200..."
Barrett: "SHUT UP YOU TWO!!!"
Biggs: "Oh no, looks like we've really got a 'Yuffie-number-two' here..."
Barrett: "I'll give 300 to both of you! Just quit arguing!"
Cloud and Yuffie went silent.
Barrett: "Now, start the meeting!"
Jessie: "Er, Barrett, I think you should first explain to Cloud more about our association."
Cloud: "Yeah... that'll help, I don't know what you guys are doing at the moment, but I can guess that it's something against the law..."
Barrett: "Tifa, explain to him."
Tifa nods.
Tifa: "Cloud, I don't know what you're reaction will be like cuz you said to me this morning that you don't want anything to do with them..."
Cloud: "You mean Shinra?"
Tifa nods.
Tifa: "You can quit now if you want to."
Cloud: "... ..."
Barrett: "WHAT! You want to quit!?"
Tifa: "Barrett, just let Cloud decide himself."
Cloud: "... ..."
Barrett: "C'mon, you're a man! Just make up your mind!"
Cloud: "I'll... take... the job."
Tifa: "But, Cloud!"
Cloud: "Yeah, I'll really don't want anything to do with them, but I'll do it for the money..."
Tifa: "Cloud... I don't know whether to be overjoy or sad about it... Yeah, I really wanted you to join us, but I don't want you to do it just for money... I don't want you to regret..."
Cloud: "... I... won't regret..."
Barrett: "Ok, Jessie, give the contrast for Cloud to sign."
Cloud signs the contrast, the meeting begins...
Barrett: "Before we begin, I think that you should know a bit more about the association that you've just joined in. You may well already know that this association is called 'AVALANCHE', and heard that we've been going around and blowing up reactions every so often, but we're doing this for the sake of the inhabitant of the planet..."
Cloud: "You don't need to tell me the reason why you're doing this and what a great hero you are, let's just begin."
Barrett: "For godness sake! Can't you have a more pleasant attitude towards me! Afterall I AM your boss!"
Jessie: "Let's just begin... Looking at the minutes, today we are to discuss the movement of Shinra in the two months that are to come... Tifa, are anyone suspicious of you?"
Tifa: "No, not at the moment anyway... But I heard rumours that they recently captured a wild-cat-like animal of an ancient tribe... they plan to experiment on him for further use of developing weapons and the like..."
Biggs: "Wild-cat-like animal of an ancient tribe?"
Tifa: "I don't really know what they meant by that... but it certainly will assist the growth of Shinra's powers..."
Barrett: "Whatever it is, we must stop the experiment that they're gonna carry out, even if it means destroying that ancient animal."
Yuffie: "Hey! Wait! Think about it carefully! It's an ancient animal, isn't it a bit of a pity just destroying something like that? Those legendary ancient animals are very rare these days... we must not let them go extinct!"
Wedge: "Acting so hero-like so suddenly, it's not like you, Yuffie."
Cloud: "What she's trying to say is, 'after all it's an ancient animal, so it must worth alot of money!', isn't that right, Miss Yuffie-san?"
Yuffie: *Can't you just keep your big gob shut, you newcomer!?* "Er... well, if you don't mind, I'll get that animal outta the Shinra building and take it somewhere where the Shinra's will never find it again. How about that? And I'll do it for free aswell!"
Barrett: "Hn! So volunteering this time! Make sure you do the job neatly, Tifa's working in the Shinra building too, I'd feel much better if you two work together to get that thing outta that building."
Yuffie: "Hai!"
Barrett: "But, Tifa, becareful. Don't let the Shinra's know that you're working for the AVALANCHE, or you're gonna be dead meat."
Tifa: "I understand."
Jessie: "On another subject... Biggs, Wedge, what about the polution of Mako energy? Any signs of decreasing?"
Wedge: "We've been to all of the 8 reactors, records shows that they're sucking more and more of the planet's energy, if this carries on like this, the planet'll soon be dead... Research also shows that Midgar citizens still ingnores the advice of AVALANCHE, continue to use the Mako energy."
Biggs: "While on the research, Wedge and I heard a very important rumour that may leads to the secret of rejecting Mako energy... It was rumoured that in the sector 5 slums a beautiful girl sell flowers that she grew herself... Previous records show that no plants or flowers could survive in Midgar because of the large amount of Mako energy..."
Tifa: "That mysterious girl must know something or another..."
Jessie: "Yeah... It musht either be:
The girl have mysterious powers to make flowers grow
The place she used to grow the flowers are too sacred
The secret lies in the seeds
The secret lies in the soil
The secret lies in the water
What do you all think?"
Biggs: "I'll chose 'c'."
Wedge: "Then I'll chose 'd'."
Barrett: "No, no, you'll all wrong! 'b''s the correct answer!"
Yuffie: "Let me Yuffie tell you all! Water's the secret! It must be 'e', it can't be wrong!"
Tifa: "I think that 'a' has the highest possibility..."
Jessie: "THOSE ARE ONLY MY SUGGESTIONS, NOT MULTIPLE ANSWER CHOICES!!! These are only a part of all the possibilities, there may be many more that we haven't thought of..."
Barrett: "Hmmm, ok, let's have Shinra's big time EX-SOLDIER tells us his view about this."
Cloud: "...I've no comment. I'm not interest in this kinda stuff..."
Barrett: "Huh?! Whaddaya mean?! Don't forget you're a part of AVALANCHE now!"
Cloud: "Yeah, but I'm only here to carry out the job given, not to contribute about your matters."
Barrett: "Hn! Fine then! Be like that!" *Why did I employ such an idiot?*
Jessie: "Anyway, if there really is a secret to this, then, it may help with extending the life of the Planet... so it's important that we find the secret to all this."
Barrett: "Right, beginning tomorrow, Tifa and Yuffie plan to take that ancient animal outta Shinra building!"
Tifa + Yuffie: "Hai!"
Barrett: "Biggs, Wedge and Cloud, you three start from sector 5 slums and research more about the flower girl."
Biggs + Wedge: "Hai!"
Cloud: "Yeh."
Barrett: "Jessie, make Cloud a fake ID."
Jessie: "Hai!"
Barrett: "Ok, that's about it for the meeting today... I'll get Jessie to call all of you when the next meeting comes... also, if anything important is found, then find me in the hide out immediately. We'll finish here today."
Everyone stands up, Cloud turns to leave, heading for the door. Tifa runs out behind him...
Tifa: "Cloud... I don't know what to say... I thought you wouldn't help when you know that we're dealing with Shinra... But I'm really happy... thanks for joining us..."
Cloud: "Tifa, on the train, you mentioned that one thing still remains the same... you was actually talking about your hatred towards Shinra, weren't you?"
Tifa: "...Yes... The fire that burnt down Nibelheim is still continuly burning inside me... It will burn for eternity until I can rid off the Shinra's... I cannot forget how innocently Papa died... and the Nibelheim villagers, their screams... their cries... it haunts me in my dreams... pleading and begging for revenge... I know that I have to do something for them..."
Cloud: "Tifa... you've suffered a lot..."
Tifa: "I had always been dependant and relying on people... after Nibelheim got burnt down, there was no one I can rely on. I told myself many times that 'Tifa, you can do it! You can survive without the help of anyother person out there!' Until then, I met Barrett... Barrett and I have the same target - revenge on Shinra, not only that, but he also treated me as his own daughter, and looked after me... it was then we planned for revenge..."
Cloud: "Then AVALANCHE was born?"
Tifa: "...Yes... and then I had Shinra employ me on purpose so that I can spy on them, destroying all the plans they're trying to carry out. AVALANCHE's final target is to rid off the Shinra, freeing all the people from pain, making this place a better world to live in. We will not give up until we reach this target..."
Cloud: "Hn, sounds too heroic to me."
Tifa: "Maybe you're right. Maybe we're just a pack of useless fools, thinking too high of ourselves. I want to rid off the Shinra's, but I can't imagine we ever will. All the people out there trusted Shinra, they won't believe anything we say. But in actual fact, the Shinra's are sucking the planet's energy, they're trying to kill the planet and its people. I know that even if we use all of AVALANCHE's force we haven't even a chance of 1% win against them. But I believe that eventually people will understand us... our numbers will increase. I don't know if it's near or far, but we will rid off them one day..."
Cloud: "There maybe some hope with me joining now."
Barrett appears behind them.
Barrett: "Don't think too highly of yourself! You and Yuffie are the same, I fear that one day you will betray us for money... but AVALANCHE will not collapse without you two!"
Cloud: "... ..."
Tifa: "... ..."
Cloud leaves...
By May
- END OF CHAPTER 2 -
(To be continued)