Masquerade

At age fifteen, Rufus ShinRa was already a full-fledged diplomat. A graduate from an elite university after skipping four grade levels, he was as knowledgeable as any scholar; blessings of almost feminine good looks and cool charisma all added up to make young Rufus the certain heir to the ShinRa fortune.

The strawberry-blond boy pushed back his longish bangs and bit back a yawn of boredom. Why do I have to sit here and listen to the old man? Narrowing the ice-blue gaze slightly, Rufus regarded his father. President ShinRa had called his son in for a short ‘lecture', but it ended up as another session of one-way blabbing. Rufus had no intention to communicate with his much-hated father, and the President simply did not care whether his son was listening or not. Their ‘talk' was never meant to be.

"...You are dismissed." The President spoke the awaited phrase, relieving Rufus of the torture.

"Yes, sir. Have a nice day." Saying the usual excuse, the boy exited the office. The hallway felt much warmer than the room had been, though the air-conditioning provided equal heating throughout the building. Must be the psychological thing. Rufus shook his head and straightened out his white jacket.

"Sir Rufus."

Rufus let his expression soften at the familiar, low voice. Turning, he found a handsome, tall Oriental in navy suits. "Tseng," the blonde addressed the man.

"How did the talk with your father go?"

"As boring as usual. Unproductive, total waste of time."

"Sir..."

"I know, Tseng. Don't start on it." Coolly cutting off his overseer, Rufus began to walk toward the elevator. Tseng followed naturally, only a step behind the youth and ever alert for the possible danger. The young Turk was Rufus's personal bodyguard of two years. Now, the two of them were close enough to be considered more than mere acquaintances, and others at ShinRa called them ‘prince and his nanny'. Everywhere the pretty ShinRa heir went, Tseng was there.

"Sir Rufus, I have a Turks mission scheduled for this afternoon. Will you be all right during my absence?" Opening the door to let his young master in, Tseng asked with mild concern.

"Of course." Laughing lightly at the overprotective escort, Rufus sat down on the leather sofa and looked up at the long-haired Asian. "You worry too much, Tseng. I am not a child. I can take care of myself quite well. You should be careful. The mission involves those anti- ShinRa terrorists, doesn't it?"

"I will, Sir. Thank you. ...Please do not leave this building until I return."

"I know." Rufus nodded nonchalantly. You really worry too much. You are too dedicated to your job, Tseng. Just because the old man ordered you to look over me... The thought made him somber. Quickly shaking the mood away, the boy showed a cool smile. When he did so, the frail image was replaced by that of an adult.

"...I will return by your bedtime, Sir." With a customary bow, Tseng retreated. Before he disappeared through the door, he did not forget to show a ‘guardian smile' that was always a little out of protocol.

Rufus watched the door close quietly. When he was sure that the Turk was out of the hearing reach, he let his ‘mask' slip. Childish worry clouding his large-set eyes, the boy whispered, "...Be careful, Tseng."

// prologue - tseng //

Tseng found himself thinking of his beautiful master during the mission briefing. It was becoming a habit lately; he couldn't get the luscious reddish-blond hair and ice-hue eyes out of his mind. At first, he had thought that it was because of his daily association with the boy, but soon enough, he realized that it was something else. The way his heart grew warm at the thought of Rufus ShinRa was very similar to how he used to flush at the thought of a certain woman.

"...Tseng, are you listening?"

"Huh? Oh, y-yes, ma'am."

The head Turk, Meiling, glared at her second-in-command. She was a petite Asian woman, lithe and doll-like in appearance but deadly with a pair of handguns. One hand on her hip, she regarded the young man who used to be her lover. "Snap out of it, Tseng. This mission is a particularly dangerous one. I don't need you coming along if you can't concentrate."

"I'm sorry, Meiling." Tseng nodded apologetically. I can't believe I used to love this woman. Thinking sarcastically inside, he drove away the image of Rufus from his mind. What Meiling said was true; the Turks' mission was to storm the hideout of the anti-ShinRa terrorists, Ryuuseigun (‘Meteorites'), and assassinate the leader of the group. Considering that the Ryuuseigun consisted of Wutai martial artists, this mission did have a high risk factor.

"Never mind. Rude, I will pair with you. Tseng, you are on your own. Once we get to the Ryuuseigun hideout, we will split and seek out Liuming Lee. Whoever get to her first kills her." Saying the morbid command without moving her angelic expression, Meiling dismissed her ‘boys'.

"We will leave in twenty minutes. Last chance for a cup of coffee, boys." Smiling prettily, the untypical Turk twiddled with her long ponytail and walked out of the room. Only Tseng caught the unmistakable shine rimming her almond-shaped eyes.

Meiling? ...Are you crying? Shocked, Tseng excused himself to Rude and followed his ex-girlfriend. He found her alone in the cafe. Silently, he pulled the chair facing Meiling and sat down.

"...You should know that I don't like to be consoled." Sniffling softly, Meiling looked at Tseng through the teary mahogany eyes.

"What is wrong?" Tseng asked simply, already knowing that something was ‘not all right'. After three-year live-in relationship, he knew that Meiling Lee was not the type to cry easily, if she cried at all.

"...No use hiding it from you, I guess." The female Turk wiped at her eyes daintily. "...Liuming Lee is my sister. My only living blood relative."

"...I see." Tseng lowered his gaze, unsure of what to say. Being a Turk, he knew that such personal ties were to be neglected.

"I know what you are thinking, Tseng. It is very unprofessional to say such a thing." Sighing tiredly, the young Asian showed a half-hearted smile. "Don't worry. I know my position, and I will go by the orders given."

"Meiling..."

"Oh, come on, Tseng. You know me. I'm a very professional woman." Meiling gave a strikingly pretty wink. It was her trademark cover for the emotions.

"I know." Tseng nodded, allowing himself to be foiled by the beautiful ‘mask'. He, too, was a professional, and knew that he would have to make the same choice if faced with the problem.

"Let's go. It is time." Playing with the silken ponytail, the pretty Turk urged Tseng out of the cafe.

// one - rufus //

I wonder if Tseng is all right? He left several hours ago, right? Rufus stretched his legs off of the floor and looked at the clock.

A knock at the door snapped Rufus out of his ‘teenager mask'. Hardening the comely face into that of an adult, he called flatly, "Come in."

The knob turned, and a scrawny young man entered timidly. His name was Railey, a newcomer security guard on this level of the building. Rufus didn't know the man well, but the man was saccharinely friendly. A smile pasted onto the bony face, Railey eyed the boy through the small frames of the glasses.

"Good day, Sir Rufus." Railey drawled.

"...What is it?" The young ShinRa heir demanded coolly. He didn't like the wiry man at all, and didn't bother covering his dislike.

"A message from the President, Sir."

"Tell me."

"The Turks has failed the mission, and..." Railey trailed off briefly to see the boy's change of expression. Rufus was several shades paler than he had been a second ago, and was clutching the sofa's armrest. "...should I continue, Sir?"

"...Yes." Rufus whispered.

"Tseng is injured. He has been hospitalized."

The ice-blue eyes widened, and Rufus stood from the sofa slowly. He grabbed Railey's arms and demanded low, "Which hospital?"

Railey raised an eyebrow at the boy's reaction. "Second Sector General Hospital. The President has prepared a car outside for you. Would you like to go?"

"Lead the way." Rufus hugged himself tightly and felt his hands shivering. The thought of Tseng laying on the hospital bed wrapped in bandages made him dizzy. Calm down, Rufus ShinRa. Tseng should be all right.

Down at the parking lot, Rufus got into the car readied by Railey. He was too preoccupied to notice that the chauffeur was not the usual man or that the car was not the customary limousine but a van. The slide door was slammed closed, and the loud sound finally made him notice the oddities.

"...Wait, why are we taking this car? There are cars faster than this."

The engine started, ignoring Rufus's words. He was about to yell at the driver when a heavy blow was delivered to the back of his head. With a surprised groan, he sagged to the side, knocked out before he was caught in Railey's arms.

// two - tseng //

‘What?" Meiling raised her voice slightly at the speaker over the phone. "...Sir Heidekker, what will you have us do?"

Tseng and Rude looked at each other in puzzlement at their boss's loss of cool. They watched her respond to Heidekker in short syllables and put away the cellular. The pretty leader of the Turks nibbled on her thumb, her habit when she was faced with trouble.

"Meiling, what did Heidekker say?"

"Sir Rufus was kidnapped."

Tseng froze where he stood, staring down at Meiling with disbelief. He blinked twice before grabbing the woman's shoulders and asking, "By who?"

"Ryuuseigun. Seems they had a spy in the ShinRa Headquarters. Sir Rufus was lured out of the building." Meiling answered evenly, and tried to shake out of her ex-lover's grasp. When he did not budge, she frowned. "Calm down, Tseng. Let go of me."

"Tseng." Rude, the youngest Turk, placed a hand on Tseng's shoulder. At that, the tall Asian finally let out a breath and released his superior.

"...I'm sorry." Regaining his calmness, Tseng said low and looked down. Calm down, Tseng. My first priority is this mission. Be professional...

"Are we to divert from this mission?" Rude asked quietly.

"No. Heidekker believes that the rebels will take Sir Rufus to their hideout where we are headed. We are to continue with the current mission and regard Sir Rufus's rescue as optional. The President has given permission for us to abandon Sir Rufus should the need arise."

Tseng clenched his fists. It took much of his will power not to scream out in rage. He knew, of course, that the Turks lacked the power to carry out two missions at once. After all, they were only a trio of secret agents. It would be too risky to attempt saving Rufus and assassinating Liuming at the same time.

Be professional, Tseng... Telling himself over and over, Tseng received the map of Ryuuseigun hideout from Meiling and stared at it murderously.

"Untie this rope. It's hurting my wrists." Rufus told Railey, who gave him a good smack across a cheek. Blood trailing from one side of the cherry-hue lips, the boy glared at the man. I'll kill him, for sure. Ice-azure eyes blazing, Rufus thought gravely.

"Shut up, ShinRa brat." Railey grabbed a handful of Rufus's reddish-golden hair and yanked the pretty boy's face up to meet his. "You are the hostage. We'll keep you until your daddy gives in to our demands."

"Let go of me."

"Shut up!"

Wincing slightly at the pain in his scalp, Rufus kicked up with one leg, scoring a knee in Railey's mid-section. He shrugged out of the hurtful grasp, only to be restrained by other men in the room. One of them slammed him down to the concrete floor, knocking breath out of him.

"Bind his legs." A feminine voice ordered from the back. Rufus sent a dizzy gaze to the general direction, and found a slender woman standing in the doorway. She was no older than twenty- five, dressed in a long oriental silk dress with a revealing slit. Except for her short hair, she looked a lot like Meiling, Tseng's superior. When the men did as she had commanded, the woman regarded Rufus with cold, black eyes.

"You don't understand the situation, do you, darling?" The beautiful Asian looked down at the captive. "If you trouble us more, we will slit your pretty throat."

"...You are the leader?" Rufus studied the woman. She was clearly from Wutai, with peach complexion and jet-black hair. "I'm surprised that a young lady like yourself would be the leader of these Ryuuseigun scums." The last phrase earned the boy a kick to the chest. He rolled on the floor from the impact, but bit back on the agonized gasps. Instead, he put on the usual cool expression and looked at his attacker.

"By Gods, you are stupid. Darling, stop acting so big. You are just a helpless kid." Kneeling by Rufus, the woman caressed his unswollen cheek with feigned gentleness.

"Liuming, what should we do now? ShinRa should have received our e-mail by now but haven't responded yet." Railey asked the woman.

"Be patient, Railey. Even that bastard ShinRa is only human. He must be going nuts over the loss of his only heir. He will respond, sooner or later." Liuming returned sweetly, continuing to touch Rufus's face. She pushed the obscuring blond bangs off of the boy's face and raised an amused eyebrow at the prettiness revealed. "My, you are a looker."

"Thank you." The blonde returned with a business smile. He narrowed his eyes and boldly stated, "Were you never told to keep your hands to yourself, lady?" He knew that mockery will do him no good, but that was the least contentment he could muster. He refused to be a scared child in front of these villains.

Liuming grimaced at Rufus's sarcasm. "Those etiquettes only apply to those I respect, darling. You are of that man's flesh and blood."

"...You hate ShinRa very much. Is it because of the Wutai War?"

"Of course. My whole family was killed by your daddy's troops. And my sister... that bitch betrayed her country to become ShinRa's dog." Giggling at the twisted pun, Liuming slid her hand along Rufus's neck to the cuffs of his shirt.

"Wise decision on her part, I'd say." Rufus said coldly, squirming from the hands which worked to undo his buttons. What is she...? He wondered nervously as his struggles were overcome and he was bared to the waist. "What are you doing?" Unable to kill his uneasy curiosity, he looked at Liuming.

"Hmm? Since your daddy seems to need a bit more nudging, we'll send him a hurry-up note, along with pictures of you." The woman unbuckled Rufus's belt and began tugging on his pants. Her eyes gleamed with sadistic glee, and the men chuckled amongst each other with lewd undertone. "You'll make a good model, darling."

"Don't..." Rufus trailed off, starting to shiver all over. Wait a minute... She cannot mean...?

"Railey, do you do boys?" The dark-haired beauty asked with a laughter in her voice.

"Only the pretty ones. He'll do just fine." Railey returned, eyeing Rufus's white skin.

"All right. Pose him for me, then." Liuming let the scrawny man take her position over Rufus.

"...Don't." Knowledge was curse for Rufus at that moment; he knew what was to be done, having taken enough courses on criminology and such. However, the boy had no experience with man or woman, and the unknown flooded his mind with fear and shame. He was, after all, only fifteen years old.

"Where's your attitude, brat? Scared already?" Sneering at the shivering boy, Railey mercilessly slid his hand along Rufus's buttocks. He felt the boy cringe, and laughed.

Rufus tried to get away from the man, but he couldn't move with his arms and legs restrained. When a hand crept under his pants, he shut his eyes and let out a scream.

"Tseng! Tseng!" Unaware that he was calling the same name over and over, Rufus shook his head violently. The world crumbled around him as he lost control of his ‘mask' and reverted to a child he really was.

// four - tseng //

The enemy hideout was not so highly guarded. Tseng slipped in through the open high window and landed on a deserted hallway. The Ryuuseigun was using an abandoned factory as their headquarters; it made the search easy for the Turks, but because the building was located in middle of the Sector Four Slums, ShinRa could not send the SOLDIER unit in for total annihilation of the group.

"I have entered the western side of the building successfully. I will search the area for Liuming Lee." Speaking in a whisper through the headset transceiver, Tseng took out his handgun and made way down the gray collider. Dim lights from dying light bulbs illuminated the dusty environs.

Sir Rufus... are you kept somewhere in here? Tseng's slanted almond eyes fogged with worry. He knew that now was the worst possible time to be occupied with Rufus, but to think that his young master may be in middle of harm's way made Tseng queasy. "Come on, Tseng. Be professional..."

Pulling on the ‘Turks' mask, the long-haired man advanced to the corner and readied his gun. He latched the silencer onto the weapon, and sprang around the concrete wall, ready to shoot down anyone at sight. Finding no one, he let out a small sigh and continued to walk quietly.

"Tseng! Tseng!"

Tseng stopped in his track as if struck by the lightening. He could never mistake that clear, boyish voice. Sir Rufus!? Unconsciously, he crept to the nearest door and listened for more sign of his young master.

Sticking one ear against the metal door, Tseng caught gradually fading whimpers of Rufus calling his name. He saw red; before he knew it, he had grabbed the knob. Then, just as he was about to storm into the room, voice of a young woman stopped him.

"Move behind him, Railey. I can't get the clear view if you stay on top."

"Ugh. You don't give a damn for my pleasures, do you, Liuming?"

"Of course."

Liuming Lee? She is in here... There are others, too. What if I can't kill her with one shot... moreover, if I help Sir Rufus, she might escape. The Turk inside Tseng warned calmly. He knew that he should listen to it, but hated it at the same time. What should I do?

"Tseng..." The call was barely audible, but Tseng heard it clearly. It decided everything for him; unmasked desperation of a ‘child' drove him into action. Without further hesitation, Tseng kicked open the door and shot down the first man he saw.

// five - rufus //

Rufus was sure that he was hallucinating when he saw the tall Turk; but then, a muffled shot rang out, and Railey spurted blood from his head. The room went into a strange slow motion as Tseng shot down another man.

...The mission. Tseng must have come to kill these bastards. Pushing Railey's corpse off of himself, Rufus rolled to his side and sat up clumsily.

"Turks!?" Liuming ran for the back door, followed by the rest of her men. She was armed with a gun, but didn't dare risk her life here.

I'll have to wait until Tseng finishes what he came for. Rufus bit his lips and expected the lone Turk to ran after the Ryuuseigun members. To his surprise, Tseng watched the rebels scram and made no move to pursue them. Instead, he rushed to the boy's side and untied the bindings on frail wrists and ankles.

...Wha...? Eyes wide, Rufus opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. Unsure of what to do, he gathered the front of his shirt together to hide few red marks on his skin. He kept his gaze low, and hastily fixed the disturbance of his garments.

"Sir Rufus, are you all right?" The Asian asked gently. His young master stared at him silently.

"...You didn't come to rescue me, did you?" Rufus got up on his wobbly feet. Tseng reached out to steady him, but he shook away from the offered hands. "This mission... my father ordered you to kill the rebels, right? Why didn't you pursue them? Why did you come to me?"

"Sir Rufus?"

"It's out of protocol, Tseng." Why am I saying this? I should just thank him. The boy scolded himself, but a hidden child inside him refused to back down. "You are just getting paid to watch behind my back. Why are you abandoning your responsibilities for my sake!?" What am I saying!?

The two of them stared at each other in silence; Tseng was the first one to speak. "I... don't know. I heard you call my name, Sir." He trailed off and touched Rufus's honey-colored hair. "At that moment, I couldn't think of anything but you." Tentatively, he slipped both hands around the smaller frame and drew Rufus into a gentle embrace.

// six - tseng //

I must be losing my mind... Tseng thought to himself as he cradled the young ShinRa. Rufus showed no objection, however, and it encouraged the Turk. He pulled the boy closer until Rufus's head was pressed against his chest.

"Sir..., I'm glad that you are safe." Tseng whispered sincerely into the boy's ear.

Rufus stiffened at the softly spoken words. Finally, he couldn't hold his emotions anymore; sobs escaped him, and he began to cry. The tall Turk held Rufus steadily. Their moment of teary tranquil was broken by a series of gunshot sounds.

"...Meiling and Rude must be fighting the rebels." The young ShinRa wiped at his eyes, drawing away from Tseng. "You should go, Tseng. I'll be all right." On his face was a feebly-pieced- together ‘mask' of his usual self. It did not go well with reddened eyes, and it ached Tseng's heart.

Sir Rufus, you are getting too used to acting like an adult. Don't forget that you are yet a child... Tseng narrowed his eyes sadly. He handed Rufus his spare gun, reluctant to leave the boy but knowing that he must. "Sir Rufus, go left outside this room, and you'll find a high window. Once you get through the window, you'll be outside the building. Our van is parked across the street. Please, wait for us inside it."

"Fine." The boy nodded, his shakiness subsiding. He looked up to Tseng as if to say something, but averted his gaze and turned away. Quickly, he walked over to the doorway. Tseng sighed once before turning to go join his comrades on other side of the building.

"Tseng."

"Yes, Sir?" Tseng looked over his shoulder to Rufus.

"...Be careful, and... thank you."

Mildly surprised, the Turk studied the young blonde. A small smile gradually spread on his coolly handsome face. "You are welcome, Rufus."

// epilogue - tseng //

Sound of guns firing ceased as Tseng made way around the dusty hallway. At the door of what looked like a garage, he readied his weapon and turned the nob. It was dimly-lit inside, but he could see the bodies of Ryuuseigun members on the floor. Beside the corpses were Meiling and Rude, both holding smoking guns.

"You are late, Tseng." Meiling said flatly. Her face was downcast, but Tseng knew instantly that she was holding back her tears. In one corner of his vision, he saw the still form of Liuming Lee, slumped against the truck door.

"Mission accomplished." Rude spoke into the cellular phone. He didn't speak long, and hung up promptly. Looking at Tseng, he asked, "How is Sir Rufus?"

"...Minor bruises, but otherwise unharmed. How about you two? Any injuries?"

"Not a scratch." The female Turk returned; she put away her weapons, albeit clumsily in comparison to usual. Her hands were shaking visibly.

"Same here." Rude seconded, his attention upon Meiling. "Shall we retreat?"

"Yes." Taking in a large breath, Meiling put back on her ‘Turks' mask.

It's facade everywhere. Aren't we allowed to be ourselves even for a moment? Tseng sighed inwardly. He couldn't deny that he was growing weary of this masquerade. I need someone to be myself with. Someone like Rufus. And I want him to be himself around me.

Rufus listened to his father's lecture, nodding occasionally with halfway sincere expression. He did feel stupid for falling for Railey's lie, but he felt that it was none of President ShinRa's business. The President would never understand why Rufus had followed Railey out, even if he had been there to hear the dialogue transpired.

"Don't ever trust anybody, Rufus."

"...Yes, sir."

"You are dismissed."

"Thank you, sir. Have a nice day."

Stepping out of the uncomfortable atmosphere, Rufus was met with Tseng.

"How was..."

"Boring. Total waste of time." Rufus cut off his escort, showing a mischievous smile. Then, deep concern shadowing his ice-blue eyes, he asked, "How about you? Did Heidekker say anything?"

"No. Meiling didn't report my... delinquency to him. But she did give me a good scolding." Tseng answered with a shrug.

The two of them looked at each other with new eyes, without the well-accustomed masks. They liked what they saw; their moments together from now on were going to be breaks from their daily masquerades. New masks were created, however. Tseng pulled on that of a gentle friend, hiding what he was feeling for the boy. Rufus wasn't sure of what he felt, but he didn't feel secure expressing his raw emotions to the Turk. He was afraid of his own growing possessiveness and dependency toward Tseng.

For now, the two had a new bout of masquerade to weave through.

the end