Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Counterfeit God: Part II ❯ Chapter 1

Part 2

 

Chapter 1

 

---

The bar was booming at this time of the night. Conversations created enough noise to drown out anything that wasn't supposed to be heard. At a small table in the back, Cid and Barret were surrounded by a mist of smoke, much to Tifa's dislike. Everything had been so rushed since that call they'd gotten from either Cloud or Reno two years ago. Hell, the whole group had been back in Edge within a couple of weeks and everything seemed to fly off the handle from there. Vincent had enlisted the help of both Cloud and Reno for the training of his new SOLDIERs. Morghann wasn't very happy about that to say the least. Sirius had taken up her swords again and was withdrawn. Shit, Cid would've gone as far as to say that she was a recluse compared to the way she usually was. Yuffie had come back to them and was back in training as well. They still had two years before they could expect an attack from Eko. It was funny how it turned out that Eko was under their noses the whole time.

 

Cid took another shot of Yeager, followed by a drag from his cigarette. “This whole damn thing seems really screwy if you ask me.” He grumbled, exhaling the smoke. “Fuck four years. Why doesn't he just save everybody the trouble and attack now?”

 

“Hell if I know, Cid.” Barret snapped. “It's like spiky said. Eko's got the whole thing planned out. This monster of his will be unstoppable if we can't get to him first.”

 

Cid took another drag of his cigarette. “I know that! Thing is, can we find him before he finishes?”

 

The heavy footfalls of boots alerted both men to a new presence. Cloud sighed as he flopped into the vacant chair between them and swiped Cid's second shot, downing it himself. Barret smirked at the expression on Cid's face. “Hard day at the playground, Blondie?” he asked.

 

Cloud nodded as he stared at the empty shot glass. “Vincent's been having a hard time getting the newest recruits adapted to the Mako infusions. They're not dealing with the increased stamina well and they're overexerting themselves.” He said, shaking his head.

 

“Sounds like some other ass hole I know.” Cid guffawed proudly. “I don't know what you're excuse is though, son. You'd think that havin' a woman at home would keep you on a short leash.”

 

The blonde frowned at this. “Speaking of which, have either of you seen Sirius? She's been disappearing a lot lately.”

 

“That goofy girl hasn't stayed around here since she picked up those damn swords of hers again.” Barret told him. “I'd ask Tifa if I were you. She sees more of Sirius nowadays than we do.”

 

Nodding, Cloud rose from the chair and pushed his way through the people to the bar. There was Tifa, as always, washing the glasses and pouring drinks. It was particularly busy tonight, so Yuffie was helping her. Morghann and Sirius would've been down here helping as well under normal circumstances, but lately, the circumstances hadn't been normal at all. The brunette caught sight of his shock of blonde hair and gave him a weary smile.

 

“What brings you here so early tonight, Cloud?” Tifa asked him, handing a glass to Yuffie.

 

“Have you seen Sirius? I can't find her here.”

 

Yuffie turned to take another glass from Tifa. “Where did she always go when she felt threatened? The vacant lot between Edge and Midgar. She's there all the time. It seems like the only thing Siri does anymore is train.”

 

Cloud nodded before retreating to the back stairs. The soft sounds of Marlene and Denzel sleeping made him smile a bit before coming to his room. There, in the pale light of the moon, was the shine of metal. His buster sword hadn't been used in so long. Now it was time to clean off the dust and get back into practice. Cloud had been helping Vincent so much lately, he'd been neglecting his own skills. Strapping the weapon to his back, he headed back down the stairs. He couldn't afford to neglect his own skills any longer.

 

---

 

Sirius gave a frustrated cry as she fought to keep herself from flinging her swords away. It was nearly impossible to train by one's self. She'd been out there since sunset and had accomplished almost nothing. How was it that she expected to be ready when Eko finally came? This time when she gave an angry cry, she did pitch one of her swords about four or five feet from her. The scraping of steel against the remnants of the cement gave Sirius a grim sort of satisfaction. Only days afterward did it occur the white-haired woman that she had given in to her childish temper. She didn't even bother to turn around when she heard the crunching of the gravel under a pair of boots that she knew all too well.

 

“You didn't have to come out here after me, Cloud.”

 

“I know.” Came the indignant response. “I wanted to. I hadn't seen you today and I missed you.”

 

Silence sat between them for a moment or two. “I missed you, too. I just can't help but feel useless.” She spat the last word like so much venom.

 

“Why do you say that?” Cloud asked, blinking in confusion.

 

“I say that because I haven't had a sparring partner.” Sirius admitted with a smirk. “You've been keeping up with Vincent and Reno in helping with SOLDIER. Now it's only fair that you help me train.”

 

The blonde closed his eyes and allowed himself a small smile. He should've seen that one coming. “If that's all you want, then sure, I can help you. You're not going to win of course.”

 

Cloud didn't have a chance to say anything else as Sirius flew at him with her swords drawn in the blink of an eye. He barely had time to react and pull the buster sword from his back to shield himself from the blow. “Is that so? We'll see about that.”

 

Sirius leapt back from him, knowing that her katanas were no match for the sheer weight of the large sword. Cloud took a defensive position, refusing to show her his back as she circled around him. His calloused hands were wound in a tight grip around the buster sword's hilt. The weapon may have been a bit bulky, but it served its purpose. The woman in front of him made another leapt, this time aiming at his head. Cloud moved to block the hit, but was beaten when Sirius changed her target. Knocking his feet out from under him with a swipe kick, she made to lodge the steel of her swords in his chest only to have him roll away from her.

 

The ex-SOLDIER was currently in a kneeling position. He rose to the balls of his feet, carefully aware of the balance he needed to maintain upright with his weapon. Cloud launched himself forward with incredible power. Slightly changing the position of his sword, he went into the form that was associated with the Climhazzard. Sirius knew this and also got ready for her own attack. Preparing to use the Omen, Yin and Yang, her swords, were held tightly in her fists. She then charged at Cloud, using the momentum to evolve into the spiral slashing attack. The blonde managed to block the attack since his own was thwarted.

 

Backing a few feet away, Cloud decided to try another approach. With several powerful slashes of the buster sword, Sirius was faced with the whirlwind created by the Finishing Touch. She closed her eyes to block out the dust that assailed her while she felt her feet sliding backward on the concrete. Sirius performed a dodge roll to escape the whirlwind fell strait into the stance for Atonement. Lunging forward, the white-haired woman created a shockwave of energy that was sent toward the blonde. Cloud, being caught off guard, was hit and sent crashing to the ground. Sirius gasped for breath as she lowered her weapons and made her way toward her fiancé, she stood over him with a bright smile.

 

“I guess I'm not as rusty as I thought I was. I beat you, Cloud.”

 

“I wouldn't be so sure of that.” Bringing his left leg up, he made a quick swipe kick that brought Sirius crashing down on top of him. “There.” He panted. “We're even. It's a draw.”

 

Sirius rested her head on his chest, lulled by its rise and fall. “We'll be ready for him. Eko's going down and I'm going to make sure I kick his ass into the next millennium.”

 

Cloud uttered a soft chuckle and rested his free hand on the small of her back while the other was still wrapped tightly around the buster sword. “I don't doubt it. You didn't even transform and you fought very well. We'll all be ready by the time Eko attacks again.”

 

The two lay there oblivious to the fact that they were, indeed, in a public place. Luckily, the time of night left them undisturbed during their sparring match and continued to do so while they recovered from their fight. At last, Cloud moved to sit up, causing Sirius to slide a bit. He rose to his feet before hauling the smaller woman to hers.

 

“I didn't realize how late it was.” He commented.

 

“Neither did I.” Sirius agreed. “I vote for a shower and sleep.”

 

A scowl crossed Cloud's face at the mention of the word `shower.' “Oh no, I don't want a repeat of the last two incidents with the shower. Falling out of the shower twice was too much.”

 

Sirius giggled as she sheathed her swords and grabbed his hand. “Well, we're going to behave this time and actually get clean. You're going to need your rest if you plan on going back to help Vincent tomorrow.”

 

Cloud nodded as he followed her through the streets to the rear entrance of the Seventh Heaven. The bar was just shutting down and Tifa gave them a curious look as they passed, but said nothing. The two of them made their way silently upstairs to fulfill at least the second goal: sleep.

 

---

 

On the practice field stood lines and lines of SOLDIERs newest recruits. They had all had their Mako infusions three weeks prior. At the very front of them all stood their commanding officer striding back and forth in front of them, seemingly examining them all carefully. Vincent Valentine was a legend among the Turks. Being an ex-Turk appeared to increase the anxiety of every young man before him. Also with him were two other well-known entities. Cloud Strife leaned against the wall casually as he stared out at them with his Mako-infused blue eyes. The legendary ex-SOLDIER Cloud would be helping to train them. He'd defeated Sephiroth twice in the past. That was an impressive feat in and of itself. A redhead also stood with them. Reno Shiratori was a Turk and one of the fantastic four, as they'd come to be known. He served Rufus Shinra himself and had done so for years. That made him legendary as well. He would also be helping in their training.

 

“Nobunaga Eko is a cunning and malicious enemy. He has promised to attack in two more years. There will come a time when the services of SOLDIER will be needed.” Vincent told them, his voice cool and unwavering. “That is why you must be prepared for whatever chaos he unleashes. It will be your duty to protect Edge and the world from this attack. That is why I have asked the aid of two of my oldest friends to assist in your training.”

 

Whispers ran rampant through the ranks as the young SOLDIERs in training grew excited by this aspect. Vincent took this action in stride and didn't become agitated. He merely waited for the murmurs to die down.

 

“I'm sure that all of you are familiar with Cloud Strife and Reno Shiratori. Since there are far too many of you to work on hand to hand combat at the same time, we'll be working with you based on companies. Company A will begin training this afternoon. Company B will be training tomorrow morning and Company C in the afternoon. This schedule will continue until all the companies have had a chance to train once and then the cycle will begin again. That is all. You are dismissed.”

 

The troops saluted and filed off of the training field to fulfill their other duties of the morning. Vincent turned to the other two males that were waiting patiently behind him. Reno had an eyebrow raised at the ex-Turk's ability to control the troops. Flipping his rod carelessly in the air, the redhead moved toward him.

 

“That was some display of power. I gotta say that when the boss assigned this to you, I had my doubts. Looks like you've got three successful waves of SOLDIERs out there already and another one on the way.”

 

Vincent nodded. “Time is running short, however. I don't have time to train another one and get two more started. That's why I've asked you to help me.”

 

Cloud pushed away from the wall and stood beside Reno as he faced the dark-haired man. “We're glad to help, Vincent. I'm just sorry that it's come to this.”

 

“It couldn't be helped, Cloud. You've even gone back into training with Sirius, have you not?”

 

“Yes. Eko's threat becomes more real every day. Two years have already passed so quickly. These next two years will most likely do the same. We need all the help we can get.” The blonde replied.

 

Reno looked at his watch. “Yeah, well, as long we're done by seven, I'll be able to keep helping out. Morghann will have my hide if I start working here overtime.”

 

Cloud chuckled and even Vincent smirked. “Behold the power of the fiancé, Reno. You should've seen it coming.”

 

“How come you're not so worried about it, Cloud? Doesn't Sirius hound you about being late?” the redhead asked, amazed.

 

“No. If I'm late, she kicks my ass in sparring for revenge. Then it's `we both need our rest, Cloud, go to sleep.'” The blonde continued, shaking his head. “I get the brush off after that, so I've made it a habit not to work late.”

 

Vincent strode silently toward his office, the other two fighters in tow. The office was small and bare with nothing but the essentials: a filing cabinet with the troops' files, a desk, and the last item, though he didn't see the need for it, was a telephone. He strode to the desk and sat down slowly, motioning for Cloud and Reno to sit down. Pulling out a few sheets from one of the drawers, he placed them on the desk. Reno stood up to peer at the documents. He gazed up at Vincent as his eyes asked the question for him.

 

“That's what I actually found in Mideel. I didn't report it to Rufus because I knew he'd send Tseng and Elena. Any secrecy we had would've been lost.”

 

Cloud looked up at this point. “What did you find, Vincent?”

 

“It would appear that Eko is using some sort of underground bunker for all of his preparations at this point. He'd gathered all of his Mako and Materia and hid it there. That's where he's heading his base of operations.” Vincent told them.

 

“Tell me again why you didn't tell Rufus about this?” Reno asked, quirking an eyebrow.

 

It was Cloud who answered. “If Vincent would've reported in to Rufus, he'd have sent the Turks in. Eko would've gotten wind of what was going on and packed up and left like he did in Rocket Town. Since he didn't though, Eko thinks we don't know about his hide away for all of his weapons materials.”

 

“Great.” Reno said. “So can't we just fly in a blow it to hell?”

 

“No, we can't.” Vincent replied. “Eko's most likely almost done with his weapon. We need to keep our guard up no matter what. He's going to strike where we least expect it.”

 

---

 

Gently setting a mug down on the table, Sirius looked into her tea. Morghann sat across from her in the small café. Tifa and Yuffie had been kind enough to baby-sit. Shaking herself out of her daydream, Sirius looked up at Morghann and smiled.

 

“How have things been with you and Reno? Helping Vincent hasn't been keeping him out late, has it?” she asked.

 

Morghann rolled her eyes, giving her a bemused laugh. “He's never late. He knows better. He'll be sleeping on the couch if he is.”

 

Sirius shook her head. She thought it ironic for the redhead to be working in a Shinra-based job, especially since Morghann hated the company and its president with a passion. Cloud had only agreed to help with the training of SOLDIER because Vincent had asked him to. “If Cloud's late, he gets his ass beat in a sparring match.” She said proudly.

 

“That seems to be all you do these days, Sirius. I hate it that I can't get out to train as much as I'd like to. Right now, Sarah is my top priority.” Morghann said.

 

“That's how it should be, Morg. I train all the time because I refuse to let that man take me without a fight. I'd die first.” Sirius told her as she gazed out the window of the shop. She saw a dark-haired woman outside the café opening up a cell phone. Everything seemed to continue on like normal. She didn't think they would be normal again until Eko was dead. “I wonder where he's hiding now, Morghann. He was right under mine and Cloud's noses in Nibelheim. It could be the same case here.”

 

Morghann looked thoughtful for a moment. “No, I don't think he is here. He knows that Edge and Midgar both are crawling with SOLDIERs and Turks alike. He couldn't step foot in here without getting caught. He'll wait until the end of his four years as promised.”

 

“You're right. I'm sorry. I guess I'm just worried.” She shook her head, but continued to stare out the window, something buzzing in her mind. “I want to start my family, Morghann, and I know now isn't the right time, but it's so hard.”

 

The brunette reached over and grasped her friend's hand. She could feel her pain since she wasn't trying to mask her emotions at this moment. She couldn't blame Sirius. It wasn't fair for Eko just to show back up after thirteen years and finish what he started. Morghann understood that. She would never change the way things had turned out for herself. Sarah was her treasure and her pride and joy. Her daughter was her top priority. Sirius turned her head to face her, trying to smile.

 

“Thanks, Morghann. I need some womanly comfort sometimes.” She said in a joking manner.

 

“I know. What do you say we finish this tea and hit some of the shops on the way back?” Morghann offered. “It's been a while since I've been able to go out. What do you say?”

 

Sirius nodded as she took another sip of her tea. Something seemed to be out of place that day but she couldn't quite place it. Finishing her tea and grabbing her purse, the two women paid and left the café, walking past the dark-haired woman that Sirius had noticed before.

 

---

 

Sheena saw her targets in a nearby café having tea. They were acting as if everything were normal. She'd been keeping a close eye on them for the past two weeks ever since Valentine had changed his training lineup. She'd also noticed that Maelstrom had started getting back into shape. She wasn't half bad with those swords of hers. It wouldn't hurt to report in a few days early. Pulling out her cell phone, Sheena hit speed dial.

 

“This had better be important, Sheena. I'm in the middle of finishing up the last of my preparations.” Eko growled.

 

She swallowed hard. “I'm sorry, boss. It's just that Maelstrom is progressing faster in her training than we thought she would. She may be a problem.”

 

Eko laughed from the other end. “No, she'll be a challenge. That's part of the fun, Sheena. We'll see how much of a fight she actually puts up once the time comes. Now, don't bother me again unless something happens that might alter the plan.”

 

“Got it, boss. It won't happen again.”

 

---

 

End Chapter