Promises of Loyalty

Chapter 9 - A Return to Routine

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Amazingly enough, the crew returned from Kalm and things returned to normal, or as normal as they could be for an eco-terrorist group. Never the one to rest much, Barret had taken his free time to find one of ShinRa's little side projects in the form of a mako reactor being constructed in the mountain range to the southwest of Kalm. While Jesse, Biggs, Wedge, and Marlene were busy playing in the surrounding forests and lakes, Barret sat in the inn studying maps and topographical charts of the area, already plotting their assault on the reactor, determined to destroy it in its infantile stage before it could do any damage to the planet. He had promised the crew that the moment they got back to Midgar, he'd have a plan formed and work would resume immediately - and he wasn't kidding. Before the unpacking of suitcases could even begin, Barret had his maps and diagrams spread out over the newly replaced meeting table. He barked orders for new wireless communicators to Jesse, and for Biggs and Wedge to start checking in sector 6 for any sort of outfitter that could provide mountain climbing gear, as well as explosives enough to take off a major chunk of the face of a mountain. A fitting plan: AVALANCHE causing an avalanche of its own onto the barely built reactor.

Tifa resumed her facade as junior AVALANCHE member, bartender, and babysitter as naturally as everyone sprang back into action. Eventually after the initial ruckus of a group returning from vacation died down, and preparations for their next mission started to smooth out into more organized chaos, they noticed the newly repaired parts of the bar and commended Tifa on what they figured to be one hell of a choice in contractors. She smiled, telling them it didn't come cheap, but it was about time she put some of the money she had saved up into the place. Even Barret neglected to comment on his suspicions - if he still held any - due to his absorption in their new target.

Days passed just as always before a new mission, with each member doing their own assignment so that once the time to act came, all the pieces would fall into place. Jesse's communicators were tested to work at high altitudes and had wind cancellation to counteract the frigid gusts that could assault them as they placed the explosives. Biggs had managed to find a shop in Nibelheim that sold mountain climbing gear, and took a week-long excursion over to the western continent to procure their equipment. Wedge meanwhile took his own business trip to North Corel, being the best place to obtain illegal explosives besides Junon. He had argued to Barret that Junon would be closer and more convenient, but Barret argued right back that buying explosives in a town run by the very company whose reactor they were planning to use said explosives on was not a good idea.

With the boys off in the western continent buying supplies, and Jesse cloistered in her workroom with the "Do Not Disturb - Genus At Work" sign hung prominently on the door, Tifa was left with nothing more than playing with Marlene, maintaining the bar and helping Barret with his plans. As busy as her life sounded, she still found plenty of time to muse over the 360-degree turn of events that had taken place in less than a month's time. She had gone from busily working on mission plans to being a ShinRa captive, to creating a somewhat awkward relationship with a SOLDIER, and then back to mission work, all while learning the truth behind the night at Mt. Nibel that changed her life.

Really, all that was different now was the fact that she had Zack in her life...sort of. She hadn't seen or even heard from her lover, if she considered him that at this point, since their last rendezvous in his room before she left after their little training session. Tifa couldn't just walk up to the ShinRa HQ and knock on the door, asking if Zack could come out and play, and she didn't have any number to contact him with, nor did she want to risk getting tracked after that. The ball was in his court, as it seemed to almost always be, and she could do nothing but wait until he decided to come back to see her.

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In a few days the group would set out for the southwestern mountain range of Kalm to put a stop to yet another mako-sucking abomination of ShinRa's. Equipment was being discretely shipped to a safe house Barret had set up while they were still on vacation, the last minute checks on their communicators were being run, and Marlene's safety was secured at the home of an old woman Tifa had befriended during several of her trips to the local market. Everything was going smoothly, until one busy night at the bar when Tifa received more than the customary 2 gil tip sitting next to an empty glass. She cleared the newly vacated stool, trying to remember the man that had previously occupied it and apparently left her a small note with the ShinRa company logo on it.

"Tomorrow night, 12:24AM, wear a black tank top and shorts, hair in a ponytail, come unarmed. Back gate off Alley 24-B, act cool and call the guard "Gary" and he'll know. - Z"

She gripped the scribbled note tighter and tried in vain to remember the man sitting at that stool, usually being amazingly adept at recognizing customers. All she could recall was a blue baseball cap and brown jacket, too scrawny to be Zack himself. So he had sent a lackey to summon her? Her mouth quirked in an annoyed smirk; pretty romantic to invite her to another date at the headquarters of the company her organization was trying to take down. The note was stuffed in her apron before anyone could notice and she went back about her work. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she mused that she'd have to demand a proper date one of these days.

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With only 4 minutes to spare, Tifa ran quickly through the grimy alleyways of sector 7, reminded of how not too long ago she was doing the same thing, for a completely different reason, and would end up meeting the same man in the end. Her heart fluttered, musing that she would more than likely end up in the same situation as she was that first night, only this time completely consenting and more than willing. She shook her head, clearing such thoughts once more, and wondering when she got this giddy and worked up over such a guy. But the more she looked at it, the more she grew accustomed to being with Zack and his attitude, his love of a good fight, and of course, his prowess in the bedroom.

The next passage she passed was marked 24-B and she was glad for it, only having a minute left to reach her destination. Why he had picked 24 minutes past midnight was beyond her, but if she tried to explain half the things Zack did, she'd never get anything done. Waiting a moment in the shadows, she caught her breath and composed herself, sauntering up as casually as she could to the stout man standing guard at the outermost gate.

"Hello, Gary." she said, smiling brightly at the droopy-eyed guard trying desperately not to fall asleep at his post. He blinked once or twice to clear the fog from his vision and then did a double-take at the woman standing before him.

"Wow, Zack wasn't kidding...he didn't waist no gil on you, no ma'am," he muttered before clearing his throat. Tifa allowed a scowl cross her face as she realized she was being admitted once again under the guise of a prostitute, but quickly slipped a smile back onto her face as the guard continued. "You go right on in, he'll be waiting for you past the next checkpoint. Tell the next guys you're "Fair's Game" and you'll be cleared."

She ground her teeth in what looked to him like an innocent grin and nodded her thanks as she walked through the opened gate, all while making a mental note that their next date had better be at one hell of a non-ShinRa location to make up for a second jab at her pride. The next area she entered was a security checkpoint staffed by two burly guards with hair so shaggy it fell over their eyes. They were the types you could never read their mood, so she decided to play the innocent hooker card and flounced up to them.

"Evening boys, I'm Fair's Game," she announced, trying to sound as confident and sultry as possible without giving them any ideas. The guard on her left grunted and turned his head to his partner. The right guard looked her up and down before giving a short nod to the other and grabbing her arm. The left guard followed suit and before Tifa could struggle or protest, she was quickly frisked and then shoved through the metal detector, stumbling forward into the arms of one SOLDIER first class with spiky black hair.

"Hiya beautiful," he grinned, wrapping an arm around her waist as he slipped a few gil to the guard on the left, leading his newly acquired guest into the building. Once inside, Tifa wriggled out from his grasp and punched him in the arm, lightly enough to not cause any serious injury, but with enough force to let him know this wasn't just a love-tap.

"What is it with you and telling everyone here that I'm a prostitute!?" she whispered harshly, not wanting to make this anyone's business but theirs.

He laughed and took her hand, leading her to an elevator down the hallway and swiping his card key to activate his level access, "Would you rather I tell them you're an AVALANCHE member? That'll get you access for sure, but I guarantee you that you'll end up in places way less fun than my bedroom." The grin and wink that accompanied his statement wasn't lost on Tifa and she flushed slightly as he pressed the button for the 64th floor. As the elevator ascended she noticed that the selected floor was among a group of buttons sectioned off in red.

"Where are we going? Your room isn't this far up," she questioned.

He slipped his arms around her waist and pressed his lips to her neck as he answered, "I got us special access to the executive floors for tonight. It's gonna be a while, this thing's slow as hell, you up for a little fun in an elevator?"

She squirmed in his arms and pushed him off, heart already racing a bit at the naughty thoughts he had conjured up in her mind. "Not in a GLASS elevator, you voyeur-perv."

"Aw c'mon, it's 2:30 in the morning, no one's awake but a few patrol guards, and their job sucks so much why not give them a little show, liven up their night?" The comment earned him another punch to the arm and Tifa leaned back against the corner of the elevator, crossing her arms and scowling.

"So where are we going and for what?" she questioned, noting they still had another 20 floors to go and her patience was wearing thin.

"Hmm, I think you can wait another 18 floors to find out. Don't worry, I wouldn't hand you over to the president or anything. Lord knows what that fat bastard would do if he got his hands on you. Besides, I'm rather possessive..." she looked at him slightly worried and he quickly added, "Don't worry, it's just you and me up here at this hour. These levels are restricted to the ShinRa board of directors, and you're hard pressed to find them here during business hours, let alone after hours."

The flashing light above the doors along with the accompanying 'ding' of the floor alarm let them know they had reached their destination. How Zack had received a card key with access to the executive floors was of little concern to Tifa once the doors opened to reveal the splendor that was the executive gym and training rooms. There were rows upon rows of the most advanced and expensive training machines, state-of-the-art simulation bays with the latest in combat replication units, and even a full nutrition center. Everything seemed to be untouched and pristine, as if it were barely used at all.

Zack gave her a gentle nudge to send her out of the elevator and followed suit, taking her by the hand once more and leading her off to one of the many aerobics rooms. Opening one of the locked doors, the light sensors triggered and bathed the room in a halogen glare. The large area was nothing more than an empty room, furnished only with full wall-mirrors and firm blue training mats for flooring. She walked to the center of the room almost in a daze as he closed and locked the door behind them.

"I figured last time, you were a bit overwhelmed, and out of your element. I thought this time we'd fight on your turf, your way," he muttered, running a hand back through his hair. It was then that she noticed he too was unarmed, and wearing only a black t-shirt and shorts, causing her skepticism to fade and a smile to grace her lips,

"Ok, you got me. This was a cute gesture. But you're still not off the hook for the prostitute thing. Next time, we're going on a REAL date."

He laughed, "Ok, fine, it's settled. Next time, real date..."

Without warning, he launched himself at her, fist flying toward her left shoulder, "Winner gets to decide where!"
Tifa narrowly dodged his punch and shuffled to the side, grabbing his left shoulder and flipping him down on the mat below their feet. Zack quickly turned, sucking his body into a roll as Tifa jumped a few paces back to give herself a bit of distance and get herself ready for his next attack. When his face was parallel to the floor, he pushed his palms down and flipped his body back up, landing on his feet. He pivoted forward, rushing toward her with an open palm and thrusting it into her sternum, sending her flying backward.

Airborne, she shifted her feet behind her body and planted them firmly against the wall, shattering the mirror that covered it. As shards of mirror fell at her feet, she reversed her movement and launched herself back at him, her fist cocked back toward his jaw. His head snapped back as her attack connected, a loud resounding crack heard as he watched the ceiling come into view, the world moving in slow motion. His body was spinning from the force of the blow and falling towards the ground but the palm of his hand slammed down on the mat to halt his impact. His leg snapped up and caught her knee as she flew over him, hoping to spin her out of control.

A pained gasp escaped her lips as his foot met with her knee, sending it to the side and throwing her balance off. Hitting the mat hip-first, she swung out her uninjured leg and caught the wrist that was holding his body up, jarring her foot between the mat and his ribcage so he fell straight on it. Pain shot up Zack's side as several of his ribs collapsed in on themselves, thankfully far enough away from puncturing vital organs. With his full weight now resting on her foot, her leg was trapped beneath him and he took this opportunity to slam his elbow down into her knee.
Zack lifted himself off the mat with a pained grunt, finding it difficult to draw breath with broken ribs threatening to puncture something vital with every movement. Tifa wasn't fairing much better, either, with both knees now throbbing in pain. In her defense, she tucked her legs back behind her to avoid more damage to the already throbbing limbs. As both fighters struggled to their feet, Tifa managed to rasp out, "You're...fixing that later..."

Desperate to end the fight before she lost her mobility completely, she threw herself at him full force, driving her fist up into his chest. He slammed full force against the wall, shattering yet another mirror into glittering shards. As he slid down to the floor, coughing from the impact and trying to regain his breath, he smirked up at her, “Alright, alright...I surrender. Remind me to bring my sword next time, you're dangerous…”

Tifa wobbled over to where he was now seated and slumped against the wall next to him, finally allowing her battered legs some much needed rest. The pair sat amidst shattered glass, panting slightly and coming down from their post-fight adrenaline. Finally, Tifa spoke up,

“So what do we do now that we’re too beaten up and tired to leave this room? Wait until the janitorial staff finds us and hope they have a restore materia attached to their mop?”

Zack chuckled at her sarcasm and reached into the pocket of his shorts to bring out his materia bracelet and clip it on. “A good SOLDIER always comes prepared. I was just being a gentleman and not using it for our fight.” He turned to her and pulled her body so she was seated between his legs, activating the restore materia as he did so. His arm glowed green with the curative power and he moved it down her right hip to her knee, rubbing it lightly as the energy poured into her body and mended the damage done there. Tifa’s body relaxed under his touch and she leaned back into his chest as he repeated the treatment to her left knee as well. When her legs were restored to their original lethal state, his hand traveled up her stomach and came to rest between her breasts, applying a light pressure to her bruised sternum as the materia worked its magic on her last injury. Soon, her body tingled lightly as the last of the healing energy spread throughout her limbs, relieving the fatigue caused by their sparring and leaving her feeling contentedly tired.

With her body treated, Zack unclipped the bracelet and caught Tifa’s wrist, clipping the accessory onto her arm in an unspoken gesture that it was his turn for treatment. She sluggishly sat up and turned around, reversing their positions so that his head now rested back against her soft chest. She activated the materia and started at his shoulders, massaging both as she sent the healing energy into the left one where she grappled him to the mat earlier. With that bruise healed, she moved her hands down lower, working the knots out of his muscles as she went along, until she located the broken ribs she had caused with her boot. As the bones mended back together Zack let out a sigh of relief, no longer feeling the stabbing pain of the threat of a punctured lung or worse.

Broken ribs tended to, her touch traveled down his abdomen and rested just above his navel, sending the healing energy down to his legs in just a reparative gesture to alleviate the fatigue there, as there wasn’t much in the way of damage to heal. His final injury was his jaw, and she brought her hands up along his chest to cup his chin, tilting his head back against her chest once more as she cleared up the swelling and bruising her punch had caused. His half-lidded eyes looked up at her with a content expression much like a cat laying in a warm patch of sun. As the healing finished, Tifa couldn’t help herself and leaned down to kiss him gently.

Zack brought a hand up to cup the back of her head and pull her down closer, parting her lips and urging her on further. He moved to sit up, but before he could turn back to resume the kiss, she pushed him back lightly, resulting in his body being laid out flat on the mat with Tifa now straddling his knees. She clamped her legs around his hips and pinned his shoulders to the floor as she loomed over him, “Victory celebration…” she smirked. As the words left her lips, she released his shoulders and stripped off her tank top before leaning down to kiss him once more.

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Reno flipped off the monitor, idly tapping his deactivated EMR against the desk of the security console. One of the guards slumped in the corner moaned slightly, struggling to get up after regaining consciousness, and the redhead shocked him back into a short-term coma.

"So, that's what our buddy Fair's been up to, huh Rude?" Reno mumbled, addressing his partner who was seated in the other chair. Rude nodded, as stoic as ever even given the events he had just watched unfold on the security cameras. Reno ejected the tape from the recorder and slipped it in his pants pocket, "I'm totally saving this for later, yo," he chuckled as he waltzed past the incapacitated surveillance guards. Had the dark glasses not covered his eyes, Reno would've seen the disproving glare in Rude's eyes, but having been partners for so many years now, he knew. "Yeah yeah, I know, it's unprofessional to keep video taped security footage of your co-workers having sex with terrorists in the company gym, but that shit was hot, yo!" Reno kept babbling on as they left the security station of ShinRa HQ, a trail of knocked out guards littering the corridors before them. When the Turks wanted access to an area, they got it and if questions were asked, things happened.

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Oblivious to the electronic eye watching them from the ceiling, Tifa snuggled into the cradle of Zack's arms, feeling oddly at ease for being naked in a restricted ShinRa training room. Knowing that they were both mere moments from giving in to the warm embrace of sleep, Zack nudged her free and rolled over to start locating their discarded clothing. After they dressed, Tifa checked her watch and realized it was almost 3 in the morning.

"I can't stay here, Zack. I have to get back to the bar. The others are going to be waking up soon and we've...got things to take care of."

He nodded, knowing full well that she was already risking an inquisition once she returned if it were found out she was gone half the night. She walked toward the doors, but his hand, or rather a chunk of metal, caught her wrist. Expecting to look down and see another pair of handcuffs and a half-assed excuse of passing her off as a prisoner being taken out of the building for transport, she instead found a light silver bracelet fitted with 6 pieces of materia.

"Zack? What...?" she mumbled, unable to finish her question as he kissed her softly.

"I didn't contact you earlier because I was away on a mission in the Ancient Forest. This is a little souvenir I picked up while I was out there." He brought her wrist up between them, "It's called a Minerva Band...something to keep you safe when I'm not around. Now that you know how to use materia, I figured I'd set you up with the basics. It’s got Fire, Ice, Lightning, Restore, Sense and Exit…that last one’s gonna come in handy when you need to come and go from here."

His usual confident grin was replaced by a somewhat subdued, almost nervous smile and he ran his free hand through his hair, staring up over her head and unable to meet her gaze. She smiled warmly, knowing that this very un-Zacklike gesture was a sincere attempt at showing her that this wasn't just all fun and games to him.

Tifa's hand slid lightly against his cheek, her new bracelet shifting slightly around on her wrist. She brought his eyes to hers and held his gaze for a moment before returning the kiss, "Thank you, Zack. I'll treasure it."

Not to be one for letting the moment stay sappy for long, he slipped his arms around her waist and turned her around, pulling her back toward his chest and nipping lightly at her neck, "What do you say to going back to my room for one more round before you make your grand escape?"

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To be continued in Chapter 10 - Saucers and Spies