FicWad

Tseng was settled against the sofa reading a book with the television on in the background. He rarely stopped to think, it produced some undesirable moments of humane based conscience. He yawned, grabbed the brandy and thought about the idea of going to bed when the buzzer went. He looked at his watch, eyebrow raised. It was an odd time for a visitor but he got up and taking his gun he opened the apartment door.

"Tifa?" Tseng looked confused. Something that didn't happen often.

"Rufus sent us over." She nodded. Tseng saw Ada an appreciative sweep of his eyes was the only sign of interest he showed. "This is Ada she's come to help. Her and her partner Leon were involved with Reno coming out to collect us."

"I see." He opened the door and headed back in. "Carry on then." He went to put on the coffee machine as they followed him in. Tifa's chocolate brown eyes looked around the apartment. No signs of personality, it looked like he had less to offer than Rufus. Gods what a lonely existence!

Ada explained the T-Virus and the history of their work. She gave him a detailed report from her memory about the events around places like Racoon City and then about the trip out Leon had to get the Presidents daughter and his own infection. Tseng listened and Tifa helped with more of the information from their side. The Head of General Affairs was interested but it all sounded like one of the horror films Reno loved watching so much.

"So..." Tseng put the lot together and poured another brandy. "This virus... is it something someone in particular will be spreading?"

"There is a chance someone's come here with it. I mean we got here didn't we?" Ada pointed out.

"For once when someone knocks on my door I'd love it to be either a call girl or something entertaining that wasn't related to world ending annoyances." He knocked the drink back.

"Tseng." Tifa smiles at him softly. "You guys will work it out I am sure. I asked Cloud to contact us but so far he's not been in contact." She wanted him to be, she was missing him but the fact that he yet again left her alone and fighting her own side of a battle annoyed her.

"Well if he shows up he can help if he wants. You know what he's like about us." Tseng threw his glass on the side and gathered up the laptop. It was another insomnia night now and so he started to set up.

"It can wait until tomorrow I am sure." Ada said to him honestly.

"I'm awake now and thinking so I might as well."

"Well don't you want to relax? Shinra isn't everything you know?" Tifa looked at him.

"Yes it is." Tseng cut her off and logged in. "People in our jobs cannot go home to children and wives knowing that they have killed others. I'm quite happy to get this done. Get Rufus to let me know when he's any closer to those antidotes. We may need them if anything strayed from Modeo-."

"Okay Tseng." Tifa wandered towards the door and spotted a shelf with a small clear glass box, inside lay a yellow pressed flower like Aerith grew in the church. She didn't press the matter; instead she headed to their car and got back into her seat. Ada followed a few minutes later and settled into the opposite seat, she looked at Tifa. "Turks." Tifa half-snorted as they headed back towards Rufus's place. Tifa wondered just what Tseng had been asked to do over those years that made him so very cold. She shuddered, it was better not to think about it. She sighed as they came into view of the penthouse. "How... lonely." She whispered and tried Cloud once more.

Meanwhile Leon and Rufus drove over to Headquarters and parked up. Rufus swiped his access card down the reception doors and headed in. The receptionist gave him the usual polite greeting as he was in fact the man that kept her in employment. Rufus nodded and headed up another flight of stairs. Leon got lost around the impressive building yet Rufus knew every nook and cranny. Of course he did, just like his Turks this was his life’s work. Leon was captivated by the technology but when they hit the R&D area he ended up looking in at a cabinet of weaponry he couldn't identify.

"This... you own all of this?" Leon looked at him amazed.

"My father died I was made President. Shinra... clue's in the name." He joked but it was blandly toned and hardly energetic. He flipped his phone as they headed up towards the medical bay, his mind half on his poor pet and the other half on the task at hand. "I need SOLDIER ready for deployment. Yes the location will come via Reno as he mapped the area when he picked me up earlier. No..." The President's voice was commanding but Leon found a certain smoothness to it that drew people in. "Nothing in the area is to survive. Thanks." He closed the phone. "Reno had already dropped off the co-ordinates." He moved on again.

"You don't have much energy past this place?" Leon followed him through the automatic doors, more of the company logo's littered the area. He didn't dare touch anything in case it snapped back or somehow shocked him. He watched as Rufus opened up a strange looking computer and logged in. "You do a lot of very technical things yet you can't make a coffee?"

"I don't have time to worry about domestics. Right now the only thing I care about is that antidote." Rufus sighed. "How long does it take for the thing to manifest in general?"

"I can't say as I really know. I got the antidote in time."

"I see." Rufus looked at him, Leon saw a glint in his eye and didn't like it. "So you have already survived it once..." He looked at Leon up and down the idea coming to him. Why waste time gathering data he had all he needed in front of him surely?

"No." Leon backed up and his hand went to his gun. Rufus shook his head and Leon groaned, sure he might get to shoot the son of a bitch but he wasn't going to get out alive. He sighed and moved his hand. "What does it entail?"

"Just a scan, blood samples and then we can try and see if it altered your biological system in anyway." Rufus smirked; the look on Leon's face was just what he liked. He had realised where Rufus' true power lay. "I can't put the lives of many behind the lives of one Leon Kennedy."

"I see." Leon rolled his eyes. "Gods nothing changes just the locality." And for the first time he heard Rufus Shinra genuinely laugh.