Frantic Fantasy
Chapter 3
By Ramen Junkie

Rufus <demanding>: Where are those Avalanche members?!  You say you had them 
in your grasp one minute and next you have these four?

Tseng: Yes sir, we had Cloud, Tifa, Cid, and Yuffie captured but then 
suddenly there was this glow and a burst of light, then these four were in 
their place.

Rufus: So who are they?  Have you interrogated them? 

<Rufus looks over the four oddly dressed people standing in his office at 
Shinra headquarters.>

Tseng: Actually we are having some trouble with that sir.  They all seem to 
be mute.

Rufus: Mute? Maybe your technique is wrong, let me show you.

<Rufus kicks the one dressed in red armor.>

Rufus <Yelling>: WHO ARE YOU?!  WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY PRISONERS?!

<The fighter stand there dumb founded, then shrugs.>

Rufus: Great.  Send them to Hojo, see if he can do anything about getting 
them to talk, maybe it's just the effects of some sort of magic or 
something.

Tseng: Very well sir.

Rufus: Where are those other slackers Rude and Reno?

Tseng: I believe I left them at Shinra mansion with Elaine sir, they had 
been pursuing Sephiroth.

Rufus: Call them and tell them to get their lazy asses back here 
immediately.

Tseng: Yes sir.

*	*	*	*

<Inside Shinra mansion, Reno and Rude have come across a hidden passageway.>

Reno <Pulling at a wooden door in a mud wall>: You know, you could help me 
with this, the sooner we find something in this dumb, the sooner we can pass 
it off as something useful and get back to drinking.

Rude: .....

Reno: Well? Gonna give me a hand?

Rude: .....

<Rude walks over and kicks the door.>

Reno: Hey, great idea, if we can't get it open we could just break it down.

Rude: .....

Reno: Well I tell you what, there is more to this passage, let's search for 
something there, maybe we don't need to be wasting time on this door.

Rude: .....

Reno: Alright, it's settled, let's go.

<Reno and Rude turn to leave, but the are interrupted by a voice coming from 
inside the door.>

Voice: Wait!  No, come back, you must assist me in getting out of here.

Reno: What the heck was that?  There's someone in there!

<Reno rushes back over to the door.>

Reno: Who's in there?

Voice: Please assist me!  I seem to be trapped, I awoke in what appears to 
be a coffin, I have no clue as to where I am!

Reno: Well, I guess we should help whoever it is, come on, let's all push at 
once!

<Reno and Rude grab the door and pull with all their might, hoping to break 
it free.>

Reno: It's no use, this thing was built too well.

Rude: .....

Voice: No, please don't leave me trapped in this pit, I'll starve!

Reno: Rude, go see if Elaine has any ideas.

Rude: .....

<Just before Rude turn to get Elaine from upstairs she appears before them 
in the tunnel.>

Elaine: Tseng want's us to return immediately.

Reno: One minute, we found someone in here, this way we don't return empty 
handed.

Elaine: Behind that door?  Can't you get it open?

Reno: It's thick, and locked.

Elaine: Why don't you just blow it open with some magic or something?

Reno: What?  I couldn't use magic outside of battle for something useful, it 
wouldn't be right.

Elaine: Whatever

Rude: .....

Elaine: Look, why don't we see what Tseng says to do?

Reno: No way, he'll take credit for this, maybe there is a key somewhere?

Voice: Don't leave me!

Elaine: Don't worry, if you are someone good, you could be worth a 
promotion.

Reno: Yeah, just remember who found him!

Elaine: I'll be right back, I need to get to the surface for the pone to 
work.

Reno: We'll be right here.

Rude: .....

*	*	*	*

Tseng <Into a phone>: I see, so you found something then?...Uh huh, locked 
in a room in the basement?...I wonder if it could be him, still in 
there....There is a key, yes, in a safe....Don't use that one though, it's 
guarded, I put a second key by the door, under a rock....Good then, bring 
him here, I want to meet him again.

Hojo: A call from your flunkies?

Tseng: Quite, the Turks are not to be insulted.

Hojo: Maybe if they would succeed once in a while.

Tseng: Oh we may have succeeded this time.  So what have you found out from 
our guests?

Hojo: They are not mute by magic, they simply don't seem to be able to talk.  
This one <Hojo motions to the one in red armor>, appears to be some sort of 
fighter, this one a thief, this one some sort of martial artist, and this 
one <Hojo gestures to the last person, who is wearing all red as well, and a 
large hat.> is some sort of magic user.  That's all I can tell.

Tseng: This is all strange, what force is at work here?  I'll report to 
Rufus immediately.

Hojo: Very well, what shall I do with these four?

Tseng: I don't care, lock them in the jail or something.

Hojo: As you wish.

*	*	*	*

Elaine: Here's the key, just where Tseng said it should be.

Reno: Just remember, the promotion is mine.

Elaine: Yeah yeah, whatever.

<Elaine unlocks the door and tosses the key on the ground.  A man in dark 
armor bursts forth from the door.>

Man: Thank you so much good sirs, I could not think what could have happened 
had I remained trapped in there.

Reno: Heh, nice armor, how long you been trapped in there, since the middle 
ages?

Man: What?  This is the armor of a Dark Knight of Baron.  I am Cecil, 
commander of the Red Wings!

Rude: .....

Reno: Sure, look, we've got orders to take you to our boss, so come on.

Cecil: Your boss?  Where am I anyway, what kind of strange clothes are those 
your wearing?

Reno: Look, the only one with strange clothes is you, let's go.

Elaine: The copter should be waiting outside by now.

Cecil: I don't understand.

<Reno and Elaine, escort Cecil up the stairs and through the Shinra 
mansion.>

Reno: Don't worry, we'll figure it out.

Rude: .....