Final Fantasy VII: The First Crisis

Chris nodded, getting her cellphone out of the bag at her feet and setting it on the table. "I don't think I have his number yet. Can you put it in my phone before you leave to meet Elochai?" She took a couple more bites of her pasts, watching him for a moment. "I was wondering.. Why did you go back to retrieve my hat? Not that I'm complaining or anything, but I could have just bought another."

She would stay at the restaurant when he left for the station, at which time she would go change out of her uniform. She couldn't do it in the restaurant, as people there knew her as a Shin-Ra employee.
 
Xanatos took her phone and began entering the director's information. He fell silent when the girl asked about the hat. Why did he go back for it? He wasn't even sure. "I thought it might have been important to you." He said after a moment. "Otherwise, why wouldn't you have just cut your hair in the first place?" He asked before returning the phone to her.

"When I file my report to the Director after this mission, I'll say that with Elochai's aid we were able to successfully identify the operative. That should be an adequate cover to keep your gender a secret." That was, of course, if they managed to locate the operative. 1st class SOLDIER operatives were very well trained. As a result, if they wanted to disappear they were very good at it.
 
Chris had thought of cutting her hair when she'd arrived in Midgar, as it would have been a much easier way to hide her true identity, but the truth was she'd wanted some reminder of the life she left behind. The hat had been a gift from her grandfather before he'd passed away, so it did have some sentimental value. "Well thank you for finding it and returning it to me."

She nodded, knowing that it was best that she be left out of the official report once the operative was located. She just hoped it didn't give the Director cause to change his mind about accepting her into SOLDIER, since she had been appointed to this mission alongside Xanatos. "That is probably best."
 
Xanatos pushed away his finished plate before rising to his feet. "I'm going to go meet Elochai." He said as he straightened his coat. "Remember. Call me if things get too dangerous." He turned and began walking towards the exit, pausing only to pay for the meal.

A few minutes later he was sitting aboard the train as it descended into the slums. He was far more tense on this trip than any other. There was a rogue 1st class SOLDIER running around and they should have known that they would send another 1st class after them. Which meant, they were ready for him. He folded his arms as he looked out the window. This was going to be a long day.
 
Chris stayed in the restaurant for a few minutes after Xanatos left. Once she was sure that he'd made it to the slums, she left the restaurant to head for the station. She'd seen a restroom on the way through there the last time, and she slipped inside once she reached the door. It didn't seem like anyone ever used this restroom, so it was a good place for her to change out of her uniform.

Once she was in street clothes, she stuffed her belongings into a stall at the far end of the row. She would come back for it later, after completing the mission. There were only two things she would keep with her, her sword and her cellphone, as she never knew what would happen down there. The sword, if anyone asked, could be explained as a gift from a relative. Leaving the bathroom, she went down to wait for the next train into the slums.

When she got off the train, she started wandering around, keeping her senses alert. Before long, she found herself outside a bar. It might be a good place to sit and listen for anything that could be used to find the person they were looking for. She headed inside, moving to sit at a table near the middle of the room, so she could hear everything that is said around her.
 
As Xanatos entered the bar provided to him by Elochai he took a quick glance around the establishment. He saw an empty seat at the bar and moved to have a seat. Elochai wasn't here yet. It wasn't like Elochai to keep him waiting. He gave a quiet sigh before ordering something non-alcoholic. He didn't enjoy drinking, and he couldn't while he was on duty anyway. The man behind the bar, begrudgingly provided the SOLDIER with his choice of drink.

At the bar Chris had decided to attend, an attractive man with fair features approached her table near the center of the bar. He gave a smile before taking a seat across from her. "It must be some kind of sin for a beautiful woman like yourself to be left by herself. Can I buy you a drink?" His long flowing blond hair was held back by a pair of red tinted sunglasses that effectively hid his eyes from view.
 
Chris looked up when the man approached her table. He certainly was attractive, but she couldn't let down her guard for even a second. One drink probably wouldn't hurt though. "A beer would be great, mister. It's nice to know that people in Midgar are so friendly to newcomers."

When the drinks arrived, she sipped slowly at hers, as she needed to keep her wits about her. It wouldn't do for her to get drunk and blow her cover, or the mission. "What is your name, if you don't mind me asking?"
 
The man gave a friendly smile, before lowering his glasses with his eyes closed. His hands folded the glasses and tucked them away in a pocket before opening his eyes, revealing them to be the tell tale glowing eyes of a SOLDIER operative. "Elochai. Elochai Sotanax." He said as he reached for his own drink. He thanked the waiter before taking a small sip off of the mug.

Elochai gave a quiet nod in the direction of the bar doors. "I know what you're doing here." He said in a hushed voice. The bar doors closed as a pair of men in sunglasses moved to block it. "My dear friend Xanatos is a bit distracted at the moment. So it's just you and me."

Back at the other bar, Xanatos looked down at his watch in disbelief. "Where is he?" Xanatos questioned as he raised his glass to his lips and took a sip. A sudden dizziness came over him as the liquid poured down his throat. "What was..." His eyes shifted to see a pair of cloaked men in sunglasses locking up the bar. "No..." He stood and reached for his gunblade, but his fading vision and strength caused him to collapse on to the ground. Poison...
 
Realization hit her when she looked to the doors to see the men now blocking the exit. At least now she knew the name of the rogue operative. The only question was if she would be able to get the information to the director. Moving one hand under the table, she reached into her pants pocket to pull out her phone. She was wishing that she'd taken the time to memorize the Director's number.

Keeping an eye on Elochai, she speed-dialed the first number on her contact list, praying that it went to someone who could help her. "Why are you doing this, Elochai? Xanatos trusted you." She kept her voice hushed as well, her free hand moving to the hilt of her weapon. She was glad that she had brought it with her, as she would more than likely be needing it. Not that she had a chance against a 1st class SOLDIER.
 
Elochai gave a haughty laugh as he rose to his feet. "Why am I doing this!?" He turned away from the woman as he rose his hands above him. "Because I learned the truth!" He turned around again pointing at the woman. "A truth that neither of you are ready to learn." He spoke calmly. "I never thought Xanatos would actually have brought you down here with him. But now he's given me the perfect bargaining chip."

He nodded in the direction of one of the hooded men, who then brought him his blade. A finely crafted weapon which he casually fashioned to his side. "Not bad huh?" He asked. As he motioned for the men to remove the hoods of their cloaks. Each of them looked exactly like him. "I made them myself." Elochai lifted his glass to his lips. "You don't need to worry. I have no intention of killing you." He gave an amused smirk. "No... You still have a part yet to be played in the script I've prepared."
 
When Elochai turned around, she looked down at her phone, canceling the call she'd made. She had just started dialing the Director's office number when he turned back around to face her. There was nothing to be done about it now. She put the phone back in her pocket, though she finished dialing the number and waited for someone to pick up. "Just what are you going to do with me?"
 
A man approached and whispered something in Elochai's ear. A small laugh escaped his lips. "It was that easy!?" He held his sides as he laughed. It was almost too good to be true. "I'm not going to do anything with you..." He said as he reached for his blade, drawing it slowly. "It would appear that even the mighty 1st Class Xanatos wasn't great enough to withstand the paralytic effect of my poison." His gaze narrowed again as he noticed that her drink had left her unharmed.

"You however, remain unaffected..." His hand tightened around the hilt of his weapon. "How intriguing." He slowly approached the table again. "I see that Xanatos has crafted you a weapon as well..." A quick swipe of his blade resulted in the table being completely destroyed. "Stand and prove your worth! SOLDIER!" He roared as he took a fencing stance with his blade. No sign of concern was seen on Elochai's face. Only an arrogant smirk was visible.
 
Chris glanced at the man who approached Elochai, getting a bad feeling about this entire situation. She shot a quick glance at the drinks on the table, wondering if her drink had been poisoned as well. She didn't feel any ill effects from her drink, but that didn't mean that Elochai hadn't tried to poison her.

She jumped up when he destroyed the table, pulling out her own weapon. "You don't deserve to wield something made by Xanatos! You are nothing but a traitor to ShinRa!" She didn't care anymore who knew the truth, thinking she probably wouldn't make it out of this bar alive.
 
Impressed by her courage, Elochai took several steps backwards to give them space. "Let's hope that blade will be enough." Elochai had no interest in killing the woman. Her more recent show of fortitude intrigued him. Perhaps she could still be converted. One day. He leaped forward with his weapon at the ready. His blows were swift, regardless of the light nature of his weapon his mako enhanced strength greatly increased the weight of his strikes.

He continued his assault, deliberately avoiding fatal strikes. His gaze was clearly crazed as laughter fled from his lips with every lunge, slash and parry. "Go back home! My name will give you the mako you need!" He shouted. "Join SOLDIER and obtain the power to defeat me!" He longed to see her strength at it's peak. The very thought sent tingles down the deranged man's spine.

He jumped back away from the woman before raising his off hand to the air as he prepared a spell. A red glow came from his weapon, suggesting the use of red materia. A summon. A massive fiery beast burst from the ring of fire that appeared in the air. The demonic looking creature raised a pair of flaming fists to the air before slamming them both down onto the bar floor, causing a massive explosion that consumed the entire establishment.
 
Chris somehow managed to block each blow that Elochai sent at her, though she somehow felt that he was holding back. She had not the strength or ability that he had, but she still managed to hold her own in the battle. She watched, wide-eyed, as he summoned Bahamut, and subsequently destroyed the bar. She was thrown against one wall of the bar when it exploded, knocking her unconscious.
 
A team of Shin-Ra operatives eventually entered the wreckage. Searching for survivors. Among the operatives were director himself. He had received a call that didn't connect from a number he didn't know and wanted to know why. Brush aside some rubble he found the missing phone and brushed away at the screen. Opening the contacts he found both his name and Xanatos. "Chris?" He lowered his hand and turned his head to see a few men moving a body.

"Sir, we've got a pulse! She's alive!" The director hurried to her side, looking down at the woman's face and then back at the phone he closed his eyes and released a sigh. Now it all made sense. Why Xanatos requested her transfer, as well as why he had pushed so hard for her acceptance into the program. She had been faking her gender.

"Take her to the headquarters and have her treated." He ordered swiftly. "Alert me when she regains consciousness." He turned back around at the wreckage only to be greeted by another troop.

"Sir, SOLDIER Operative 1st Class: Xanatos is missing." The man said in a panic. "There's no sign of him anywhere."

The director closed his eyes in silent prayer. "With Xanatos missing, and Chris wounded..." Xanatos wanted her administered into the SOLDIER program. Well, then so be it. That girl was the only one who had any idea what had happened. As such, she was the only one who could set this mess straight.

Within a half hour, Chris had been brought to the infirmary. The director waited in his office, staring at his phone, impatiently waiting for the phone call he was so desperate to receive.
 
Chris woke up an hour after being brought to the infirmary. Sitting up, she demanded to see Xanatos, unaware that he was still missing. She was the only one that knew who the rogue was, and she had to tell Xanatos that his friend wasn't to be trusted.

Ignoring the nurse's protests, and the pounding inside her own head, she tried to get up. As she stood up, a wave of pain went through her body, and she was forced to sit back down again. With a heavy sigh, she laid back, calling for a nurse to tell her where Xanatos or the director was.
 
Before the first ring even finished the director had snatched up the phone. "I'm on my way." The director hung up the phone and quickly began moving towards the infirmary. Chris had the answers he needed. As soon as he was there he quickly opened the door.

"Chris! Thank god you are okay." He said relieved as approached the bed. "What happened down there?" He asked as he took a seat near the bed. He gave a wave for the nurses to leave the room. The less who knew about the situation the better.
 
Chris sat up again when the director entered the infirmary. She knew she needed rest in order for her body to heal, but she had to know that Xanatos was going to be okay. "It was Elochai, sir.. He's the rogue operative. He said something about 'learning the truth'." She paused a moment, thinking back to the conversation they'd had before he destroyed the bar. She grimaced as the pounding in her head got louder, but she had to know what happened to Xanatos. "He also said something about poisoning Xanatos. Where is he?!"

It was then that she realized her secret was out, and she looked down. She was sure that her chance of making it into SOLDIER were slim to none. "Once I'm released, I'll be on my way sir. I'm sorry for lying to everyone."
 
The director listened to the woman's words in great alarm. "Than it's worse than I feared." He closed his eyes. "Xanatos is missing." He said after a moment of silence. "You're not going anywhere, recruit." He said as he looked down at the young woman. "I gave you my word, that if you could find the name of the Rogue operative that I would accept Xanatos' request to have you administered into the SOLDIER program." He stood up from the chair and began walking for the door.

"Once you're released. Come to my office. I'll show you to the science floor and there you'll be injected with Mako energy." The director left the room and returned to his office where he turned his gaze to a massive world map on his wall. "Where could you have gone... Elochai..." He quickly gave an order for investigation teams to be sent to the surrounding cities to try to find him.

It would be close to a week before Chris would be released. Hopefully by then he would have some information to give her. He released a sigh as he stared at the map.
 
The next week went by very slowly for Chris. All she could think about was Xanatos, who could be dead somewhere.

As soon as the doctors said she could leave the infirmary, she went to her room to change clothes. She didn't bother hiding her hair, as she was sure that everyone in Shin-Ra knew the truth of her identity. Her uniform was still stashed in a bathroom at the train station, so she had no choice but to wear street clothing. Once she was dressed, she left her room and headed for the director's office.
 
The director looked up from his desk when he saw Chris come into the room. He knew she was worried. He tried to disguise his own concern with a soft smile. "Chris. It's good to see you've recovered." He rose up from his desk. "This is a historic day." He said as he reached for his suit jacket. He pulled it on over his dress shirt. "You'll be the first woman to have ever been accepted into SOLDIER." He walked over to the door and pulled it open for the young lady.

"I won't lie. The injection process can be dangerous. Your body may not be able to survive the injection. Though under the circumstances, I doubt that will be a problem for you." He pocketed his hands as he walked. He lead her through to the elevator up to the science department. Once on the elevator he remained silent. It was difficult to hid his concern. Elochai was rogue and Xanatos was missing. If Elochai had wanted him dead he would have killed him in the slums. So why did he take him away? He lowered his gaze to the floor. Why had things become so complicated? He rubbed his eyes before returning his eyes to the floor counter on the wall.
 
Chris gave a weak smiled at being told she'd been accepted into SOLDIER. While that was good news, it wasn't what she wanted to hear the most. She wasn't sure if she could do this without Xanatos there to help her, but there was no turning back now.

Glancing at him as she stepped through the door, she nodded. She had heard about the injections from some of the other recruits during training, but it hadn't dampened her determination to join SOLDIER. She had withstood being poisoned a week ago, so it was likely that she could survive the mako injections. She leaned against a wall once they were on the elevator, looking at the director. "Have they found Xanatos yet?" She was hoping someone had found him, though it was likely that he was still missing, or she would have already been told.
 
The director looked over at her before exhaling slowly. "They found a lead. They're not sure, but they were given several eye-witness accounts of someone matching Elochai's description in Kalm, Corel, Gongaga, and even Wutai." He took in a deep breath. "The official record shows Elochai Sotanax as K.I.A. and Xanatos as M.I.A." When the door to the elevator opened again The director stepped out on to the science floor. "Asking around for Xanatos specifically wouldn't be a problem. But offically speaking, Elochai is dead."

He led the girl across the first level of the science department to another smaller elevator that lead directly to Hojo's lab. "The lead Scientist is on an assignment in Nibelheim right now. He's assisting our Dr. Lucrecia Crescent with her research there." He said as they walked into the large room that had a single massive test tube at the center of it. "Instead it will be his assistants and I who will be over seeing the procedure." The test tube opened and he motioned for her to climb inside. "After we're finished here. I want you to pursue the leads I have given you to the best of your ability."
 
Chris was not in the least bit surprise that Elochai had been spotted in so many different places, having been witness to a few clones of him. She just hoped that Xanatos was alive, wherever he was. She would do her best to find him, with or without support from Shin-Ra. She would kill Elochai personally if her friend was dead.

As she was lead to the lab, she was grateful that Hojo wasn't there. She'd seen the man a few times around the building, and he creeped her out. Entering the lab, she looked at the large tube in the center of the room. Blinking as it opened, she looked over at the director. Taking a deep breath, she climbed inside the tube. "I will, sir. I won't stop until Elochai is found and brought to justice."
 
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