This is the new edited version. I have changed a few things, and the ending of this chapter is almost completely different than the old version. I would still read through each chapter just to make sure because I have gone through and changed a lot of things. I am still currently editing other chapter but I promise that I am not going to abandon this story, I will be updating every week at some point, maybe even more so then that.

If you are a new reader, then what I said doesn't really matter.

Reviews are always welcome and wanted. Please don't flame because this is fanfiction, if you don't like the idea then don't read.

-Crimson

Redemption

Chapter One – Everything Changes

Though it was a few years later, he could still remember the exact way it had all occurred. It had happened very fast but looking back it seemed that time was barely moving. It had been a mid December evening with snow falling gently from the white sky. Overall, it had been a very beautiful day – there were people Christmas shopping and children playing in the snow. There was no indication that some horrific event would occur.

Horrific to some people, most people didn't care though. Everyone was surprised, but it wasn't a surprise that sent them into a panic. It was a surprise that made them wonder how something like that could happen to someone like him.

No one could believe that someone had actually kidnapped the infamous Rufus Shinra. The man who had helped destroy the planet and the man who was actually sorry for it. The man who hated his father but had sincerely loved his mother. The man who had controlled the planet with fear, and still controlled people with the same methods. The man who funded the WRO and became Vice President when it was least expected. The cocky, unemotional, cynical bastard who had never experienced real pain aside from Geostigma. The man who still bossed the Turks around and went to the Seventh Heaven in Edge just to bother AVALANCHE. The man that the planet hated, but gave a second chance to.

He had been filling out some paper work that Reeve had given him. It was on the reconstruction of Midgar, which he found completely amusing. He didn't believe the city could be rebuilt, but he wasn't going to try and stop them. He had a phone attached to his ear and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. He and Tseng were discussing the reconstruction of Sector 5, and what to do with the small church.

"Sir, what should be done with the church?" Tseng asked from the other side of the line. There was a small amount of sorrow in his voice that would have been undetectable to anyone else but Rufus. He knew that Tseng had a soft spot for the Cetra girl, but that was only because he had to watch over her for the 4 years that Zack was gone.

"What about it?" Rufus said as he took a drag of his cigarette. He didn't really care about the church, because he hadn't cared about that girl at all, she was just something that he had used and other than what he needed her for, she held no other purpose.

Three years had passed since the Deep Ground incident and since then Rufus hadn't really changed. He still wore a white suit, but instead of wearing a three peace he wore a normal two piece with a black dress shirt. His hair was still slicked back, and his green eyes still burned with power and authority. He was now the Vice President of the WRO, which is something that he found more sick than amusing.

"Do you want us to tear it down, or repair it then rebuild around it?" Tseng's voice broke through the small thoughts that Rufus was having and there was a little impatience in his tone.

"I don't really care." He answered blankly, smashing the small bud into the ash tray then leaning back in his seat, " I suppose rebuilding it and then working around it would be more logical. If anything where to happen to it AVALANCE would most likely organize an attack on us." He let his thoughts stray to the small group then sighed. Just the thought of them made him exhausted. He loved to go annoy them, but thinking of them against each other again made him cringe.

"I understand." The Turk answered. His voice held no conversation as usual. Trying to talk to Tseng was pointless because he was a workaholic and he would much rather be following some orders, than interacting with people. "I'll report when needed."

The line went dead without warning and Rufus closed his phone then tossed it onto his desk. He spun his chair around to look out the huge window behind him. He admired the snow with a small smile then reflected on some memories that he hadn't thought of in years. He remembered he and his mother playing outside until they were red in the nose and they couldn't feel their fingers.

She had told him that the snow was like a child, it was pure and innocent. She had always said things like that. She said the moon was the earth's Guardian Angel, and when it was raining the heaven's were weeping. She said that when people smiled that the sun would show itself, and when people frowned it was cloudy. There was nothing she couldn't explain.

She had been beautiful. Her hair was blonde and wavy, coming down to the small of her back. Her eyes had been a gentle green that Rufus had inherited as a child. Her smile was always warm and welcoming. She had always had a loving nature about her, whenever she could she would hold out a helping hand. She had rocked Rufus to sleep when he was sick and when he had nightmares. When his father would ignore him, she always made sure to be there instead. She showed him nothing more than unconditional love.

She began to grow sick when he was six. The color from her face was drained and her hair lost some of it's pigment. She was very weak, and couldn't walk too far. She started to spend more time in her bed than anywhere else. Finally, when she couldn't even leave her bed, Rufus's father told him that she was too sick be around, and that he couldn't go near her. He always ignored the warning and would sneak in her room at night when everyone else was asleep. Her smile never faded when he would arrive, and her eyes still shone with love that they always had.

She died when he was eight.

Rufus cried for a week straight, and for that week it rained nonstop.

He shook his head, getting rid of the thoughts. It had been a very long time since he thought about his mother, but on days like that he couldn't help it. The snow was his most clear memory of her. He had become accustomed to pushing thoughts of her away, because it was the only thing that could make him upset. Even though it had been years later, and he wasn't eight years old anymore, he still felt like a child when he thought about her.

It was in that moment that everything changed. The second he let his mind tangle up in his past that he barely ever acknowledged. It all seemed to happen in slow motion, but the actual event couldn't have lasted more than a few seconds. There was no time for yelling or screaming, or anything of the sort. All means of escape were gone.

The window shattered suddenly in front of him and before he could even comprehend what was happening, or even think about saving himself he was thrown against the wall and pinned with his arms behind his back and his legs forced to stay still. There was a hand dressed in leather over his mouth, and when he looked at who was holding him he was greeted to a unique pair of eyes.

Glowing light blue eyes. The pupil was small in the center and it seemed that they reflected all of the misery and guilt that Rufus possessed. It was almost like the eyes looked right through him and the ability to show him the emotions that he suppressed or didn't even know he had.

"Rufus Shinra." They said, they're voice was gruff and low, which reminded Rufus of Vincent Valentine. "There is no mistaking it." He murmured looking him over and staring at his eyes for a few moments. "You have the eyes, they're just a little more mature since the last time I saw you."

Rufus continued to thrash about, trying his best to get away from his capture. He could hear footsteps coming toward his office and it was then that he wanted to smirk at the person in victory. But whoever had pinned him against the wall murmured something under their breath, and before Rufus knew what was going on his eyes closed involuntarily. Suddenly everything went black, and his senses were dulled. He was in a conscious state of mind, but everything else was gone; he was left with his thoughts.

The last thing he could remember though, was a pair of glowing yellow eyes that seemed to know him better than he knew himself.

He was sitting at a bar now, shaking his head riding of the memory of that day three years ago. He had been contemplating on whether or not to go do the mission he had been sent on, which had led him to think about that day once again. So much had changed in the past three years that he didn't know whether or not he really cared anymore. His life and been thrown upside down, but it wasn't like it was the first time.

He slowly took a sip of his drink and observed the people around him. Everyone was laughing, drinking and enjoying themselves. Drunken men were hitting on the sleazy women, who acted like they were disgusted but loved every second of it. He observed everyone closely, but not enough to draw attention to himself. He was slightly reminded of the Seventh Heaven back in Edge, and was a little disappointed he wasn't there. He waved the bar tender over, deciding he would have one more drink before he set out on his mission.

"What can I get you?" The man said a little too cheerily, Rufus looked up at him and decided that he liked him. Only because he had a scar across his right eye, and his cheery tone had been sarcastic. He was giving Rufus a small glare, as if he really wanted him to leave his bar.

"Scotch." He said evenly. The man nodded and poured him a glass and set it in front of him, then quickly walking away to a group of drunken men who seemed to be trying to pick up a group of girls, who were obviously underage, but everyone seemed to ignore the fact. He turned his attention to his drink, deciding that he was going to take his time. He really didn't feel like doing anything else. He tried to fill his mind with the thoughts of how he was going to tell the "Organization" he was leaving. He did his part, after tonight they didn't 'own' him anymore.

His white suit had been discarded long ago. He now wore a black turtle neck with a black leather jacket, his black jeans hung loosely around his hips and it wasn't a surprise no one recognized him. He didn't look anything like the Vice President of the WRO, or the President of Shinra. He looked like a punk. His hair was messy, instead of being slicked back. His holster hung around his hips, two guns on either side, while his daggers were strapped to his thighs.

Rufus Shinra looked more like his Turks or a member of AVALANCHE.

His eyes stayed the same though. The same green as his mothers, though they didn't hold the gentleness and the love that hers had. His were cold and clouded; they held a mystery about them and an authority. They were like sharp daggers, people either shied away from them or didn't want to look away.

He glanced over at a man who had been staring at him for too long and slightly narrowed his eyes at him. The man seemed unaffected and walked over and sat down beside the ex President with a smirk on his face.

"You look a lot like Rufus Shinra." The man commented, he had a bit of a Country accent and Rufus was reminded of Cid Highwind. When he didn't answer the man continued, "The man's been missing for three years now. Can't help but wonder where the bastard is, I heard he was funding the WRO until his disappearance."

"He had just become the Vice President." Rufus commented, taking a sip of his drink. Slightly uneasy about talking about himself.

"Oh yeah." The man said offhandedly, lighting a cigarette. It was quiet for a few minutes, almost like there was something that was going unsaid. The man broke the silence after taking a drag of his cigarette, and he held it between his fingers loosely. "So, how've ya been? You've been missing for three years now." Rufus froze, he wasn't sure what to do. He wasn't sure if he should actually tell someone who he was, but he did know that he wasn't going to lie. If someone knew then they knew.

"Life's changed." He said, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it with ease. He didn't really feel any different with someone knowing that he was the missing Rufus Shinra. He still felt empty and numb. He still felt like he wanted to die.

"I heard you were kidnapped, or something like that." The man said taking the cigarette out of his mouth and downing the rest of his beer. "By the way, the names Charles."

"Yeah, something like that." Rufus said then taking a drag of his cigarette.

"People think your dead." Charles commented, seeming a little bored.

"Let them think what they want, it doesn't matter to me."

"You're not like they said you were."

Rufus put out his cigarette then turned his attention back to his neglected drink, "I'm not?" He asked, a little curious to what that meant.

"They said you were stuck up, and hot headed."

"I am." Rufus countered, not at all ashamed of who he was, "Who's they?" He asked, not really caring if he got an actual answer.

"The WRO."

"You work for them?"

"No, my cousin does. Cid Highwind." He grinned at the ex President, "Cid said you were nothing without those Turks of yours, or your company."

"He's right. I'm not much without it." He said bored. It was true, He wasn't much without Shinra, or the WRO. He was just a regular man, but over the course of three years he got pretty used to that. "But I've became accustomed to not being much anymore."

"I kinda like you." Charles said grinning, he looked at Rufus and chuckled. "I won't tell anyone I saw you."

"Don't do me any favors." Rufus said as Charles stood up, leaving some money on the counter, "Tell anyone you want. I don't care."

Charles said nothing else but walked away. Rufus heard the front door of the bar open and close with a small slam and he smirked to himself, things were about to get much more interesting. He sighed then downed the rest of his drink, setting the glass on the table and lighting one more cigarette and not even finishing half of it before he slammed it in the glass ash tray in front of him.

He set some money on the counter then hopped off the bar stool. He made his way through the small crowd that had formed because of the new music that was playing, people were dancing, or attempting to dance. Most people couldn't even stand up straight, let alone dance. He finally reached the door and pushed it open, relishing in the feeling of finally being out of the small overcrowded bar.

As he walked down the steps and down the sidewalk he could still hear the music blaring, the lights were pouring through the windows, lighting up the sidewalk. It was a quiet night, the street lights were on with the moon blocked by the dark clouds. There were few people out and about, they were mainly teenagers out past curfew or prostitutes. There were a few stores that were open, and the only car that passed him as he walked through the small city was a bus going to Edge.

He wanted to get on that bus more than anything.

As he turned a corner he put his right hand behind him and drew out a pair of leather gloves from his back pocket. He slipped them on slowly, staring at the scars on his hands that he had acquired over the past three and a half years.

He walked down a small alley, which held no lamp post. He was thankful for his mako enhanced vision because it was the only thing that was allowing him to see. He yanked his gun from his right hip and walked over to a small trash bin. There was a door there which was already open. He slipped in and was greeted to a small flight of stairs. He walked down them slowly, trying to listen to his surroundings.

He could hear them laughing, and he sighed. The clinking of beer bottles and the smell of cigars were evident, and it occurred to him that they didn't expect a single thing to happen. They expected to go to sleep tonight and get up tomorrow and go about their business.

But they weren't. Tonight was their last night. They would no longer be breathing after tonight. Their heart would stop beating tonight. They ended tonight.

He expected their to be at least five or six, depending if all of them were there or not. Slowly he pushed himself off the wall and shot at whatever was directly in front of him, and he was greeted to a man playing pool with a cigarette dangling out of his mouth. The bullet shot him in the neck before he could even react to the sound of the gun going off, and he fell to the ground with a hard thump, causing everyone else in the room to either freeze or act fast.

One of the men threw a pool stick at Rufus, and he quickly caught it and catapulted it toward whoever had thrown it. It hit them in the left eye and before anyone could have a real reaction Rufus was already in the room hiding behind a table he had thrown on it's side.

Being "trained" for three years, he had learned quite a lot. He could listen to things closely and know what was going on without seeing it. He heard someone take a ragged breath and he quickly shot in that direction.

That was all he really did, was listen to where they were taking a step and their breathing. He killed all of them with ease, finding that he was left with the feeling of emptiness once again. He stood up and looked over his surroundings, there was so much blood that it began to give him a headache. So much blood flowing away from them, that it seemed that it was their life slowly drifting away.

"So they sent you."

Rufus spun around on his heel and stared at the man who was leaning on the entrance doorway. His brown hair was tied back into a ponytail, that sometimes reminded the ex president of his old Turk. Blue eyes stared back at him along with a smirk, "Can't say I'm surprised though, since you're the best." He sighed then chuckled lightly, "Hard to believe though right? Rufus Shinra the man who -"

"I don't need to be reminded of my past. I know it very well actually." He said with a small glare, he stared at the man almost like he was trying to tell him something without actual words. "Miles," His voice was suddenly somewhat pained, and it seemed like this was more than just a regular mission. This man was more than just the regular kill, he was something more. "Don't make me do this." He sounded almost desperate, and it was something that he fully couldn't understand.

The other man clicked his tongue and tapped his chin, "I'm not making you do anything. I'm merely sitting here attempting to have a conversation with you, now-" He said as he gestured to the whole room, "I'd invite you to sit, but it seems that the whole floor is almost covered in blood."

"Miles-"

"Now, they never said that you weren't aloud to have a conversation with me, they said to take me back to them or kill me. They never said when or where." He smiled, almost like talking about his death was of no importance. He waved Rufus over, "Let's walk. I already know how tonight will end, I just want to say a few things before it happens."

Rufus stared at Miles with uncertain eyes then shook his head, "I can't control when it happens."

"There are a certain set of words you'll say concerning the fact, that's when it triggers. I already know everything, I didn't leave without doing research." Miles said nonchalant, he headed for the stairs and sighed when Rufus didn't move. "Rufus Shinra, if you want any form of faith ever again you'll follow me."

The ex President stared at the other man with a confused gaze and slowly holstered his gun and dragged his feet to follow Miles. He wasn't sure what to expect, he just knew that now he was afraid to talk, now that he knew there was a certain pair of words that he had to say in order for the trigger to work.

They walked up the stairs in silence, but Rufus knew that whatever Miles had to say was important. When they finally reached the alleyway Miles turned around stared intensely, his arms were crossed and it was almost like he was critiquing Rufus's every move.

"You can beat them." He finally said, never averting his eyes. "I don't want you to open your mouth once because when I'm done, I'm going to be done for good. I know what will happen, and I can't run anymore. I'm tired of running to save my life, it's not worth it. If I can't live my life the way I want to, then I don't want it. I've fought for years, for me, for you, for everyone in there. I've tried and tried to find a way and I finally have. I've found a way to beat them, I've found a way to free all of them."

Rufus stared with a pained expression because he knew what was now going to happen after this talk was over He would never admit it out loud but Miles was his best friend. He had been the one to save his life countless times when everything started. That was his partner, his helper, his friend. That was basically his brother.

"You have to promise me that you wont go back there – I mean it. You have to fight it Rufus because if I can, I know you can. There is no doubt in my mind that you'll set yourself free, but it wont be right now. You wont be able to fight this last impulse, it's to strong, they set it like that on purpose." Miles took a deep breath and it was suddenly clear to Rufus that he was scared. He had never seen Miles so talkative or serious since he had known him, and he could see the fear in his eyes.

Seeing Miles terrified killed Rufus on the inside.

"You know what the trigger is and what it does; It makes you do whatever they want. It's a chip that they implant in your brain that makes you have powerful impulses that you usually cannot fight. If they tell you to kiss their shoes, you kiss their shoes and you can't stop yourself – you can try and then electrifying pain goes pulses through you. We've all been there, we know that..." He trailed off then ran a hand through his hair, sighing quietly then casting his gaze to the ground, "Except sometimes we break the connection, it's rare but we can do it if we set our minds to it. Example one being me."

"We all know who controls this connection – there's no need to say his name. They have a machine that controls all the chips..." He shook his head then quickly locked his eyes with Rufus, "We have to kill him, and destroy that machine."

Rufus said nothing but nodded, he was determined not to say a word because maybe if he didn't say anything at all there would be no need to kill the man I front of him, maybe he could just walk away and then just fight the connection...

Fat chance.

"Rufus – say something."

He shook his head.

"You have to."

He shook his head again.

"Rufus – there is no way you can fight this. You will kill me, because I'm not going back there. I don't want to go back there, you have to think about this. They'll be chasing me until they either kill me or until they can drag me back there. I don't want to be dragged back, I rather die and I rather die by your hand than theirs." Miles was now staring at the ground, which gave Rufus the impression that he didn't mean half of the things he was saying.

Rufus knew that no matter what happened, tonight was going to end badly. Just knowing that though wasn't enough to stop him from trying. He finally found something to say, he just hoped that it wouldn't invoke the impulse – he prayed. "I've done a lot of things I'm not proud of, I've killed people, kidnapped them – I've helped create this world we now live in. I've helped ruin lives and end them..." He tried to keep his voice even, which was something he was usually good at, except he was talking to the one person he now looked up. He was talking to someone who actually meant something to him, and that honestly didn't happen often. It was rare when Rufus Shinra cared about someone. "The one thing they cannot make me do is kill my brother. If you go, I go too."

Miles stared at him confused, almost as if he didn't understand the words that had just been spoken. Rufus slowly took a step back, then shook his head slightly. "I'll be damned." He mumbled as he turned on his heel and started to walk away. He wasn't going to take the chance – he had a lot of blood on his hands, but he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he killed someone he actually cared about. He could barely live with himself now.

As he started to walk away he could feel the trigger electrify his whole body. He stopped dead in his tracks and before he knew what was happening he had turned on his heal and yanked a gun from his holster. Miles was still standing there, staring at him with a small knowing. Rufus had the gun pointed at him, and his finger was itching at the trigger.

"I told you." Miles said clearly, shifting his weight from side to side. Rufus could see that he wanted to run, he could see that the natural reaction was to try to dodge everything – but Miles still stood there, his arms to his side and his eyes locked on the gun that was pointed at him.

Rufus started to panic because it was now up to him to stop this. He had never been able to break the connection before, there had been times were he almost had but they had always dismissed the command before he could actually break it. He could feel the pressure start to grow in his head and before he knew it, electric waves swam through his veins. His teeth ground together and the grip on the gun tightened.

It was so difficult.

"Just do it." Miles said after a few more seconds, his eyes never leaving the gun.

Rufus shook his head and started to try to force his arm down. It started to shake, almost like he was arm wrestling with himself. The pain began to intensify making his legs shake as well. "No." He muttered through his teeth, not letting the pain get to him. He wasn't going to let it happen.

That was the moment his phone started to ring – he already knew who it was and he already knew what they were going to tell him. He didn't really care to hear whatever they were going to say and on the contrary he was going to prove them wrong. He was going to break this.

He could feel his strength start to drain from him – he was growing weaker and weaker and there was nothing he could do about it. His head was throbbing and and his veins were pulsing with electrifying pain. His eyes were focused on Miles, who was still waiting for his death to come forth.

This is my gift to you Rufus Shinra, use it wisely.

Before Rufus could comprehend what was happening, the gun dropped from his hand and he fell to the ground. He felt nothing – he was numb to the core. His eyes were glazed over and the only thing he could really see was the rain falling against the ground. He felt disconnected. His head was hurting even more, and before he could even think about what was occurring his eyes closed and he was sent into a dark slumber.

See? The ending was changed. Anyway, I hope you like it better. The second chapter will be up tomorrow.

Please review.

-Crimson

I apologize for any OCCness.