"Mr. Shinra, I'm sorry to inform you, sir, but your father is dead."
He could hardly stand the words. So soon? So unexpectedly? Could it be so? He wasn't expecting it. "Pardon?"
"Your father is dead," the words were repeated. "You're the new President of Shinra Inc."
Rufus Shinra was besides himself. He couldn't meet the eyes of the messenger. His father---dead? It was almost too good to be true....
"Your helicopter is waiting, sir," the bringer of hope went on. Rufus heard him in the background of his thoughts. "We're bringing you to the headquarters in Midgar."
Rufus somewhat nodded and distractedly followed the messenger to the waiting helicopter. It had happened so suddenly. He was not daddy's little boy anymore. He wasn't the sitting duck Vice President anymore. He had power. He was in charge. He could change things.
It was all so dreamlike. He stepped onto the helicopter, and took a seat by the window. The vehicle took off and headed towards its destination.
Rufus looked out the window and saw all the possibilities that lay before him. There was hope, hope that people would change, that money would lose its appealing glow. Ah, the fear. It would reach far and wide, blanketing the landscape. Fear would keep everyone in line. It was just as he had planned since Vadra had drunk up his love and left him empty. Everyone would fear Shinra Inc. so much that they would do absolutely anything that was desired. No one would look to Shinra and see dollar signs any longer. Instead they would see a massive enterprise that invoked fear. People would fear him, and avoid him. Power would be his companion. Power was always an ally. It couldn't make you love it, then run away with everything like that heartless bitch had. Well, perhaps he was bitter. No one could ever see the real Rufus Shinra for what he was. Whether anyone could or not was irrelevant. He wouldn't let anyone come close enough to stand a chance.
"We're coming upon Midgar," the pilot announced.
Rufus glanced over at the other men seated in the helicopter. They all sat stiff and solemn faced. Perhaps they grieved for his father or perhaps they just thought he was. Almost laughable. The old man's death was perhaps the best thing that had ever happened to him. For the first time in his life he had an identity all his own, and a responsibility. A responsibility to rule the world and make people forget about money.
LATER.....
Sephiroth. The legendary SOLDIER first class had killed his father. Rufus would have thanked him, if there wasn't so many questions surrounding his sudden reemergence. Strangely, Professor Hojo, head of the Shinra division of chemistry, had resigned. Rufus felt the move was extremely suspicious, but right now there were more pressing matters at hand.
It was a new age, the age of fear, and a parade was held for him in Junon. No, I'm from Junon...Vadra....it could have been a lie, but she claimed to be from Junon. If he spotted her....
Slowly he was getting his life back, but he could never get it all. He couldn't go a day without thinking about her. It always made him so angry....how foolish...how trusting.
But now he had to get a boat and chase Sephiroth across the ocean. He was expecting some kind of send off at the dock. But his mood was ruined.
LATER....
The reunion. A meeting of all the Sephiroth clones at the North Cave. Rufus had been drawn to attend, only to witness Cloud Strife, a failed clone without a number, hand Sephiroth the black materia. Now meteor was coming, and WEAPON was on the rampage. But still there was hope. He had come this far, to a place he had only dreamed about, and he had become someone--someone important, someone no one dared to take advantage of. He kept no one close to him. He wouldn't take any chances.
LATER.....
Fear was working. Just as he had planned, the Gil had been forgotten. Everyone was far more concerned over the looming presence of meteor in the sky. Sephiroth.....the Jenova filled monstrosity. He to be defeated in order for meteor to be destroyed. The other plans had failed. That bastard Cloud Strife and his team of rag tag rejects had concentrated on sabotaging Rufus' every plan. They were not afraid, but that was inconsequential. The Turks would seek out and kill them soon enough.
Rufus felt there was hope. The planet would survive, and Rufus would tighten his fist and have complete control over everything. And Sephiroth believed he would be the one ruling all? Hmmm.....almost laughable.
The Sister Ray, a weapon of immense power, was set to destroy Sephiroth's barrier at the North Cave. Scarlet, Shinra's weapons developer, was to be given credit for this ray of hope. Rufus despised women, but gave credit where credit was due. Women....he couldn't help but think of Vadra, and it stung terribly to do so. He hoped she was happy with her millions.
Was Rufus happy? In some ways he was delighted. Everything he had inherited from the company was working out just as he had always hoped. In other ways he was completely miserable. True, he was no longer seen as a walking monetary unit, but the price of using fear was loneliness. Still, but staying inside his shell no one could ever hurt him again. He was invulnerable. But sometimes he felt as though he was missing something.....
No matter. The Sister Ray was first on the agenda as of this moment. As soon as the command was given the Sister Ray would destroy Sephiroth and that pesky WEAPON that thought it could play with his city. It didn't stand a chance.
"....Fire."
The firing of the Sister Ray was a sight to behold, and Rufus observed it all from the window of his office. His celebration was interrupted with a warning that WEAPON had fired upon the city before meeting it's fate.
If only I had given the command sooner, Rufus thought regretfully.
It was then he realized that the shots were heading directly at him. Rufus narrowed his eyes. Just as there was hope, it all crumbles. Damn fucking WEAPON.
As he shielded his face from the blaze, a last thought flew through Rufus' head. I've never been happy....Almost laughable.
The world went black.