Final Fantasy VII: Lifestream - Book 2: Aftermath

FORTY-THREE

Don Corneo's mansion was just as tacky as I remembered it, but at least this time I didn't have to worry about his goons coming after me. I stood in the main room on the first floor with Kunsel, Biggs, Wedge, and Lena and looked around for a moment.

The place was in disarray, no doubt from Shinra troops ransacking everything as they searched for Corneo. The reception desk on our left had been emptied and overturned, its drawers pulled out, and some of the large painted jars in the corner were broken, shattered pieces lying all over the floor. There were bullet holes in the walls, too. Looked like Corneo's men had put up a bit of a fight.

"What a mess..." Lena grimaced, taking it all in.

Biggs nodded. "You're not kidding. Looks like a damn war zone in here. Shinra came down hard on these assholes."

I didn't doubt it. "The bastards deserved it, believe me."

"Should we look upstairs?" Wedge asked.

"Yeah," I said. "That's where Corneo's office is."

It had been a little over a week now since I'd snuck into the Shinra Building and stolen my new gear. I'd spent the days since then doing as much as I could to get ready for the tournament. Therapy sessions with Madam M to finish rebuilding my strength and keep my muscles loose and limber followed by afternoons full of exercising and training at the gym with Jules. And then a few hours at night in the simulator to hone my fighting skills and keep them sharp. Alone at first, but once Kunsel had healed, he'd started going in with me.

Tomorrow was the big day, and talk of it was all over town. And I'd started getting noticed more myself whenever I was out and about, too. More than few wondering looks and curious stares lately, especially if I was wearing my phoenix gear like I was now. My outfit was great, and I already felt right at home in it. There'd been no traps or other surprises from Scarlet, either—I'd checked it out pretty thoroughly while Andrea and I had been modifying it with Madam M the night that I got it, and it was clean as a whistle, just as I'd expected.

Aside from Kunsel, who'd been through this before during my time as a famous actress on the plate, the others were still trying to adjust to me getting so much attention. They got some too for being my friends, of course, and it was funny to see how awkward Biggs and Wedge were about it all. They definitely weren't used to the fame. But Lena loved it, and she took every chance she got to ham it up, both with me and also on her own. As for Marissa, she was content to stay in the background and let the rest of us have all the attention.

There'd also been some women, from girls Lydia's age to ladies who were old enough to be my grandmother, who had come up to me here and there to ask me if I really was Firebrand and thank me for standing up to Corneo. And I always took the time to talk with them whenever I could, listening to their stories and encouraging them. It helped me see just how important today's mission really was.

Word of it had spread all across town like wildfire over the last few days, and I knew that Lydia and a lot of other people out there were all hoping and praying that I'd succeed and bring back their missing loved ones. And I wasn't gonna let them down.

My eyes alert, I led my friends upstairs. It was quiet in here for the most part aside from the soft sounds of our breathing and footsteps as we passed the first set of doors and approached the second one, which stood wide open. I held up a hand when I heard a soft rustling coming from Corneo's bedroom, but just as I was about to head inside to check it out, I glanced sharply to my left when I picked up a faint yell coming from somewhere behind the third set of doors.

"You hear that?" I asked the others.

Wedge blinked and shook his head. "Nope. Nothing, Jessie. Except us, of course. And, uh... my stomach."