Chapter 1 - Exposition

“Back already?” The apathetically-toned sentence came from upstairs, and Jake turned to see a boy around five years younger than him, wielding a mobile phone and a deadpan expression.

“He was closer than Red said he'd be,” Dirk explained. “In fact, he was right outside. Jake, this's my younger brother, Dave.”

“Yo.”

“Delighted to meet you,” Jake said, and Dave nodded slightly and turned, returning to whatever dark cave he'd come out of.

Dirk pulled out a stool for Jake and delved into a small refrigerator behind the bar, producing two small glasses and a bottle of what appeared to be water. Though, in this environment, Jake doubted water was something they had a surplus of. His suspicions were confirmed as Dirk filled the shot glasses with the liquid and handed one to Jake. “Vodka'”

“Thank you,” Jake answered as he took the proffered beverage, too polite to refuse it. Plus, he wasn't entirely sure if alcohol was something he abhorred or not. He clinked his glass against Dirk's and they both downed the shots. Immediately his cheeks began to burn, and he nearly spat the vodka back out; it tasted more like isopropyl than actual alcohol. Dirk was grinning smugly at him as he forced down the alcohol.

“First time drinking'” he ventured a guess.

“I'm not entirely sure,” Jake replied.

“Oh, right,” Dirk said. “Red said you'd lost your memory or something, I forgot.”

“Red'” He handed the shot glass back to Dirk, who placed both in the sink behind him. “Who is that'”

“Oh, you must call him 'Nanaki' or some shoot. I like Red; it's shorter and sounds badass. My kind of name. He told me to apologize for him leaving you there, apparently he was late for a meeting with his friend.” Dirk sat on a stool on the opposite side of the bar from Jake and took off his sunglasses, staring him down.

Jake couldn't look away. He hadn't been expecting this. The irises of Dirk's eyes were a yellow-orange, but that wasn't what kept Jake mesmerized. It was more of the fact that Dirk's eyes seemed to be glowing, like he'd been infused with Mako. No wonder the guy kept them concealed. He barely realized it when Dirk began to speak.

“I have a question for you, Jake.”

“W-what is it'” he stammered, deciding that paying attention to Dirk's eyebrows would be less distracting.

“I know you can't remember much. But do you know of an organization called the WRO, or World Regenesis Organization'”

He shook his head. “I do know they were founded after Meteorfall by a former ShinRa employee, but I'm unsure as to the details.”

He broke off as unfamiliar footsteps sounded behind him, and a woman who looked to be in her forties leaned over the bar to flick Dirk's forehead audibly. “Busy recruiting, eh' He the one Nanaki told us about, that Jake guy'”

“My, I seem to be popular today,” Jake said.

The woman laughed. “I guess that's a yes. Vincent and I're gonna be late tonight, D. He's got that visit with Nanaki, and I've got the clinic to take care of. Don't wait up for us.”

“Like I ever do anyway'” Dirk replied. “We'll see you later, Sun.”

She ruffled Jake's hair, leaning over to whisper in his ear. “Don't worry about Strider, he's cool. Just likes to intimidate people 'cause it's fun. He'll grow on ya.” Dirk lifted an eyebrow as she straightened, obviously having heard what she'd said. “You've been in a fight recently, huh'” she said louder. Call me later if you need treatment.”

Sun turned to head out the door with a grin on her face that would be considered stupid, but that Jake found seemed to be concealing untold wisdom. He stared after her as he noticed something.

“Does she have a wing'” he asked stupidly, even though he'd just seen it.

“No, I didn't see one,” Dirk said sarcastically. “You sure nothing else is wrong with your head besides amnesia' Where was I'”

“The WRO.”

“Oh, yeah. Well, you know that Reeve Tuesti – an old friend of Sun's, actually – founded it, to be a replacement for the government and military that ShinRa used to be. What you probably don't know is how it changed after he and the other former leaders returned to the Planet.”

Jake nodded, the real meaning of the last phrase clear to him.

“Well, they got one of the Deepground running it now, though they didn't know he was from Deepground 'til it was too late. It's still under wraps; not many people know, and he's bent on keeping it that way. He's a former, super-enhanced SOLDIER called Noir; Jack Noir. Apparently he'd risen up from being a member of the volunteer army to being Tuesti's right-hand man via a particularly silver tongue, among other things. Sun thinks he's responsible for the death of Barret Wallace and that that's what led him to lead alongside Tuesti.”

“Do you think he killed the founder, too'”

“Nah. Tuesti had a terminal disease, kind of like Geostigma, only that disease eventually got purged from existence. Something about the Cetra, or something. What he had is still incurable. Sun treated him but was only able to stall the inevitable, like all good doctors; in fact, better than most. She still blames herself for it, though.”

“Oh,” Jake said in a small voice. This was beginning to be a little too much information to take at once.

“Anyway. I was getting somewhere with the whole Jack Noir thing. Sun tried to warn Tuesti about him, apparently, but the guy was just too trusting. After he died and Noir took over, she started the whole AVALANCHE thing again to oppose him.”

“How long ago was this'”

“Back when me and Dave weren't even threads in the fabric of existence, dude.”

Jake stared. “There's no way she's that old! She looks like she's in her mid-forties, fifty at the oldest!”

“Nope. I don't know her exact age, but according to my math she'd be about seventy or so. She doesn't give out any details but apparently she was experimented on with Mako energy at a young age. That's why she's got a wing and looks so young,” Dirk added.

Jake was silent for a moment. “So... where do you and your brother come into play, here'”

“Sun's getting on in years, obviously. Starting to feel the wheels of time turning.” Dirk closed his eyes. He rested his elbows on the top of the bar, knotting his fingers together to create a nest for his chin. “So, when I got old enough – about six years ago – she started teaching me things, and then handed leadership over to me. The WRO is trying to find us, and haven't yet; you'd think the fact that AVALANCHE was based at a bar called '7th Heaven' before would make them a little more suspicious of us, but, like I said, it's been years and we haven't been caught. We've been investigated, but we're too good at covering our tracks.” Dirk paused, eying Jake. “You're looking pale. Do you need to lie down'”

Jake started. He'd been listening to Dirk's expository narration, paying attention to him, and yet at the same time unable to stay completely focused. Now he snapped his green eyes back up to Dirk's orange ones, determined to make a better impression than the one he seemed to be giving.

“I'm fine. Where do so-called recruits like I come in'”

Dirk was silent a moment longer, scouring Jake's face for other signs of exhaustion, and sighed. “Well, neo-AVALANCHE is, like the AVALANCHE in days of old, a terrorist group. With one difference; we're not blowing up Mako reactors.

“See, ShinRa when AVALANCHE was formed was a force backed by money; the president back then wanted to use money to control the world. Sun told me that that president's son once remarked that he, when he took over, wanted to rule the world with fear, before he came to his senses a little too late for redemption. Now, we think Jack Noir wants to use Rufus' old way of thinking. And we're trying to stop that. We haven't been able to scrounge up enough people willing to help us on this, though Red - what with his honesty radar picking out the good choices from the bad - has been able to help a lot, but it's a little hard to expand an army this old and this small. We're short-handed...and low on funds.”

“If you're insinuating that I want to join you primarily based on monetary gain,” Jake said, “then you don't know me very well.”

“You don't seem to know yourself very well, either,” Dirk pointed out.

“Good point. But, in all honesty, money is the least of my desires at the present time.” Jake winced as a remnant of his earlier migraine flashed through his head.

“So, is that an affirmative'”

“I still don't know exactly what your organization's aim is,” Jake admitted. “But, do you trust me enough to tell me all this information and just let me go if I refuse to join you'”

“I've mentioned Red's honesty radar, haven't I'” Dirk answered. “Out of all the prospective recruits he's sent our way that didn't end up joining, not one has ratted us out. Keeps me pretty confident.” His eyes narrowed as a smirk slid onto his face. “Though, that doesn't mean we didn't keep tabs on 'em.”

“I see,” Jake said. He thought for a moment, trying to ignore the small headache that was progressively getting more painful. “Well, I think I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and say I'll join you, though I don't know if this will be a permanent affair.”

Dirk gave a crooked, toothless smile and held out a hand. “That's more than what most people give us. Welcome aboard, Jake.”

They shook hands and stood, Dirk reaching for the shades he'd left on the counter top. “From what I understand, you'll be needing a place to stay, too, is that right'”

Jake shook his head. “I really shouldn't be burdening you any longer, Strider. I think I'll go - “

“Where'” Dirk interrupted. “There isn't much room at the motels this time of year, what with the festival in Kalm being right around the corner and everyone holing up here until the day of. And we'd usually be renting out a room upstairs for a couple of those fest-goers. You're lucky you came at a time when we've got them all empty except for the ones we live in.” He put a hand on Jake's shoulder. “Besides, you look about ready to keel over. Red said you were in bad shape, and if Sun pointed it out, then you're a little shoot out of luck. You're staying here, and I ain't taking no for an answer.”

Jake sighed as he was shoved up the stairs. “As long as you don't make me drink any more of that blasted vodka.”

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