Desha's Reno of the Turks Fan Fiction

Chapter 5

Meanwhile, outside of Midgar in Edge, Yazoo and Loz had brought the children back. The two men had positioned them in a wide circle around the memorial statue in the town’s center. Chains had been fastened to the memorial, and Yazoo and Loz prepared to tear it down. The children stood motionless as if in a trance, a human shield, as the citizens of Edge demanded an explanation.

“Hey! Are you listening?” one man in the crowd shouted at them.

“Why are you doing this!” another demanded, trying to go after the two silver-haired men. A woman held him back desperately.

Yazoo ignored them, and looked over at Loz, who nodded. Yazoo smirked, and raised his hand, as if signaling for silence. The crowd quieted momentarily, but Yazoo’s gesture had a more violent meaning. Without warning, a beast materialized and attacked one of the protesters. It was the same kind of creature that had attacked Cloud during his first encounter with the three men.

The beast mauled one man, and people scattered. A woman carried off one of the children as she fled. One by one, more creatures appeared all around the memorial statue.

People ran for their lives, pushing and trampling one another, but many are not fast enough to escape the savage attackers. The woman who grabbed the child was shoved to the ground, cradling the little boy protectively as she falls.

In the midst of the chaos, was Tifa. She looked around helplessly. Suddenly her eyes fell upon Denzel, and she rushed to him.

“Denzel!”

She grasped him by the shoulders, shaking him.

“Denzel? Denzel!” He looked briefly up at her, his eyes glazed and catlike. They momentarily shifted to some semblance of normal, but the trance had a strong hold on the boy, and he remained unresponsive.

*~*~*~*~*

On the far side of the memorial, Yazoo and Loz surveyed the carnage with detached eyes. Satisfied, they turned back to the job at hand, taking up the chains, and preparing to tear down the statue.

“And what are we up to?” drawled a voice from behind them. Yazoo and Loz turned toward the source of the voice in surprise.

Reno and Rude strolled toward them as if nothing unusual were going on. Reno tapped his weapon casually against his shoulder.

“Hmph… We know. Mother is here,” Yazoo said, gesturing toward the statue behind him.

“Oh yeah?” asked Rude.

“Yeah… This… uh… thing? A memorial statue?” said Loz, “Shinra’s the one that made it.”

Reno grinned mockingly.

“Oh no… You’re just too clever,” he said with a note of sarcasm.

“Except you’re wrong,” Rude added.

“And wherever she is, we don’t know either,” continued Reno, snickering loudly.

“What?” Yazoo countered, snidely, “The peons aren’t trusted?”

Reno abruptly stopped laughing, and turned back to glare at the other two men, at a loss for words, he was so insulted. Rude, too, had nothing to say. Finally, instead of retorting, Reno attacked, Rude right behind him.

*~*~*~*~*

In a building, one that was still heavily under construction, overlooking the city, Kadaj and Rufus watched the events unfolding below.

“Say Kadaj… I’ve got a question for you,” said Rufus. His wheelchair rested near the edge of the floor. With no wall to stop him, a fall would certainly prove fatal.

“I’ve got an answer,” replied Kadaj. He stepped out onto a girder, and looked down at the city.

“You said you needed Jenova cells in order to be whole again. What did you mean by that?”

—–

Visions of the past… Sephiroth tearing away the statue-like facade that hides the body of Jenova at the Nibelhiem reactor.

—–

“Him. He’s coming back,” Kadaj said simply.

—–

Sephiroth in the flames, as Nibelheim burns…

—–

“Sephiroth?” said Rufus, “The nightmare.”

“So I hear…”

“So you hear?

“I’ve never known Sephiroth… I just… I sense him there.”

—–

Jenova, sequestered in a tank, locked away inside of the Nibelheim reactor.

—–

“It’s unbearable,” Kadaj mused, “To think that Mother might want Sephiroth more than me.”

“Poor little remnant,” Rufus said, cutting him off with feigned sympathy.

“It doesn’t matter who she picks, you’ll all meet the same end!” Kadaj replied angrily.

—–

Meteor, hovering above the planet… the would-be bringer of doom.

—–

“Mother came to this planet after a long journey,” continued Kadaj, “… to rid the cosmos of fools like you. But you know as well as I do… nothing’s changed since she got here. I have to change things to make her happy.”

—–

The ruins of Midgar, the aftermath of Meteor’s attack.

—–

“If Mother willed it, I’d do anything…” Kadaj finished.

“Hmph… The nightmare returns,” Rufus commented.

“As long as you exist, the nightmares will come again and again,” replied Kadaj.

“The Lifestream courses through our planet… back and forth across the borders of life and death,” said Rufus, “If that cycle is the very truth of life, then history, too will inevitably repeat itself.”

—–

The Sister Ray… years before, preparing to fire…

—–

“So go on. Bring your Jenovas and your Sephiroths,” Rufus added, “It won’t matter. We’ll do as life dictates and stop you every single time.”

“Sir, is that your excuse for going after Mother yourself?” Kadaj replied, “You don’t seem all that sorry.”

“Sorry?” Rufus answered, “I’ve never had this much fun…”

The materia lodged in Kadaj’s arm began to glow.

“Good,” he said, “Then let’s put an end to all this…”

Rufus watched in morbid fascination as Kadaj called upon the power of the Lifestream within the materia. The magic swelled and rose around the silver-haired man as he raised his arm toward the sky, with a look of sadistic glee.

A burst of energy sailed off from his hand, high into the air, splitting the clouds. High above Edge, the atmosphere turned dark, swirling, blocking out the sun. Lightning flashed… and something began to emerged.

*~*~*~*~*

On the ground, people took notice, despite the chaos all around them. Some stood back to watch in terror as from the swirling mass of clouds, the great dragon, Bahamut Sin, materializes, spreading his massive wings and descending upon the city.

Now the people of Edge had a new foe to contend with. Many of those who had managed to avoid the creatures brought forth by Yazoo and Loz, now fell victim to Bahamut. People scattered with renewed horror.

“Denzel, we’ve got to get away!” Tifa begged, trying to rouse the boy from his trance. Behind her, one of the smaller creatures targeted them and leapt in for the attack. Tifa turned, ready to defend Denzel, but before the creature could reach them, Bahamut landed, it’s giant foot crushing the beast into the pavement. Tifa drew back, knowing that in this battle she was hopelessly outmatched. She seized Denzel, drawing him to her protectively as Bahamut roared. But she was not the great dragon’s target.

Bahamut spread his wings, and bounded forward, landing on the memorial statue.

On the opposite side of the memorial, Reno and Rude were about to engage Yazoo and Loz. Reno swung his weapon back, preparing to strike at Yazoo, but on seeing the figure of Bahamut, he stopped short. Rude did not. Reno’s weapon slammed into Rude’s face, and the Turk went down. Reno didn’t seem to notice. He was too busy taking in this new threat.

Rude pulled himself to his feet, sunglasses askew, one hand holding his injured nose, the other hand pulling into a fist, and aiming a punch at Reno’s head in retaliation. But as he followed Reno’s wide-eyed gaze toward the statue, he too froze.

Bahamut snapped one of the chain with the slightest shake of his head.

“Hello…” Reno gasped.

“Hell no,” Rude moaned.

Reno turned and took off running, narrowly missing hitting Rude a second time as he dis so. Rude didn’t stick around either. Yazoo and Loz stood before Bahamut, unconcerned. With a look of determination, they went after the fleeing Turks.

Reno paused in his flight only long enough to turn back and grab one of the children, who still stood oblivious to the danger all around him. He grabbed the boy, trying to pick him up, but the child pushed back, unwilling to be moved. One hand pressed against Reno’s face, resulting in the boy’s fingers being jammed up Reno’s nose. The Turk grunted, annoyed, but yanked the boy off his feet just as Loz attacked from above.

Bahamut rose into the air and prepared to fire a ball of energy at the memorial statue.

Reno raced from the scene, still clutching the boy. Rude was soon right beside him with two other children tucked under his arms.

“Is it after us?” Reno shouted.

“I’m not lookin’,” replied Rude.

Bahamut fired a blast at the statue, the energy radiating outward. The Turks were thrown through the air, as were Yazoo and Loz, as Bahamut let out a roar.

*~*~*~*~*

Moments later, Reno and Rude found themselves face down on the street, the children they carried away from danger nearby. The children climbed to their feet, finally brought back to reality, and staggered off in search of shelter, leaving the Turks where they lay.

Finally, the two men stirred, pushing themselves up onto their hands and knees. Loz and Yazoo approached them from behind.

“Are we having fun yet?” Yazoo laughed.

“The time of my life!” Reno growled, as he and Rude simultaneously jumped to their feet and attacked. Reno takes on Yazoo, and the silver-hair man laughed, toying with the Turk and throwing him easily. Reno landed on his back, skidding across the concrete, but quickly recovered and charged back into the battle.

“When are you gonna call it a day,” he muttered. He swung his weapon at Yazoo, but Yazoo leapt effortlessly onto a building well out of the Turk’s range.

“I told you… just as soon as you give back Mother, that will be the end of this,” Yazoo called down to him. Reno glared at him, and not to be outdone, scaled the wall, attacking when he reached the top… a blow which Yazoo neatly avoided.

Back down on the street, Rude was facing off with Loz.

“Punks…” Rude grumbled as he captured both of Loz’s fists in his hands, “What do you want Jenova’s head for?”

Loz tried to force Rude over backwards, but the Turk headbutted him. Loz reeled backwards, and Rude took the opportunity to flip him… or at least he attempted to. The two men ended up precariously balanced bent over backwards and face to face, their head inches above the ground. Loz smirked at the surprised look on the other man’s face, and then threw him head over heels, sending him flying past Yazoo and Reno.

Reno attacked with as much force as he could muster, but most of his blows were avoided.

“Forget your little Reunion and get a grip,” he taunted.

“All we want is to be with Mother,” Yazoo replied, easily avoiding Reno’s weapon and wild swings. At last he tired of playing with the Turk and delivered a kick that sent the redhead flying off of the building.

Below, Rude slammed into a pile of crates.

“When Mother gets here, she’ll decide what’s best,” Loz said, stalking towards him, as Rude struggled to get to his feet, “Now… where’s Mother?”

Before he could answer, a sign fell from above, smacking Rude in the head.

“Damn… Son… of… a…” he said as he staggered, temporarily dazed… and to make matter worse, just as he recovered, Reno dropped on him, too.

“Reno!” he shouted as he reflexively held out his arms to catch his fellow Turk. Both men went down hard, and Reno ended up sprawled on top of Rude.

Reno was the first back on his feet, accidentally trampling Rude’s lost sunglasses on the way up, and crushing them to bits. Rude stared in disbelief as his favorite accessory was destroyed, looking up at Reno accusingly, though the other Turk takes no notice.

“Mother… Mother… It’s Jenova’s freakin’ head,” said Reno, dusting himself off. Rude climbed to his feet, extracting a second pair of sunglasses from an inner pocket of his jacket.

“Hey! I will not have you refer to mother that way!” Yazoo shouted angrily.

“You meanie,” added Loz.

“… Our apologies,” Rude responded, putting his sunglasses on.

“That’s right… Wait… Why are WE apologizing?!” Reno yelled. Both men rushed Yazoo and Loz. Reno leapt at Yazoo, and Rude got in several good hits on Loz while the man was distracted by Reno’s attack. The silver-haired men were both knocked down, and Reno turned back to give Rude a thumbs up, very pleased with himself… which unfortunately for him, gave Loz plenty of time to recover, and punch him in the face as he turned back toward the fight.

Reno was thrown backwards, colliding with Rude, and both men went down again. They managed to get up, but it was obvious that they were tired and out of breath. Yazoo and Loz, unfortunately, were neither.