Taking Care of Reno: Meteorfall
Chapter 11: Hunt for the Keystone
The weight hit Rude’s back, nearly toppling him, as arms locked themselves around his neck. It was all he could do to stay on his feet, and he pinwheeled for a moment before regaining his balance. By then, a pair of legs had wrapped around his waist as well, securing his attacker to his back.
But whoever it was didn’t seem to be much good at wrestling. The choke hold was loose, and the person who’d tried to take him down weighed next to nothing. It was a foolish way to attack someone of his stature… and he wasn’t about to put up with it any longer than he had to.
Rude reached for his new acquaintance and seized an arm before forcefully throwing him forward, over his shoulder. The move was met, not with the shocked cry the Turk had expected, but with a sharp laugh, as his attacker tumbled head over heels to the ground in a blur of red and black, somersaulting to a halt several feet away in a controlled fall. Rude blinked in surprise… and then glared at the snickering figure on the ground in front of him.
“Reno!”
The redhead righted himself, still laughing. “Aw, come on…you gotta admit, I gotcha good. Never saw me comin’…”
A rustling behind him sent the already on-edge Turk spinning, ready for another assault. He relaxed when he saw it was only Elena.
“Just for the record, I told him he was being an asshole and he’d be lucky if you didn’t break him in half,” she stated. Rude chuckled softly and shook his head.
“What are you two doing here?” he asked.
“Hojo’s parked himself in Gongaga’s one and only inn-slash-restaurant. We saw the copter headin’ for the south edge of the forest. Figured he’d keep while we found out what was goin’ on,” Reno replied, as he stood, dusting himself off. “So? What’s goin’ on?”
“Escort detail. Scarlet’s looking for her special materia up at the reactor with Tseng.”
“Where’s the brat?”
“The President is back at the Gold Saucer. Tseng thought he’d be safer there than out here with all the crazy people running around, jumping out of the bushes…”
“Heh… He get what he wanted from Dio?” Reno asked.
Rude frowned slightly. “Not quite. Dio didn’t have the Keystone. But he gave us someone to check out. Might wanna stick around. I think Tseng’s planning on calling you two off Hojo patrol to go look into that while we take Rufus on to Rocket Town.”
“That’d be a nice change of pace. So far all that jackass has been doin’ is sightseein’. Followin’ him’s boring as fuck… when it’s not disturbing enough to give a guy nightmares. You see all the chicks surroundin’ him on the beach back in Costa del Sol? Fucker’s pickup lines all centered around invitin’ ’em to be his new ‘breeding specimen’. And some of ’em were eatin’ it up,” the redhead said, shuddering.
“Ugh… That never gets less creepy,” Elena agreed. She, too, shuddered. “I’m going to take another look around while we’re out here,” she added, and wandered a little ways down the road.
“… Speaking of nightmares…” Rude prodded, lowering his voice slightly.
“Tch… I’m fine.”
“…”
“What?” the redhead asked, somewhat defensively, and Rude dropped his gaze. He’d only been curious as to how his friend was faring… and he was suddenly very aware that Elena really had largely taken his place as Reno’s sounding board. It wasn’t an entirely good feeling.
“… Nothing.”
Reno eyed him oddly for a moment.
“… Seriously, what?” he repeated, more concerned this time, and Rude looked away, his eyes following the path Elena had gone down. Reno folded his arms over his chest. “Okay… You’re obviously worried about more than just me.What’s up?”
“Nothing,” Rude reaffirmed, and his partner narrowed his eyes.
“I thought we agreed after the whole Reno’s gotta quit smokin’ debacle that you were gonna treat me like the idiot I am when somethin’s botherin’ you and just fuckin’ tell me instead of waitin’ for me to figure it out on my own…”
Rude sighed. He was right… he had promised him that.
“I know. It’s just that –”
“Guys!” Elena’s voice broke in, as she came sprinting back down the trail. “We’ve got company!”
Both men looked up, their conversation forgotten, as Cloud and Barret rounded the curve in the road. They were soon followed by the rest of Avalanche, all of whom looked decidedly surprised to see the Turks blocking their path.
“Warn the Boss…” Reno said to Elena. She nodded and took off down the opposite fork, towards the reactor.
“Out of our way…” Barret growled at them.
“Heh… Been awhile. Kinda been lookin’ forward to seein’ you assholes again, though. I owe ya some payback. You got any idea how bad you fucked up me up back in Sector 7?” Reno asked, ignoring the man.
“You’re still alive,” Tifa responded coldly, “That’s more than you deserve after what you did.”
Reno gave his EMR a casual twirl before readying himself for an attack. “I took no pleasure in that. But orders are orders. What’s your excuse?”
“Shut up, ya goddamn piece of Shinra trash!” Barret bellowed, raising the weapon on his arm. The redhead glanced over at his partner and smirked.
“Bet I can take out more of ’em than you can…”
“Worthless,” Scarlet hissed, tossing aside a palm-sized chunk of raw materia. It dropped from where she was perched, and hit a metal panel, cracking in half. “Nothing but junk.”
The weapons head scowled and moved on to the next exposed chamber. She’d been at it for several minutes by now, and was growing progressively more annoyed with each passing second. Apparently Gongaga’s reactor hadn’t produced any of the materia she was looking for. Either that, or it had already been scavenged… which given how long this pile of twisted metal had been sitting here, wouldn’t have surprised Tseng in the least.
“Sir!” a familiar… though thoroughly unexpected… voice called out to him, drawing his attention from the executive.
“Elena?” he responded, surprised to see the woman heading toward him… in something of a hurry. She stopped a few feet away, breathing harshly.
“Reno and Rude are back dawn the trail. Avalanche just showed up.”
That was the last thing he needed. While the group was likely more focused on Sephiroth than interfering with Shinra, they very clearly bore no affection for the company… and he certainly didn’t need a fight with a former Soldier and a bunch of terrorists while an executive was with them.
“Absolute junk!” Scarlet suddenly screamed in frustration, and Tseng had to sidestep yet another chunk of materia crystal that was flung in his general direction. It landed at Elena’s feet, and she picked it up, curious.
“Scarlet! We need to leave,” he said, firmly, and the woman looked up from the task at hand, glaring at him.
“Don’t you dare presume to tell me what to do…”
“We have a security issue. It’s being dealt with, for now, but we can’t stay any longer,” Tseng insisted. The sudden sound of gunfire from a short distance away, seemed to convince her.
The spray of bullets sent Rude diving for cover… and his dive, unfortunately sent him directly into the path of Tifa’s fist. Given that the alternative had been that furry science experiment’s teeth, though… he was pretty sure he’d made the right choice. The punch knocked the wind out of him and sent him to the ground, flat on his back.
Reno, meanwhile, was dealing with Strife… and didn’t look especially happy about the fact. The redhead had managed to keep his distance – had even landed more than a few jolting blows with his electro-mag rod – but the former Soldier didn’t look like he was going to go down easily. Especially with Aerith backing him up. Rude had never actually realized that the young woman was a magic user… she tended to avoid confrontation in general… but he’d spotted several materia spheres slotted into the band on her wrist, and she was doing an admirable job of shielding her friends from the worst of the Turks’ attacks.
That, combined with the fact that it was currently five against two, didn’t exactly give him a good feeling about the outcome of this fight. Rude scrambled to his feet just in time to dodge another of the bartender’s punches, and retaliated by sweeping her legs out from under her. As she went down, he caught his partner’s eye.
Right on cue, a loud noise broke through the din of combat. The sound of the helicopter’s engines spinning up was a welcome relief… Reno nodded, and distanced himself from Cloud.
“Much as we’d like to stick around and play some more…”
“It’s time for us to go,” Rude finished for him. The two of them took off, ignoring the slightly bewildered expressions on their opponents’ faces. Reno darted through a narrow gap in the brush, and his partner followed, scowling as a particularly thorny branch tore the sleeve of his jacket. They ran for the helicopter. Elena was positioned in the doorway, waving for them to hurry. As they scrambled inside, she hauled it shut, and the aircraft lifted off.
“Are you two alright?” she asked, having to shout to be heard due to their lack of headsets. Reno nodded, brushing the dirt from his clothes. Rude smirked and plucked several leaves from his partner’s hair before taking a seat.
“We’re fine,” Reno clarified, pulling on a headset. “Maybe a little bruised, but I think we’ll live.”
“Good to hear,” Tseng’s voice greeted him, “Because I have a new task for you and Elena. We’ll drop you off on the way back.”
Rufus leaned forward gazing out across the wide expanse of the Corel desert. The gondola had never been one of his favorite rides… but it was quiet and relaxing, and that was just what he needed right now. Tseng wouldn’t be pleased if he learned that he’d left the hotel, but at the moment he just didn’t care. The room had been stifling. He’d felt trapped and alone, and he couldn’t stand another minute there looking through classified files from Hojo’s archives.
Hojo.
He’d found out some interesting information about that son of a bitch. Much to his surprise, a good portion of the Jenova Project file had been missing. In fact, all he had in his possession currently had been denoted as Phase 2. Nearly everything regarding Phase 1 was simply not there… and that concerned him greatly, because what little he had found was distressing.
From what he’d pieced together, Phase 1 had begun nearly thirty years ago, and somehow, Sephiroth was directly involved in it. If that were true, he would have been just a child… one recruited for experiments that eventually produced the greatest Soldier the world had ever seen. Rufus wanted details. He’d already sent word to Midgar to located the missing portions of the file, but thus far the science staff had been unable to do so. They had suggested sending someone to the Shinra manor at Nibelheim to look through the archives there.
Rufus shook his head and sighed. He’d known for some time that some of the ‘projects’ his father had commissioned were perhaps not entirely ethical… but he was only now beginning to understand just how for he’d gone. Manipulating the genetic makeup of live animal specimens was one thing… Even Hojo’s human experiments didn’t bother him over much in general – though he was beginning to wonder if the test subjects had really signed up as ‘voluntarily’ as the man claimed they did – but using children? What had his father been thinking, allowing something like that?
He had never been close to the man… not since his mother had died, at any rate… but now he was starting to wonder if he’d really known his father at all. For most of his life – all of his adult life – he’d been groomed to take over the company one day. His father had ensure that he learned the finer points of negotiation and leadership and finances… but had spent next to no time being a parent. Eventually, Rufus had given up on his own efforts, as well, and strove to be the perfect little CEO-in-training rather than the perfect son. As sad as it was to admit… he probably knew Tseng better than his own father. Hell, he was probably closer to Tseng than he was his own father.
Rufus frowned and turned away from the view as the cable car rocked gently in the evening breeze. He couldn’t help but feel torn… On one hand, his father had made it very clear how he wanted the company to be run, and had spent years grooming him to do just that one day. On the other… the more deeply he delved into company secrets, the more he wondered if he could,in good conscience, continue in the same vein as his father.
It was a decision he’d have to make one day. But not today. Today, he had to commit himself to destroying Sephiroth… not just for his own sense of personal revenge, but also for the good of Shinra. Whatever he was up to, it didn’t bode well for the company, and Rufus was not about to lose that, too.
The gondola at last came to a stop at the station, and Rufus stood, strolling out onto the platform… only to be greeted by a very unamused-looking Turk.
“I thought you were going to stay in the room, sir,” Tseng said pointedly, arms folded over his chest as he fixed his charge with a disapproving look.
“I did. Until I grew bored of it,” he responded, “Is Scarlet finally placated?”
The Turk leader sighed, but didn’t comment further on the young executive’s little excursion. “Unfortunately, we were unable to find what she was looking for,” he said, ushering Rufus back towards the transport tunnels. “But much to my unending relief, she’ll be returning to Midgar to oversee construction of her weapon. Her staff will handle materia hunting from here on out.”
“Ah… A silver lining at last. And the Keystone?”
“We left Reno and Elena at Mr. Werent’s shop. He wasn’t there when we arrived. They’ll report in as soon as they speak with him.”
Rufus snorted softly. “Where did you find those two? I thought they were following Hojo to hell and back…”
“Yes, sir,” Tseng replied, finally cracking a faint smile, “They trailed him to Gongaga. He appears to be playing tourist for the time being… to what end, we’re not certain, but shadowing him seems to be yielding very little of any use to us. I believe my Turks would be better employed elsewhere. We haven’t let him go completely, however. Reno planted a tracer in his luggage at Costa del Sol. If we need to find him again, we can.”
The President nodded. “In that case… I’ve found something else that could use investigating once they’ve finished there…”
Reno leaned back against the door of the shop. They’d been waiting over an hour… The proprietor still wasn’t back.
“Tch… Fuck this. I say we just break in and search the place.”
“And just what happens if he comes back while where in the middle of ransacking his store?” Elena pointed out. “I don’t think he’s going to be very willing to talk to us if he catches us…”
“Won’t have to talk to the guy if we find the Keystone first,” Reno said with a grin. He pulled a lockpick from his pocket and opened the door, slipping inside. Elena hesitated just long enough to scan the area and make sure the owner wasn’t on his way before following.
“… So. I hate to ask ya this, but… what do you think a keystone looks like?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” she replied. All Tseng had told them was that Rufus had said the slot the stone fit into was spherical. Essentially, they were looking for something round and roughly the size of a grapefruit.
Reno sighed and headed for the upper level of the shop. “I’ll take the top, you take the bottom,” he said, but paused in his bid for the staircase and turned back with a grin, “Ya know… unless you’re more in the mood to be on top this time… I’m good either way…”
“Don’t even start, you pervert,” she said, snickering quietly. Elena turned her attention on the large display cabinet nearby and began scanning the shelves, a smile still painted on her lips. She didn’t mind Reno’s jokes… not really. To be honest, she’d actually grown to enjoy them, no matter how terrible and inappropriate they got. It was a little funny to think about how they used to bother her endlessly.
Reno was up on the second level, rummaging through a drawer. “Hey… ‘Lena?”
“Yeah?”
“Has Rude seemed… I dunno… off to you lately?” he asked.
Elena looked up from the boxes she was searching. “No… Not that I’ve noticed, anyway. Why? Is something wrong?”
“Not sure. I just get the feeling somethin’s on his mind. Tried askin’ him about it back in Gongaga, but we kinda got interrupted.”
“Well… I do know that he’s been really worried about you…” she replied. Nothing… at least nothing that looked like their elusive Keystone. She’d found plenty of interesting odds and ends, though. In fact, she wouldn’t have minded at all coming back here to do a little shopping some time.
“Nah… I don’t think that’s it. I mean… maybe it’s part of it, but I think there’s more to it than that.”
“You don’t think he’s angry about something, do you?” she asked, and started up the stairs. The ground floor was a bust. Reno glanced up from the trunk he was presently elbow deep in and shook his head.
“Didn’t seem like it. Kinda hard to read on most things, but it’s usually pretty easy to tell when he’s ticked off. Somethin’s buggin’ him, though. I’m sure of it. And I think it’s gotta be somethin’ I did.” He frowned and slammed the lid of the trunk shut. “I just don’t know what it is exactly that I’ve done lately. Can’t think of anything…” His shoulders sagged slightly. “I mean… aside from the obvious. But he wouldn’t be gettin’ all weird with me about Sector 7, would he?”
“Of course he wouldn’t,” Elena replied, “Reno, none of us blame you for following orders. We all would have done the same thing if we’d been in your place.”
“Yeah… I know,” he sighed. “I just can’t think of anything else that might be weighin’ on him.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing too serious. Why don’t you call him when we’re done here?
Reno smirked. “‘Cause he won’t say shit over the phone. If it’s really somethin’ important, he’ll insist on doin’ this in person.”
“Well… we’ll be meeting them in Rocket Town in a day or so. You can talk to him then. Just… try not to get worked up over it, okay?”
“Who? Me?” he joked, and Elena snorted a laugh.
“Yes. You,” she replied, “You get an idea in your head, and then you obsess over it until you’re completely freaked out over something that usually turns out to be nothing at all.”
“Tch… When have I ever done somethin’ like that?”
Elena put her hands on her hips and stared him down. “Oh, I don’t know… How about when you were driving yourself crazy because you were convinced you’d never get your memory back?”
“Okay, once.”
“And when you tried to give me to Rude, because you could hardly stand to be in the same room with me after I told you things wouldn’t work between us?”
“In my defense, I wasn’t in the best frame of mind at the time to begin with, thanks to that Ifrit-forsaken experiment I got roped into…”
“And let’s not forget just how long it took me to convince you that I wasn’t going to get fed up with you and dump you…”
The redhead chuckled and held up his hands in surrender. “… Alright. Okay… so maybeI do have a habit of assumin’ the worst sometimes.”
Elena smiled and placed a kiss on his cheek. “Rude’s your best friend. Whatever it is, I’m sure you two will work it out. Anyway… I didn’t find anything. Did you?”
Reno shook his head. “Not a damn thing. Guess it’s back to waitin’ for the guy to show. Let’s get outta here before we get caught.”
“I see… Alright. Keep me updated.”
Tseng ended the call and pocketed his PHS. Reno and Elena hadn’t had any luck. The shop owner was out and had yet to return. They’d opted to stake the place out until morning.
“Nothing?” Rude queried, and Tseng shook his head.
“They’re going to wait. Hope he comes back.”
“Still sending them on to Nibelheim? Or do you want to drop me off on the way to Rocket Town?”
Rufus had ordered them to investigate the old Shinra mansion… or more specifically, the archives in the basement. He’d initially planned to dispatch the pair since they were already about halfway there anyway… he hadn’t anticipated them being held up waiting for Werent.
“Frankly, I’d prefer you stay with Rufus and I. Otherwise I may find myself heading to the temple with only the President for company. He’s… less than patient about this.”
“I’ve noticed.”
Tseng frowned and took a seat on one of the beds. “I have to admit… I’m becoming concerned. I understand perfectly well why he feels the need to accompany us. I just wish he wouldn’t. There’s no need for him to put himself at such risk. I would feel much better if he were safely back in Midgar instead.”
“Another day or so and the Highwind should be ready. That thing’s arguably even safer than headquarters. We could stall until it arrives…” Rude suggested.
“Mmm… I’ve considered that. It would be preferable to having him so exposed and vulnerable. The question is how to go about it without rousing his suspicion. He won’t like it… even if it is for his own good,” Tseng replied, “… Perhaps I’ll have you make a few… repairs… to the plane while Rufus is discussing the matter with its caretaker.”
“I’m not much of a mechanic…” Rude said, smirking slightly.
“Good. That’s exactly what I’m counting on. Just try not to render it unsalvageable…”
Rude was standing at the edge of the Plate as Reno approached, gazing down at the destruction below. Clouds of dust still hung in the air, and the redhead could smell the fires burning. He swallowed sharply and joined him, peering hesitantly over the edge.
“… It’s bad.”
“… Yeah,” Reno replied. He’d known it would be. There wasn’t anything he could do about it now, though.
“Could’ve said no.”
“Tch… and then what? Pass it off to one of you guys? Youwant this shit hangin’ over your head? Or Tseng’s? Or… ‘Lena’s?” He could still remember the terror he’d felt, watching her reach into that pouch to draw her stone. If she’d drawn black, he’d have locked her in the archives room and done it himself… tradition be damned.
“If you’d said no… maybe the rest of us would have, too.”
“And be branded traitors for your trouble. You got a death wish or somethin’? You think the President wouldn’t send Soldier after all of us if we refused to follow orders?”
“Rufus is President now.”
Reno narrowed his eyes. “Yeah, well… he wasn’t then.” And there was no way in hell he’d put any of them at that kind of risk, anyway.
“You should’ve said no,” the other Turk stated, matter-of-factly.
“Rude…” the redhead replied, taken aback. Rude still hadn’t even looked at him. He reached for him, placing a hand on his shoulder, only to have it shrugged off. Reno drew his hand back, staring at his friend. He’d never been treated so coldly by him before. The wind picked up, blowing the dust and smoke from Sector 7 away from the city, and as he watched, Rude vanished with it.
He woke with a start, still propped up against the wall of the little shop, his arms wrapped protectively around Elena as she slept. The first rays of the sun were just peeking over the horizon, but it was still too dark to see much of anything. Reno took a deep breath, trying to banish the memory of the dream. It hadn’t been a nightmare, per se… just disturbing. Rude couldn’t really feel that way… could he?
He shook his head and reminded himself that it was a dream. He wasn’t in Midgar. He hadn’t really been talking to Rude. Right now, he was curled up in a very uncomfortable position, with Elena on his lap so that she could get some halfway decent rest while they waited for that asshole shop owner to show up. That dream had been nothing more than his own guilty conscience tormenting him in his sleep. He sighed and shifted position slightly, stretching his right leg out as much as he could manage without disturbing her… and suddenly realized that his foot had gone numb from the awkward position.
Reno groaned softly and wiggled his toes, trying to restore blood flow to the appendage. Elena murmured something in her sleep and then yawned, lifting her head.
“Reno?”
“Heh… Sorry, ‘Lena. Foot’s asleep… didn’t mean to wake ya.”
Elena sat up, and untangled herself from his grip, kissing him lightly before removing herself from his lap. “I told you something like that would happen…” she giggled, “But you just had to be the gentleman…” He flashed her a smiled… but inside, the dream still nagged at him. She yawned again, stretching a bit before settling against the wall next to him. “Want me to help?”
He shook his head as he was unlacing his boot. He kicked it off, and dug his fingertips into his foot, ignoring the unpleasant pins and needles sensation. “Nah… I got this.”
Elena leaned back, glancing up at the sky. The though the sky was slowly lightening, the stars were still out.
“You know… this was the one thing that I always liked better about Nana’s house than home…”
“Tch… What? Sleepin’ on the ground?” the redhead teased.
She rolled her eyes and elbowed him playfully. “No, you idiot… Being able to see the stars like this. There’s too much light pollution in Midgar. It’s never dark enough to see them really well, even on clear nights.”
Reno glanced upwards. “Never really thought about it, but I s’pose you’re right. Don’t think I’ve ever paid that much attention to ’em to be honest.”
“Nana used to take us all out stargazing sometimes when we visited her. It was beautiful. I was never very good at finding the constellations… no matter how many times she tried to teach them to me. Del and Bel knew them all, though.”
Some of the feeling was finally returning to his toes. He flexed them a few times before stretching his leg out straight again with a relieved sigh. “Heh… Won’t be much help to ya there. I didn’t even know there was such a thing as a constellation ’til I was probably seventeen or so and Tseng pointed a few of ’em out to me on a mission to Cosmo Canyon. Couldn’t really see what he was talkin’ about, to be honest… ‘cept for one.”
Elena cuddled up next to him, still looking up. “Which one?” she asked, curious. Reno smiled slightly and glanced over at her before turning his gaze back to the stars.
“That one,” he said pointing to a small grouping of stars that seemed to be all on their own in the vast night sky. “He said most people call it the Lone Nibelwolf… ‘cept in Wutai. They call it the Orphaned Nibelwolf. Story goes that its mother killed herself as a sacrifice to the gods so they wouldn’t take her pup. He lived, but he was left all alone to fend for himself. Guess that one kinda just struck a chord with me… I don’t remember any of the others.”
He sighed contentedly as he felt Elena’s arms encircle him. “You’re not alone anymore,” she whispered, nuzzling him, and Reno smiled and pulled her in closer.
“I know.” His fingers gently stroked her side, until they reached the pocket of her jacket. There was something hard there. “You packin’ an extra backup piece or you just happy to see me?” he joked.
She frowned in confusion, reaching into her pocket and drawing out the piece of materia she’d picked up at the reactor. She laughed as she realized what it was “Oh, that… Scarlet almost hit Tseng with it and I was curious what kind it was. I must have pocketed it when we heard the gunshots without realizing it.”
“So what kind is it?”
Elena shook her head. “That’s just it. I couldn’t tell…” she replied, handing it to him. The redhead hefted it in his palm, studying the raw crystal with a furrowed brow.
“Huh… That’s weird,” he said at last.
“What?”
“I can’t tell what it is, either. I mean… I suck at usin’ the stuff, but I can usually at least identify it. Definitely a magic type of some sort, but it feels… weird. Not elemental, that’s for sure. Don’t think I’ve seen this kind before.”
Elena plucked it from his hand, holding it up to get a better look. “Do you think Tseng would know?”
“Maybe. If not, Viridia definitely would. She’s a goddamn master when it comes to materia. One of the reasons Veld wanted her so bad. The Turks don’t get many hardcore magic users… usually they get tapped for Solider first when they’re that good. Hold onto it. Even if Tseng’s as clueless as I am, we’re bound to end up back in Junon eventually… might end up bein’ a nice addition to your collection.”
Elena nodded and tucked it back into her pocket.
By mid-morning, Tseng and Rude, along with their remaining executive, were on their way to their next destination. Scarlet had found alternative transportation back to Midgar… much to the Turk leader’s relief. He was grateful not to have to deal with her any longer. They would be landing shortly.
“I’ve asked Palmer to meet us in Rocket Town,” Rufus said, conversationally. “And to speak to his man about borrowing the plane… That fat oaf might as well earn his paycheck for a change. It should be fueled and waiting for us when we arrive… assuming he hasn’t managed to screw up such a relatively simple task.”
“Sir… perhaps we should simply wait for the Highwind. We don’t yet have the Keystone anyway. Traveling to the temple without it will likely prove fruitless without it.”
“We’re going to that temple,” Rufus said, firmly. “If we can’t get in, neither can Sephiroth. And it certainly can’t hurt to take a look around before he arrives.”
Tseng sighed, but nodded in agreement and glanced sidelong at Rude. He didn’t like going behind the President’s back… but in this case, it seemed like the only responsible solution. They would have to sabotage the plane. His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he reflexively retrieved it, thumbing open the message.
It was from Reeve… It seemed that Avalanche had made their way through Cosmo Canyon and then on towards Nibelheim… and that their next destination was also Rocket Town. The Turk leader’s frown deepened. They hadn’t hesitated in attacking Reno and Rude back in Gongaga. It was unlikely they’d refrain from doing the same in Rocket Town if their paths crossed. He’d have to keep a much closer eye on Rufus while they were there. The prospect of sending Rude off to render the plane unflyable was suddenly looking less appealing. He might need the help.
His phone vibrated again. The group had also apparently encountered Sephiroth at Nibelheim. He had spoken of a ‘reunion’… just as Hojo’s clones had done… as well as Jenova, before telling them that he was heading north. It seemed that Sephiroth wanted the group to follow him, and Tseng wondered why.
“Hmph… Welcome home,” Rude commented suddenly, and Tseng returned his attention to the view in front of him. Rocket Town was finally visible. They’d be landing in just a few more minutes.
“It’s been quite some time for you, hasn’t it?” Tseng asked.
“… Hadn’t been back in almost six years until Dad died. Didn’t stick around long after the funeral, either. Keep meaning to go do something with his house… but it’s never a good time.”
Tseng had the feeling that timing wasn’t the real issue. It had been almost two years, now… and Rude still didn’t talk about it much. At least not to him. Reno had had more luck broaching the subject, but ultimately had dropped it and let it be. It wasn’t something Rude liked to think about, let alone discuss. Tseng suspected that was the real reason he hadn’t gone back to clear out the house. He wasn’t quite ready yet to face the finality it would bring.
The helicopter descended, touching down near the hulking rocket that had given the town its name, and the Turk leader spotted Palmer waiting for them, bouncing impatiently on the balls of his feet.
A small flicker of movement in the distance caught Reno’s eye, and he scrambled to his feet.
“It’s about goddamn time…” he muttered as Elena joined him. “Thought this fucker was never comin’ back.”
He was stiff… he was sore… and worse, he was hungry. If he’d had to spend half the day waiting on the shopkeeper to finally return to his shop, he would not have been a happy camper. The pair of Turks waited in silence for Mr. Werent to reach them.
“… Er… can I… help you?” he asked, clearly surprised to see such eager customers.
‘Fuck, I hope so…’ Reno thought to himself. If this turned out to be a wasted effort, he was going to be pissed.
“We heard from Dio that you might have somethin’ we’re interested in purchasing…”
The man brightened at that, sensing the possibility of a large sale looming. He fumbled for his keys and unlocked the door to his shop.
“Well, come in… come in… I’ll see what I can do for you!” They followed him inside, and he gestured to some chairs in the corner. The three of them sat, and the man grinned widely. “Now… Just what sort of item was it you were looking for?”
“A Cetra relic… Something called the Keystone.”
The smile quickly faded, and the man looked at them quizzically. “The… the Keystone?” he repeated, sounding thoroughly confused… and more than slightly suspicious. “I thought you said Dio sent you…”
“Well… he didn’t send us exactly,” Elena piped up, “He just gave us your name and said you might be willing to sell.”
Werent frowned. “I’m afraid I can’t help you,” he replied, “Er… If you’ll excuse me, I have quite the to-do list before I open my shop for the day…”
He stood, and gestured toward the door. Reno sighed and drew his EMR.
“Guess we’re doin’ this the hard way,” he said, menacingly. Werent’s eyes widened and he backed away several steps.
“W-wait… Please. Don’t hurt me.”
“Look pal… I’ve had a rough couple of weeks. And on top of that, I haven’t had breakfast yet. You don’t wanna fuck with me right now… so how ’bout you save us both some trouble and just tell me everything you know about the Keystone. Startin’ with where you’re hidin’ it.”
“I-I don’t have it!” he replied, voice edged in fear.
Reno’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t say I didn’t warn ya…” he growled, threateningly, and triggered the electro-mag rod’s current, sending a cloud of sparks crackling from its tip.
“I swear! I already sold it!”
The redhead seized him by the collar and backed him up against the wall. “Name,” he demanded. Werent paled, eying the weapon in his hand.
“Dio! I-I sold it to Dio! That’s why I was gone so long… I just delivered it to him!”
Reno released his hold on the man and swore.
“That son of bitch…” he growled. “Fucker sent us on a wild goose chase just so we wouldn’t be there when this guy showed up with the merchandise…”
“I’ll call Tseng,” Elena replied, stepping out of the shop as she withdrew her PHS from her jacket.
“What the fuck do you mean you’re not startin’ the space program back up? What the hell’d you even come here for, then?”
Rufus calmly folded his arms over his chest, regarding the decidedly unamused pilot with disdain. “We need the plane,” he replied, nodding toward the house the man had emerged from just minutes ago. The sea plane’s tail was just visible behind the little structure.
Cid Highwind threw his cigarette to the ground, grinding it angrily under his boot. “Goddammit! First the airship… then the rocket… now the Tiny Bronco. Takin’ space away from me wasn’t good enough for Shinra. Now you want to take the sky away from me, too?!”
Tseng subtly repositioned himself, just in case things got out of hand. He hadn’t expected the man to be quite so defiant of a Shinra executive. Then again, the company’s space program had been in a state of limbo for years now… and he knew that those involved had been unusually passionate about it. Besides which… given that Palmer had been in charge, it probably shouldn’t have been especially surprising that there was a significant lack of discipline.
Highwind didn’t look like he posed much of a threat… particularly with the small regiment of Shinra military personnel Palmer had brought with him standing just off to one side… but one could never be too careful. Speaking of Palmer… Tseng hadn’t seen hide nor hair of the man since he’d gone inside to fetch the pilot for Rufus.
“Don’t forget, Mr. Highwind… It’s because of Shinra Company that you were able to fly in the first place. I think a little courtesy is owed us.”
Rude suddenly nudged him. Tseng turned his gaze momentarily away from his charge, and the other Turk nodded sharply towards the periphery of the small crowd that had formed around the arguing men.
Strife. When had he gotten here? Tseng scowled, annoyed at the rotten timing. Before he could decide on a course of action, however, a woman emerged from the house and slipped through the crowd toward the former Soldier, speaking to him and gesturing subtly in the direction of the plane. Cloud nodded and disappeared behind the house… and moments later, the Turk leader caught the sound of large engines and spinning propellers.
Rufus looked up in surprise, as the little sea plane emerged fully into view, Palmer waddling after it as fast as his fat little legs could carry him.
“What in Leviathan’s name is that idiot doing?” Tseng asked aloud, the somewhat surreal scene temporarily disabling his usual filter. Cloud and Tifa weren’t far behind, shoving Palmer aside and chasing after the plane. Strife boosted the woman onto the wing.
Palmer, meanwhile, seemed to have found some residual stamina, and made a valiant effort at catching up… only to step directly into the path of a small truck, as it rounded the corner and sent him flying several feet into a fence. The remaining members of Avalanche emerged from hiding, heading for the Tiny Bronco.
“It won’t stop!” Tifa called out.
“Forget it! Get in!” Strife replied, waving the others ahead of him, and helping hoist them aboard as well.
“Where in the hell do you think you’re goin’?” Highwind shouted after them. His conversation with Rufus was utterly forgotten as he took off at a sprint, easily catching up to the aircraft and vaulting himself into the cockpit. He hit the throttle and the plane rumbled down the roadway before lifting off. All the while, Tseng could only stare… Bizarre a development as this was, it suited him just fine. If Avalanche got away with the plane, they’d have no choice but to wait for the airship to arrive.
The Tiny Bronco made a quick loop around the leaning rocket, and then came back towards them, buzzing the crowd and eliciting a cheer from the townspeople before winging its way out to sea. Over the din, however, the distinct sound of gunshots drove Tseng to pull Rufus towards cover. It took him a moment more to realize that the shots were coming from their own personnel.
“No! You Rumah-forsaken idiots, don’t shoot it down. I need that plane!” the now irate executive shouted at them. It was, however, much too late. Tseng could already see smoke trailing from the aircraft’s tail, and it was dropping dangerously fast, towards the water. Moments later, it plunged out of sight.
Rufus shrugged Tseng’s hands off of him and stalked towards the small group of soldiers. He snatched a rifle from one of them. “Get out of my sight,” he hissed at them. The men scattered, hurrying to obey.
“I’ll deal with Rufus. Go and see how badly Palmer is hurt,” Tseng said, turning to Rude. The bald Turk nodded and rushed off toward the downed executive.
“Sir…” the Turk leader began.
“And you! What did you think you were doing just standing there?”
Tseng bit back a frustrated sigh. “I was ensuring that you were safe, sir. As is my priority.”
… And it certainly didn’t hurt that Avalanche had just solved the problem he’d been so concerned about for him.
Rufus’ hand clenched around the stock of the confiscated rifle and he glared. “Yes, well… your priorities have just cost us the only sea-going aircraft this backwater little hole has to offer. Just how do you plan on reaching the temple now?”
“The Highwind will have been prepared by now… So we wait. I doubt we’ll lose more than a day.”
The younger man looked like he had a response to that, but it was cut short as Rude approached, supporting Palmer.
“Assuming that fool isn’t half-dead already, put him on the next flight back to Midgar… before I decide to put this weapon to better use than its previous owner,” he snapped, and turned on his heel, striding away. At Rude’s questioning glance, Tseng nodded in agreement with the president.
“… Dad’s house is up the street. Key’s under the flowerpot,” he said simply. With that, he dragged the injured executive off. Tseng’s PHS rang as he started off in the opposite direction, intent on reclaiming his charge. He glanced down, seeing Elena’s number displayed on the screen and quickly accepted the call.
“Yes? Do you have it?”
“… Um… not exactly, sir,” Elena’s voice replied, and the Turk leader had to resist the urge to groan. That wasn’t going to go over well with the President… especially now. “We do finally know where it is, though,” the young woman added.
“And?” he prodded.
“Dio has it.”
Tseng roughly pinched the bridge of his nose, aggravated. “He lied to us, then.”
“Not technically, sir… He really didn’t have it when we were there. But the man he sent us to see… he just got back from delivering the merchandise.”
“Alright…” he sighed, “Stay where you are. I’ll pick you up shortly, and we’ll see if we can’t persuade him to part with it.”
“Understood, sir.”
He ended the called, and continued on his path toward the fuming executive, pausing a few short strides behind him.
“Don’t you give me that look, Tseng…” he grumbled at the Wutaiian Turk, and the corners of Tseng’s lips quirked upwards in a faint smile. Rufus had never been prone to tantrums, even as a small child. In fact, the display a moment ago was about the closest thing Tseng had ever personally witnessed that might qualify… though he had heard a rather interesting account of the younger man’s falling out with his father from the former President’s private secretary.
“Come along, sir,” the Turk leader prodded. “We’ve some time to kill and Rude has volunteered his father’s house for our stay. I suspect it will be a bit more comfortable than the local inn.”
Rufus’ shoulders slumped, defeated. “We’re going to lose him… That bastard will make it to the temple well ahead of us at this rate.”
“Perhaps… but he still lacks the Keystone. And I’m going to retrieve that personally just as soon as you are safely stowed away.”
The young President turned sharply. “Reno and Elena have it, then?”
Tseng shook his head. “No. But they found out where it was taken. It seems our friend Dio wasn’t entirely forthcoming about his interest in it. Apparently, he had already purchased the item from the shopkeeper and was merely waiting on delivery.”
Rufus’ eyes narrowed angrily. “He will regret double-crossing me like that…”
“Later, sir. Let’s focus on one revenge plot at a time, shall we?”
Rufus grudgingly nodded and Tseng gestured down the narrow road. He escorted him to a small two story house just at the edge of town, and trailed the younger man down the path to the front door. The place had seen better days, certainly. The yard was overgrown, and viney-looking weeds seemed to be rapidly encroaching upon the flowerbeds. Tseng shifted a small flowerpot filled with what may have once been chrysanthemums… by now, however, they were dry and wilted… and picked up the key hidden underneath.
Rufus snorted softly. “Rude’s father doesn’t seem to be much for grounds keeping…” he muttered.
“Rude’s father is dead, sir,” Tseng replied, unlocking the door. “As of two years ago. The house has sat empty since the funeral, I believe.”
The President hesitated slightly, looking over at his bodyguard in surprise. “You never mentioned it to me.”
“Rude… took his death rather hard, sir. Discussing it with you seemed as though I would be more than slightly overstepping my bounds.” He escorted the younger man inside. Rufus looked around the living room. Some of the larger furniture had been covered with sheets to ward off the accumulation of dust, but other than that, it seemed largely untouched. Tseng’s eye went to the mantle above the fireplace, where a collection of framed photos decorated the entire length. There were a number of pictures of a man who bore a striking resemblance to his friend.
Rudolfus Bartholomew Montgomery, Sr., Tseng assumed. And with a namesake like that, it was no wonder, his friend – being saddled with the unfortunate designation of ‘junior’ – preferred just ‘Rude’.
But the shelf was undeniably dominated by images of a very lovely young woman, with long, flowing caramel-colored hair and a somewhat dreamlike, faraway look in her eyes. Curiously, the only image of his fellow Turk he managed to spot was one from when he was a very young boy of perhaps eight or nine, his mother hugging him tightly from behind. It had been relegated to the back of the collection, and Rude himself was largely obscured by other photos, leaving just his mother peering out from behind the other frames.
Rufus seemed to notice the oddity of it as well, and glanced back at him, questioningly.
“They were never on the best of terms after Rude’s mother died. Even less so after he joined the Turks,” Tseng said, simply.
“Hmph… I suppose we have more in common than I realized,” Rufus commented. The executive whipped the sheet off of a plush armchair, and sat down with a faint smirk. “Are all of your personal lives so utterly tragic?”
Tseng chuckled softly. “It’s a job requirement, sir. Elena is probably the most well-adjusted of any of us, and even she has had her share.”
Before Rufus could reply, the door swung inward, admitting the very topic of their conversation. Rude slipped inside, frowning faintly at the sight of his one-time home, but saying nothing that might further betray his feelings.
“Palmer’s alright. Just little bruised.”
“Is it really any surprise?” Rufus asked, haughtily, “The man has a six inch thick layer of blubber protecting him. I trust you got rid of him?”
Rude nodded. “Asked an old friend to fly him. He’s on his way back to Midgar via Costa del Sol.”
“Good,” Tseng replied, “In that case… stay here with Rufus. Elena notified me that she and Reno have located the Keystone. I’m going to pick them up and go get it.”
Rufus narrowed his eyes. “I don’t see why I can’t go. I’d very much like a word with Dio over this.”
“And that is precisely why you’re not going, sir,” the Turk leader answered with a small smile. “Besides which… I intend to retrieve the item and be well on our way back to Rocket Town before Dio even realizes we were there.”
Reno was staring up at the clouds, his bare feet dangling in the water, buffeted by the swift current of the river. The shopkeeper had grown less and less thrilled with their company the longer they’d stuck around, so they’d made their way back north a short distance and parked themselves on the south bank to wait for their ride…
“Tch… We probably coulda walked to the fuckin’ Saucer by now.”
“I didn’t know you could walk on water…” Elena replied, playfully nudging him in the side. He turned his head and smirked.
“Can’t… but we coulda swum it.”
His lover shook her head vehemently. “Not a chance.”
The redhead sat up and snickered. “Aw, come on ‘Lena… after all those swimming lessons I gave ya? You’ve gotten a lot better. Hell, you jumped into zolom-infested water just to save my sorry ass from drowning… remember?”
“I don’t care. Look at that thing! I’d be three miles downstream by the time I made it halfway across…” she shot back, with a laugh, “Either find me a bridge, or forget it.”
“Too bad… I wouldn’t mind watchin’ ya strip down and jump in the water right about now…”
“Don’t you think about anything else?” Elena teased.
Reno grinned and tucked his hands behind his head, returning his gaze to the sky. It had been a beautiful morning, but it was beginning to look like it might rain. Hopefully, Tseng wouldn’t leave them waiting for long. He doubted the shopkeeper would welcome them back, and Gongaga was at least an hour’s walk… not exactly convenient if they needed some quick shelter from the elements.
He heard Elena shift position, moving to settle next to his head, and a moment later, her fingers were gently carding his hair. Reno closed his eyes and sighed.
“Ya know… I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of you doin’ that…”
“Good,” Elena giggled, “Because I’m not very likely to ever get tired of petting you.” She continued in silence for a few more minutes before she spoke again. “So… I never asked you this morning. How did you sleep?” She snickered. “Aside from me cutting off the circulation to your foot, I mean…”
The redhead chuckled and managed a shrug, “Alright, I guess. No nightmares… just a not entirely reassuring dream about Rude.”
“I thought you were going to try not to worry about that…” she replied, frowning.
Reno looked up, faintly amused. “I don’t really have a lot of control over what my brain decides to freak out about when I’m sleepin’, ‘Lena…” He sighed softly and shook his head. “I just wish I knew what was botherin’ him. That’s all. Usually, I can at least guess what’s on his mind… but I s’pose I’ve kinda been more focused on myself lately. I’m not even sure how long he’s been upset with me.”
“Why automatically assume he’s upset with you? Or upset at all, for that matter. Maybe he’s worried about something completely unrelated to you, and you’re driving yourself crazy for no reason…”
“Tch… I’m not drivin’ myself crazy,” he scoffed. He smirked and glanced up at her, adding, “Yet. And I’m pretty sure it’s got somethin’ to do with me.”
“What did he even say to you that made you think there’s a problem?”
Reno sat up, stretching for a moment before settling back, bracing himself with both arms. “It wasn’t really what he said. He just asked me about my nightmares… and I kinda blew him off. Then he got all quiet on me.”
“… That’s sort of how Rude always is, isn’t it?”
He shook his head and leaned forward, hugging his knees to his chest. “Not with me. I mean, sometimes it takes a little effort to get it outta him… ‘specially when it’s somethin’ big… but he talks to me about shit.”
“Well… you did say that he was about to say something before you were interrupted, right? So obviously he wants to talk to you. He just didn’t have the chance.”
Reno smiled and reached for her, pulling her tightly against his side in a one-armed hug.
“Thanks. Nice to know Rude’s not the only one capable of talkin’ me down from my own paranoia…”
“Any time,” Elena replied with a quiet laugh. The familiar sound of a helicopter pulled his attention back to the sky. A moment later, the redhead spotted the tiny silhouette in the distance.
“Heh… Looks like our ride’s here.”
“You’re certain you can get it?” Tseng asked.
“Absolutely. I’ve already disabled the tram. They’re stuck here until tomorrow. As soon as everyone is asleep, I’ll take it and bring it out to you.”
The Turk leader allowed himself a small smile. Infiltrating Avalanche was paying off much sooner than he’d anticipated. Reeve had contacted him shortly after he’d taken off to pick up his two wayward Turks near Gongaga. Apparently, the Tiny Bronco… though grounded for the foreseeable future… still made for a decent boat. The group had made their way along the southern shore and then north, up the east coast. It seemed that Reno and Elena had missed them at the weapons shop by a matter of barely two hours.
From there, Avalanche had acted on the same information his Turks had been given and continued on to speak with Dio. They now had the Keystone in their possession.
But not for long.
“Notify me as soon as you have it. We’ll meet you near the arcade tonight.”
Tseng ended the call and glanced back at his fellow Turks. Reno had broken into the sealed box of emergency rations stored under one of the seats and was gnawing on what looked like a piece of gray rubber.
“What in Leviathan’s name are you eating?” he asked, walking back towards the copter. They’d set down just east of the Corel Desert to wait. The redhead finally managed to tear a chunk off and set about chewing it.
“Package says it’s s’posed to be steak,” he replied, mouth still full. Elena grimaced and shook her head.
“It looks like dehydrated roadkill,” she said in disgust.
Reno harshly swallowed the bite of alleged meat. “Kinda tastes like it, too…” he joked, as he passed a packet of mixed nuts to Elena… before returning to his efforts at devouring the thing.
“Hmm… Well, I was going to offer an actual meal in Costa del Sol, as it seems we have several hours to kill before Mr. Tuesti will have the opportunity to retrieve our item. But if you prefer your shoe leather…”
“You know me better than that, boss,” the redhead replied, grinning widely. Tseng smirked and joined the pair of them in the helicopter as his lieutenant hurried to climb into the pilot’s seat.
“In a rush?” he asked, amused.
“I’m always in a rush when I’m half-starved… Me ‘n ‘Lena didn’t get any breakfast this morning. Asshole shopkeeper didn’t even offer us coffee…”
By then, he was powering up the engines, and the Turk leader had to hurry to strap himself into the co-pilot’s chair. Elena, meanwhile had already secured herself in the aft section, snickering silently to herself.
Rufus sat on the wooden bench under the front window, arms crossed over his chest, his entire being radiating annoyance. He watched as a handful of townspeople made their ways up and down the street. The door behind him opened, and he glanced back, over his shoulder.
“Lunch, sir,” Rude stated, simply, setting a tray down on the coffee table.
“Hmph… Well, at least Tseng opted to abandon me in the company of someone who won’t let me starve.”
“Yes, sir,” he replied, a faint smirk on his lips. Rufus shook his head and left his perch by the window to relocate himself to the couch. It had always been next to impossible to get more than two words at a time out of the man, unless it was directly related to the job. Which, he mused, was probably why he knew so relatively little about the stoic Turk.
Rude was extremely capable in a fight. His efforts at maintaining Shinra’s intelligence network were incomparable… even to his predecessors. His professionalism rivaled that of Tseng.
But on a personal level, Rufus’ knowledge of the man was largely anecdotal. He was aware of Rude’s interest in cooking… and had sampled it on more than one occasion. And he knew he was originally from Rocket Town. He’d once or twice overheard the redhead teasing him about an apparent fondness for a popular TV show… the name of which presently escaped him. But in ten plus years, that was virtually the extent of how well he knew him outside of the image he projected of himself within the bounds of the company.
It was, in part, his own fault, really. Until very recently – and with the exception of Tseng – he had considered the Turks nothing more than valuable employees and occasional entertainment. That had begun to change a bit after he’d met their newest edition.
Elena interested him, though he couldn’t really say why. She was beautiful, certainly… but he’d met many beautiful women over the years, many of whom easily outshone her. She was almost certainly above average intelligence… but then, much as he was loath to admit to anything complimentary of the redhead, so were her cohorts. Her physique was impressive, as were her skills as a fighter… but that was more a professional plus than a personal one. She shared at least a handful of his interests, though he wasn’t sure it extended much beyond literature.
And even though her taste in men was… questionable… that hardly disqualified her as a potential… something. What did, apparently, disqualify her was her devotion to her red-haired lover.
He still didn’t quite understand what it was she saw in that slum rat, anyway. He was uncouth, uneducated, uncommonly perverted, and thoroughly obnoxious. By all rights, his personality ought to have sent most women running for the hills. Yet Rufus was well aware of Reno’s reputation around company headquarters. Still… Elena didn’t seem the type to be easily seduced by a suggestive leer and a quick wit.
Rufus picked up his fork and speared strip of thinly sliced beef, decidedly more annoyed now than he had been by the window.
“Something wrong?” Rude asked.
“I don’t suppose you can explain to me what your new recruit sees in that idiot she’s dating…”
The bald Turk’s eyebrow rose in curiosity, and perhaps more than a little shock, and for a moment, Rufus silently berated himself for voicing his private thoughts.
“She sees what most people don’t bother looking for in Reno, sir.”
The President looked up, surprised by the answer… not just for its content, but also for its length. He was fairly sure that that was the most Rude had said to him directly since they’d left Midgar.
“And just what is that rather cryptic answer supposed to mean?”
Rude chuckled faintly and shook his head. “Most people never look much past the surface. They see Reno as a sex-obsessed, slightly vulgar, obnoxious pain in the butt who happens to be very good at his job. And… he’s all of that, too…” he replied, smirking at the minor insult, “But there’s a lot more to him. Elena knows him well enough to see that.”
Rufus snorted softly in obvious disbelief. “Do enlighten me…” he said, sarcastically.
“He’s loyal. He’s kind. He’s surprisingly in tune with other people’s feelings. And when it comes to Elena, he loves her more than his own life, and isn’t afraid to tell her so and mean it.”
“Hmm…” Rufus took another bite, chewing thoughtfully. He’d very nearly finished the dish by now… and was vaguely wondering if Rude might be better employed as his personal chef. He certainly outclassed Paolo and his supposed gourmet cuisine. The family only employed him because Juliet actually liked his cooking. “You know… frankly, I’m not quite sure which I find more annoying. Their constant overly-affectionate displays whether someone happens to be looking or not, or Tseng traipsing around in the shadows with that woman in Junon for the better part of a decade and a half as if no one knows what he’s up to when he’s off duty… or you and your inordinately-private private life.”
“There’s no contest, sir. Reno and Elena win, hands down,” Rude replied. He picked up Rufus’ now-empty plate, carrying it back to the kitchen… but not before calling back over his shoulder, “But only because I’ve never managed to walk in on Tseng having sex before.”
Rufus scowled at the man’s back. “Thank you so very much for putting that image in my head…”
“They’re never going to let us come back here,” Elena commented to Tseng as she watched the redhead finishing off his fifth plate. The Turk leader nodded in agreement.
“Mmm… Whomever came up with the idea for the all-you-can-eat buffet obviously never met anyone like Reno.”
“I can hear you two talkin’ about me, ya know…” the aforementioned Turk informed them between bites, and Elena snickered quietly into her napkin.
“One would think that by now you’d be used to it,” Tseng shot back, smirking. He pushed his own empty plate away from him, thoroughly content with a mere two trips through the buffet line. Elena didn’t seem to be in much of a hurry to continue stuffing herself, either. The redhead grinned at him as he swallowed the last bite and stood, wordlessly, heading for the line again. Tseng laughed. “Well… at least I’m getting my money’s worth.”
“To be fair, sir… he hasn’t eaten much in awhile. We didn’t have breakfast… and dinner was a little hurried, since we had to stake out the weapons shop last night.”
The Wutaiian Turk nodded understandingly. “I take it he’s told you why he tends to eat like a behemoth emerging from hibernation, then…”
“Yes, sir.” She paused for a moment, looking a little uncertain before continuing. “He also told me that it wasn’t anything I had to worry about… but…”
“But you’re concerned he simply doesn’t want you to worry,” Tseng finished for her, and she nodded. “You can relax. It’s a largely harmless condition. He can actually go several days without eating before things get noticeably bad for him… but beyond the obvious hazards involved with dizziness and disorientation, it’s not especially dangerous. He’s perfectly healthy. He would never have been approved by Ward if he weren’t.”
“Oh,” she replied, sighing in relief, “Good… I-I mean, I didn’t really think he’d lie to me, but…”
Tseng chuckled at her concern. “I’m quite certain he’d try to spare your feelings whenever possible, Elena… but never about something important.”
“Hey, ‘Lena…” the topic of their conversation interrupted, setting a fully loaded plate down in front of himself as he resumed his seat. “Just remembered… You get around to askin’ him about that materia yet?”
“Oh!” She responded reaching into her pocket and removing the large crystal. “Thanks for reminding me…”
The Turk leader eyed it as she handed it to him, curious.
“I found it at the Gongaga reactor. It’s the one Scarlet threw at you. Neither of us could figure out what kind it is…”
Tseng frowned, concentrating on the materia. His frown only deepened as he realized that… neither could he. That was odd. For a moment, he wondered if it had been rendered inert by the reactor… but the longer he focused on it, the more obvious it became that that wasn’t the case. The crystal definitely contained some type of magic… it just wasn’t anything he was familiar with.
“I’m afraid I don’t know what it is,” he replied at last, new-found interest making him unable to tear his gaze away from it for a moment. His brow furrow slightly. He wasn’t an expert, by any means, but he did consider himself well-rounded when it came to materia. And thanks to Viridia, he’d had at least some experience with a number of uncommon types over the years. This one, though, was completely foreign to him. Which almost certainly meant it was not merely uncommon…
He handed it back to Elena.
“Don’t lose that,” he said, seriously. “I don’t know what it is… and that’s reason enough to suspect that it may be a very rare type indeed. The next time we’re in Junon, we’ll show it to Viridia. She knows more about materia than anyone I’ve ever met. If she can’t identify it, I’m not sure anyone can.”
Elena nodded and carefully tucked it back into her pocket. Tseng was sure that he’d just piqued her curiosity.
~fin~
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