Taking Care of Reno: Meteorfall
Chapter 16: On the Move Again
Rude groaned and rolled over. The “first place with air conditioning” they’d come across had turned out to be a small clinic at the edge of the village of Loth. And it apparently served double-duty, also functioning as one of the little town’s inns… with what had to be the most uncomfortable cots the Turk had ever slept on in his life. The sun was already peeking through the windows as he sat up, massaging his knuckles into his lower back.
His partner was still sound asleep a few feet away, sprawled over a likewise much-too-hard platform, clearly not bothered by the discomfort. He twitched slightly as Rude moved to get up.
“Go the fuck back to sleep,” the redhead muttered, not moving a muscle. The bald Turk shrugged and climbed out of bed anyway, before snatching the pillow out from under his friend’s head and smacking him with it. Reno finally deigned to open his eyes. “Just ’cause I was up early yesterday doesn’t mean I’m plannin’ on makin’ a habit of it…” he said with a glare… but he sighed and sat up, stretching.
“I just figured you’d want to find our target and get back to Elena as soon as possible,” Rude teased.
“Well… yeah, mighta crossed my mind once or twice. Fine. I’m up… so let’s start with breakfast. For a tourist destination, this place has a pretty limited number of places to eat. If Corneo’s here, someone inone of ’em must have seen him by now…”
Rude nodded reaching for his jacket. “Works for me,” he replied. “… How’d you sleep?”
The redhead rolled his eyes as he dragged himself to his feet. “You gonna start askin’ me that every mornin’ now?” he asked, sounding somewhat cross. “I’m takin’ Ward’s fuckin pills… Quit worryin’.”
The other Turk snorted softly. As if that were going to happen. He’d spent the last ten years worrying about his friend, as any older brother might… that wasn’t likely to change anytime soon. He shook his head and tossed Reno his clothes. He probably should back off a little for the time being, however, if only to avoid stressing him out any more than he already was.
It had been evident early on in their relationship that Reno hated to think of himself as a burden to others. Rude had always suspected that it stemmed from his mother having taken her own life once she could no longer cope with living the way she had been, but the redhead didn’t talk about it much. He was more than happy to reminisce about the woman as he remembered her alive… but her death was a subject he largely avoided. Reno had never come right out and said so, but the way he hedged around the specifics of the topic, Rude was pretty sure his friend felt that the realities of raising a child in the slums had been at least partially to blame for her choice. That guilt had, over the years, translated into a need to be completely self-reliant. But even the most self-reliant individuals occasionally needed someone to lean on, and Reno was loath to admit that.
“Marketplace?” he queried, pulling himself from his musings. That was where most of the local eateries were located. There were one or two out closer to the beaches that catered largely to the tourists, as well.
“Yeah. And when we’re done, we can check out that weapons shop we passed on the way in.”
The little shop had been closed for the day when they’d arrived, a sign hanging in the window stating that the owner had gone fishing and would return the following morning. Rude smirked teasingly.
“Thinking of getting Elena a souvenir?”
“Tch… Quite screwin’ around, partner. Corneo left in a hurry and he knows we’re lookin’ for him. If he wasn’t armed when he took off, he’d have wanted to be as soon as possible,” the senior Turk replied, rolling his eyes. He paused in his bid at getting dressed and glanced over at him. “… You, uh… ya think she’d like somethin’, though?”
Rude laughed and shook his head. “You’re completely whipped, you know that, right?”
The redhead simply finished buttoning his shirt and flipped him off as he headed out the door. Rude followed, still chuckling to himself, and the pair of them made their way out onto the street.
“President Shinra, sir?”
The electronic hiss of the intercom speaker only seemed to make the receptionist’s voice more irritating than usual. He was competent enough, but the young man’s cloying effervescence was almost enough to convince Rufus that replacing him was warranted. Particularly first thing in the morning.
Somehow he always managed to talk himself out of it before he followed through, however. He reached across the desk and pressed the button next to the speaker.
“Yes? What is it?” he asked, not bothering to look up from the map he’d been studying. It showed the area around Icicle Inn on the northern continent. Sephiroth was up there, somewhere… perhaps hiding in one of the hundreds of caves that littered the mountains. Shinra had no active ventures in the area at the moment… the land surrounding the massive crater was barren and frozen, and the crater itself was riddled with vicious creatures. Though he had to admit… it was some of the best skiing on the planet. But if it took destroying large pieces of the landscape to rid the world of Sephiroth, his annual ski vacation was something he was perfectly willing to sacrifice. They would, however, have to do something about the townspeople first, if it came to that…
“Someone to see you, sir. Professor Hojo.”
Rufus’ gaze shot up, and he stared at the intercom. Hojo? His eyes narrowed in suspicion. What the hell did he want? The last he’d heard, the scientist was in Gongaga, following his creation’s trail. And Sephiroth was very much Hojo’s creation… Rufus had spent hours of his time since his return to Junon reviewing the files Reno and Rude had retrieved from Nibelheim. He knew the whole sordid story now… including a few things that he suspected his Turks hadn’t had time to discover for themselves. Hojo had been quite the loose canon back in the day, even going so far as to attempt to kill one of their own ranks… perhaps even succeeding, as little regarding the ultimate fate of one Vincent Valentine of the Turks was to be found in the journals relating to the Jenova Project.
“… Send him in,” the president said at last. As the intercom clicked off, he opened the drawer to his left, lifting a small handgun out of its case, and placing it on the desk in front of him. He’d never trusted Hojo… and he trusted him even less after reading of his early experiments. Though he doubted the man was here to try anything against him, he had shot Valentine in cold blood. Tseng would never have let him hear the end of it if he didn’t take precautions.
The door opened and the man himself strolled in.
“Bored of your retirement already?” Rufus commented.
“As it happens… I’ve decided that my considerable expertise would be put to better use at Shinra than elsewhere at present,” the scientist sniffed, taking a seat opposite the executive. The younger man let a wane smile cross his face.
“I’m afraid we’re not hiring at the moment.”
Hojo made a somewhat wheezy sound that might have been a laugh. “Oh? I really thought you might be just a bit more grateful of my offer, Mr. President.” He eyed the stack of journals on the corner of the desk, and Rufus realized belatedly that leaving them out like that had been a mistake. He’d unintentionally tipped his hand. “After all… there are few on the planet who know more about Sephiroth than I do…”
The executive frowned, trying his best to school his expression. “Just what is it that you want, Hojo? I find it very hard to believe that you’re here to help us destroy your own son.”
“Hmph… Sephiroth was an experiment. He has never been anything more. I simply wish to see the inevitable outcome of that experiment,” he replied, “Unfortunately, tracking my specimen has proven far more strenuous than I had anticipated. Thus, I’m offering my considerable expertise to assist you in your endeavors in exchange for the opportunity to view the results.”
Though he suspected the researcher wasn’t telling him the whole truth, Hojo was right about one thing… He was the definitive expert when it came to the rogue Soldier. And the information he could provide might well prove valuable. Even life-saving.
On the other hand, Rufus didn’t trust the man as far as he could throw him. He hadn’t exactly been devastated when Hojo had tendered his resignation, and he was in no hurry to invite him to return.
Of course… he was president now. And that meant he could always have him thrown out on his ass once Sephiroth had been dealt with.
“You’re quite mad if you think I’m going to simply let you wander in and out of our operation unsupervised,” the President replied after a moment.
Hojo snorted haughtily. “I presume, by that, you mean to have me supervised, then.”
“Oh… I intend to keep a very close eye on you.” Rufus stood and circled around to the front of his desk. “I’ll gladly accept your… expertise. But once you have the results of your little experiment, and I have a very dead former-Soldier, Shinra will have nothing further to do with you.”
The man gave him a smug smile and got up from the chair.
“I expect I won’t have much use for Shinra, either, when this is over…” he replied. With that, he turned and shuffled out of the room, not waiting for a dismissal. Rufus silently watched him go. The man was up to something, he was sure… and he was tempted to simply be rid of him. But Hojo’s insight and… as grudgingly as Rufus had to admit it, his intellect… were too great a resource to simply ignore. He wouldn’t leave him to his own devices, however. As soon as Reno and Rude returned from Mideel, he was going to have one of them watch that bastard like a hawk. In the meantime… the base’s head of security would have to do.
The morning sunlight was much too bright. Elena groaned and rolled to one side, dragging her pillow over her head and wondering why Reno had left the curtains open last night. He always closed them… because usually he was the one moaning and complaining when the astrological alarm clock woke him before he was ready to be a functional human being.
Speaking of Reno… she suddenly realized that she was alone in bed. There was no warm body with its arms protectively wrapped around her… no soothing heartbeat lulling her back to sleep… just cold sheets and far too insistent sunlight.
She slowly sat up, still feeling groggy… and found that she had absolutely no idea where she was.
Elena looked around in alarm at the unfamiliar surroundings. The faint antiseptic smell that seemed to permeate the air told her, at least, that she was in a medical facility of some kind… though clearly not Midgar General. This place was far more utilitarian… built for efficiency, not comfort. She closed her eyes, trying to recall what the last thing she remembered was.
They’d been inside the temple… Tseng had sent her back out to contact the Highwind. And then…
Elena sat up and gasped, eyes going wide in spite of the harsh light flooding the room. Tseng…
She swallowed sharply, tears coming to her eyes, unbidden. She’d watched him take his last breath… and there hadn’t been anything she could do to save him. She remembered trying so hard to make the materia work as Tseng had gone utterly still… She’d wanted it more than anything she could remember wanting in her entire life, but it hadn’t been enough. A soft sob escaped her lips as she realized he was gone.
And as much as it hurt her to think of losing someone she’d come to care so much for, she knew that Reno must be devastated. The thought scared her. How much more could he take? Everyone had a breaking point… and she was terrified that her lover was getting dangerously close to his.
The door on the far side of the room swung inward with a quiet swish, and Elena looked up, hoping to see a familiar shock of red hair.
“Well, now… It’s about time yeh woke up. I probably don’t have ta tell yeh, but yeh’ve got a few people who’ve been a bit anxious ta see yeh up and about again…”
“Dr. Ward?” she queried, slightly confused. She was certain this wasn’t Midgar General… and it didn’t look like any part of the medical suite at company headquarters that she’d ever ventured into. She shook her head… Why in Shiva’s name was she sitting here wondering what was going on when she could just ask?
“Where am I?”
Ward smiled fondly. “Yer in Junon, my dear. It was either that or Mideel, and much as I love my homeland, Mideel frankly wouldn’t have done yeh a bit of good after the the mess yeh got yerself inta at that temple.”
Elena wasn’t sure what she was talking about. She hadn’t been the one attacked and mortally wounded. She was fine. At least she thought she was. She felt fine, at any rate… aside from being unable to remember anything about how she’d gotten to Junon. Her memory seemed to cut off the moment Tseng breathed his last.
“I imagine yer feeling a little lost at the moment…” the doctor said, breaking in on her thoughts as she reached for Elena’s wrist, taking her pulse. “Not surprising, given that yeh’ve been out for going on four days now…”
“W-what?” she asked, wide-eyed. Four days? That couldn’t be right. “What happened?!”
“Yeh saved yer boss’ life… That’s what happened. Cost yeh close ta four days of yer own, but yeh kept him alive long enough for the Highwind ta get him here…”
She suddenly felt almost dizzy with relief. “Tseng’s… alive?” she breathed. Ward chuckled quietly and took a seat next to her bed.
“Well, if he’s not, he’s the most talkative corpse I’ve ever met…” the physician replied, smiling. “He won’t be on his feet for some time yet… but I expect he’ll be back getting himself inta dangerous situations again well before I tell him he ought to be.” She took one look at Elena’s expression and sighed. “I suppose yeh’ll want ta go and see him for yerself, then…”
“Yes!” Elena cried, shoving the covers aside, and climbing out of bed.
“Alright… alright… For Shiva’s sake, wait for an old woman,” Ward said, chucking as she rose from the chair. She escorted her into the hallway, and into a room two doors down. “Now, mind yeh… yer not staying long. He’s scheduled for one more round of surgery in an hour. How you Turks can tolerate so much abuse, I’ll never understand…”
Ward pushed open the door and ushered her inside, where Elena was greeted by the sight of a very pale and tired looking Tseng. Even so, a smile spread over his face as soon as he noticed her.
“Elena…”
“I’ll be back in a few minutes. Try not ta wear him out,” the doctor, cautioned, closing the door behind her and leaving Elena alone with the Turk leader. She hurried over to his bedside.
“Tseng… I-I was afraid you were –” Somehow she couldn’t quite bring herself to finish that sentence, instead, pausing to wipe away the moisture that had gathered in the corners of her eyes.
“I’m quite certain I would be, if you hadn’t been there. And I’m immeasurably grateful that you were.” He reached for her hand, taking it in his own, and Elena was surprised at how weak his grip felt. Ward was right… it was going to be awhile before he recovered. She let herself drop into the chair next to him, and her concern must have shown on her face, because Tseng laughed quietly. “Do I really look that bad?”
“… Yes, sir. You do.”
Tseng sighed, and let his head fall back against the pillows that were propping him up. “You needn’t be so brutally honest,” he said, his tone teasing.
“Sorry, sir,” she replied, smirking slightly.
“Yeah… I know exactly who yer talkin’ about. Ugly bastard… Kept tryin’ ta chat up my waitresses. And couldn’t keep his filthy hands to hisself, neither. Came in every mornin’ and evenin’ fer almost a week straight, ‘n then I never saw him again. Glad ta be rid of him. The tourists are what keep a roof over my head, but some of ’em…”
The woman made an annoyed sound in her throat, and rolled her eyes. Reno frowned.
“When’s the last time you saw him?”
“Mmm… gotta be two… three days ago now, maybe?” She turned to a younger woman who standing near the door, waiting to seat customers. “Sarah? When’s the last time that creep was in here fer breakie?”
“Saturday. I remember ’cause yeh sent me off ta Margo’s stand fer more dumbapples an’ he tried ta grab my arse on my way out…”
The woman nodded and turned back to the Turks. “That’s the last we saw of the bastard. What’s yer interest, anyway?”
“Got a score to settle with him. Any chance he’s still around?”
“Might be. But I’m friends with all the shopkeeps in town. Know he was causin’ problems fer a few of them, too. Haven’t heard ’em complainin’ about him recently, though. Yeh been up north yet? Not a favorite with the tourists, but some of ’em like ta visit the more ‘quaint’ places on the island…”
Reno glanced at Rude and shook his head. “Not really our guy’s style.”
“Well, then… I’d wager he caught one of the ferries. Couldn’t tell yeh which one, though. Got one that runs ‘tween here ‘n some of the smaller islands… and another that’ll take yeh all the way ta Wutai or the western continent. Plus just ‘about all the fishermen’ll give yeh a lift in whatever direction they’re goin’ if yeh’ve got some gil ta spare.” she replied, refilling both men’s coffee cups.
Reno nodded his thanks, and she wandered off to see to her other customers. The redhead took a sip of his drink, wincing slightly at the distinct lack of sugar. For some reason, Mideelian culture dictated that it was nowhere to be found at the breakfast table. At least the coffee was strong.
“… Sounds like we missed him,” Rude commented.
“By several days…” Reno muttered glaring at the bitter liquid in his cup. He wasn’t happy… Corneo had been on his shit list for years. The opportunity to finally take him out had excited him, and now the mission looked to be ending in lukewarm disappointment. It could be weeks before they picked up another solid lead… and he suspected that even when they did, with Sephiroth still a threat, Rufus wasn’t going to make Corneo a priority target.
“You almost look like you’re taking this personally,” Rude said with a snorted laugh.
“Tch… You know damn well how he treated ‘his’ girls. Fucker doesn’t deserve to just walk away without payin’ for that.”
“… Killing him isn’t going to make Lira forgive you.”
He sighed, and looked away. “No… but I owe it to her, anyway.” He downed half of the remaining coffee and reached for a slice of toast. “Owe it to ‘Lena, too. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about that little rescue op we pulled in Wall Market awhile back… Asshole had his hands all over her ’til she knocked him out.”
Rude shook his head and wiped his mouth with his napkin before standing up and tossing a twenty gil note on the table. “Finish your breakfast. I’ll go ask around the docks. See if I can find someone who knows where he went.”
Reno’s eyebrow rose, surprised. “You don’t want company?” he asked, and Rude smirked.
“We’re pretty much done here… and you still have a souvenir to buy. Wouldn’t want Elena getting mad that no one brought her back anything…”
The redhead rolled his eyes, but didn’t make any move to follow his partner. “Meet ya back at the clinic, then. If you don’t find anything useful, I say we quite wastin’ our time here and report back.”
The other Turk gave a nod and headed out onto the town’s main street, while Reno reached across the table for the strip of bacon he’d left behind on his plate.
A few minutes later, he paid their check and strode out himself. The air outside was already hot and muggy. The little cafe had been decidedly warm, but nothing like being outside on the street. Other shops had opened while they’d been eating, and Reno made his way toward the market along the south edge of town. He hadn’t really been serious about finding a souvenir for Elena… but now he found himself wondering what she might like. As far as he knew, she’d never been to Mideel. None of her missions had ever sent her to the little island nation… though he supposed it was possible that she might have paid a visit before they’d met. Her brother had done quite a lot of traveling before his death, after all… He vaguely wondered if she’d ever accompanied him to any of those exotic and distant locales. If she had, she’d never mentioned it.
Reno stopped in front of the weapons shop he and Rude had selected as a potential source of information on Corneo. The door stood open, and an older man was at the counter fanning himself with a palm frond. He looked up and grinned at the Turk as he stepped inside.
“Gonna be a hot one today…”
“You ever have a cool one around here?” Reno shot back, returning the grin.
“Well, now, that’d depend on yer definition of cool, yeh know. Had a nice little squall come through last week. Could almost walk down the main drag without breakin’ a sweat after it passed. Practically needed my old bomber jacket from my military days up north ta keep warm,” he laughed. “Yeh lookin’ fer somethin’ particular?”
“Just somethin’ my girlfriend might like…” He strolled over to a small case of handguns, looking them over. Firearms really weren’t his specialty, though… and Elena was rather particular about hers. Probably not the best choice for a gift.
“Laddie… If I’d ever met a gal that’d think deadly weapons made fer a nice present, she’da been a lot more’n my girlfriend,” the shop owner chuckled, “I’d snap up a prize like that before someone else tried ta, sure as water’s wet…”
“Heh… Plannin’ to, believe me…” he replied, “You sell any materia? She’s kinda picky when it comes to her guns.”
“Mmmm, no… sorry. That’s my brother’s niche an we got us an agreement not ta compete with each other. Yeh’ll find his shop up the boardwalk a ways. Yeh tell’em Merrick sent yeh his way. Give yeh a good deal if yeh find somethin’ yer lady might like.”
Reno grinned. “Thanks, man. Hey… before I go, any chance you’ve seen a guy I’m lookin’ for? On the heavy side, dresses kinda flashy, blonde mohawk… tends to get a little handsy with the ladies?”
“Ugh… Him. Yeah, I seen him. Tried ta talk my niece inta visitin’ his room at the inn. Kicked his sorry ass out when he started liftin’ her skirt. Friend of yers?” the man asked, tone noticeably more hostile than it had been a moment ago. Reno snorted softly.
“Just the opposite. Asshole’s gonna get it if I ever manage to catch up to him.”
The shopkeeper immediately dropped the hostility and grinned. “Well, in that case… Yeh carryin’?” he asked. Reno opened his jacket just enough that his backup weapon was visible in its holster. “Nine mill, eh?” the man noted, turning to open a display cabinet filled with ammunition. He selected a box, and tossed it to the Turk. “On the house.”
The redhead raised an eyebrow.
“She’s my only niece, and I’m a very protective uncle,” the shopkeeper said in response.
“Lieutenant Commander?”
The woman jumped slightly, startled, and turned to seen who’d called her name. She relaxed when she saw the Turk and smiled.
“Elena! Heard you finally woke up. Good to see you. And… It’s Viridia. Please.”
“Viridia,” she corrected herself, smiling back. “Er… The president sent me to take over for you. Where’s Hojo now?”
The security chief nodded to a nearby door. “His quarters. Hasn’t left since I escorted him back from breakfast. How are you feeling?”
“Fine, I think…” Elena replied, “It’s a little strange knowing that I missed out on almost four days, though… I still feel like I’m playing catch-up, even after being briefed on what’s been going on.”
“Trust me, I know the feeling. I’ve accidentally sent myself into a nice, long materia-induced nap on more than one occasion. Hazards of joining the materia corps… It takes awhile to get a good feel for your limits. Once knocked myself out for six days. My CO was pissed,” she said with a laugh… “Tseng wasn’t too happy, either, for that matter. I was supposed to be on leave for part of it. He was going to take me to Icicle Inn… and it’s no easy task for us to get time off at the same time. We never did get around to rescheduling that little vacation…”
Elena giggled softly. “So… er… have you two really been together for eleven years? Or were the guys just trying to see how gullible I am?”
Viridia echoed her laugh. “Oh, no… We’ve definitely had something going on at least that long. Tseng had just been promoted to Second when we met.” She grinned slightly and dropped her voice. “Just between you, me, and the wall, I think Veld might have actually not-so-subtly encouraged him to pay a little extra attention to me. He was trying to recruit me for the Turks back then. Guess he thought Tseng might have better luck.” Her grin widened noticeable. “Did you really dump Reno right after you seduced him?”
The Turk flushed slightly. “W-well… I didn’t dump him exactly,” she stammered, “I-I mean… it was only that one night. We weren’t even together!” She still felt bad about that. Reno had been wonderful… and she’d crushed him without even trying. “I guess I sort of… panicked.” She shook her head and sighed. “Dear Shiva… looking back, I really was an idiot. I almost let myself walk away from something amazing.”
“I think that redheaded pain in my backside’s glad you didn’t…” Viridia stated, smirking, “Well… I’ll leave you to it. Hojo seems to be keeping himself occupied, so I doubt you’ll have much to do. But if you need backup, I’m not too hard to find. Just flag someone down and tell them to get a message to me.”
Rude frowned and began working his way back up the beach. There were two commercial ferries that were currently at sea, so he hadn’t been able to speak with their captains… but a couple of the dockhands had recognized his description of Corneo. He’d definitely left on board one of them. One had been bound for the western continent… a small port near the Gold Saucer and then on towards Gongaga… and the other for Wutai and some outlying islands. The men hadn’t been certain which Corneo had been aboard… but either way, he had several days head start on them. Even if they’d been under orders to pursue him if he’d left Mideel… which they weren’t… it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. They’d just have to wait until he surfaced again.
A disappointing outcome… but one they could do very little about. It was time to head back to Junon and see how preparations for Rufus’ assault on Sephiroth were coming along. Odds were good they’d be needed soon, if all went according to plan.
He’d just made it back to the path the led into town when a blur of white feathers sped past him. Rude stared in surprised as he finally recognized it as a small, white chocobo.
“Get back here, you feathered menace!” an all-too-familiar voice shouted from the direction of Loth, and moments later, Reno rounded a small bend in the road, sprinting at top speed after the fleeing avian. He didn’t stop to explain, rushing right past his fellow-Turk in pursuit of his quarry, a look of indignant fury on his face. Rude shook his head and took off after him.
“Gotcha…” the redhead growled as he came to a halt. The chocobo had fled directly into a small grouping of boulders on the beach, penning itself in. “Give it back.”
It was only then that Rude noticed the pale green glow in the animal’s mouth. Its beak gripped a small materia sphere. The chocobo stamped its feet and circled the trap it had unwittingly wandered into. And then, with a quick snap of it’s neck, it tossed the materia a few inches into the air and let it fall into its open mouth.
“You bastard son of a mutant chicken!” Reno swore and charged the bird, tackling it. All he got for his trouble was a sharp kick to the stomach and a laughing ‘wark!‘ as the bird got free and took off down the beach. In seconds, it was out of sight. The redhead stared after it for a moment before finally picking himself up and brushing the sand from his uniform.
“I fucking hate chocobos!” he spat, storming back towards Rude.
“… Dare I ask?”
“It ate it. Just to fucking spite me. Only one they fucking had, too…”
“What was it?”
Reno’s shoulders slumped. “‘Lena’s present. ‘Cause her rare materia got shattered savin’ Tseng. Contain’s not nearly as rare, but… ya know. Stupid fuckin’ bird.”
“… I don’t think I even want to know how you managed to get yourself into this,” Rude snickered. “Come on… We’ll find her something else.”
“Tch… Forget it. Probably just get attacked by whole goddamn flock of ’em if I push my luck… You find any trace of our target?”
“A trace is about all I found,” Rude replied, still chuckling at his friend. “He hopped a boat west… No one was sure of his destination. Maybe Wutai… maybe Gongaga. Maybe some half-deserted island where he can dig in and hole up for awhile.”
Reno gazed off into the distance, westward towards the sea. “My money’d be on Wutai. Corneo’s always had kind of a fetish for the place.”
“Pretty well-known fetish…” his partner pointed out.
“Yeah. I know. First place ya’d look for the fucker if you knew anything about him. But on the other hand, he’s never been real subtle about much of anything.”
The bald Turk shrugged. Reno may have be right. Corneo stood out like a sore thumb anywhere other than Wall Market. Wherever he went, people were going to notice him. It was very possible that he was headed for Wutai, even knowing that it would be somewhat expected. He might even be counting on that, seeing as Rude had been willing to dismiss the idea as too obvious just moments ago.
“Doesn’t matter, though…” the redhead continued. “We got here late, and our orders aren’t to pursue. Guess we’re gonna have to write this one off as a fail.”
The annoyed tone in his voice told Rude that his friend was none too happy about that. Neither was he. No Turk like to file a report stating they failed to accomplish their objective.
“I trust that the Highwind is nearly ready?”
“Yes, sir… It will be done within the hour. After that we can leave whenever you give the word,” Heidegger replied, puffing out his chest with pride. Rufus had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. The man had always been a pompous ass, but the task the president had set him was hardly a difficult one. He’d merely ordered him to check in with the maintenance crews and report back with the current status of the airship. He’d already known that the modifications were nearing completion.
“And Scarlet’s new prototype is on board?”
“Er… Well…”
His eyes narrowed. “Now what?” Rufus snapped. Those weapons were supposed to have arrived last night. It wasn’t the weapons researcher’s precious ‘huge materia’ canon… but they were powerful, none-the-less. So much so, that she’d shipped them off to the open plains north of Rocket Town for final testing rather than put the area around Midgar at risk in the event of a malfunction.
“The Gelnika…”
Rufus sharply pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn’t like where this was going. “What about it?”
“It… er… crashed,” Heidegger hesitantly admitted. “Right after refueling at Costa del Sol.”
“I believe that’s the second Gelnika that has ended up at the bottom of the ocean in the span of a week… Remind me. Why are we still using those outdated garbage heaps in the first place?” he ground out. Those weapons had represented several million gil in research and parts. Not to mention the fact that they had been designed specifically with Sephiroth in mind. He wondered if they could still be salvaged.
Likely not in time for their attack, even if they had survived the crash and the crushing depths. They’d just have to work with what they already had… which was, admittedly, an impressive amount of ordnance. The new prototypes had been more of an insurance policy than a necessity. One he’d just have to live without.
“We’re leaving as soon as the Turks return from Mideel. See to any last minute preparations,” he said. The other man gave a nod of acknowledgment and scurried from the room.
It didn’t escape his notice that Heidegger hadn’t bothered to answer his question. When this was over, he was going to call for a full audit of Junon’s aging equipment… something he would have done to fill his time in exile, had he realized it needed to be done. Rufus had a sneaking suspicions that Heidegger and Scarlet had gradually talked his father into cutting the military’s budget over the past several years in favor of more funds for their own departments. The consequences of those cuts were starting to show… and if the man though he was going to be as easily manipulated as his father had become after his second marriage, Heidegger was in for quite a shock. Rufus was nobody’s puppet, and he wasn’t about to tolerate such scheming in his board of directors.
Fools, the lot of them, anyway. Except, perhaps, for Tuesti – who was too new to the job to be so utterly corrupted, and surprisingly competent to boot – he would replace them all the first chance he got.
In the meantime, however, he had far bigger problems to deal with. Rufus gazed out of the tall windows of his office and spotted a faint silhouette approaching the base. It didn’t take long to recognize it. It seemed his Turks had returned… hopefully with Corneo’s head.
The helicopter touched down with a soft thump on the landing pad, and Reno shut down the engine.
“So… what’s it gonna take to get you to tell the brat we didn’t find Corneo?” he joked, hanging his headset up and unfastening the buckles on his harness.
“Tseng telling me I make a better Second than you do,” Rude replied with a smirk. “Now go do your job.”
“Tch… What happened to all that ‘I’m here for you, let me help you’ bullshit you were talkin’ the other day?”
Rude laughed softly as he stood up, and elbowed the redhead in the side. “Not the kind of help I meant, and you know it.”
“Fine…” the redhead replied, with a feigned sigh of resignation, before he straightened up and took on a more serious expression, “Do me a favor and check in on ‘Lena while Rufus is yellin’ at me for not puttin’ a bullet in Corneo’s head, will ya?”
“Sure. Was gonna look in on Tseng, anyway.” The pair parted ways, Reno heading towards the administration building while Rude made his way to medical. Stepping inside, little seemed to have changed in their brief absence. The staff he passed were their usual efficient and less than casual selves. He’d long since decided that he much preferred the civilian doctors and nurses in Midgar to the rigid military medics here in Junon.
He came to Elena’s room first, quietly opening the door and peering inside. The Turk stopped short at the sight of the empty bed. Where was she? Had something happened?
Well… obviously something had happened. Comatose women didn’t just vanish into thin air. Which either meant that her condition had gotten worse, and they’d had to move her… or she was no longer comatose. The latter seemed far more likely, and he grinned faintly. That would certainly be a relief to his partner. It was very much a relief to him as well.
He shut the door and slipped farther down the hallway. The door to Tseng’s room was already open a crack, and he could hear voices from within.
“Just one bite…” a familiar voice said teasingly.
“Viridia… This is entirely unnecessary…”
Rude’s grin widened at the realization that Tseng had improved considerably since they’d left for Mideel, and he knocked quietly, alerting them to his presence before he stepped inside. He gave a soft snort of laughter at the sight of Viridia hovering slightly over the Turk leader… a spoonful of what looked to be chocolate pudding in hand as she tried to coax it past the stricken man’s lips.
“Rude…” Tseng said, glancing up at the new arrival. Viridia took advantage of the momentary distraction and slipped the spoon into his mouth. She was rewarded with an annoyed glare. “Will you please stop doing that?”
“Ward said you need to eat.”
“I will eat when I am hungry.”
“You’ll be hungry if you eat something…”
“That… doesn’t even make sense, Viridia…”
“It does if I say so…”
Rude shook his head. “You’d think you’d know better than to argue with her by now… Her whole job is keeping people in line.”
Tseng shot him a reproachful look before turning his attention back to the woman next to him. “May I at least have a reprieve from this force-feeding to speak with my Turk?”
Viridia smiled, and set the spoon back on his tray. “A short one. But only because I have to go back on duty now.”
“Thank Leviathan for that…” he sighed, and the woman sniggered and looked over at Rude.
“He’s a little cranky this afternoon,” she explained, “And I have been the picture of tolerance and compassion, because I can tell he’s hurting. But if he keeps it up, he can just feed himself from now on.”
Viridia gave the two men a quick wave before departing, and Rude took her place next to Tseng’s bed. The Wutaiian sighed.
“I’m going to owe her flowers, or something equally apologetic for my general attitude today. I seem to have taken a page from Reno’s book… I’m afraid I’ve been rather unpleasant company for the most part.” He pushed himself up slightly, grimacing in pain at the movement, but waved Rude off when he moved to help. “Was your hunt successful?”
Rude shook his head. “Intel was old. Corneo’d been gone for days by the time we got there. Reno’s reporting in now. Where’s Elena? She wasn’t in her room.”
“Awake and back at work,” Tseng replied, smiling faintly. “From what Viridia tells me, it would appear that Hojo has returned to Shinra. Rufus is… understandably hesitant… to simply let him roam free. He’s more or less been placed on house arrest for the time being. Elena is taking a turn on guard duty.”
“Good. Was starting to miss her, and Reno’s been… having a rough time without her.”
“Mmm… Ward mentioned that,” he replied, “How is he?”
“Alright. Think he’ll be a lot better now that she’s awake, though.”
“He’s still feeling guilty over Sector 7, then…”
Rude shook he head. “There’s that… but he’s also been scared shitless.” When the Turk leader raised an eyebrow, he elaborated. “Not sure if he said anything to you about it, but apparently Lira found out about the pillar collapse. She’s cut him off. Then you got hurt and we weren’t sure you were going to make it. And Elena…” He shrugged. “Hardly a week, and ninety percent of the people he loves most are out of the picture. Like I said… scared him shitless. He’s calmed down a lot, but I think it’ll do him some good to have you and Elena back in it again.”
Tseng let his gaze drop to his lap and sighed again. “I never should have allowed him to take that assignment. I should have simply seen to the pillar myself.”
“Not your fault the former president was a bastard. We all agreed to draw for it, Reno included. He’ll get through it.” He hesitated for a moment before continuing, not entirely certain whether he should say anything “… Ward tell you she’s medicating him?”
“No,” Tseng replied, eyes narrowing slightly. “What is she giving him?”
“Not sure exactly. An antidepressant. Just so you know, he doesn’t want Elena finding out about it.”
Tseng chuckled quietly. “I can always count on you to keep me up to date on the latest intelligence.”
“… Wouldn’t normally break his confidence like that… but I figured you probably ought to know if you didn’t already. And he only specifically asked me not to tell Elena.”
“Thank you,” the Wutaiian Turk replied, sincerely. Rude nodded. It was true… Reno really hadn’t seemed overly concerned about anyone but Elena being made aware of Ward’s orders. Still… he didn’t feel quite right bringing it up. But Tseng was their commander, stuck in bed or not. He had a right… and a need… to know what was going on with those under his command.
He gave Tseng’s should a gentle squeeze and stood up.
“Get some rest. You look like hell.”
“Elena made much the same comment,” the Turk leader said, somewhat dryly. “There is such a thing as being too forthright, you know…”
Rude smirked. “Viridia’s right. You are cranky.”
“I was hoping for better news,” Rufus said, scowling. It was hardly the Turk’s fault Corneo had slithered away again, but that didn’t mean he had to be happy about the fact.
“I was hopin’ to be deliverin’ better news, sir. But he was gone before we even found out he’d been there. We missed him by days, not hours.”
Rufus waved his hand dismissively. “Well… There’s little to be done about it right now. We have bigger fish to fry. The Highwind is nearly ready to depart for the northern continent. As soon as the crew is ready, we’ll be leaving. Reeve reports that Sephiroth is still on the move, presumably toward Icicle Inn. From there, Avalanche expects him to go over the ice fields. A rather ideal spot to launch an all out assault against him, don’t you think?”
“Heh… The people in town might not think so. Gonna ruin their skiing…”
“An unfortunate casualty. But better that than having to attack him in a more populated area. I trust you’ll be ready to go?”
“Just give the word, sir. Me and Rude haven’t even unpacked yet.”
“Good. I suppose I ought to mention… we seem to have reacquired a leech while you were gone.”
“Sir?” Reno asked, curiously.
“Hojo has crawled out of whatever hole he was hiding in, and ‘offered’ his services to Shinra for our efforts to destroy our rogue Soldier. Obviously, there’s more to it than that, and I don’t want him causing trouble. He’s been under guard since he was granted leave to remain in Junon. I want him watched on board the Highwind, as well… very closely.”
“Got it. We’ll keep him on a short leash. Who’s babysittin’ him now?”
“Your girlfriend.”
Reno’s mouth opened, but no words emerged. Rufus rolled his eyes.
“And I can only assume, by that reaction, that you wish to go and find her so that you can express to her just how utterly useless you are when you’ve been separated for more than five minutes at a time,” the President snorted in contempt.
“Ya know… normally, I’d have a comeback for somethin’ like that, sir… but if we’re done here, then yeah. I’d like to go tell her how useless I am,” the redhead said with the hint of a grin.
“We leave in an hour,” Rufus said, clearly a dismissal, and Reno turned on his heel, and hurried out into the hallway.
Elena was awake. He could hardly express the sheer level of relief and happiness knowing that set loose inside of him. He jabbed anxiously at the button for the elevator, waiting impatiently for it to arrive. Hojo would almost certainly have been placed in the administrative quarters for the duration of his stay. Short of the base’s detention cells, it was the most secure place in Junon to confine someone. He stepped aboard the elevator and hit the button for the fifth floor.
He found her seated in a chair outside one of the rooms, chin propped up on one hand, a bored expression on her face as she read a paperback. The redhead let a smile spread across his face as he started towards her.
“Tch… You and your fuckin’ romance novels…”
Her head jerked up at the sound of his voice and the book slipped from her fingers, forgotten, as she stood up.
“Reno!”
The redhead barely had time to blink before he’d been captured in her arms. He tightened his own arms around her, clutching her as though she were the only thing keeping him tethered to the world. It was several moments before he could bring himself to loosen his grip on her enough that he could tilt her head back for a kiss.
“Fuck, I missed you…” he breathed when they finally pulled apart.
“Missed me so much you just up and took a little vacation to Mideel?” she teased. Reno grinned.
“Some vacation. Didn’t get my target… think I lose a couple pounds just from sweatin’… and got kicked by one very ill-tempered chocobo,” he shot back. “Seriously, ‘Lena… You have no idea how glad I am to see you.” He gently cupped her cheek with one hand and pressed another quick kiss to her lips. “Don’t ever scare me like that again.”
“Interesting…” a nasal voice commented from behind the pair, and both looked up to find Hojo studying them intently. “One would think that your kind would be acclimated to losing one of your ranks on a regular basis… or at least intelligent enough to avoid developing any real feelings for someone with an approximately seventy-two percent chance of dying before age thirty. Eighty-one percent in a female Turk’s case. Wasting time on such maudlin pursuits seems counterproductive to your purpose.”
Reno narrowed his eyes at the uninvited criticism. “Keep talkin’ and you’ll have an eighty-one percent chance of dyin’ in the next five minutes. You’re under guard now… not under protection. Might end up havin’ a little accident if you’re not careful.”
It was a bluff… and frankly Hojo probably knew it. Rufus might not trust the guy, but he’d be ticked if the professor wound up floating facedown in the bay before they even boarded the Highwind. The redhead wasn’t in the mood to entertain the man’s clinical evaluation of every situation he came across, however. And Hojo had never been his favorite person to begin with. Judging by her current expression, he wasn’t one of Elena’s, either. In fact, she looked downright livid… so much so that Reno subtly repositioned himself so that he was blocking her from having a direct path to the man, just in case.
Hojo didn’t seem to notice… or didn’t care. He simply hummed thoughtfully and nodded to himself. “I assume the president has finished his preparations? When will we be leaving?”
“Airship leaves in an hour. With or without you.” Preferably without, he thought to himself. Hojo nodded again.
“I’ll go and make myself comfortable on board now, then… lest I’m accidentally left behind.”
There was nothing on. The news was depressing… the only coverage anyone seemed to care about was the ongoing work in Sector 7… and she had no interest in the afternoon soap operas. A hundred and twenty-seven channels and she couldn’t find one thing that didn’t make her feel like her time would be better spent crawling back into bed. Somehow, Lira had never realized just how boring having nothing to do could be.
Before, she would have been at work this time of day… chatting with her friends between clients, laughing over some of the stranger fetishes the denizens of Midgar came to the Honey Bee with… It was certainly never dull.
It certainly wasn’t all so amusing, either. There were days when she loved the job… and days when she hated it. As much as she missed the camaraderie that she’d enjoyed with the other girls, very few minutes of her days had been dedicated to thoughts of her clients. Even her regulars. To most of them, she was barely a person. To some of them, she wasn’t even that.
And the there was that pig, Corneo. Wall Market was currently in turmoil, from what her friends had told her, but she was glad he was gone from Midgar. He was a bastard… cruel, heartless, and disturbed. Every girl who worked for him knew that, firsthand. And his favorites knew it better than anyone else. Thankfully, she’d never been one of his favorites… The old pervert had a distinct preference for blondes.
That was why – and the thought came to her more or less out of nowhere – she’d insisted on dying Elena’s hair when Reno had come to her, asking her to help insert the rookie Turk into Corneo’s mansion.
She scowled and shut off the TV. She’d been doing so well… not thinking about the redhead. It had been almost two days since he’d even crossed her mind. The log on her phone still showed the call from him that she’d ignored. She hadn’t been able to bring herself to delete it… or to remove his number from her contact list. He hadn’t tried to call her since, and she had a feeling it was because he knew she wouldn’t answer.
And what would she have said to him, even if she did? The people he’d killed… among them had been her friends… her fellow brothel-girls… her clients… Innocent people. Slum dwellers just trying to get by. And he’d murdered them all, without hesitation, on the order of a tyrant.
But as much as Lira tried to convince herself of the picture of her one-time friend has a heartless killer, it never seemed to stick. She knew better. Reno was far from heartless. Killing wasn’t a part of his job he enjoyed… It was just a part of his job he accepted. And she had to wonder if he had accepted what he’d done yet.
Dr. Ward had missed her last appointment. Lira had seen another physician instead – with whom Ward had apparently left strict instructions on her care. A little probing on her part had netted the information that the good doctor was in Junon caring for a patient of hers who’d been badly injured, and Lira had left the hospital with a distinct feeling of trepidation. Was it Reno she’d gone to take care of? Or one of the other Turks? Would Reno have tried to contact her if Tseng, or Rude, or Elena had been hurt? Would one of them have tried to contact her if Reno had been the one injured?
She honestly couldn’t say… and wondering had driven her to try to banish all thoughts of the redhead from her mind. It hadn’t worked for long.
“I don’t know what to do…” she sighed, arms wrapped protectively around her abdomen. “What do you think?”
Not that she was expecting an answer… but recently, she’d taken to talking her her unborn child. It was soothing, in a way. Even when she was alone, she wasn’t really alone.
“I know… Eventually, I’m going to have to talk to him.” Even if there was to be no reconciliation between them, she knew that, if only for her own closure, she’d have to face him sooner or later. There were things she needed to say to him.
Lira picked up her phone and opened the contact list, staring at the familiar number for a few moments before shutting it off again and tossing it onto the couch next to her.
There were things she needed to say… but she didn’t think she was ready to say them quite yet.
Reno stood near the railing, his arm wrapped around Elena’s waist as they gazed out at the amazing view.
“This never gets old…” Elena said, leaning into his side. “It’s beautiful up here.”
Reno had given Hojo-duty over to Rude after they’d boarded the airship. Elena had still been furious with the man. For that matter, she was still more than a little upset now. That the bastard had the nerve to opine on their relationship was no great surprise… but she had never forgiven the man for what he’d done to Reno. And she never would. Reno might very well be dead right now if Hojo had had his way. She didn’t need him giving her the odds on their survival as Turks.
The snow-capped peaks of the northern continent rose ahead of them. They’d be over land again soon. She could already feel the drop in temperature.
“Anywhere’s beautiful when you’re there,” the redhead said, grinning, and she giggled.
“Reno… that might be the cheesiest thing you’ve ever said to me…”
“Hey!” he replied, in mock offense. “Geez… ya try ‘n say somethin’ nice, and all ya get is mocked for it…” He shook his head. “Enjoy the view while ya can, ‘Lena. We gotta get back down to the cockpit in a few. Rufus is gonna want us there… not up here watchin’ the show.”
“Are we sure this is even going to work? What if he decides to use that materia against the Highwind? We don’t even know for sure what it does… What if it’s something we can’t defend against?”
“That’s why we’re gonna try and take him out before he knows we’re comin’ for him.”
The airship at last made landfall, it’s shadow huge on the icy ground below, and Elena spotted the town of Icicle Inn in the distance. They were flying low now, below the level of the peaks. It wasn’t easy to hide something as large as the Highwind, but the pilots were apparently giving it their best shot. Minutes later, they slipped past the sleepy little town, and along the mountain range.
“Looks like we’re heading towards the crater…” Elena commented.
The northern crater was considered one of the great wonders of the world… right alongside the Dacho statues of Wutai and the mako caverns of Mideel. Shinra had always had an interest in the area… the crater cut deep into the planet, and depths like that were where the richest of mako deposits tended to be found. But the crater had proven treacherous to the crews sent to survey it. Legions of monsters inhabited the area around and inside of it. The company had eventually given up its exploration of the crater in favor of more easily accessible areas. It was only within the last three or four years – with the construction of the huge and heavily armed airships like the Highwind – that consideration was being given to restarting those surveys.
Reno was about to answer, but the ringtone of his PHS interrupted him. He gave an irritated sigh and answered it.
“Yeah, I know partner… we’re on our way back down now,” he said before Rude even had a chance to speak. The Highwind began a slow turn back towards the town.
“Don’t bother. We’re dropping you off at Icicle Inn.”
“All expenses paid, I hope…”
“Sorry… No time for skiing. Hojo claims that he knows why Sephiroth is so interested in the crater. He’s gonna show us. Rufus wants you two to stall Avalanche for a little while so they don’t… interrupt us.”
“Tch… yeah. Nothin’ suspicious about Hojo just suddenly havin’ that little insight, right?”
“Hpmh… That’s why we don’t want Avalanche showing up unannounced.”
“Yeah, alright. We’ll take care of it.” He ended the call and turned to Elena. “Grab your gloves, ‘Lena. We’re gonna go play in the snow.”
~fin~
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