Taking Care of Reno: Meteorfall
Chapter 7: Onward to Junon
Rude prodded the fabric that hung over the fire. His jacket was still damp, but the shirt was dry. He pulled it off the make-shift clothesline and shrugged it on, leaving it unbuttoned for the moment.
“Yours is dry, too,” he said, “Want it yet?”
Elena nodded. “Yeah.”
The other Turk pulled it down and offered it to her. She smiled, pulling it under the the sleeping bag with her, and somehow managed to put it on without flashing him. Rude chuckled quietly.
“Thought you were over the whole modesty thing.”
“Just because it doesn’t bother me as much anymore doesn’t mean I’m going to go around exposing myself to everyone I meet.”
“Leaving that job to Reno instead?” he teased, and it was Elena’s turn to laugh.
“I’ll have you know that I’ve got him very well trained at this point. He hasn’t answered the door naked in almost a week.”
Rude snorted and began to button his shirt. “Hmph… Think so, huh? Odin only knows what he does when you’re not around. How’s he handling things, anyway? Haven’t had much of a chance to really talk to him since Sector 7 went down… Been worried.”
“He’s… okay. I think. Or at least, he’s better than he was right after.” She giggled softly. “He told me that if we ran into Avalanche to tell them that he’s planning on paying them back for wrecking his knee. With interest.” Her smile faded just as quickly as it came, however, and she added, “He’s still having nightmares, though.”
“About the collapse?”
“Sort of…” Elena replied with a slight shake of her head. “When he’ll actually tell me about them, they all seem to be about me… not getting out in time.”
Rude nodded… That didn’t surprise him. He had enough experience with the redhead to know how his mind worked. When he was feeling guilty about something, his dreams tended to punish him. And what worse punishment was there than losing the one thing you loved most in the world?
He remembered when Reno had been just starting out as a Turk. He’d fucked up royally on a mission – and caused Tseng considerable embarrassment in front of Veld and the President – and for the next week had dreamt repeatedly that his mentor had personally removed him from the Turks roster and dumped him back in Sector 2.
Reno had never been timid by nature, but life in the slums had taught him that second chances were a rarity and that occasionally it was to one’s benefit to shut up and keep one’s head down. For most of that week, he’d walked on eggshells around both senior Turks, until Rude had finally asked him point blank what was wrong and taken the time to convince him he was making too much of the incident.
“He’ll get through this,” he said at last, “Reno’s been through rough patches before.” Though, he silently noted, nothing of quite the same scale as obliterating an entire Sector full of people. Still… Reno was nothing if not resilient.
“I know… It’s just so hard seeing him like that… and being next to useless.”
“You’re far from useless,” Tseng’s voice chimed in behind her. He was walking through the mine entrance with an armload of fresh, albeit slightly wet, wood for the fire and a coil of rope he’d salvaged from somewhere looped over one shoulder. “Were it not for recent events, I never would have taken you from him right now. He would recover much faster in your company than on his own. But I’m afraid that’s a discussion for later. Unfortunately, it appears that those recent events have caught up with us…”
“Meaning?” Rude asked. Tseng set the wood down.
“Meaning that I collected all this wood for nothing. We have to move. Now. I spotted Avalanche on their way across the marsh. Assuming they don’t become a snack for the zolom that very nearly ate us earlier, they’ll be here in about fifteen minutes. I’d prefer not to get sidetracked by a confrontation right now if we can avoid one. We’re already behind schedule and it’s a long way to Junon.”
“…” Rude snatched his still damp jacket from the line and pulled it on. Elena followed suit, shedding her make-shift blanket and kicking some loose dirt over the flames, smothering them.
“Should I turn the chocobo loose, or are we taking him with us?” Elena asked. Their one surviving mount was currently tethered just inside the mine entrance.
“Turn him lose and let him find his way home. A much as I wouldn’t mind having him on the other side of the mountains, chocobos aren’t known for their love of caves. I suspect he’ll only slow us down in here.”
Reno tugged the girl along beside him, a child-sized bag slung over his shoulder. Elmyra had insisted on packing her a few things before she’d let them leave. He led her down several side streets until they found themselves standing in front of a bakery. The aroma from the little shop was heavenly… and he wished he had time to sample, but he needed to drop the kid off and get his ass back to Midgar. He had some packing of his own to do.
That thought in mind, he pushed open the door, it’s tiny bell tinkling merrily as he did so, alerting the young woman behind the counter to his arrival. She looked up at him and smiled.
“Reno!” Talia exclaimed, hurrying out to greet him. “It’s so good to see you again! I was so surprised when you called… Is this her?”
“Heh… Yeah, this is her. Talia… meet Marlene. Marlene, this is my friend Talia. She’s gonna take care of you for awhile.”
Talia beamed and knelt down so she was level with the little girl, who by then was shyly hiding behind the Turk, clutching his pant leg for protection. “Hey there… Don’t worry. I’m not gonna bite.”
Marlene hesitantly peered around the redhead at this new person for a few moments before stepping into view.
“This is my aunt’s shop, but I work here, too, when my little girl is sleeping. I’ll take you to meet her when she’s up from her nap. Do you like to bake?” the woman asked, and Marlene nodded slightly. “I love to bake… You can help me if you want.”
Marlene smiled at that, and finally released her grip on Reno. He shook his head. Kids had no loyalty. An hour ago, she was terrified of him. Thirty seconds ago, he couldn’t have pried her off of him. Now she was gleefully ignoring him and staring at the cakes and cookies in the display case. He handed her bag over to Talia.
“Just remember… no one’s s’posed to know she’s here. Keep her outta sight and don’t let her go runnin’ around on her own. Hopefully, it won’t be for too long.”
“I’ll take real good care of her,” she replied, “Don’t worry.”
“Thanks, Talia. I owe ya.”
She shook her head. “After what you did for me and my little Fawn, it’s the least I could do. You and Elena saved our lives, and I will be forever grateful for that.”
“Yeah, well… Thanks, all the same,” he replied before turning to the girl. “Well, kid, this is where we say goodbye.”
“… Bye,” Marlene said, quietly. He blinked in surprise at the hint of disappointment in her voice. Granted, she’d warmed to him slightly during the trip here, but he’d have expected her to be a little more relieved to be rid of him. He mentally shrugged and headed for the door. He still had tomorrow’s mission to prep for.
“This is nothing like the lower levels…” Elena commented as they made their way down a winding passage. The lower levels were dark and damp, with rough-hewn, but relatively straight corridors branching out into the depths of the mountain.
“Top of the mine’s a natural cave system,” Rude replied.
“Quite a large one, too, as I understand it,” Tseng added, ducking through a low opening, “So I suggest we avoid exploring too much and stay on the main path.”
Elena and Rude followed him through and stopped short at the edge of a cliff.
“… You jinxed us, Tseng,” Rude said, shaking his head. The Turk leader cast him a withering look, but his attention was quickly redirected back to the wide expanse in front of them. The rotted remains of a bridge clung to their side of the cliff wall… but beyond that, there was no evidence that the path was ever anything more than a dead end.
“Wonderful…” he sighed, gazing downward. “There’s an opening off of that ledge down there… If we can find a route to that lower path, we should be able to climb up to it.”
“Sir? We might be able to get down this way…” Elena pointed to a narrow lip of rock the circled out towards the opposite side. It didn’t quite reach all the way… but it would put them directly above that lower ledge, and from where she stood, it looked like there were sufficient hand and footholds to climb down to it. Reaching that point, however, would be a bit harrowing.
Tseng studied the rockface. “Can you manage it?” he asked, glancing over at Rude. He mentally groaned. He didn’t like climbing and he hated heights.
“… If I have to,” he said, hesitantly. Tseng nodded, and slipped the rope he’d brought with him from the mine entrance over his head, passing it to the other Turk.
“Then I suggest we split up. Rude… you’ll work your way to the lower path. I will backtrack and see if there’s another way down there. Elena… I want you to wait here until Rude is across in case he runs into trouble, and then head back the way we came and contact Reno. Have him come and pick you up.”
“Sir?” Elena queried, surprised.
“Regardless of how we get across, this is going to slow us down even more. Rufus is due in Junon tomorrow morning, and I don’t want to leave Reno without any backup if we’re late… Not with Sephiroth potentially heading in that direction. Rude and I will continue to follow him in case he’s decided to go elsewhere. We’ll let you know if we find he’s veered off toward another target. Otherwise, we’ll catch up to you in Junon.”
“Yes, sir.”
Tseng nodded and hurried back the way they’d come, in search of an alternate route. Rude sighed. He understood why Tseng had opted to make two attempts at crossing. If one of them got stuck or delayed, the other could continue on if necessary. Tracking Sephiroth was the priority, after all. It didn’t mean he had to like it, though.
“… Guess I might as well get this over with. Reno ever show you how to do this?”
“Only on the training wall…”
“Hell of a lot easier on the wall,” he muttered, tying the familiar knots in the rope until he’d fashioned himself a harness of sorts. “Don’t worry. You’ve got the easy job. Just hold on tight and don’t let me fall.”
Elena nodded and leaned against the post the once held up the bridge. When it didn’t give way, she looped the rope around it and braced herself against an outcropping of rock. Rude spared one last glance downward. It would be a hell of a drop if he slipped, and Elena couldn’t hold him, it wasn’t going to be a pleasant experience. Finally, he stepped out onto the narrow ledge, hugging the wall as he began to slowly shimmy his way along it.
Reno returned to a not-so-empty apartment. Lira smiled as he entered, handing him a magazine that she’d opened to a page on flower arrangements.
“So I was thinkin’…”
“Lira…” he groaned, not quite able to hide the laugh that snuck out as well, “I told ya… I haven’t even proposed. And I’m not gonna for awhile yet. You’re gettin’ way ahead of yourself here.”
She crossed her arms and glared at him stubbornly. “You’re such a pain in the ass sometimes. Can’t you just let me have my fun?” Lira tossed the magazine aside. “Well… if you won’t look at flowers, then what about that ring? We’ve still got a few hours before the jewelry stores close…”
He sighed. He was going to have to tell her, or the next then he knew she’d be dragging him all over town for the rest of the day.
“I… kinda already bought a ring,” he said, and cringed as her eyes lit up, a wide smile spreading over her face.
“You did?!” she half-gasped, half-squealed. The woman’s excitement was almost palpable. “Let me see!”
“Can’t. Rude’s keepin’ it for me so ‘Lena doesn’t accidentally find it before I ask,” the redhead replied, “Now… will ya please chill the fuck out. You’re kinda startin’ to freak me out here, Lira. ‘Sides… I don’t have time to start plannin’ a wedding today. I’m leavin’ town in the morning to catch up with the rest of my team. I gotta pack ‘n shit.”
Lira snickered and visibly calmed down. “Oh, alright… maybe I am pushin’ just a little too much. I wanna see you happy, that’s all. ‘Specially with whatever it is that’s been botherin’ you so much lately.” Her expression shifted, and she looked suddenly serious. “Reno… You’re one of my best friends. You can tell me anything. You know that, right?”
He shook his head. “I already told ya, Lira. Not this.”
As Rude’s feet finally touched down firmly on the lower ledge, Elena released the breath she was almost certain she’d been holding for the last ten minutes. She waited until he was loose from his tether and then hauled it back up.
“Do you think Tseng found another way down?” she called down to him.
“… Leave the rope behind for him. Just in case. I’ll – ”
Whatever he’d been about to say was interrupted by the unexpected appearance of Tifa Lockheart as she made her way through a small opening. She was followed in quick succession by Cloud, Aerith, the cat-like creature, and finally Barret Wallace who was swearing vehemently at his difficulty in forcing his way through the narrow passage.
“You again?” Strife asked, eyes narrowing. “What’s one of the Turks doing here?”
Elena dropped behind a large rock and drew her gun. She hadn’t been spotted yet. That gave her an advantage.
“Who are you assholes, anyway?” Barret asked. “More’n just the regular Shinra lackeys, that’s for sure…”
“It’s difficult to explain what the Turks do…” Rude replied with a smirk.
“Not really…” Cloud replied, coldly, drawing his sword, “Kidnapping. Spying. Mass murder.” The rest of the party, too, looked ready to attack at a moment’s notice.
“If you want to be negative about it. Want to enlighten them, Elena?” he asked, shifting his gaze subtly toward her position. For a moment, she was blindsided by his sudden revelation that she was there… until she realized what he was doing. He wanted to avoid a fight by showing them that he wasn’t alone. Even with her superior position backing him up, fighting on a ledge that small against so many opponents might not end so well. He was clearly counting on them being somewhat leery of the Turks having the high ground… and having more backup than just her, for all they knew.
She calmly stood, letting herself be seen… Her aim never wavered from Cloud Strife’s head.
“We do the jobs no one else will do,” she stated. “The jobs that most people never even realize need doing. The jobs that haunt you at night.” For a moment, she didn’t know where that admittedly over-dramatic – though accurate – description had come from. And then she remembered… that had been one of Reno’s first lessons for her.
It had been her very first day… and she had been over-excited about her promotion. In retrospect, she had to have been coming across like something akin to a teenager who’d just gotten their driver’s license; sure of herself to the point of overconfidence, boastful, and eager to show off. The redhead had been quick to… not quash her enthusiasm, precisely, but temper it… reminding her that being a Turk wasn’t all fun and games.
“… Elena. You talk too much.”
It took everything in her not to jump, startled, at the sudden declaration. That, too, had been what Reno had said to her that day… right before he’d launched into that particular speech. Apparently, someone else had been listening to him as well. Tseng was looking up at her with a mildly amused expression on his face… which he quickly schooled as he stepped out into view of Avalanche, emerging from the opening on the ledge just above Rude’s position.
“I believe I gave you other orders. Now go. Don’t forget to file your report.”
“Yes, sir!”
She quickly recognized that last phrase. It was a coded order to stand by, out of sight, just in case she was needed. As Rude backed off from the other party and hoisted himself up onto the next ledge, joining the Turk leader, Elena ducked back into the tunnel she’d come from, listening to the ongoing conversation.
“We’ll be going now. We have a murderer to track down in Junon. I suggest you stay out of our way,” Tseng stated, and Elena couldn’t help but wonder why he was telling them where they suspected Sephiroth of going… unless, of course, he wanted them to follow. “Aerith…”
Elena peered slightly around the corner and saw the younger woman step forward a bit and glance up at him.
“It seems that, with the reappearance of Sephiroth, you’ve been granted a reprieve. You’re no longer a priority to us.”
“What are you saying? That I should be grateful to Sephiroth?” she asked, defiantly. Tseng gave her a small smile and shook his head.
“No. Just that I’m afraid I won’t be seeing much of you from now on… Please take care of yourself.”
“… Strange hearing that from you,” she said in a cold tone, crossing her arms and turning her back on him.
“Maybe so,” the Wutaiian Turk answered, and Elena couldn’t help but think he sounded a little sad. “In any case… you would be wise to stay out of Shinra’s way and not press your luck.”
He turned with a subtle nod to Elena, dismissing her, and walked back through the opening he’d come from. Rude started to follow, but briefly turned back.
“Reno’s looking forward to seeing you again… for a little payback for the injuries you gave him in Sector 7.”
With that, he hurried off after Tseng, leaving Avalanche to decide on their own path. No longer needed, Elena ducked back through the tunnel and began retracing her steps through the mine, back to the entrance.
Reno stuffed some clean clothes, into a bag. They were followed by his spare EMR, some extra ammunition for his backup weapon, and his PHS charger. As he was trying to find room for El – and failing miserably at getting the little bunny to fit with everything else – he heard soft laughter from behind him. Lira. Even after he’d told her that he had to leave again in the morning, she’d decided to stick around for awhile.
For some reason, though, he couldn’t help but think that it wasn’t just for his sake.
“Who the fuck taught you how to pack, Reno…?” Lira chuckled.
“Tch… it’s just gonna end up a jumbled mess eventually anyway. Why waste time bein’ neat?” he replied, shrugging his shoulders. He sighed and silently conceded that something had to go. He wasn’t leaving El behind. Lira rolled her eyes and sat down on the end of the bed, propping her crutches up against it.
“Here… Let me.” Without waiting for a response, she dumped the bag’s contents out and started over, neatly tucking everything into place. “How long are you going to be gone?”
“No idea…” he replied with a shake of his head. “Long as it takes, I guess.”
“You know… I heard some rumors while you were gone earlier…”
“… What sort of rumors?” he asked cautiously. That people were talking wasn’t at all surprising. But Wall Market, among other things, was probably Midgar’s biggest gossip hub… and he was sure she had kept in touch with her friends who still worked down there. She could have heard just about anything.
“That President Shinra didn’t just die. That he was murdered…” she replied, “… That maybe it was a certain dead war hero who did the murderin’…”
Shit. They’d hoped to keep that quiet. The executive board didn’t want it getting out that Sephiroth wasn’t as dead as they’d told everyone he was… or that he was, apparently, pretty ticked off at Shinra.
“Is it true?” Lira prodded, “Did Sephiroth really kill the head of Shinra Company? Some people are sayin’ he’s out for revenge. No one in Midgar’s safe. Some of my friends are startin’ to get… concerned.”
Normally, he’d have run intelligence dissemination of this magnitude by Tseng first… but things were chaotic enough down in the slums right now. The last thing they needed was a bigger panic than they already had.
“Yeah… it’s true. Sephiroth… or someone who looks a hell of a lot like him, at least… killed the President. But he’s not interested in Midgar… so do me a favor and see if you can put a lid on that rumor.”
Lira looked somewhat uncertain. “How do you know he’s not interested in Midgar? What about the reactor bombings? What about Sector 7?!”
“Avalanche bombed the reactors. Not Sephiroth. He’s not even in Midgar anymore. Tseng and the others… they’re trackin’ him right now. He’s headin’ south. Probably leavin’ the continent all together. He got what he came here for and now he’s movin’ on to whatever the next step is in his plan.”
“You’re sure? Those Avalanche guys… Lotta people are sayin’ they’re just a bunch of loudmouths. That they didn’t have the resources or the balls to pull off anything like the bombings or the pillar collapse.”
“Lira… I’m sure. Avalanche was definitely responsible for the Sector 1 bombing. And the Sector 5 bombing… but we found out about that one and got there in time to minimize the damage.”
She picked up El, gently fingering the soft material of the stuffed bunny’s ears, before slipping her into the bag with everything else.
“You didn’t say anything about the pillar…” she said, sounding frightened for the first time since the collapse. The redhead was surprised… whatever she’d heard from her contacts in Wall Market must have really rattled her.
“Lira… I really don’t wanna talk about the pillar or Sector 7.”
She zipped the bag closed and looked up at him. “Rissa… she used to live across the hall from me. Her parents lived in Sector 7. Thank Shiva they both made it into Wall Market before the Plate fell, but… they told her somethin’.”
“What’d they tell her?” Reno asked, warily.
“That Avalanche didn’t bomb that pillar. Avalanche was tryin’ to stop it from happenin’. That they were the ones that warned the rest of the sector and told people to get out. Avalanche said Shinra was droppin’ the Plate.”
The redhead felt his blood run cold, and he must have hesitated a moment too long with his answer, because Lira suddenly looked at him pleadingly.
“It’s not true… is it?”
He took a slow, inaudible breath, clearing his mind. It was a technique Tseng had taught him years ago… to lie more effectively. It had served him well in the past. Lira suddenly glared at him.
“Don’t you fuckin’ lie to me,” she said, angrily, before the word ‘No’ had even fully formed on his lips. He swallowed his intended response and dropped his gaze. “You were going to, weren’t you? You were going to lie right to my face.”
He silently hung his head. Lira was one of his oldest and closest friends, and he’d always been honest with her. Getting caught in a lie by her made him feel… ashamed.
“Yeah. I was,” he whispered.
“So… It was Shinra, then.”
It was a statement, not a question. He found that he couldn’t bring himself to look her in the eye. And he couldn’t simply refuse to say something.
“The President… ordered us to activate the emergency plate release system. To take out Avalanche before they could plant another bomb. Tseng tried to talk him out of it, but… he wouldn’t listen to reason.”
“Us? You mean the Turks?” she said with a soft gasp, “You mean… you?”
Reno could only nod. His throat suddenly felt too thick to voice a response. Lira was silent for several moments. Then, without warning, she snatched her crutches and headed for the door without another word. He looked up in surprise, frozen for a second or two, and then rushed after her, slipping around in front of her, blocking her path.
“Lira, I –”
She slapped him, hard, across the face. Not like she’d occasionally done in the past to make a point when he was being an ass… There was real anger behind it this time. His cheek stung painfully as he looked at her. She shook her head, eyes locked on his.
“Don’t you dare try ‘n make excuses. I stuck up for you! Bullshit, Shinra would do somethin’ like that! I told ’em they were full of it! I… This… You…” She shut her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to organize her thoughts. When she looked up at him again, besides the obvious fury, her eyes seemed… sad. “What have they turned you into?” she demanded, her tone disgusted.
She didn’t wait for an answer. She brushed past him, and out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her.
“Know what the worst part is?” he asked the empty room. A tear made its way slowly down one cheek. “It didn’t even fucking work.”
His PHS rang.
Elena waited impatiently at the mine’s entrance, pacing. It shouldn’t be taking Reno long to reach her, and she was worried. He’d sounded… off… on the phone. He’d shrugged it off, though, insisting that it wasn’t important and he’d tell her about it later… something she fully intended to make him do, even if she had to drag the details out of him.
It had been nearly an hour since they’d spoken. It couldn’t take him much longer… He’d been at home, she was sure. She’d heard Snuffy in the background. Fifteen minutes to the rooftop helipad, and another twenty or so to reach the mine. He really should have been there by now. Much to her relief, at just that moment she caught the faint sound of rotor blades in the air. A few minutes later, a familiar silhouette broke through the clouds. She stepped out from the shelter of the mine entrance, waving at the craft. It wasn’t long before he spotted her and started to descend.
She kept her head down and ran for the helicopter, hurriedly climbing aboard. It lifted off as soon as she was safely inside, and Elena reached for a headset. She pulled it on and settled into the co-pilot’s seat, strapping herself in before turning to Reno.
“Long time no see,” she said, grinning, and she heard him laugh quietly over the radio. Elena’s smile slowly faded at the somewhat forced response. “What’s wrong?”
Reno shook his head. “… Lira’s pissed at me. Like… really pissed at me. If it were anyone but her, I’d actually say she hates me and even then I’m still not entirely convinced she doesn’t.”
“What happened?” she asked, blinking in shock. Lira absolutely loved Reno. He was like a little brother to her.
“Wall Market rumor mill… She found out. Saw right through my attempt to lie about it… which really only pissed her off even more.”
“Found out what?” Elena asked, confused for a moment. Reno glanced over at her, and she finally could see in his eyes just how hard he was taking this. It suddenly clicked. “Oh, no…”
“Yeah,” he replied, turning his attention back to the controls. “That’s why I’m runnin’ a little late. Took me a little while to calm down enough to trust myself at the controls. Sorry, ‘Lena…”
“Oh, Reno…” she whispered. “… Are you alright?”
“Not really,” he breathed. “Do me a favor and take over, will ya? I have absolutely no business flyin’ right now.”
Elena reached for the copilot’s controls and Reno sagged in relief as he gave up control of the aircraft to her.
“Maybe it’s not as bad as you think. I know she must be furious, but… she’s Lira. You two are practically family.”
“That’s the only reason I’m not even more of a mess,” he replied. “I’m holdin’ out hope that she’ll eventually be willin’ to forgive me… but I honestly don’t know. This might be too big even for Lira to get past…”
She frowned, and angled them toward Midgar, the huge city looming in the distance. She wanted to cry… Reno had been recovering. Slowly, but definitely recovering. And now this. She wasn’t sure how much more he could take.
“… Do you want me to call Tseng? Tell him your not ready to be back in the field yet?” she asked, hesitantly. Elena couldn’t with any certainty say what would be best for the redhead. Chasing down Sephiroth while his mind wasn’t on the job was inherently dangerous, but so was abandoning him in Midgar to let him spiral back into the depression she suspected they’d already narrowly avoided once.
Reno shook his head. “No. Don’t do that. I’ll be okay. It’s just that it just happened. You called me, literally, about five seconds after she stormed out.”
Elena reached for his hand, squeezing it gently.
“… Finally. Who’s bright idea was it to walk into a mine without a map?” Rude asked as they emerged from tunnels at last. It had taken them hours… Hopefully, Avalanche had gotten just as lost.
“I believe that would be mine,” Tseng replied, “Which in retrospect… was stupid of me.”
Rude smirked and started down the trail into the foothills. “Nice to know that you’re occasionally not as infallible as you let everyone think.”
Tseng laughed. “Just don’t let it get out.” He gazed off into the distance. “There’s not much between here and Junon. We’re going to be limited in potential leads.”
“Fort Condor’s about the only place that has a decent vantage point. Not sure Shinra employees’ll be very welcome, though.”
“I wasn’t planning on informing them we’re with Shinra.”
Rude snorted. “We certainly don’t look like we are at this point.”
Tseng grimaced and glanced down at his attire. His suit was, by now, wrinkled and filthy from crawling around in a cave for the past three hours… and still a bit damp in a few spots.
“No… at the moment, we look as though we’ve been taking fashion advice from Reno.” He tugged loose his tie… which, he noted, was spattered with mud from their marsh crossing… and tucked it into his pocket. Rude raise an eyebrow. “Well… If we’re pretending not to be with Shinra, I may as well complete the look,” he shrugged, popping open the top two buttons of his shirt, before pulling the bottom loose from his waistband. Rude smirked and reached for his PHS, aiming it at the Turk leader.
“Don’t even think about it,” Tseng cautioned him.
“Thought it might give Reno a laugh…”
He sighed. The things he subjected himself to for his family. “…Alright. One photo. But if I see it being passed around the secretarial pool, I’ll assign you as Heidegger’s personal office assistant for a month.”
“It would almost be worth it…” Rude said as he snapped the picture.
“I suggest you think very hard on that ‘almost’ before sending it to anyone but your partner. Let’s get going. If we hurry, we’ll make Fort Condor by sunset. Assuming we don’t find that our target has ventured elsewhere, can finish the last leg to Junon at first light.”
“You should call her. Talk to her.”
“That’s the last thing I should do, ‘Lena,” Reno replied, plopping down on the couch. “I try talkin’ to her while she’s still fumin’ over somethin’ and it’ll just make her madder. Trust me… Takes a lot to really piss her off, but once she’s there, Lira’s got a temper. And she’ll stay mad, too.”
Elena paced slowly behind him, arms hugged to her chest as she fingered the soft material of her borrowed t-shirt. It was one of Reno’s Petrified Zolom concert shirts that hung to mid-thigh on her. She’d pulled it out of the laundry basket, and at the moment, it was all she was wearing. Her uniform had been damp and grimy, and she hadn’t wanted to change into something clean before she’d had a chance to shower. But before that, she had a very upset boyfriend to care for.
She suddenly paused. “What if I talk to her?”
“Guess you could try… but I’m not sure she’d even let ya get a word in. Far as she’s concerned, we’re all equally guilty of detroyin’ the sector.”
“… Well… what about Kel? He knows her, too, right?”
Reno laughed somewhat mirthlessly. “Thought the goal was to try and make her less pissed off…” He shook his head. “Nice idea, but she and Kel don’t really get along so great. Kel’s little side business deals in more than just hard to find merchandise. He sells some… uh… less than legal shit, too. She doesn’t approve of some of it… ‘specially since a regular client of hers almost OD’d on somethin’ he sold the guy once.”
“… Kel?” Elena asked, surprised.
“He doesn’t use. Just deals. Think that almost makes it worse in Lira’s eyes, though. He doesn’t sell to support a habit he can’t kick. He just does it for profit.”
“Okay… so Kel’s out.” She went back to pacing.
“Leave it alone. She’s not gonna want anything to do with me for awhile. I’ll try talkin’ to her in a couple weeks… or whenever the hell we get back. Maybe see if Ward’ll sneak in a good word for me while we’re gone. If I try ‘n push her right now, it’s just gonna make things worse.” He sighed and dropped his gaze to his lap. “She knew people over in Seven. Not all of ’em got out. She’s kinda got a right to be pissed.”
Elena leaned over the back of the couch and gently kneaded his shoulders. “It’s going to be okay,” she reassured him… and hoped she wasn’t being overly optimistic. The reality was that Reno… all of them, really… had done something that most people would consider unforgivable. Maybe even inhuman. She truthfully didn’t know if Lira was even capable of forgiving something as admittedly horrifying as murdering over six thousand innocent people on the whim of a cold-hearted billionaire.
One hand crept up and covered hers. “With Lira… it might not be. I knew from the moment we got the order that if she ever found out, she might never speak to me again. Wasn’t as quite as prepared for it actually happening as I thought I was… but I was prepared for it.”
Reno’s PHS suddenly chimed softly in his pocket, and he automatically fished it out. Elena leaned over and nuzzled the junction of his neck and shoulder, leaving a trail of tender kisses across the exposed skin and causing him to shiver slightly. She didn’t know why she did it. It was hardly the time for that sort of thing… though he didn’t seem to be asking her to stop…
“What’s it say?” she asked, not looking up as he thumbed the new message open. The redhead suddenly laughed – a pleasantly surprised, genuine laugh, this time – startling her.
“It says, ‘Show this to no one but Elena on pain of death.'”
At that, she did finally look up, eyes falling on the screen of his phone, and broke out into giggles at the image it displayed.
“You know… he actually doesn’t look half bad like that,” she commented. Tseng and ‘casual’ were two words that were virtually never used together. She’d once heard Reno and Rude jokingly claim that the man even slept in a suit and tie.
“The boss makin’ a comeback as my competition…?”
Elena blushed and stood up. That silly little crush she’d had on the older Turk when she’d first been promoted seemed so ridiculous now. Tseng had just seemed so… exotic and inscrutable. And… okay, attractive, too. She wasn’t ashamed to admit it. She’d found him incredibly sexy when they’d first met… and to some extent, still did. She’d even tried to subtly tempt him once or twice, even though she would probably never have had the courage to actually go through with anything with him back then. Reno turned around, looking up at her from the couch, a smile crossing his face.
“I would never give you up,” Elena said, with a soft laugh, “Not even for Tseng dressed like that.”
“Yeah?” he shot back, the smile slowly widening into a faint grin. “Make me believe that…”
His tone was teasing, but his expression was almost pleading with her to show him how much she meant those words. Elena wordlessly leaned in and captured his lips. He returned her kiss with a desperation that took her by surprise. When they finally parted, his eyes were closed, and she could see the telltale shimmer of moisture on his lashes.
“I want to get lost in you, ‘Lena. Make me forget for awhile…”
He opened his eyes again and Elena smiled. She slipped the t-shirt over her head as she rounded the couch. Reno’s eyes roved over her bare skin and he swallowed sharply.
“You really are the most beautiful woman on the planet…” he breathed. The redhead stood, reaching for her and pulling her towards him. Elena’s arms wrapped around his neck as he lifted her off her feet, carrying her towards the bedroom.
Tseng laid back on the bed… though it was really more of a cot, and his back didn’t seem to appreciate him mentally making the claim otherwise. They hadn’t made it to Fort Condor by sundown. It had been decidedly dark by the time they’d hauled themselves up the thick rope that took them to the entrance. Tseng vaguely remembered there being a lift and pulley system in place the last time he was here. Either it had broken and never been repaired, or the current unwelcome inhabitants of the fort had scrapped it in the hope of discouraging visitors from Shinra. He strongly suspected the latter.
They’d been met with suspicion, of course… though that had quickly been mitigated by a donation to the rebels’ “defense fund”. It had cost him the three thousand gil he’d had on him at the time – most of it requisitioned from the department budget for that very purpose – but the residents had seemed appeased and more trusting once they had the cash in hand. Hopefully, no additional bribes would be required before they reached Junon… because he was officially tapped out.
Though, should the need arise, he suspected that Rude had some cash on him as well.
That, however, was a worry for tomorrow. Right now, he was tired and just wanted to sleep… no matter how uncomfortable the damned bed was. Sleep didn’t seem to want anything to do with him, however.
Something the lookout had said to him was still bothering him. Sephiroth had indeed been sighted by the residents of the fort. He was indeed heading towards Junon. What he wasn’t doing, was making any great secret of the fact. Junon had been alerted to the potential threat well in advance. They would be prepared… and their orders were shoot to kill. How in Leviathan’s name did the man intend to enter without being immediately gunned down?
Did he intend to access the base at all? If he wanted to travel by air, he would have to. Hell, even if he wanted to travel by ocean, he’d need to pass through the base. The only ships that still docked in the old bay built by the town were fishing boats. They didn’t have the range to take him much farther than some of the southern islands. If that was his goal, it seemed an odd one… which was why Tseng didn’t believe that was where he was going for a moment.
That meant entering the base, then… and being faced with a full contingent of heavily armed military personnel who’s only standing order was to kill him. And it wasn’t as if he could easily hide. Sephiroth was perhaps the most recognizable individual on the planet. Shinra had seen to that, using his image in hundreds of PR campaigns before – and after – his disappearance. It just didn’t make sense. What was the man planning?
Then again… they still didn’t know how he’d gotten into company headquarters undetected. Or how he’d managed to access the secure floors. Or, for that matter, how he’d gotten out again, carrying a lab specimen the size of an adult human female… minus the head, of course. Things weren’t adding up… and Tseng hated it when he didn’t know exactly what was going on.
“… You’re still awake, aren’t you…” a voice in the next cot over stated.
“As are you, it seems.”
“This whole thing bugging you as much as it’s bugging me?”
“Yes.”
Rude grunted in acknowledgment, and Tseng heard him roll over. “A least I’m not the only one not getting any sleep tonight…”
Elena lay with her head pillowed on her lover’s chest. Reno’s arm loosely hugged her body as he slept, his breathing deep and even, his brow unfurrowed and relaxed. It was the first time since Sector 7 that she’d seen him sleeping peacefully.
Though, to be fair… it may have just been exhaustion. They’d made love again and again until he quite literally couldn’t have continued if he’d tried. She wasn’t sure if he was attempting to trade reality for pleasure, or just wear himself out to the point that he was too tired to even dream. Whatever his intent, she hadn’t raised a complaint… not that there had been much for her to complain about. In spite of a certain amount of frantic selfishness on Reno’s part, he’d been unable to ignore her needs completely. And if he could take some comfort from being with her, she was more than willing to let him do whatever he wanted in bed right now.
He stirred slightly, and she felt his grip on her tighten a bit. Elena turned towards his face, worried that perhaps he hadn’t managed to banish the nightmares after all, but found blue eyes gazing back at her.
“Hey.”
“Feeling better?” she asked, smiling slightly.
“Feelin’ kinda like Tseng’s had me in non-stop training for the past forty-eight hours,” the redhead replied, smirking. “But… yeah. A lot better.”
Elena laughed softly and shifted position until she was straddling him. She leaned down and kissed his throat, before letting her lips trail down along his collar bone.
“If you’re wantin’ more… you’re gonna have to wait,” he chuckled, “Think I’m done for awhile.” He sighed softly in content as she refused to let up. “But feel free to keep doin’ that… Feels nice.” His hand slid along her hip, gently caressing her thigh, and Elena lifted her head to look at him.
“Are you sure you’re okay to head out later today? Not that last night wasn’t kind ofamazing, but…”
“But you’re worried about me,” he finished for her.
“It’s just that you and Lira are so close. And we’re going away for who knows how long… it could be days, or it could be months. You won’t be able to do anything to fix things until we get back.”
“‘Lena… I might not be able to fix this,” he said, sadly, “Truth is… I’m not the same person Lira grew up with. Bein’ a Turk changes you. She knew it, and I knew it, and we both did our best to ignore it… but I don’t know if she can anymore. Or if she’ll even want to try. I think in her mind, me pushin’ that button was kinda the ultimate betrayal of who I used to be.”
“Then what are you going to do?”
Reno wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down against his chest, hugging her tight. “Hope our friendship means enough to her to give me another chance… and be incredibly grateful I have you. You have no idea how much of a difference you’ve made though all this shit, ‘Lena.”
She was almost tempted to deny it. Half of what she’d done had only seemed to make things worse… The only thing that stopped her was the promise she’d made to never mention her ill-conceived and disastrous attempt at sedating him ever again. Instead, she let herself relax against his body, enjoying the warm softness of his skin, and the soothing rhythm of his heartbeat.
“What time are we picking up Rufus?”
“Around ten if we want to be in Junon enough before the parade to meet up with Tseng and Rude and go over the final itinerary for the day. Why?”
“Just wondering how much longer we can stay like this…” she sighed, letting her eyes drift closed.
“Breakfast. If you can label it as such.”
Rude turned and found that Tseng had returned to their little rented room. He was holding out a small vacuum-sealed bag. The bald Turk groaned. Not the damn ration packets…
“Yes… That was my reaction as well. It seems the people who took over the fort have been living off a rather substantial cache of them for the past few months.”
“… These things are an abomination. They shouldn’t even be considered food,” he replied, grudgingly accepting the pre-packaged ‘meal’ from the Turk leader. The last time he’d had to eat one, he’d very nearly been unable to keep it down… much to Reno’s amusement. The redhead had goaded him further by making a show of devouring his packet.
He sighed and tore it open, grimacing at the contents. Cheese and mushroom omelette… though by ‘omelette’, whoever made these things apparently meant ‘gelatinous food-like substance that was vaguely the color of scrambled eggs’. He had his doubts about the ‘cheese’ part, as well.
“This is all they’ve got?” he asked, pleadingly. Years of self-taught cooking had sharpened and refined his palette. Unfortunately, that did come with a distinct downside. Eating mass-produced, preservative-laden, nearly inedible crap was an even more unpleasant experience for him than it was for most people.
“They did have a rather large stack of the packets with the chicken, if you prefer…” Tseng replied, somewhat teasingly. Rude paled. The omelettes were bad, but the chicken was downright poisonous in his opinion. Even Reno balked at eating it… though he could, at least, choke it down if he had to. Rude wasn’t so sure he could manage such a feat.
“Nevermind,” he sighed, drawing out the brick-shaped block of egg and cheese, and taking a seat at the small table in the corner. Tseng joined him with his own breakfast.
“We’ll need to leave soon if we’re going to have any hope of reaching Junon before Rufus does. I’ve already contacted them and confirmed that a full security sweep was ordered. It’s underway now and should be completed in plenty of time for the President’s arrival.”
“What about after the parade?”
“… That I’m not certain,” Tseng replied, hesitating. “I’m afraid Rufus may be taking this a bit personally. He didn’t seem especially… eager… to return to Midgar after the parade.”
“He wants to stay in Junon?” Rude asked, surprised. Rufus had hated his stay at the military base… now he was free and he wanted to go back?
“That’s what I’m not certain about. He was intentionally vague about his plans when I spoke to him about this. But I didn’t have time to pry further, due to the time sensitivity of our pursuit of Sephiroth.”
Rude took a bite of the omelette and immediately made a face. The thing was cold and rubbery, and coated in a thick layer of… goo, for lack of a better word. Worse, the texture was nothing like that of an actual omelette. It was grainy and paste-like. It didn’t taste much like an omelette, either. He shuddered and forced himself to swallow. Tseng didn’t seem to be faring much better with his.
“What concerns me, though,” the Turk leader continued, doing his best to ignore the less than appealing food, “is that no one in Junon had spotted anyone matching Sephiroth’s description when I spoke to security this morning. He would have easily reached the base by now.”
“Maybe it was ruse. Not a lot of villages out here. Could have headed somewhere else last night and no one would’ve been around to notice.”
“Perhaps… But we’re fairly certain that his ultimate destination is the promised land. And we’re also fairly certain that it’s not located anywhere on this continent. He needs to travel, and outside of Midgar, Junon is really the only way to do so at any great distance.”
“Hmph… Maybe the bastard learned how to shapeshift,” Rude joked. “For all I know, you could be Sephiroth and the real Tseng is still wandering around that damn mine.”
Tseng shook his head and chuckled. “I think that highly unlikely.”
“That’s just what Sephiroth would say…”
The Wutaiian Turk sighed, shaking his head in defeat. “Reno will be pleased to hear that you’ve been taking over the role of comic relief for him when he’s not around. It seems we will just have to wait and see what we find in Junon.” He hesitantly shoved another forkful of his breakfast into his mouth, wincing at the taste. “I don’t suppose there’s anything you could do with this…” he asked, looking up at Rude hopefully.
“… Sorry. This is beyond even my ability to salvage.”
Reno led Elena around to the Shinra residence’s back entrance, ringing the bell and and stifling a yawn as they waited. He was definitely going to be feeling the effects of a mostly sleepless – and very active – night for the rest of the day.
In spite of his reputation… last night really wasn’t like him. But he had wanted her desperately, and nothing short of exhaustion had seemed capable of satiating him. There had been a deep-seated need to be as close as physically possible to the woman he loved from the moment they’d arrived home… and he hadn’t put much effort into ignoring it. It was, he assumed, the culmination off all of the stress and guilt that had been building up since the Sector 7 collapse. Lira’s rejection of him upon learning the truth had finally broken him. He’d sought refuge in Elena’s arms and let himself simply forget how fucked up things were for a little while.
It had been different than it usually was between them. Things were occasionally frenzied in bed, depending on what sort of mood they were in… but never so frantic and rushed and demanding on his part. He’d largely ignored the things he knew his lover enjoyed and focused on himself… though Elena didn’t seem to be holding it against him. He still planned to make that up to her eventually, though.
The door opened, and Reno was surprised to be greeted by Rufus himself, rather than one of the servants.
“About time. I’ve been ready to leave for an hour.”
“We’re fifteen minutes early, sir,” the redhead pointed out, smirking.
“If you can be fifteen minutes early, surely you can be an hour early,” he shot back, reaching for a suitcase. “And why do you both look exhausted?”
Reno snickered softly, and opened his mouth to reply, but by then, Rufus was looking directly at Elena and rolling his eyes dramatically. The redhead glanced over his shoulder and saw that her cheeks had gone an interesting shade of pink.
“Nevermind… I’m sorry I even asked. I certainly didn’t need that mental image,” the executive groaned, shoving his luggage into Reno’s hands and strolling past the pair of them towards the waiting car.
“I did…” Reno said under his breath, grinning at Elena. She quickly mirrored Rufus’ reaction before elbowing him sharply in the ribs.
“Don’t even start, you pervert,” she said with laugh.
“Heh… just for that… I’m doin’ the drivin’ and the flyin’. You can ride in back with Rufus.”
“Wait… What?” she asked, blinking in surprise. Reno opened the trunk and set the suitcase inside.
“He’s not the VP anymore, ‘Lena,” he explained. “Rufus is President now… that means one of us sticks with him any time we’re travelin’ for extra security, remember? Just like we always did with his father.” He shut the trunk and walked around to the passenger side, opening her door for her with a flourish.
“You’re having way too much fun with this…” she sighed, climbing into the backseat, where Rufus had already made himself comfortable. The redhead just chuckled and closed the door behind her.
“Did you lose the coin toss?” Rufus sniped at her, “… Or were you perhaps looking forward to spending some time with me? Am I to be your payment for last nights… activities?”
“I heard that, sir…” Reno said before she could answer, hopping into the driver’s seat. “Watch what ya say to my girlfriend.”
“Is that a threat?” the blonde man asked in his usual snobbish tone.
“Nah… Just a little friendly advice. She hits hard, sir. Don’t piss her off.”
Rufus actually laughed… though he was quick to cover it up, scoffing at the Turk, and turning his attention to the view outside of the window instead.
“Next time I suggest that we travel to Junon on foot… remind me of this trip,” Tseng said as the two men finally made their way into the little village of Lower Junon.
“Done,” Rude replied, nodding. They’d gotten caught in another downpour, which, though brief, had thoroughly saturated them for the second time in as many days. He glanced at his watch. “… At least we’re finally back on schedule…”
“Slightly ahead, in fact…” Tseng agreed. The pair made their way along the main road towards the large elevator platform that would carry them up to the base. “Hopefully we have enough time to clean up a bit and find something to eat that doesn’t immediately make me want to retch.”
One of the two guards at the elevator suddenly raised his weapon, menacingly.
“Shinra personnel only!” he proclaimed. The other man simply stood by at his post, looking decidedly bored. Tseng heard him mutter something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like “Damn newbies…”
“We are Shinra personnel,” Tseng replied, reaching into his jacket for his ID card. “Very tired Shinra personnel, who would very much like to report in before the President arrives.”
The overzealous guard frowned, studying the ID. “Uh… Hey, Sarge? What’s the ‘Investigation Sector of the General Affairs Department’?”
The man’s comrade immediately snapped to attention, eyes fearfully flickering back and forth from Tseng to Rude in quick succession. “Just open the gate!” he sputtered.
The guard looked away from Tseng, confusion evident in his eyes as he was drawn back to his superior. “Sir?”
“Open. The Damn. Gate.” he repeated, through clenched teeth, glancing at him sideways as he remained at attention. The other guard, still obviously clueless as to what was going on, finally reached over to the control panel and swiped an access card. The huge metal door slid open, granting the two Turks access. “Sorry for the delay, sir,” the commanding offer said, saluting as they stepped aboard. Tseng simply nodded and pressed the button to send them climbing upwards. Over the loud whine of the motor he distinctly heard a loud slap, followed by “They’re Turks,you moron!”
Tseng chuckled softly.
“We should’ve scared him a little…” said Rude.
“Next time, perhaps. If you’ll recall, we’re in a hurry.”
Rufus settled back in the plush seat of the executive helicopter, and calmly poured himself a glass of wine.
“I have to admit… The slum rat crashing the old one turned out to be a godsend. The newer model is much more luxurious.” He crossed his leg over his knee and took a sip, frowning slightly, “Though they might have stocked the refreshments with a better vintage than this swill…”
He pointedly set the glass back into the small notch that would hold it in place during their flight. Elena had to agree… with his assessment of the aircraft, that is. She hadn’t sampled the wine. The new executive helicopter was vastly more plush than its previous incarnation. They didn’t even need headsets to hear one another in the cabin, thanks to the improved soundproofing… Reno could even hear and talk to them over the intercom from the cockpit.
“Wasn’t my fault, sir…” his voice suddenly replied over the speaker. “I didn’t plant the bomb.”
“You didn’t find it before we took off, either… Now did you?”
Reno snickered. “Touché. Try the moscato instead, sir.”
“Hmph… I’ve seen the way you drink. As much and as quickly as possible. You’ll have to excuse me if I don’t take your advice on something a bit more delicate than cheap hard liquor…” he replied… as he reached for the suggested bottle.
“… He’s tryin’ it, isn’t he, ‘Lena?”
Rufus calmly pressed the button on the intercom that muted the cockpit’s monitoring of their conversation and looked directly at her.
“Confirm that, I’ll have you cleaning up after the chocobos they’ll be riding in this ridiculous parade they insist on having for me,” he cautioned, and hit the button a second time to restore communication.
“… No. He’s completely ignoring you, Reno,” Elena answered… though her tone wasn’t very convincing. The redhead laughed, knowingly.
“Heh… Thought so.”
“That was borderline insubordination,” Rufus declared, taking a sip of the fresh glass of wine. “I’m beginning to wonder where your loyalties lie, Elena…”
“Sorry, sir. It won’t happen again.” She couldn’t quite suppress the little smile that was pushing the corners of her mouth upwards. A few months ago, she never would have believed it… but Reno was right. Rufus really wasn’t so terrible. That is… if you could look past his somewhat obnoxious little mind games and figure out when he was being facetious and when he was being dead serious, which, admittedly, wasn’t always the easiest thing to determine.
“Hmm… See that it doesn’t. How much longer until we reach Junon?”
“About fifteen minutes, sir,” Reno answered.
“Try to avoid slamming us into a mountain this time.”
“I’ll give it my best shot, sir… ‘Course, ya know… crashin’ would get us outta this parade. Just sayin’…”
“… Tempting a prospect as that is, I don’t intend to fund construction of a third aircraft for you to wreck.”
“Yeah? So then… how many cars does Tseng get to blow up before ya cut him off?”
Elena had to quickly smother a giggle. Listening to the two of them bicker could be intensely amusing… and she was glad to hear Reno sounding more like his old self again.
“Just for that little comment… I think I’ll cut you off. From this conversation,” Rufus said, snidely, and stabbed at the mute button again. Elena silently laughed. She knew that Reno could turn it back on – so that he could speak to them, at any rate… it was an emergency feature – if he really wanted to… though she had a feeling that he was going to let Rufus ‘win’ this one. The aforementioned executive smirked and resumed drinking his wine in triumph.
“Well, then… It seems it’s just you and I for now,” he stated after a minute or two of silence. “Tell me, how’s life as that manwhore’s latest trophy?”
Elena frowned. “Sir… I know you’re just trying to get a reaction out of me, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t call him that. He’s not like that anymore.”
Rufus snorted softly in contempt. “Really? I call you his trophy, and your first instinct is to defend him instead of yourself?” He raised the glass to his lips, taking another sip of the moscato. “The bastard must be better in bed than even the rumors claim…”
“Are you jealous of me, sir?” she shot back, before she could censor herself, and Rufus choked. It took him a moment to recover, but once he did, he eyed her strangely before allowing a mischievous smile to steal across his face.
“Hmph… I knew there was something about you that I liked.”
~fin~
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