Taking Care of Reno: Meteorfall
Chapter 8: Everyone Loves a Parade
Tseng straightened his tie in the mirror, and tucked a stray bit of hair back behind one ear. He was extraordinarily glad to be back to normal after the lengthy slog from Fort Condor. It was remarkable what a shower and a change of clothes could do for a person. He glanced at his watch… Rufus would be arriving shortly… probably in the next few minutes, in fact.
He picked up the report the head of base security had left for him. The Turk leader hadn’t yet had time to read it in depth, but she had given him the highlights before returning to duty, and they were… interesting, to say the least. And worrying.
Three bodies had been discovered earlier that morning during the security sweep. Their injuries had very obviously been caused by a large blade swung with a great deal of force. Like the casualties at company headquarters, one of them had been bisected and all of them had expressions of varying degrees of surprise or terror frozen on their faces.
Tseng vaguely wondered where Sephiroth had obtained a replacement for his weapon so quickly. The original… or what he had assumed to be the original… Masamune was still in Midgar, locked away in the Turks’ evidence room after having been left behind, embedded in the President’s back. It was an oddity… though if Sephiroth had really been planning this ever since his disappearance five years ago, who knew what sort of supply caches he had stashed along his chosen route. And in the time he’d been ‘dead’, he could have had half a dozen swords created for him if he’d wanted to.
Aside from the deaths, however, there was no evidence he had ever entered Junon. None of the watches had seen him. Nor had the shop owners, or the off-duty personnel, nor anyone in the village. The base’s chief security officer had been very thorough in her investigation once the bodies had been discovered. But then, he thought with a slight smile, Viridia always was.
Viridia Nacelle had been head of security in Junon for nearly as long as he had been head of the Turks. And she was very good at her job… So good, in fact, that prior to her promotion, Veld had, on multiple occasions, tried to tempt her away from the military installation and into joining them. He had never been successful, however, and Tseng had refrained from continuing the entreaties after his death… since by then, Viridia had been promoted and it was clear she wasn’t interested in leaving what she had always considered her home. She was born and raised in Lower Junon, and no amount of begging or bribery from the Turks was likely to change her mind and entice her to Midgar. She was career military.
She also had the softest touch of anyone he’d ever met.
Tall and lean, Viridia wasn’t what one might consider classically beautiful… but she was still a very handsome woman, in his opinion. She was trim and tone with short, dark brown hair that she usually gelled into a somewhat intimidating spiked look. Her eyes were a piercing steel-gray, and they could silence a subordinate with little more than a passing glance… They could silence him as well, on occasion.
Though he suspected it wouldn’t be the case, a part of him was hoping that Rufus would wish to remain in Junon overnight. It had been some time – months, in fact – since he’d been able to interact with Viridia in anything more than a professional capacity. During his most recent visits, when he was off duty, she was liable to be on. It had been frustrating, but there was nothing to be done about it. They both had their own responsibilities that needed tending to before they could think about personal pursuits.
Their relationship was only perhaps a step or two above being purely physical. Though he certainly had a great deal of respect for Viridia, and found her to be an excellent conversationalist, he had no plans of taking things much farther than the bedroom or the occasional quiet dinner in town. For her part, Tseng suspected her interest had far more to do with him not being assigned to Junon. The head of base security – a position only a few rungs down from the base commander himself – could hardly be seen fraternizing with those under her command. She had worked much too hard to jeopardize her career for the sake of keeping a lover.
Perhaps… he would suggest remaining in Junon tonight. Leviathan knew Rude could certainly use a good night’s sleep after lastnight. And if Viridia just happened to be free this evening… well… it had been awhile.
Assuming, of course, they didn’t find a fresh trail to follow. And assuming that Rufus didn’t have other plans. He wasn’t sure what the young executive was up to, but the brief conversation he’d had with him before leaving for Kalm had been an interesting one. Rufus had implied that he wouldn’t be returning to Midgar after the parade this afternoon. But he hadn’t explicitly said he’d be remaining in Junon, either.
Tseng had a feeling that, depending on the destination, he intended to accompany them. What was more, he doubted he’d be able to dissuade the man. Despite Rufus’ cool demeanor, Tseng had seen the rage in his eyes anytime Sephiroth’s name came up. He wanted revenge for the murder of his father, plain and simple, and Tseng was less than confident that he’d be satisfied by simply having his Turks deliver it. He also seemed to be placing a bit more stock in the existence of the ‘Promised Land’ of late… and had, as Tseng had been leaving, been on his way to speak with Hojo about it further.
A knock at the door to his temporary quarters dragged him from his thoughts, and he quickly turned to answer it, opening it to find Rude waiting for him.
“Rufus is here. They’re landing right now.”
“Let’s go and meet him, then, shall we?”
Elena looked out the window, gazing down at the personnel below scurrying back and forth across the landing strip. Everyone in Junon seemed to be doing something at the moment. She’d never seen the place so busy… but then, she’d never been to a welcoming parade for the president of the company before, either.
“Please, dear Rumah, don’t let there be any of that damned confetti they used at my father’s birthday parade…” Rufus sighed. “The last time, I was still finding bits of it everywhere I went three days later.” He smirked slightly as he, too, stared downward from one of the side windows. “Unless I am very much mistaken, I believe that’s Tseng.”
Elena moved to the other side of the cabin to see for herself. Before she could spot him, however, the helicopter suddenly tilted a bit more than it should have to one side, pressing both their faces into the glass for a moment. Rufus scowled and mashed the button on the intercom, finally unmuting it.
“What in Ifit’s name is going on?” he shouted.
“Just makin’ sure you two are still alive back there…” Reno’s voice replied. The aircraft began to descend towards one of the helipads. “Haven’t heard from ya in awhile. I was startin’ to worry you mighta finally pushed ‘Lena too far and she tossed ya out the door without tellin’ me.”
“Remind me to have Tseng discipline him severely for that,” Rufus muttered, folding his arms over his chest petulantly, and leaning back in his seat.
“Yes, sir,” Elena replied. Seconds later, they touched down, and the door was hauled open, revealing both Tseng and Rude waiting to greet them… along with an entire squadron of soldiers.
“Ah… my escort, I take it. Feeling a bit paranoid, are we, Tseng?”
“Sephiroth killed three soldiers on the base early this morning, and we haven’t been able to confirm whether or not he’s still here,” the Turk leader said, grimly, “While I don’t believe he has targeted you, I prefer not to take any chances.”
Rufus’ face darkened. “He’s here? And you’re not looking for him?”
“He was here. And half the base is looking for him in case he still is. But there have been no further attacks, and no sightings. It’s likely he’s moved on. Lieutenant Commander Nacelle is working to confirm that, and to determine whether or not he left any clues as to where he’s gone. I’ll be joining her once you’re secure, sir.”
“Heh… Guess that means Tseng’s gonna be workin’ late tonight…” Reno cut in as he climbed out of the cockpit. He stepped towards Rude, elbowing him.
Rude didn’t say anything… but a faint smirk crossed his face. Elena’s brow furrowed slightly, wondering what in the world they were talking about now.
“If the two of you are quite finished…?” Tseng replied, gesturing towards the administration building before turning his attention back to Rufus. “We have the day’s itinerary to go over, and findings to discuss. I’d prefer not to do so standing on the tarmac.”
Rufus nodded and fell into step beside the Wutaiian Turk. Reno and Rude let the President’s escort follow before bringing up the rear, and Elena hung back to speak to them.
“… Um… Who’s Lieutenant Commander Nacelle?” she asked.
“Base security chief,” Rude replied. “Anyone breaks the rules around here, they answer to her.”
“Also a former candidate for Turk recruitment,” Reno added, “Veld wanted her bad… Never managed to talk her into joinin’ though. Too fuckin’ dedicated to her job here.”
“So… She and Tseng are friends, then?”
The two men paused mid-stride, looked at her and then at one another before breaking into quiet laughter, trying not to draw attention to the conversation or themselves.
“Guess that’s one way to put it,” Rude replied.
“Heh… Yeah, ‘Lena. They’re ‘friends’. In the same way I used to be ‘friends’ with half the secretarial pool.”
“O-oh!” she gasped, face reddening slightly. “You mean they’re… um… friends.”
Reno slipped an arm around her shoulders, still snickering softly. “Oh, dear Shiva, I love it when you don’t pick up on innuendo right away…” he grinned, and pressed a kiss against the top of her head as they hurried to catch up to the rest of the group.
“I-I just… Tseng seems so… you know…” Elena replied, awkwardly. For some reason, she’d just assumed that Tseng wasn’t involved with anyone. He’d certainly never mentioned a girlfriend or even just a casual lover… not that she’d ever pried quite that deeply into his personal life.
“Tch… What? Ya thought the poor guy was celibate all this time or somethin’?” Reno asked, teasingly, “I mean… Tseng’s not exactly the type of guy who’ll hook up with someone he picked up at the bar, but he does occasionally get laid.”
“But… then why doesn’t he talk about her?”
Reno shrugged. “It’s not really that kinda relationship. Him and Viridia’d be damn good together if they weren’t both already married to their jobs… but it’s just an arrangement they have. They’re human. Humans like to fuck every once in awhile. They like each other, they’ve got a lot of shit in common… but the job comes first and always will for both of ’em.”
“Actually kinda makes them perfect for each other,” Rude observed, and his partner was quick to nod his agreement.
“Okay…” Elena replied, still trying to wrap her head around the idea of Tseng in a relationship… of any kind. Though, when she thought about it, she really couldn’t quite put a finger on why it seemed so strange. Like Reno had said… Tseng was only human. “So… How long have they been… er… together?”
Reno glanced at Rude. “You’d know better than me…”
“Not really. I was only promoted what… four months before you were recruited?” The bald Turk shrugged. “It was already going on before that…”
“Huh… Well, guess we’ll just say better part of eleven years, then.”
Elena blinked in surprise and came to a sudden stop. “E-eleven years?!” she very nearly shouted.
“Fuck, ‘Lena… keep it down a little, will ya?” the redhead snickered. “I don’t think Tseng’d be too thrilled if half the base overheard you gossipin’ about his sex life…”
She glared at him, but her heart really wasn’t in it. The response only caused her boyfriend to smirk.
“You’re telling me…” she said, dropping her voice obligingly, “That Tseng has been seeing someone for at least eleven years… and I’m somehow only hearing about it now?” She groaned softly and shook her head. “Why didn’t you two assholes ever tell me that back when I was a stupid little rookie practically throwing myself at him every chance I got?!”
“Well, for one thing, it was fuckin’ hilarious watchin’ you trip all over yourself tryin’ to impress him,” Reno said, grinning, which earned him a much harsher glare from the woman.
“For another… they’re not really together,” Rude added. “It’s more of a preference for each other than a commitment. Figured you had as much a chance as anyone else…”
“Well… woulda had a chance, if you were even remotely his type,” the redhead commented.
She placed her hands on her hips as the entourage paused and began to file into the administration building. “And just what’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, vaguely insulted.
“Just that you’re a romantic and Tseng’s all business.”
“So what’s that make you?” Rude pointedly asked the redhead, and Elena couldn’t help but giggle when Reno looked affronted.
“I’m plenty romantic.”
His partner smirked and turned to Elena. “What’s the last romantic thing he did for you? And sex doesn’t count.”
“Umm…” To be honest, things had been a little too busy lately… even before president’s death and the bombings and the pillar. As much as she hated to admit it, it really had been quite some time since they’d been able to do something big and romantic just for themselves. There were lots of little things he did, though… nearly every day. Probably more than she even realized, she suddenly thought, as she caught sight of the slightly wounded expression he now wore. She smiled warmly. “Oh, leave him alone, Rude. Like he said… He’s plenty romantic.”
Further conversation on the subject had to wait, however, as they walked through the doors. The military escort broke off, leaving the Turks to continue on with Rufus upstairs.
“Well?” the President asked, as they reached his office, “Just how much of a waste of time is this welcoming parade going to be?”
“I’ve requested that it be kept as short as possible due to the potential security threat,” Tseng replied.
Rufus snorted softly. “That bastard Sephiroth finally does something useful. I assume it will be televised?”
“Yes, sir,” Rude replied. Rufus took a seat at his desk and leaned back in the leather chair, steepling his fingers in front of him.
“Good. The sooner everyone is aware that I’m in charge of Shinra now, the better. If that’s all settled, let’s move on to more important matters, shall we? Where is Sephiroth, and where is he going next?”
“As I mentioned, base security is looking into that as we speak, and I will be joining them as soon as we’re finished. Thus far, we haven’t turned up anything, unfortunately.”
“Unacceptable. I want him found. I don’t care what you have to do or who you have to eliminate. I want that murdering bastard found and dealt with.”
“Yes, sir. I understand.”
“It may also interest you to know that Professor Hojo is no longer in the employ of Shinra Company,” Rufus continued, a deep frown darkening his features.
“Sir?” Tseng queried, obviously caught off-guard. It took Elena by surprise as well, and judging by the looks on the other two men’s faces, neither of them had heard anything about this either.
“You’ll recall I had a meeting scheduled with him shortly after you left,” the executive continued, and Tseng nodded. “He had some… interesting… theories about Sephiroth. At the end of the meeting, he tendered his resignation.”
“Why would he do something like that?” Elena asked.
“I got the distinct impression that he wanted to pursue his own research rather than continue focusing on current Shinra projects.”
“Just what sort of theories did he mention, sir?” Tseng asked, suspiciously.
“I’d be tempted to say it was utter nonsense… but Hojo has done far stranger things in his time with the company…” Rufus replied, and folded his arms across his chest. “The lunatic claims that the man who murdered my father wasn’t Sephiroth at all… but some sort of ‘clone’ from a years-old experiment that had inexplicably awakened.”
“A clone? Tch… knew the guy was nuts, but… you’re not seriously tellin’ us you think there might be more than one Sephiroth out there, are ya?” Elena couldn’t help but share some of Reno’s skepticism. The very idea bordered on unbelievable.
Rufus shook his head. “They’re not clones in that sense, apparently.”
“They?” the Wutaiian Turk asked, cringing slightly.
The President produced a thick folder from his briefcase and handed it to Tseng. It was labeled ‘Project Jenova’.
“Some light reading for you,” he said, smirking, “The short of it is that Hojo took mako-enhanced cells from Sephiroth, along with cells from the Jenova specimen, and implanted them in other test subjects in the hopes of creating more soldiers like him. The experiment seemed to be a failure, and after Sephiroth’s apparent death, it was drastically scaled back and later discontinued entirely… but recently, some of those test subjects have been exhibiting unusual behavior.”
“Oh… terrific. Lemme guess. They’re goin’ around stabbin’ people?” Reno quipped.
“No. It began with symptoms much like those associated with mako poisoning. So much so that Hojo apparently dismissed the initial reports as fallout from the reactor bombings. Apparently some of his former subjects were living in Sector 1. They’re the ones he heard from first. Later, it became more of a compulsion than an illness. They want to go somewhere… but they don’t seem to know where, and so they are rendered largely incapacitated. Some of them have spoken of a ‘Reunion’.”
Tseng flipped through the folder, scanning the information. There was quite a bit of it… it would take him awhile to get through it properly.
“A reunion of what?” Elena asked, curious.
“He claimed not to know,” Rufus replied. “I doubt very much that he’s completely clueless, however. Our priority is still stopping Sephiroth and making him answer for what he’s done, but should you come across Hojo during the search… and I have plenty of reason to believe you will as I’m inclined to believe that he, too, is trying to locate our quarry… I want to know what he’s really up to.”
“Yes, sir,” Tseng replied, grimly.
“I’ve ordered Heidegger to have the Highwind airship prepped and ready for us. We’ll leave as soon as the parade is over.” Tseng began to object, but the young executive quickly silenced him. “I will be coming with you.”
“Sir… we don’t even have a destination yet…” he said, tucking the folder under one arm.
“Oh… but we do,” Rufus replied, a faint grin crossing his face. “Really, I don’t know why you Turks make what you do out to be so difficult… I seem to be doing a far superior job of it today. Hojo believes that Sephiroth… or his clone… or whoever it might be… is heading for a place called the Temple of the Ancients. An old Cetra settlement we discovered not long ago on an island just west of Mideel. Unfortunately we were unable to explore it too deeply. The entrance is sealed by some unknown force, and the archaeological team’s efforts to force their way in… didn’t end well, I’m afraid. We lost three of them, and the ones who survived refused to return. We ultimately had to falsify documentation of the site’s location, because Mideelian authorities tried to get involved. They wanted to inspect the temple… We sent them to some ruins in eastern Mideel and paid off the remaining workers to keep them quiet.”
Elena felt a chill run down her spine. Surely he couldn’t be talking about…
“S-sir?” she asked, hesitantly, “How long ago was this?”
Rufus glanced over at her, somewhat annoyed at being interrupted. “Several months… Not long before last Christmas, I believe. Just before the weather turned.”
She felt her stomach twist uncomfortably, but somehow managed to school her expression into something vaguely neutral, nodding her understanding. The President’s eyed her, oddly, but seemed to dismiss her strange reaction, and continued.
“I don’t know what he wants at that temple, but Hojo believes he’s heading there.”
“And that’s where you propose we go as well, I take it?” Tseng asked.
“No. First, we’re going to the Gold Saucer.”
All four Turks seemed to pause, not certain how to respond. It was Reno who finally broke the silence.
“Not that I’d mind a little vacation, but… uh… seriously?”
“We’re going there to speak to Dio, you single-minded idiot. The archaeological team said the carvings at the site spoke of a ‘Keystone’ that would open the gates. If anyone would have information on such an artifact…”
“It would be Dio…” Tseng finished for him. Rufus nodded and glanced down at his watch.
“If we’re agreed, then, let’s get these formalities over and done with. I don’t want to remain in Junon a moment longer than necessary.”
“Yes, sir… I’ll escort you to the parade vehicle. The rest of you, take a look around the market area and see what you can find out. Lieutenant Commander Nacelle’s personnel are stretched thin covering the parade route. She could use some extra help with the investigation.”
“We’re on it, Boss,” Reno said with a nod. Tseng and Rufus hurried out of the office, leaving them to themselves. The redhead frowned and turned to Elena. “Okay, ‘Lena… the fuck was that all about? Ya looked like you’d seen a ghost there for a minute.”
“I just… I never bothered to ask about the details,” she said faintly. “I knew there was an accident, but…”
“What’s she talking about?” Rude asked. Reno shook his head.
“No idea… Sorry, ‘Lena, but you’re gonna have to give us a little more to work with here…”
“Bel,” she replied, her throat suddenly dry, “It was Bel’s team… It had to be.”
“Ah, fuck… Forgot. Happened in Mideel, didn’t it?”
Elena nodded. That’s what she’d been told, at any rate. And she hadn’t thought to question it until now. But it fit a little too perfectly. The timing was right. And she knew that two other people, besides her brother, had died… Rufus has specifically said the team had lost three members. And if Shinra had covered up the site’s real location, there was really no reason for her to have been told so at the time.
“Uh… Give us a few minutes, will ya, partner? We’ll catch up to ya at the bar off the main drag…”
“… Sure.”
Rude noiselessly slipped out of the office, leaving the pair on their own. Elena felt the redhead’s arms wind around her, pulling her gently against his chest.
A part of her wanted to cry. It was a wound that had taken months to heal and still hurt from time to time… and this had opened it back up again. In a way, suddenly learning that there was more to Bel’s death than she’d been told felt like losing him all over again.
The rest of her stubbornly refused to give into tears. Not now. She couldn’t let her own problems overwhelm her, even for an instant. Not when Reno was still so precariously balanced between coming to terms with what he’d had to do in Sector 7 and drowning in the guilt of it. There was nothing she could do for Bel… and there was no sense in crying over something she couldn’t change. Reno needed her to be stronger than that.
“I’m alright,” she said, reigning herself in and forcing a strength into her voice that she didn’t entirely feel at the moment.
“You sure? Rude can start talkin’ to people without us, if ya need to just –”
“Really. I’m okay. It was just a little bit of a shock, that’s all,” she assured him… and attempted to assure herself. She eased herself out of his grasp and nudged him toward the door. “Come on… Rude can’t do everything himself.”
“There are sharpshooters here,” she said, pointing to the map on the table with a gloved finger, “Here… here, here, and here. I’ve also ordered the barricades moved back an extra six feet on both sides. There will be two squadrons in front, and an additional two behind the presidential vehicle, and extra security personnel throughout the crowd.”
Rufus sighed. “Commander, your paranoia may actually rival that of my Turks.”
“Sir, I was only –”
“Yes, yes… Frankly I don’t care that much about the details. If the pair of you feel the need to surround me with armed guards, so be it. I prefer to simply get this admittedly necessary, but no less tedious, display over with. I’m returning to my private quarters for some lunch before the spectacle. I’m sure Tseng will be more than willing to sign off on whatever arrangements still need to be made.”
“Sir…” the Turk leader began, only to be silenced by a gesture from Rufus.
“I’m well aware that my father tended to be something of a control freak about this sort of idiocy. I, however, prefer to delegate to people whom I can trust to see to things without my constant input. And besides which, I’m hungry. Come and find me when we’re ready to start.”
“Yes, sir,” Tseng replied. The President said nothing further… simply turned on his heel and headed back to the elevator that would take him upstairs.
“Arrogant little shit, isn’t he?” Lieutenant Commander Nacelle said once he was gone. The Turk chuckled softly.
“That he most certainly is. But I am still rather fond of him. Let’s try and keep him alive, shall we?”
“What do you think the odds are that Sephiroth… or this person you claim to be Sephiroth… will try to attack him?” Viridia asked.
“Fairly slim… but given the abilities that made him famous, I think it better to err on the side of caution. I take it you’re not entirely convinced he is who we think he is?”
The woman rolled up the map, tucking it back into it’s case. “I knew Sephiroth. I fought under his command for a short time towards the end of the Meaningless War and I’m not ashamed to admit that he was a hero of mine. He was nothing if not loyal and honorable. It’s just very hard for me to imagine that he could change so drastically.”
“There’s a great deal about this situation that we still don’t know,” he admitted, “And there are, in fact, a handful of other possibilities. But it seemed the wisest course of action to assume the worst. And Sephiroth being alive, turning traitor, and attacking his former allies certainly qualifies.”
“And President Rufus called me paranoid,” she said with a smirk, which Tseng quickly mirrored.
“I’m quite certain he called us both paranoid.”
Viridia laughed, and for a moment, Tseng found himself wanting nothing more than to be sitting somewhere comfortable, talking to her about just about anything else. She was a rarity in his world. A woman who took her duties just as seriously as he did and who understood the sacrifices his job required because hers required much the same. On top of that, she was intelligent and quick-witted and not afraid to get her hands dirty and… staring at him with an amused smile on her lips.
He quickly realized that he’d zoned out a bit.
“I think we’ve covered all our bases at this point,” she said, “We have some time yet before the parade. What do you say we follow the President’s lead and get something to eat?”
“I… Yes. If… you’d like,” Tseng replied, stammering slightly, which only seemed to broaden her smile. Disarming. He’d forgotten disarming in his mental list of her attributes. Viridia gestured down the hall and he silently followed her lead.
“You know, Tseng… I almost get the impression that you’ve missed me,” she teased.
“It has been quite some time…” The pair slowly made their way to the base’s mess hall. Crowded and noisy, a number of the off-duty troops were lining up for lunch already. She picked up a tray from the stack and got in line, Tseng behind her.
“Will you be staying in Junon long?” she asked, casually… though he didn’t miss the somewhat hopeful glance at accompanied the question.
“It seems not. Rufus plans to depart immediately after the parade.”
He caught a brief flash of disappointment in her eyes, but she didn’t voice it. Instead, she set her tray on the counter, letting the kitchen staff fill it for her. He did the same, and trailed her as she found an empty table in a corner of the open space. Tseng set his tray in front of him, and picked up his silverware. Though rather industrial-looking, the fare certainly didn’t smell half bad.
“You lucked out,” Viridia proclaimed, “Mondays are by far the best meals of the week around here. You get to enjoy the mashed potatoes before they’ve had a chance to congeal. They’re almost not glue quite yet.”
“How fortunate for me,” Tseng laughed softly and dug in. He had a feeling Rude would not have been quite as complimentary… but he’d certainly had worse at the Shinra Building’s cafeteria.
“It’s a shame you’re going to miss dinner, though. I’d very much like to hear your opinion on our chef’s interpretation of Wutaiian spicy beef. Frankly, I’m not entirely convinced it’s either Wutaiian or beef… it’s so spicy, you really can’t make out much in the way of flavor. Or texture. Actually, it’s largely just an exercise in self-inflicted pain.”
“You’ll have to forgive me if I’m less than disappointed at missing out…” he said, dryly. “Though it is a pity I won’t be staying a bit longer. You were teasing me earlier, but I have in fact missed your company.”
“Well… I suppose on the bright side, I won’t have to worry about that redhead of yours continuing to work his way through the female barracks tonight. I’ve already had to assign six privates to cleaning details for running a betting pool this morning. They were taking bets on who would be waking up next to him tomorrow. Apparently the odds favor Lieutenant Mason from Squad Eight.”
Tseng laughed, reaching for the bread roll on his tray. “I’m afraid the odds are going to disappoint.”
“Oh? Not that I’d ever encourage gambling on base, but if you have some inside information…”
“Mmm… I know precisely who Reno will be waking up next to. And I’m afraid your troops will have to find something new to bet on. My lieutenant is spoken for… indefinitely.”
Viridia gave a soft snort of disbelief. “Sephiroth magically coming back to life I can believe. Reno Donovan finding someone to keep him honest is a bit much to swallow.”
“But nonetheless true. Believe me, no one was more shocked than I was when I first found out… He’s very much in love.”
She cocked her head, studying him for a moment. “You’re really serious, aren’t you? Shinra’s resident pervert actually found someone capable of taming him?” Her expression turned suspicious. “Just how long had he been ‘spoken for’? A few days? A week? You’ll have to forgive me if I have my doubts about something this miraculous…”
Tseng smiled and shook his head. “I believe they’re somewhere in month three at this point…”
“Well, I’ll be damned… Let me guess. Some pretty little blonde secretary with more breasts than brains.”
“Viridia…”
“Alright, alright… I’m sorry. I know he’s not really that shallow. She is a blonde, though, I’ll bet.”
The Turk leader took a bite of the roast beef on his plate to mask a chuckle. “Yes… she is a blonde. I thought you were against betting.”
“Only for the lower ranks.”
“Ah… Of course.”
The security chief eyed him patiently for a few more moments, but he held his tongue, waiting for her to ask. He didn’t have to wait long.
“Well?”
“Well, what?” he replied, innocently.
“You’re lucky you’re not under my command, Tseng. I’d have you scrubbing toilets for such a blatantly insubordinate answer.”
“Elena,” he finally responded, smiling.
“The rookie?” she asked, frowning, “You allow fraternization like that?”
“She’s no longer a rookie… She was promoted a short while ago. And in any case, the Turks are not the military, Viridia… We have different rules.”
“Fair enough.” She leaned forward, propping her chin on one hand, and smirked. “There are going to be some very disappointed soldiers when they find out. Hmph… and some very relieved COs.”
Reno glanced up, his gaze locking onto the door. He could have sworn…
“What’s wrong?” Elena asked. The redhead watched a moment longer before turning back to his beer. Normally, drinking on duty was frowned upon… but the two of them were supposed to be blending in and collecting information. Sitting at the bar, not drinking, would have looked a little out of place.
“Nothin’… Seein’ things, I guess. Coulda sworn I just caught sight of that asshat, Cloud, standin’ in the doorway a second ago.”
“Should we check? We ran into them in the mines. They know Sephiroth was headed here.”
He shook his head. Sephiroth was the priority… not those Avalanche bastards. Besides which, Tseng seemed to think they might come in handy later. No sense tipping them off that they’d been noticed.
“They’re not our problem unless they make themselves our problem.” He nodded toward the bottle in front of her. “Finish that… Parade’s gonna be startin’ soon. We’ll go see if Rude’s turned up anything, and then report back to the boss.”
Their own brief investigation had been less than fruitful. Everyone seemed to be talking about either the President’s parade or the murders that morning. It was the latter that interested them more, but they hadn’t heard anything they didn’t already know. Well… that and quite a bit of wild speculation. Some of the rumors were downright laughable.
One very, very drunk sailor had even claimed that he had seen Sephiroth, and that he’d transformed himself into his ship’s first mate right before his eyes, uniform and all just materializing around him. He claimed that he’d played dead himself rather than be silenced by the legendary Soldier and then run straight to the bar to ‘calm his nerves’.
Reno tilted his head back, draining what was left in the bottle and waited for Elena to do the same… albeit much more slowly than he’d done.
“Ready to go?” he asked, and she nodded. He lead her out into the alleyway in search of his partner. They’d met up at the bar, but parted ways again shortly after, deciding that they’d have more success if they covered as much ground as possible. If he knew Rude, he’d be paying a little visit to his ‘club’ by now. He strode towards the door of an unassuming little weapon’s shop.
“Why are we going in here?” Elena asked, and the redhead grinned.
“‘Cause this is Rude’s favorite hangout in Junon. If he wants information, this is where he’d go.”
“… A weapons shop?” The confusion was evident in her voice.
“Not exactly…” He slipped past the door to the shop and continued on, down a dark staircase. The air smelled faintly of cigarettes. A moment later, he and Elena emerged in a dimly lit bar. Unsurprisingly, he soon spotted Rude at a table off to one side.
The Ragged Chocobo was a little different from Junon’s other establishments. It catered to a very select crowd… People like Rude, who could handle the hardest liquor and the most shots. He, himself, had a bit of a reputation here, as well… but it was more Rude’s scene than his. The Chocobo didn’t see a whole lot of female patrons. He’d always preferred the the base’s more mainstream bar or the little pub down in Lower Junon.
“Who’s winnin’?” he asked, casually strolling up to the table.
“Who do you think?” his partner replied, downing one of the shots from the pool at the center of the table and turning the glass upside down in front of him with the rest of his collection.
“Hate ta drag you away from a good time, but the boss is gonna be pissed if we’re late.”
There was a collective groan from the other five men around the table, along with various requests for him to stick around anyway. Rude shrugged, and downed one more shot, earning a cheer from his drinking buddies, before turning and following the pair back upstairs.
“Find out anything interesting?” Reno asked once they were topside again.
“One of the men Sephiroth killed was a regular. He was at the Chocobo until three this morning. They found the bodies at six.”
“Which narrows down Sephiroth’s window of opportunity, but doesn’t really tell us much else…” It was something at least. Better than his drunken sailor’s shape-shifting Sephiroth theory.
“Also found out we’ve got some company. Spotted Cloud Strife… wearing a Shinra military uniform.”
“Fuck… I thought I saw his spiky ass a little while ago.”
“Where do you think the rest of them are?” Elena asked. That was a good question. Reno doubted that the former Solider was here on his own. And if he was hiding in plain sight, disguised as a member of the Shinra troops, odds were good the rest of Avalanche was as well.
“Don’t know… but that’s somethin’ we better tell Tseng sooner rather than later. We’re only s’posed to leave ’em be if they’re not in the way. Kinda sounds like they might be thinkin’ of gettin’ in the way.” He glanced over at Rude. “How ya doin’ after all those shots?”
“… Probably shouldn’t be the one driving Rufus’ car in the parade. Otherwise, I’m good.”
“Five minutes!” a young captain called out. Rufus sighed and shook his head, before climbing into the back of the gray open-top car. It had been a favorite of his father’s for functions like this, and the base commander had all but insisted on using it. In Rufus’ opinion, it was disgustingly old-fashioned.
“We’ll proceed down the main strip to the tram. All you have to do is wave to the crowd, and thank the escort platoons at the end of the route.”
The President snorted softly. “That’s it?”
“Yes, sir,” Lieutenant Commander Nacelle replied. “Tseng and I agreed that things should be kept brief. Assuming no interruptions, the entire procession shouldn’t take more than ten minutes.”
He wasn’t sure if he was disappointed or relieved. When he was younger, he loved the parades. His father had arranged one when he’d been named vice president… and one every year after on his birthday. As he got older, he had complained endlessly about them… but on some level, he still enjoyed the attention. In fact, he was all but certain that was why his father kept insisting on them. Not merely for the publicity, as the man often claimed.
This would be the first one he’d be riding in without him. He quickly decided he was more relieved than disappointed.
“Very well,” he replied. “Let’s get this over with.”
Rufus had had his differences with his father… particularly since that she-witch, Juliet, had gotten her hooks into him a few years back… but he had never thought that he suddenly wouldn’t have the chance to sort things out with him. He regretted much of what had landed him in such a position. He’d been a stubborn, entitled brat, plain and simple. If he’d had just a little more humility, things might have ended differently. But it was much too late now.
“Sir.” Rufus glanced up and found Tseng tucking his shotgun into the car beside him. “If you’re going to insist upon taking a more active role in our pursuit of Sephiroth, I’m going to insist that you get into the habit of being armed at all times.”
“And just how is that meant to protect me from the greatest Soldier Shinra ever produced?”
“It’s not… Sephiroth isn’t the only danger we’re liable to run into,” Tseng cautioned, “Just the biggest.” He slipped into the driver’s seat in front of the executive. A few moments Elena joined him.
“I’m beginning to think you may have more interest in me than the slum rat… You certainly do seem to be going out of your way to be around me lately.”
“Only because I never seem to win the coin toss, sir,” she responded, unperturbed, garnering a slightly surprised look from the Turk leader. Rufus rolled his eyes, but smirked when she turned around. He had to admit, he rather liked her. She was much like the slum rat, but less obnoxiously smug… and a bit more easily flustered. A challenge to goad, but not an impossible one like her precious little redhead.
“Sir, Reno wanted me to tell you that we spotted Avalanche on base,” Elena said, turning to her superior. “Well… Strife, at least. But the rest of them must be here, too. He and Rude are keeping an eye out for them on the street.”
“Noted. I don’t think they’ll bother us, however.”
The car started forward out of the garage, following slowly behind the first two platoons escorting them. As they turned down the main strip, the crowd lining the street cheered.
Neither he nor Rude had been able to spot any members of Avalanche in the crowd… and not for lack of trying. He’d started moving through the throngs of onlookers fifteen minutes ago and covered his side of the street twice now. They were nowhere to be found. Neither, for that matter, was their primary target… which, frankly, was a pretty big relief. Taking on Sephiroth wasn’t exactly at the top of his things-I’m looking-forward-to-doing list. He rather enjoyed being alive.
His attention was drawn to the street as the music picked up, and the first group of soldiers filed past in perfect formation. A near-identical group came next, and then the car carrying Rufus turned the corner and joined them. Reno snickered softly watching the young President waving to the spectators. Judging by the look on his face, he was enjoying himself. The redhead had always known his supposed hatred of these sorts of events was complete bullshit.
He had to hand it to the guy, though… Sephiroth was very possibly still here – could even be targeting him, for all they really knew – and he looked like he didn’t have a care in the world. For a spoiled, rich little pain in the ass, the man had balls.
The car passed by, followed by a small regiment of chocobo-mounted infantry, and then another group on foot. At that point, Reno suddenly found his attention drawn to an alleyway to his left, where a captain in full dress uniform was nervously hissing hushed orders to three soldiers who had accompanied him.
“Oh, man… The base commander is gonna have my head if he finds out we were late… Hurry up! Just slip in at the back of the next formation before anyone notices!”
Reno snickered quietly as two of the soldiers managed to fall in line at the back with relative ease. The third, however, came dangerously close to tripping over his own two feet, and then couldn’t seem to get in step with the rest of the men. He distinctly heard the captain, still back in the alley, groan before hurrying out himself and finding a spot in the parade.
By then, Rufus’ car was more than halfway along the route. The redhead casually pushed his way past the people lining the barricades, making his way toward the tram, where he and Rude would meet up with the rest of them. It took a little longer than he’d expected it to.
By the time he did arrive, Rufus looked extraordinarily pissed off…
“What happened to my airship?” he asked, flatly, eyes narrowed at Heidegger. Reno blinked in surprise… he hadn’t known his department head had decided to come to the parade. Though he probably should have just assumed he would. Heidegger seldom missed an opportunity to suck up to the boss.
“It’s still being prepared, sir. It should be ready in… er… about three more days?” he replied, and laughed nervously. Rufus, on the other hand, didn’t look at all amused.
“What about the Gelnika?”
“It… crashed on a test flight yesterday. It’s at the bottom of the ocean.” More nervous laughter was heard from the man, and Rufus took a rather threatening step towards him.
“Stop that stupid horse laugh,” he hissed. “Things are going to be different than when Father was in charge…”
For the first time Reno had ever witnessed in his entire career as a Turk, Heidegger actually looked cowed.
“The ship, then,” Rufus continued, “Or has that managed to sink itself as well?”
“Uh… Yes, sir. I… uh… I mean no, sir. I’ll have the dock personnel prepare it to disembark as soon as possible.”
“How long?”
“Tomorrow morning, sir.”
Rufus scowled and turned sharply towards the waiting tram car, boarding it without further discussion. Reno caught sight of Elena just beyond the doorway, and she hurriedly waved for him to get on board… but Heidegger attempted to follow the President first, and the angry executive slammed the door shut behind him, effectively locking the man out. Moments later, the tram car started upward, back to the administration building.
“Guess we’re walking,” a familiar voice to his right said, startling him slightly, and leaving him wondering where the hell he’d come from.
“You been takin’ lessons from Tseng or somethin’, partner?”
Rude just smirked.
“Tch… Whatever. Better be quick about it. Mood Rufus is in, he’ll probably be ticked at us next for missin’ the fuckin’ tram.”
“Of all the idiotic, incompetent, useless…”
“Sir… Calm down,” Tseng chided. He was seated calmly at the back of the tram car. “It’s only a minor delay, and it gives us some extra time to plan our next move.”
“I gave that bumbling moron one simple task to complete! Have the Rumah-forsaken airship ready! That was all he had to do!”
“Yes, sir.”
“Sir? Why can’t we just take the helicopter?” Elena asked. Tseng shook his head in the negative.
“Because the executive helicopter doesn’t have the range… It simply wasn’t built for long, trans-ocean flights.”
“And Ifrit forbid any of the base’s helicopters be available,” Rufus spat, angrily. “They’re all out on ‘supply runs’ to other installations. The closest one is in Costa del Sol right now. We’ll have to go and pick it up. Or wait for it to be brought back here. Either way, we won’t be leaving today.”
“Eventually we’ll need something a bit more robust anyway. From the reports I’ve read, the area around the temple is so densely forested, one of our military helicopters wouldn’t be able to land, and they don’t carry enough fuel to continuously hover while we explore the ruins. They would have to find port in Mideel and wait for us to call them back. I don’t like the idea of being stranded in such a place. The Highwind, on the other hand, can stay aloft for weeks at a time. Or the Gelnika Rufus mentioned could have landed on the water at the island’s shore,” the Turk leader added.
The tram shuddered to a halt at the top of the track, and Elena opened the door.
“Ya coulda fuckin’ waited for us,” Reno greeted her, grinning widely, and she jumped in surprise.
“I-I… When… How did you beat us here? You were down on the platform! I saw you you!”
Rufus rolled his eyes as he pushed past the pair and made his way into the building. The redhead, meanwhile, chuckled quietly. The Turk leader disembarked a moment later.
“Reno… I’m quite certain you have been told repeatedly not to –”
“You!” a new voice interrupted, and Tseng turned his attention on the very angry base security chief that was storming towards them. “Exactly how many times do I have to tell you to keep off the transit supports!?”
“Uh oh… Thought she rode up with you guys…” Reno muttered. Viridia openly glared at him, and pointed to the tramway.
“Those supports are not your personal jungle gym. Use the tram or stairs like a normal human being, or I’m revoking your access to the base indefinitely.”
Elena followed the woman’s finger, eying the supports she was referring to. “You climbed that?” she demanded, smacking him soundly in the ribs. “Are you out of your mind?”
“Ow! Geez, ‘Lena… That actually hurt. It’s just a little fun… Come on… I do it all the time,” he replied, dismissively, hands held up placatingly.
“Which you know damn well you’re not supposed to,” Viridia cut in, snapping a pair of handcuffs on him.
“H-hey! What dya think you’re doin’?”
“Placing you under arrest for violating base safety protocols. You can think about all the ‘fun’ you had in one of my detention cells.”
“Boss?” he called back over her shoulder as the lieutenant commander began to drag him off. “Little help?”
“And interfere with Lieutenant Commander Nacelle’s duties? I think not,” the Wutaiian Turk replied with a hint of a smirk. Reno groaned.
“Sir? Can she do that?” Elena asked, concerned.
“As a matter of fact… yes,” Tseng said, smiling openly now. “Viridia has authority even over us in matters of base security.”
She frowned, staring after the redhead.
“Don’t worry. She never keeps him locked up for long. We’ll go and retrieve him for dinner later. It serves him right, anyway… He’s been repeatedly warned not to do that. It’s dangerous.”
Right about then, Rude appeared, exiting the staircase that led upwards from the lower levels of the base, looking slightly winded after his own climb. He took in scene in front of him and listening as the redhead continued to protest even after Viridia shoved him through a nearby doorway. His complaints were finally silenced as the door closed behind them.
“What’d I miss?”
“Ow… ow… ow! Take it easy, will ya?” Reno protested as the woman forced him into the security office and finally released her grip on his arm. She unlocked the cuffs, and pointed to the desk.
“You know the drill by now, I’m sure.”
The redhead sighed. “We really doin’ this?”
Viridia folded her arms across her chest and glowered at him.
“Tch… Fine,” he muttered and started emptying his pockets into the tray. His EMR and side-arm were the first to go, followed by his wallet and lighter, and a few other things. “There. Happy?”
The woman said nothing… simply escorted him to a cell and locked him in. She took a seat at the desk and pulled the tray towards her.
“Ah, come on… You’re seriously gonna log it? You’re letting me outta here in an hour or two anyway… All you’re doin’ is makin’ more work for yourself.”
“And ensuring that this latest infraction is added to your already lengthy record of misconduct on base,” she replied with a smile, picking up a small tablet. “Let’s see what we’ve got today…”
Reno rolled his eyes and took a seat on the cot at the back of the cell. If he’d known she was watching he wouldn’t have made that climb. He’d been in trouble for doing it more times than he could count. Really, the only reason he’d done it this time was to try and get a laugh out of Elena went he beat her to the top. He had a feeling that finding out that new information about Bel’s death earlier had hit her a little harder than she’d let on. He’d only been trying to cheer her up a little.
“One Shinra-issue electro-mag rod…” Viridia stated, extending it with a sharp flick of her wrist.
“You break it, you bought it…”
She snorted a soft laugh, entering the item into her inventory.
“One nine millimeter semi-automatic handgun… with spare clip.”
He laid back, crossing his legs at the ankle, and folded his hands behind his head, watching her through the bars. “Careful with that. Don’t wanna shoot your eye out or somethin’.”
“I think I can handle it,” Viridia shot back. “One beat-up, extremely tacky, silver-plated cigarette lighter.”
“Hey… Fuck you. That was gift.” Lira had given it to him years ago… It had been a present in honor of his being recruited into the Turks. She hadn’t been working for Corneo very long, and didn’t have a lot of cash at the time, so yeah… even being the best she could afford, it was kind of cheap. But it was surprisingly reliable, and it meant a lot to him. Especially now, given that she very well might never speak to him again.
“One PHS. One… ugh… What in Shiva’s name is this?”
Reno raised his head slightly, and laughed. “Heh… yeah. That. Kinda forgot about that.”
“What is it?” she repeated, looking disgusted, as she held up the small plastic bag.
“Ah, relax. They’re just those chocolate covered mini donuts. I brought ’em along for a snack. Looks like they got a little squished. And melty.”
“One bag of… donut remains,” she noted, logging it. Viridia picked up his wallet and opened it. “One brown leather wallet containing one Shinra employee ID card, one credit card… one loyalty card for Pietro’s Pizza, one hundred fifty-seven gil in cash, and… oh, how pretty. One photo of you and a very attractive fellow redhead. Maybe I should show this to your alleged girlfriend.”
Reno snickered loudly. “Look a little closer, Commander. That is my ‘alleged girlfriend’. And I’d appreciate havin’ that back if you’re serious about keepin’ me in here ’til Tseng decides to come spring me.”
She stood and walked over to the cell, photo in hand, and held it out to him… only to snatch it back the moment he reached for it. “Sorry… no contraband in the cells.”
“Fuck, Vir… Why ya so pissed at me today? You’re not usually this vindictive when I break your precious rules…”
“Hmph… Maybe you’ve finally pushed your luck too far, Turk,” she replied, eying him with annoyance. Her expression softened slightly at the pleading look she received in return. “Oh, alright. You can keep the picture.”
She offered it to him again. Reno took it back and settled back on the cot, looking at the image with a faint smile on his face, before tucking it carefully into his breast pocket.
“So… You and the new girl, huh? How’d that happen?” she asked, moving back to her desk and taking a seat at the computer to finish her arrest report.
“Heh… You get off on hearin’ about other people’s sex lives or somethin’? Or just lookin’ for somethin’ new to try with the boss?”
Viridia’s eyes narrowed and she opened her mouth to voice her opinion on that question.
“Yeah, yeah… don’t start screamin’,” Reno hurriedly cut her off, “That was over the line. Sorry.”
“That mouth of yours is going to get you into trouble one of these days,” she warned him.
“One of these days?” he repeated, laughing somewhat incredulously, “Commander, my mouth gets me in trouble constantly. Just ask Tseng. Or Rude. Or ‘Lena. Or… ya know, pretty much anyone who’s known me for more than five minutes…”
“… You’re lucky I don’t entirely hate you,” Viridia replied, with a quiet chuckle she tried to conceal behind a cough.
The redhead sat up again, grinning widely. “You comin’ onto me, Vir? ‘Cause I hate ta break it to ya, but ‘Lena ‘n me are the real deal. I’m not lookin’ anymore.”
“Forgive me if I’m less than convinced,” the security chief said, dryly. “Remind me… just how many times have I caught you in the women’s barracks over the years?”
“Not anywhere near as many times as I’ve actually been inthe women’s barracks…” Reno replied with a lewd smile. “But I’m serious. I’m ‘Lena’s now. Hate to disappoint, but ya missed your chance.”
“Trust me when I say I didn’t ‘miss’ anything. She can have you.”
“Ouch. You really are more pissed at me than usual.”
Viridia sighed and shook her head, finally smiling a little herself. “No… I’m not. I’m just wound up and frustrated. I have three unsolved murders, possibly committed by someone I used to admire, plus a visiting executive and all of the associated security safeguards… plus an obnoxious redhead who is a dear friend of a dear friend, and who insists on pulling idiotic and potentially fatal stunts like free-climbing the tram supports.”
“Aw… You do care.”
“Or maybe I just don’t want to be the one stuck telling Tseng that you managed to turn yourself into a street pancake.”
The redhead had the decency to look chastised at that. “Point taken. I won’t do it again,” he replied, then added with a smirk, “This visit. Can I go now?”
“Absolutely… Just as soon as your commanding officer arrives to sign the release papers. Though given President Rufus’ current mood… that might be awhile.”
“… You sure you don’t hate me?”
“Dwelling on it won’t change the fact that we’re not going anywhere until morning,” Tseng said, setting a cup of tea in front of the President. The younger man sneered at it.
“And that swamp water you call tea won’t improve my mood… no matter how much you swear by it. I really don’t know why you bother.”
The Turk leader chuckled quietly and took a seat in front of the Rufus’ desk. “I still hold out hope that one day you’ll actually try it instead of simply glaring at it every time I offer it to you. A futile hope, perhaps, but stranger things have happened.”
“Don’t you have better things to do? Or have you located my father’s murderer?”
“We’re reasonably certain that Sephiroth is no longer in Junon. And as you seem convinced that his next destination is this Cetra temple, all we can do is wait for transportation to be arranged. It’s frustrating, I realize, but that is the reality of the situation.”
Rufus pushed himself away from his desk and spun his chair slightly to stare out the tall windows of his office. It had once been his father’s office, of course… for those times when his presence was required here for more than a day or two. As soon as he’d been exiled to the military base, Rufus had claimed it as his own domain and had most of his father’s possessions relocated… to a much smaller office down the hall. It had been a bit of petty revenge. If his father had ever noticed the changes, he’d never said anything.
“You miss him.”
The executive didn’t bother turning to look at his bodyguard.
“I hardly knew him. What is there to miss?”
“Remember who you’re talking to, sir. I’m not so easily convinced by that ice-like facade you like to hide behind.”
Rufus’ eyes narrowed, irritated. “And remember who you’re talking to, Tseng. I’m the one who signs your paycheck now.”
“I’ve never done this for the money, and you know it,” the Turk replied in a maddeningly calm voice.
“You don’t frighten me, Rufus. You never have. There’s very little you could take away from me that I would genuinely miss.”
He hated it when Tseng said things like that. Not only because, as much as he hated to admit it, the man was being entirely honest, but also because it made him feel like little more than a petulant child. Tseng could easily walk away from Shinra entirely… and if necessary, probably disappear to so great an effect that even his own Turks could never find him again. The only thing really holding him here was sheer loyalty.
But just because he was right didn’t mean Rufus had to acknowledge it.
“… I can think of at least three things I could take from you that you might find extremely difficult to replace,” he said, coldly. Not that he would ever be foolish enough to try and eliminate the people most dedicated to the company… not to mention his personal safety. But it was high time Tseng learned his place.
The Turk leader leaned forward slightly, his fingers noticeably clenching the armrests of his chair, and the younger man suddenly realized that he’d made a grave mistake.
“Sir… All games aside, I suggest you never legitimately make that particular threat to me. You won’t like my response.”
Elena watched in silence as Rude paged through the folder Tseng had left in his care. Whatever this ‘Jenova Project’ was, it must have been fascinating… He’d been at it for well over an hour now, and in all that time, he hadn’t looked up once.
She, meanwhile, had been unable to focus on much of anything besides the idea of Reno locked away in a cell. Her first impression of Lieutenant Commander Nacelle was shaping up to be an unpleasant one. Granted, the redhead had violated base regulations… and according to Tseng, it apparently wasn’t the first time he’d been caught at it… but he wasn’t really hurting anyone. Surely she could have just let him off with a warning. Or left his punishment up to Tseng. The more she thought about it, the more unfair it had begun to seem. Worse, Tseng had refused to go and ask for him back until after his meeting with Rufus. Unfortunately, that meeting was taking a lot longer than she’d expected it to.
She was really starting to wonder what Tseng saw in that woman… The Turk leader may have been very by-the-book himself, but he wasn’t unyielding. He knew when the rules should be bent… and occasionally even ignored. This security chief, though… one minor infraction and Reno was locked up. She’d just hauled him off like a common criminal.
Right about the time her indignation had reached critical levels, their absent leader finally made his reappearance, and Rude glanced up from his reading.
“Have you learned anything interesting?”
The bald Turk smirked. “Several things. I’ll tell you about them later. Still have a few more pages to get through.”
Tseng nodded and turned to Elena, only to stop short, eying her somewhat warily. “Something on your mind… ?” he asked.
“She’s worse than Reno when it comes to waiting for something. Been pacing for the last hour and a half,” Rude stated. He turned his gaze back on the classified documents, but Elena could still feel him watching her out of the corner of her eye. She glowered at him, but the man ignored it.
“Sir, Reno’s been stuck in the the base’s detention center for almost two hours now!” she lamented, and caught the soft sound of snickering from Rude’s corner of the room. “You know, he never even got to eat lunch… He’s probably starving by now.”
“Elena, I’m quite certain that Viridia feeds her prisoners,” Tseng replied, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. “And I was, in fact planning on heading over to petition for his release right now. I thought you might like to accompany me.”
“Yes, sir.” She sighed in relief as she followed him into the hallway and towards the elevators. She knew how she must sound, but Reno had been through so much lately. And with Lira not speaking to him now… She just didn’t want any more setbacks.
“You don’t need to try and shield him from everything, you know.”
“Yes, sir… I know, but…”
“You can’t help but worry about him.”
“… Yes, sir,” she replied. Sometimes she swore the man really did have the psychic powers the others occasionally joked about. They stepped off of the elevator on the ground floor and Tseng paused for a moment, looking her over somewhat appraisingly.
“He’s very lucky to have found you, Elena. And luckier still to have won you.”
She blushed slightly, and followed him in the direction of the detention center.
“Got any threes?”
“Tch… At this point ya might as well just fuckin’ take ’em all,” the redhead muttered, tossing his remaining hand in her general direction.
Viridia chuckled and gathered up cards. “You’re a terrible loser, you know that?”
“Only when the game’s total shit to begin with. Why the fuck are we playin’ Go Fish anyway? What’s wrong with a little five card draw?”
She shuffled the deck once, and set it aside. “Gambling is prohibited on base. Besides… I’ve already got all your stuff. What are you planning on betting with?”
“What? Never heard of strip poker?” he asked, teasingly.
“I just knew you were going to say that…” Viridia rolled her eyes, and leaned back in her chair. The door behind her opened, and turned to greet the new arrivals. “Well… It certainly took you long enough. I was starting to think you didn’t want him back this time.”
Tseng shook his head as he stepped into the room. “Tempting a prospect as that might be, I don’t think Elena would allow me to abandon him to you and your cell block indefinitely. I’m not entirely certain she’d have allowed for even another hour…”
“Reno!” Elena said with a relieved sigh upon seeing the redhead.
“‘Bout damn time… I wasn’t exactly lookin’ forward to livin’ on bread ‘n water for the rest of my life… And Vir fuckin’ cheats at her shitty little card games.” He grinned and reached through the bars capturing her hand and pulling her closer. “Guess that’s what I get for tryin’ to make you laugh…” Reno lifted her fingers to his lips and lightly kissed each one.
“Next time, just tell me one of your awful jokes,” she said, smiling.
Viridia gently nudged Tseng with her elbow. “You really weren’t kidding about those two, were you?” she said quietly.
“Hmph… Have you ever known me to joke about anything?” he deadpanned, before flashing her a brief smile. “Now… What do I have to do to get my lieutenant back this time?”
“Dinner. In town, at a restaurant of my choosing. You’re paying. And I’m ordering both wine and dessert, so don’t think you’re getting him back on the cheap.”
“A rather steep price, don’t you think? Perhaps I should just let you keep him…”
“Hey!” the redhead shouted from the cell. Tseng chuckled and feigned a defeated sigh.
“Very well… If that’s your price, I suppose I have little choice.”
“Wise decision…” Viridia replied, and pulled a ring of keys from the drawer of her desk before walking across the room and unlocking the cell door. Reno slipped out, and grinning, swept Elena into his arms, lifting her off the ground.
“So… You do know what the first thing a guy wants as soon as he gets outta prison is, don’t you?” he teased, with a suggestive leer.
“I can guess… but in case you’ve forgotten, we’re all sharing a room tonight,” she retorted, laughing. Reno thought about it for a moment.
“I don’t have a problem with that,” he replied a moment later.
“The rest of us do,” Tseng cut in, “Keep joking, and you can spend the night here instead.”
Elena woke to an empty bed… but not a cold one. Wherever Reno had disappeared to, he hadn’t been gone long. She yawned and sat up, rubbing her eyes. It was still early… much earlier than he’d normally be up, and she hoped that it hadn’t been his dreams that had awakened him.
Rude was still sound asleep across the room… though Tseng was nowhere to be seen, either. She’d fallen asleep long before he’d returned from his dinner date. Assuming he had returned, she thought to herself, a small grin turning up the corners of her mouth. She quickly shook her head. Dammit, she was getting to be as bad as Reno…
She pushed aside the covers and swung her legs over the side of the bed, crossing the room silently on bare feet and slipping through the door that led out onto the balcony.
“Mornin’,” a voice greeted her just as she slid the glass door shut behind her, making her jump in surprise.
“There you are! What are you doing out here? Is everything alright?”
The redhead smiled. “Relax… I’m not freakin’ out or anything. Actually slept pretty good, for a change.”
“Then… why are you up so early?”
“Heh… I was just waitin’ to see –” His gaze suddenly shifted to the ground below and he leaned forward over the railing for a better look. His smile widened into a deeply amused grin. “That.” He pointed toward the lone figure making its way across the tarmac in the pre-dawn shadows. “Tries it every damn time…”
“What are you talking about?”
“Tseng,” Reno snickered. “Every time he goes out to ‘dinner’ with Vir, he tries to sneak back in without us realizin’ it the next mornin’. Can’t let him get away with that,now can I?”
Elena giggled, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “That you’ll get up early for, but if I want you to come running with me, I practically have to zap you with your own mag rod to get you out of bed?”
“Yeah… See the difference there is that I enjoy teasin’ the boss. Running… not so much.”
She laughed and crept behind him, arms encircling his waist as she stood on her toes to let her chin rest on his shoulder. “So you really slept alright?”
“Decent. Still had some dreams about Sector 7, but they didn’t involve you gettin’ squashed by the fuckin’ plate at least. Anything else, I can handle…” He twisted in her grip so that he was facing her. “So… enough about my issues and how completely fucked up I am. You lookin’ forward to a nice, long boat ride?”
She couldn’t help but groan. The last time she’d been on one of those huge cargo ships was their mission to Costa del Sol. It had been stormy, and they’d been tossed around relentlessly… She’d felt so sick by the end of it, she kind of never wanted to do it again.
“That a yes?” the redhead teased.
“… I think I’m going to skip breakfast. Just in case.”
~fin~
Comments