Desha's Reno of the Turks Fan Fiction

Chapter 100: Not as it Seems

Reno spent most of his ride back to Junon deeply lost in his own thoughts. Sato had barely even acknowledged him when he’d landed, and the redhead was glad that Remy seemed to be standing by to look after him. He was obviously distraught. And who wouldn’t be? He’d lost one of, if not the most important people in his life.

Reno was feeling pretty distraught about that himself. Saya had been so warm and protective and kind. She’d always been willing to help him out with training. Hell, he’d probably still be a terrible shot without her guidance. And she was never afraid to tell someone off for picking on the “wee rookies”. She somehow had the ability to make a person feel special, even when they screwed up. She was the one who’d taken the time to check on him his first day of work after Sato had blow up Remy’s office and Tseng had yelled at him for not listening to orders… something he’d never forgotten.

And then there was Shay, who, in spite of the fact that he was loaded, was a – mostly – down to earth person and generous to a fault. Reno had only in the last few months felt like he’d really started to get to know the guy… largely owing to the fact that, as one of the younger members of the team, Shay hadn’t really been directly involved in training the rookies until they’d had a good bit of experience under their belts… and even then, it had been for their introduction to materia; training he’d ultimately had to drop. The entire time Reno had known Shay, he’d been in the kind of odd position between rookie and seasoned Turk… pretty much the same place Reno himself was at now. Plus, he’d spent a lot of his time off meeting what he called “social obligations”… which Reno had taken to mean doing the shit rich people were expected to do with other rich people whether they really wanted to or not. Still, he was a cool guy, who deserved better than the fate that had befallen him.

Even Rodney, who had mostly been an asshole towards Reno since day one had deserved better than that. Sure, they hadn’t gotten along so great, but Rodney was still a Turk. Reno could overlook the fact that he was also kind of a prick, under the circumstances. He was pretty sure it was mostly just something between the two of themspecifically, anyway, since no one else really seemed to have a problem with him. And even if he didn’t particularly like the jerk on a personal level, Rodney was good at his job, and the redhead could at least respect him for that. He certainly wouldn’t have wished death on him, at any rate.

Three Turks gone. Another hanging by a thread, if Remy’s suspicions were correct. Reno cringed at the thought of how Rude was gonna react if Tres didn’t make it. Tres’ mentorship of Rude wasn’t quite the same as the relationship that Renohad with Tseng, but he knew the two of them were close. Rude looked up to Tres, and aspired to be as good as he was one day. Losing your hero would be soul-crushing for anyone.

Reno hoped Tres would be alright… and not just for Rude’s sake. He liked the snarky bastard, himself. Tres was the only person on the team that really understood where Reno’d come from, because he’d come from there, too. There were some things that even Rude didn’t quite get about the redhead yet… but Tres did. And he got the distinct impression that there had been a few instances that the senior Turk had pulled his protege aside and explained it to him when he really didn’t get it. Reno was grateful for that.

And as the cherry on top of the fucked up sundae, Tseng and Cissnei were both injured. That cut the team nearly in half. Plus, Sato would probably be sidelined for a little while, too… and with Remy making sure Midgar wasn’t falling apart, it left just four Turks to deal with the current situation in Junon… two of whom had still been rookies not that long ago.

A part of him was terrified that he wasn’t up to the task. Even though he knew better, every once in awhile, old doubts still found a way to creep into the back of his mind. Usually all he had to do was remind himself that Tseng wouldn’t have promoted him if he hadn’t been ready. It was taking a little more effort than usual today, though, with everything that had happened. So many experienced Turks, cut down like nothing. Even if he knew he was ready for more responsibility, he still didn’t feel as though he measured up the the likes of them. But he also knew he had to cut out the bullshit and do his fucking job. People were depending on him. He family was depending on him.

It felt as though no time at all had passed. Before he knew it, the helicopter was landing in Junon. He could see Kai waiting for him near the landing pad. Moments later, he was out of his seat and scrambling for the exit, hurrying to find out where they needed him.

Kai greeted him with an uncharacteristically tight hug before escorting him away from the landing zone.

“Please tell me Remy filled you in before you left…” she said, somewhat pleadingly as they walked, “I’ve already had to break bad news once today…”

“Yeah… She told me. They find Rod yet?” he asked. Kai shook her head.

“No… but the whole area’s a mess and it’s a tight space. They’ve had trouble getting equipment in to move the larger pieces of debris. It’s gonna take awhile,” she said, and then paused, hesitating, “There is one thing I should update you on, though.” She sighed, and closed her eyes for a moment. “We… lost Tres. It happened just a little while ago. Rude was with him.”

“Fuck…” Reno breathed. He’d really hoped she wasn’t going to say that… but he could hear it in her voice before she’d even gotten the words out.

“The good news… comparatively speaking… is that Tseng and Cissnei are doing alright. Cissnei’s already up and hobbling around on crutches… against doctor’s orders, I might add. Tseng’s got some broken ribs and they brought him in with a collapsed lung… and the docs pulled a four foot piece of rebar out of his thigh earlier… but he’s awake. And pissed off, which is typically a good sign. I’d take you in to see him, but… Veld needs all hands on deck.”

“Figured as much,” the redhead replied, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice. He’d have felt a lot better if he could see for himself that Tseng was alright, but for now, he’d just have to take Kai’s word for it. Fuhito and Istev already had a head start on them. The longer they fucked around, the wider the gap between them got.

“I’ll tell him you’re here and worried about him the next time I have a chance to check up on him. You’re with Rude for now,” Kai said, with a nod of understanding. “He’s trying to track our targets’ movements through Tres’ video footage. See how the hell they got in and where they were hiding while they waited to set the bomb. Might tell us where they disappeared to afterward.”

“… How’s Rude doing?” the redhead queried.

“If I knew, I’d tell you. He’s barely said two words since he left Tres’ room… not that he ever says much more than that to begin with. But if I had to guess, I’d say he’s throwing himself into his work to avoid thinking too hard about other things.”

He followed her to the Turks’ temporary headquarters and she let him in before disappearing to see to other matters. Reno had little difficulty locating his friend. He was staring obsessively at a bank of monitors as the played footage from earlier in the day. One showed a man on a rooftop opening fire onto the street below. He could only assume that that’s how Cissnei had ended up taking a bullet. Another showed Istev lingering near the tramway’s main pillar, presumably just before he’d planted the first bomb.

“Hey,” he said by way of greeting. Rude grunted in reply, never taking his eyes away from the screens. “So… I’ll just take that to mean you’d rather work than talk. What do ya need me to do?”

---

Kai had paused for a moment to watch as Junon’s construction personnel finally moved in a large crane to lift the remaining section of wall out of the alleyway. They had things well in had… but a part of her felt that someone from the team ought to be there when they finally reached Rodney’s body, and Veld had his hands full at the moment questioning the delegation from Wutai. No one was quite convinced that the island nation hadn’t arranged this attack… but she had to admit, they were struggling to find a motive.

As the massive slab of concrete slowly began to rise, she wondered if there’d even be anything left of the unfortunate Turkling. There been one occasion during her tenure with Shinra Company that a Turk’s body had been recovered so badly mangled that an the official identification had to be made from dental records. She really hoped this wasn’t going to mirror that experience.

Losing a Turk like that was awful enough. But losing a rookie? It was simply beyond words.

She took a deep breath, readying herself for the worst, as the slab was finally lifted clear… and blinked in confusion. A moment later, she reached for her PHS, hurriedly dialing Veld’s number.

“Sir? I’m at the explosion site. You should get down here, right away…”

---

Reno already felt as though he were going cross-eyed. He’d been watching the footage at high speed, hoping to catch a glimpse of at least one of their targets. Between forcing himself not to blink and the dizzying movement on the screen, it was making him a little queasy. He had no idea how the fuck Rude had been doing the same thing all afternoon without puking.

Kai had been right. Rude did seem to be doing everything in his power to keep himself busy… to the point that his dedication bordered on obsession. The few words he had gotten out of his friend had been curt and laced with anger. Rude was pissed, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out that he wanted Istev’s head on a platter at the moment.

The electronic lock on the hanger door beeped, and Reno paused the video, grateful for the interruption. He turned away from the monitors, rubbing his eyes as Kai and Veld made their way towards them.

“Were the cameras still recording after the bomb went off?” Veld demanded without preamble.

Rude grudgingly paused his own video and looked up.

“Some of them. Most lost power and never came back online. Anything that might have been in a position to catch Istev or Fuhito escaping has been down since the explosion.”

“What about the ones that aren’t?”

“… They’re all on the opposite side of the base, sir. Wouldn’t have seen anything useful.”

“Uh… sir?” Reno cut in, his brow furrowing, “Is… there somethin’ specific we oughta be lookin’ for?”

“Rodney,” Veld replied with a nod, and Reno blinked in shock, “They’ve finally cleared the debris… and there was nothing under it. It seems our dead rookie isn’t quite as dead as we assumed. Which begs the question… where in the nine hells is he?”

“The fuck… ?” the redhead breathed, trailing off. Half a dozen possibilities entered his head all at once. Had Rodney seen where Istev had gone and tried to take him down himself? Had he been taken hostage by the mercenary in the aftermath of the explosion? Had he just fucked off like a goddamn coward and left his fellow Turks lying dead in the street? Was he even still alive, or had his body just ended up somewhere else?

“Check those cameras,” Veld demanded, “Rodney lived in Junon for most of his life before joining the Turks. He knows every inch of this base. If Fuhito and Istev somehow forced him to cooperate after the explosion…”

“We’re on it,” Reno replied, turning to Rude. His fellow Turk hurried to pull up the footage.

---

Tseng sighed and turned his gaze away from the window, instead opting to stare up at the ceiling. The nurse had drawn the curtains several minutes ago, leaving him without the relatively pleasant view he’d been afforded earlier. He was supposed to be be “resting”.

How in Leviathan’s name a person was supposed to “rest” when every little movement and every breathe he took brought with it a stab of pain, he had no idea. The painkillers helped… but only so much. But worse than the physical pain was the knowledge that, though he’d survived the attack, four of his fellow Turks had not.

His initial reaction to that had been pure anger. From the moment he’d arrived, barely conscious, in the base’s medical bay to the moment they put him under for surgery, he’d been furious. His temper hadn’t cooled much at all by the time he awoke.

He’d remained in that frame of mind until Veld had, barely an hour ago, informed him of Tres’ passing. The news had been enough to deflate him considerably, and now he mostly just felt the pain of sorrow for the loss of his fellow Turks.

He had dared to hope that the man would make it on sheer stubbornness alone… but it had been wishful thinking. His injuries had simply been beyond repair. Though he did take some solace in knowing that his friend had at least had the opportunity to say goodbye to his protege. He knew how much Rude meant to him, and how incredibly proud of the young man he’d been.

Had it been him, today… Tesng likely wouldn’t have had such an opportunity. Reno had been in Midgar… or at the very least, still on his way back to Junon… when Tres had finally succumbed. The thought of being taken out without the chance for a farewell disturbed him. Odd that it had never really bothered him before. But then, a lot had change in the last year and a half or so. He had changed.

But not so much that the deaths of such a significant portion of his family didn’t deeply affect him. It was never easy to lose someone, but losing so many at once… It just was as heartbreaking as it had been the last time it had happened.

He, at least, had some experience in that regard. He wished he knew how Reno was faring. The redhead was no stranger to death, of course… but the last time the Turks suffered such a high number of casualties, he hadn’t yet been recruited. This was far different from when Aaron had been killed… or Luca. He wished he could be there for his former rookie.

He wouldn’t have minded the reassurance of having him nearby, as well. Tseng was trying not to worry about his young protege, but the reality was that the rest of the team was actively tracking two very dangerous men. He had a feeling he was going to be more than slightly on edge until he saw for himself that the redhead was safe and sound.

“You’re supposed to be resting…” a voice announced from the doorway.

“You’re supposed to be working,” he countered, though it was with the hint of a somewhat sad smile on his lips. Viridia snorted softly and stepped fully into the room.

“I’ve already been on duty so long at this point, that I’m actually required to take an hour break. How are you feeling?”

“Viridia… you do not simply ask someone who was just blown up how they are feeling,” he answered, dryly. “I’m… alive. And as well as can be expected, otherwise, I suppose.”

She nodded in understanding. “I heard about the others. I’m so sorry, Tseng. I just… don’t understand how this could have happened. Security was airtight. I made sure of it, personally.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” he replied, “Fuhito has proven… extraordinarily… resourceful in the past. He’s made a living off of it for years, in fact. I don’t know how he and Istev made it onto the base, either. But my team will find out.” He hesitated for a moment before glancing up at her. “You… haven’t by any chance see Reno lately… have you? Veld said he’d be summoning him back to Junon to help with the investigation…”

Viridia shook her head. “Not really. I caught a glimpse of him when the helicopter dropped him off, but I think they put him straight to work, and I had my own duties to attend to at the time.”

“Will you do me favor?” he asked.

“Of course I will… what?”

“If you happen to cross his path before I do, will you tell him not to worry about me? Because I know he will, and I’d prefer he not be distracted with unimportant details. I’m fine and well taken care of.”

Viridia chuckled softly. “I’ll certainly give him the message… but if you really think he could ever consider you an ‘unimportant detail’, you must havetaken a harder hit in that explosion than the doctors thought. You’re clearly delusional.”

---

“I don’t fucking believe it…” Reno said peering over Rude’s shoulder at the video monitor. The other Turk wordlessly ran the video back and played the sequence again… for the third time now. Reno shook his head. “That son of bitch.”

They still hadn’t spotted Istev or Fuhito. But Rodney… oh, they damn sure had found Rodney. Surprisingly unsquished, and looking more than a little paranoid. Reno watched as the rookie Turk crossed the screen again, worriedly looking over his shoulder every few seconds before disappearing into the crowd. The footage had been recorded almost a full eight minutes after the bomb had gone off, and came from a camera positioned halfway across the base, near the tram.

“Where the fuck’s he goin’?” Reno wondered aloud. Rude switched to a different view. A moment later, Rodney appeared on the left side of the screen.

“Looks like he’s heading towards the officers’ quarters.” He switched to yet another camera. The feed clearly showed the rookie walking briskly across a courtyard and into once of the buildings that housed higher ranking officers and their families.

“The hell?” Reno muttered, as he watched, “Uh… Rod’s dad is like… some kinda general or somethin’ right?”

“Colonel. And if your next question is where does he live on base, the answer is right there,” Rude ground out, “I know because Veld had me look up which apartment so he could tell him in person what happened to Rodney.”

Reno shook his head. “What the ever-livin’ fucks’ goin’ on here?” he breathed, in vague disbelief, “So… Rod somehow survives gettin’ blown up. But then, instead of stickin’ around to help, he runs home to daddy? Who, apparently, decides to just not mention that his dead kid ain’t dead when Veld shows up to break the news?”

Both Turks were silent for a moment. It was Reno who finally spoke.

“You thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’?

“… Depends,” Rude replied, a cold note in his voice, “Are you thinking that maybe we ought to see what Rodney was up to before the explosion?”

“Yeah. That’s definitely what I’m thinkin’. You pull up the video. I’ll let Veld know what we found.”

---

“Have you been able determine where he went from there?” Veld asked. Reno could plainly hear the anger in his voice as the evidence against Rodney mounted. He and Rude hadn’t found any additional footage of the rookie Turk after he entered the officers’ quarters… but they’d certainly found plenty of it from the night before.

The bastard had been sneaky about it… but he hadn’t been able to avoid all of Tres’ cameras. Apparently, according to Rude, his mentor had placed most of them in plain sight… but had made a point of making sure that several were much harder to spot if you didn’t know to look for them. Rodney hadn’t been privy to that information… so as careful as he’d been, he’d still gotten himself caught on camera more than once.

It had been Reno’s idea to go back all the way to the overnight shift the rookie had shared with Shay. Just a feeling he’d had. Sure enough, it had been Rodney who’d taken patrol duty while his partner had remained in the command center watching the monitors. For awhile, there had been nothing out of the ordinary. But just before two in the morning, near the end of his shift, he’d made an inexplicable detour towards the base’s elevator.

What had happened after that detour was patchy, as the young Turk was actively avoiding the cameras he knew about… but they could very clearly see him approaching the elevator, and attacking the two guards before typing something into the access panel near the doors. He then pulled his PHS from his jacket and made a call. Several moments later, the elevator doors opened, and two dark figures strode out onto the base. They drug the bodies of the two soldiers into the elevator and, though it was difficult to tell from the angle, Reno surmised that they sent it back down to Lower Junon… probably to someone waiting down below to hide the bodies, given that none had been found or reported.

The newcomers were just as careful to avoid the cameras as Rod had been… and there were no clear shots of either man’s face… but there was no doubt in the room as to who they were. Who the hell else could they be but Fuhito and Istev?

“Far as I can tell, he finished his patrol and returned to the command center just in time for Saya and Cissnei to take over,” Rude stated. “He went straight to his quarters once his shift ended, and didn’t leave again until morning.”

Veld pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, before angrily turning to Kai.

“Kai… inform base security that we have a traitor in our midst. Have them search his father’s quarters. If Rodney has any sense of self preservation at all, I doubt he’s still there, but it’s somewhere to start at least. Have security detain Colonel Galena, as well. I don’t want him mysteriously vanishing the same way his son has until we’re certain he’s not involved.”

Traitor. They’d all been thinking it, of course, but hearing Veld actually say it… Reno didn’t want to believe it. Rodney was a definitely a douchebag… but a traitor? What in Ifrit’s name could have driven him to something like that? He had to know he’d eventually be found out.

And he had to know what the Turks would do to him for it…

---

“No… You’re… You’re wrong. Rodney wouldn’t do something like this,” Cissnei firmly insisted to Reno. He and Rude had been ordered to take a break and go and get something to eat. Rude, however, had opted to remain in the hanger, still going over the recorded footage, and asked him to bring him something back. The redhead hadn’t tried to dissuade him. His friend seemed to be on a mission to find the clue that would lead them to Fuhito and Istev… and now, to Rodney, as well.

So, he’d gone of in search of the team’s remaining rookie to keep him company. He’d figured that Cissnei could probably use the distraction, anyway. She was mobile, with the help of a pair of crutches… but Veld had refused to put her to work, even on light duty, until a doctor signed off on it.

Reno sighed softly. “I know he’s you’re friend ‘n all… but Cissnei, we got him on video takin’ out two guards ‘n lettin’ those fuckers onto the base. It’s pretty fuckin’ cut ‘n dry.”

“There has to be another explanation. There just… there has to be!” she replied, and even though by all appearances she seemed adamant initially, Reno could hear the doubt creeping in. “I just… I don’t understand. It doesn’t make any sense,” she said at last, shaking her head. “Why? Why would he betray us like that?”

“I don’t know. I mean… he did say some shit about Wutai gettin’ off easy with this treaty, but…” he said, at a loss for once, “You probably knew him better than anyone else on the team… Can you think of anything?”

Cissnei scowled slightly. “I can only think of one thing more important to Rod than being a Turk. His dad. But even then… the Colonel is a decorated military hero. He wouldn’t betray Shinra any more than…” She paused, appearing to rethink her words. “I was going to say any more than Rodney would, but… that might not be the best comparison, under the circumstances.”

Reno arched an eyebrow. “You sure about that?” he queried, “‘Cause I’m not so sure Veld is. He told Kai to have Rodney’s dad detained.”

---

Kai watched unsympathetically as Junon security guards escorted one Colonel Horatio Galena out of his quarters and across the base for questioning. The colonel strode forward defiantly, his head raised high even as the soldiers had him in handcuffs and under heavy guard. She turned to her left as someone approached her from behind.

“I don’t know whether to hope you’re right about this, or hope you’re dead wrong,” Lieutenant Commander Nacelle said. “The man is a war hero, and highly respected. If it turns out you’re wrong, top brass is going to give me an ass-chewing I’ll never forget. And if you’re right, I’m still liable to get my ass chewed out for letting the Turks one-up me on catching him in the act.”

Kai smirked slightly.

“Sounds like you should’ve taken us up on our offer to join awhile back,” she replied, and Viridia snorted a soft laugh in spite of the present situation, “But we know his son is somehow involved. And honestly… I don’t think Rodney would try something like this on his own. He’s too by the book. Whoever put an idea like this in his head would have to have had a voice that carries a lot of weight with him. Veld thinks his father is the most likely candidate, and I learned a long time ago not to doubt Veld’s hunches.”

There was, after all, a reason that Veld commanded the respect he did from his team. He was born for the job. Even his predecessor didn’t compare, and that was no slight against the former head of the Turks. It was merely a statement of fact. If Veld said jump, his Turks were only too happy to ask how high. And if Veld said he suspected someone of betraying the Company… well… that person was to be considered a traitor until proven otherwise be they a nameless office grunt, a decorated military colonel… or even a fellow Turk.

Still… discovering that Rodney was directly responsible for the bombing had come as a shock to them all. She was torn. She’d helped to train Rodney. She’d grown to like him and consider him family. To know that his actions had resulted in the deaths of three of the people she was closest to in the world, and serious injuries to two others, was devastating.

A part of her hoped that he would simply disappear and they’d never see or hear from him again. At least then, she didn’t have to think about the alternative… because if and when they caught up to him, Rodney’s life would be forfeit. She had no illusions about that. She just wasn’t quite certain how she felt about it.

One thing she did know… she didn’t want to be the one sent after him. There were a lot of things she could stomach. She could torture information out of a subject with hardly a second thought. She could accept the deaths of people she’d come to know and love and live with the possibility of it happening again and again. But Kai wasn’t sure she could hunt down a fellow Turk, and a rookie at that, and still be able to sleep at night. Not even one who’d betrayed them all. Even she had limits.

She was sure that at least some of the others would feel differently. Rude, in spite of his overall quiet and observant demeanor, was likely silently chomping at the bit to avenge his fallen mentor. And she was sure Sato wouldn’t think twice about ending a traitor after losing his beloved cousin to his actions.

“Are you planning on joining me for the interrogation?” Kai asked after a brief silence. Viridia nodded.

“Command has demanded it… not that they could stop the Turks from kicking me out if you really wanted to.”

“Well, in that case… Let’s get to it, then, shall we?”

~end chapter 100~