Desha's Reno of the Turks Fan Fiction

Chapter 19: Kalm and Chaos

Reno was practically out of his seat before the helicopter had even landed in the wide open plains just outside of Kalm. The little town looked like something right out of a children’s storybook, and for some reason he just desperately needed to see it up close… if only to prove to himself that it was real. In the distance, he saw several people making their way towards the Turks’ landing site.

“Ah… our escort,” Tseng commented, as he shut down the engines and stood, moving to the back.

“We need an escort?”

“Unless you wish to carry this into town yourself,” the Turk second responded with a slight smirk. “We’ll turn over the regulator, and accompany it to the reactor as additional security. Then… our job is done.”

“… That’s it?” the redhead asked, not quite able to keep the disappointment out of his voice. He’d been hoping to see more of the village than just the stupid reactor. Tseng gave a quiet laugh.

“That’s all we’re here for, yes,” he replied, “… But… we have no pressing need to return immediately. You will have ample opportunity to look around a bit before we leave.”

Reno grinned, and quickly joined his mentor, intent on helping him to prepare the core regulator for the next leg of its journey. Tseng, however, waved him off.

“We do nothing, however, until we have verified their security clearance,” he cautioned, and reached for the EMR that was clipped to Reno’s belt. He gave it a flick, extending it to it’s full length, and handed it back to the rookie. “You will be backing me up… just in case.”

Reno lightly fingered the tiny control panel on the rod’s handle. Tseng had introduced him to the weapon barely a month ago… and he’d quickly grown attached to it. Somehow, it suited him. The EMR seemed to play to his strengths… it’s was all but made for people who were light and fast, providing a powerful punch of electricity that balanced out his lack of physical strength. It was a close range weapon that still let him keep some distance between himself and his opponent, giving him room to maneuver and move in for an attack, or retreat and regroup.

So much so, he’d even taken a little bit of revenge on Kai during a sparring match for sending him through the gauntlet. She’d spent the rest of the day rather obviously avoiding anything that required her to sit down after that.

Tseng slid open the door and climbed out to speak with the new arrivals, while Reno hung back, doing his best impersonation of a threatening individual. He was pretty sure no one was buying it.

Finally, however, Tseng seemed satisfied that the group was, in fact, the people they were supposed to be meeting and motioned them toward the helicopter. Reno scrambled out of the way as they collectively hauled the regulator out of the aircraft, and hefting it between the four of them started back toward town with the two Turks in tow.

“So… That’s really all we came for?” Reno asked as they reached the reactor near the center of the village. Tseng chuckled softly as the transfer paperwork was signed and handed back to him.

“I told you this was only a minor assignment. More a nuisance than a mission, really,” he replied, smirking, “Just what were you expecting?”

The redhead shrugged. “I dunno. Guess I just always thought Turks handled… ya know… exciting shit. All I’ve done for the last month is spend most of my day in the gym, and now I’m a delivery boy.”

Tseng placed a hand on Reno’s back and guided him away from the reactor.

“You are a rookie. You don’t get to do the ‘exciting shit’ until you’ve got a little more experience and training under your belt. Don’t be so impatient.”

“Tch… How am I s’posed to get any actual experience if I just spend all my time training?”

“For today… by being a delivery boy,” Tseng replied, smiling. “Now, let me show you around a bit. Kalm tends to live up to its name… it can be a very relaxing place to visit.”

---

“Just what are yeh doin’ now, yeh pain in the arse?” Saya asked, rolling her eyes as she walked into the office she shared with her cousin. Sato was fiddling with some sort of electronic board… and in her experience, that never boded well for anyone within a fifty foot radius. It usually resulted in something exploding.

“Nothin’ that concerns yeh, cousin mine,” he replied with a grin. He snapped the board into place on a narrow metal box and flipped a switch. The device beeped twice, ominously, and then shut down.

“Whatever that is, it better not be armed…” she muttered, taking a seat at her desk. “I swear ta Odin, if yeh end up settin’ my paperwork on fire again…”

Sato snickered and tucked his creation into a gym bag, setting it off to one side of his own desk. “Aw, don’t get yer panties in a bunch. It’s just a wee surprise fer our dear little Kai. Ta thank her fer foistin’ off that trip ta Fort Condor on us last week.”

Saya rolled her eyes. “Yeh were the one that volunteered us when she asked, yeh idiot.”

“Aye… but Kai dinnae mention that we’d be there eatin’ those damn field rations fer two days straight.”

“Well, don’t yeh expect me ta rescue yeh when Tseng decides ta finally beat some sense inta that fool head of yers…”

Sato let a wide grin steal across his face.

“Ah, but yeh see… there’s the genius bit ‘o this little joke. Kai’s still on Tseng’s shitlist after what she did ta the newbie. I’d be willin’ ta bet he’ll… uh… look the other way a bit. Just this once.”

Saya snorted derisively and turned her attention back to the report she needed to file. Trust Sato to come up with something like that. Though she had to admit… Kai and Tseng had been a little cold toward one another since the woman had taken it upon herself to introduce Tseng’s rookie to the gauntlet ahead of schedule. Not that she could really blame Tseng for being upset… Reno hadn’t done anything to deserve that sort of punishment. She’d been a little ticked at Kai, herself, truth be told. Saya liked the little redhead, and seeing him so pulverized that day had brought out the mother hen in her.

He was a sweet little thing… if, much like Sato, a bit impulsive. She hoped that Tseng would get him trained out of that trait after awhile. One Sato on the team was more than enough. In the meantime, though, she was content with helping out with his training whenever needed. The kid was shaping up to be a competent fighter. He was good at anticipating his opponent’s moves, which helped to make up for his overall lack of skill, experience, and physical strength.

Saya leaned back and stretched. It was going to be a slow day… she could just feel it. Well… at least she had Sato’s latest creation to look forward to. That would certainly inject some excitement into an otherwise boring afternoon.

Without warning, a loud boom shook the corridors of Turks headquarters, causing both Turks to jump violently. The rumbling went on for several seconds, and Saya grabbed for the small lamp on her desk, catching it before it fell to the floor. When it finally stopped, she stared at her cousin accusingly.

“What in the nine hells have yeh gone ‘n done now?!” she exclaimed. Sato shook his head in denial.

“Wasn’t one o’ mine, I can promise yeh that!” The pair were on their feet moments later, rushing into the hallway. They met Veld and Luca in the hallway.

“I wasn’t me!” Sato declared, as they approached. “I swear!”

“I know. It’s the number six reactor,” Veld quickly informed them. “It’s… bad. Very bad. All Turks are on standby to assist with search and rescue operations.”

“What’s happened?” Saya asked. Veld shook his head.

“I don’t know yet. But Luca and I saw the explosion from the lounge. There’s… almost nothing left of the reactor itself. And the Sector Six plate has visibly shifted. Meeting room in twenty. I’m going to see if I can get some additional information from Heidegger.”

“Yes, sir,” the twins chorused.

---

Tseng was right… Kalm certainly seemed to live up to its name. The people were friendly, the streets were tranquil, and a soft, cool breeze blew in from the ocean to the north. Reno wasn’t quite sure if he loved it or was slightly creeped out by it. Or possibly both. It was so very different… nothing like Sector Two. Nothing like the Plate, either, for that matter. After awhile, he decided that Kalm was a nice place to visit… but he didn’t think he could stand living there. It was just too… quiet. He liked the constant bustle of the city.

They’d stopped at a little cafe near the center of town, and were presently enjoying a quick snack at one of the tables outside. Tseng had insisted, apparently still somewhat beholden to Ward’s command to feed his his rookie in spite of his protests the previous day.

“So… this place is a mining town… right?” Reno asked around a bite of his chicken salad sandwich.

“Yes. The miners work the Mythril Mines to the south, as well as a few quarries and materia veins east of here. I plan on taking you to Junon at the next available opportunity. You’ll be able to see it from the air. The entrance, at any rate.”

“Ya know, it’s weird. I don’t think I ever actually realized how fuckin’ big the world really is ’til now. Can I ask ya somethin’?”

“Of course.”

“How much of it have you seen?”

Tseng chuckled softly. “Quite a lot. I was born in Wutai, so I am intimately familiar with my homeland. As a Turk I’ve been to many more places.”

“Like Rocket Town?”

“Yes… Why?”

The redhead shrugged. “Just curious. Rude’s from Rocket Town.”

“I’m quite certain you’ll have the opportunity to visit one of these days. Though to be honest, Rocket Town isn’t the most entertaining of locations. Unless you happen to be very interested in space exploration or aeronautics.”

“Heh… That’s kinda what Rude said, too. Still kinda wanna see it, though.” He grinned suddenly. “But ya know where I really wanna go some time?”

“I would venture to guess Costa del Sol,” Tseng replied, smiling. “That seems to be the destination of choice these days.”

Reno paused, considering for a moment, but shook his head. “Wouldn’t mind that, too… but I really wanna see the Gold Saucer. Seen commercials for it on TV all my life. Never thought I might have the chance to actually go one day…”

Tseng groaned faintly. “I think I would almost prefer Rocket Town,” he replied. “That place is far too… flashy… for my taste.”

“Flashy sounds good to me,” the redhead snickered.

“Of course it does…” Tseng sighed, but smiled indulgently. “Well… perhaps once you’ve accrued some vacation time you can –”

Before he could finish, a deep, reverberating boom seemed to echo across the plains. The people on the streets of Kalm stopped in their tracks, urgent queries as to what had happened buzzing in the air.

“… Tseng,” Reno breathed, pointing behind him, in the direction of Midgar, his eyes wide. The senior Turk twisted in his seat, and had no trouble spotting what had caused his young rookie such concern. A black pillar of smoke was rising from the city. Tseng frowned and stood up.

“I’m afraid we’ll be cutting our visit short,” he said. A moment later, his PHS began to ring.

---

The helicopter flew high over the remains of the Number Six reactor. Tseng kept them at a safe distance… close enough to get a look at the damage, but far enough out to avoid any potential mako contamination. And the damage was certainly extensive. Though much of the structure was still obscured in thick, black smoke, it was readily apparent that a good portion of the reactor was simply… gone.

More worrying, however, was the precarious angle at which a large section of the unfinished Plate now rested. Teams were already working to secure the central portion, but closer to the edge, the danger of mako poisoning was too great to send in crews from Urban Development. Veld had told him that the centermost quarter of Sector Six – where the damage was minimal – was currently being separated from the rest of the massive structure, just in case of collapse.

Aaron, Remy, Tres, and Rude had already been dispatched to Wall Market to evacuate the area into neighboring sectors. The rest of the Turks, with the exception of Tseng and Reno, who were in the air, as well as numerous members of Soldier, were dispersed around the damaged Sector, as close to ground zero as they could safely get, helping to remove survivors from the danger zone.

Reno had tried a number of times already, and failed, to get ahold of Lira. He couldn’t help but worry about her. Thankfully, she was in Wall Market, and not the outer sections of the Sector Six slums… but still. If the pillar went, the Plate would drop. And if the Plate dropped, no one was getting out of there alive. He stomach twisted nervously as he tucked his PHS back into his jacket.

Lira was smart. She wouldn’t stick around the Market after word of what had happened started to spread. He just hoped she didn’t get caught in the panicked rush to flee that had to be going on down their right about now. Hopefully, she’d high-tailed it over to Five or Seven before the mass exodus had started.

“Reno… We’re going to be picking up injured. I need you in the back keeping things organized. We’re going to try to get as many people back there as possible,” Tseng suddenly said, interrupting his train of thought. The redhead nodded, and unstrapped himself, clambering into the cargo section of the aircraft. Tseng circled a small park in Sector Five and set down. The helicopter was suddenly rushed by the waiting crowd, and Reno watched somewhat in shock as they had to be forced back by Shinra personnel. He thought he briefly spotted Kai amongst those working crowd control, but she quickly disappeared from sight.

A moment later, she didn’t matter. People were being brought forward, some on stretchers, some staggering with help from rescuers, and Reno soon had his hands full trying to shuffle them into the cramped space of the helicopter. He somehow managed to get eleven on board before conceding that there was just no more room and hauled the door shut. Those who hadn’t made it inside banged on the metal paneling in desperation.

“Tseng! That’s all we can take!” he reported over his headset, swallowing nervously against the adrenaline rush that was telling him that they needed to get the hell out of there before they got swarmed.

“Understood.”

The copter lifted off again, and the redhead found himself able to breathe again at last, safely soaring above the chaos. Tseng headed straight toward Midgar General, and as they approached the large building near the city center, Reno couldn’t help but wonder just how many trips this was going to take…

---

“Stay close, rookie. Don’t want you gettin’ lost in this mess,” Tres said, and Rude was only too happy to oblige. Aaron and Remy had already broken off from them and started herding people towards Sector Seven. He and Tres were directing the flow of foot traffic into Sector Five.

“Rude!?” a voice suddenly called out, and the young Turk turned toward the source of the sound. It didn’t take him long to spot the one familiar face in the sea of panic… she was still wearing one of the Honeybee Inn’s signature bee costumes… and when he did, he took on the risk of distancing himself from his current partner and making his way over to her. A moment later, Lira had her arms wrapped tightly around him. “Is Reno okay?” she asked, “No one can get any cell service right now. Someone said it’s because the reactor’s leaking so much mako!”

“… He’s fine. He’s topside, with Tseng.”

The woman breathed a heavy sigh of relief, and released him, smiling gratefully.

“When you see him, could you tell him I’m okay, too? And that I’m heading to Sector Five and not to worry?”

Rude nodded.

“Thanks,” she replied, and waved before rejoining the stream of evacuees. “Be careful out there!”

A hand clamped down on Rude’s shoulder before he could call anything after her.

“Hmph… Been havin’ a little fun in the slums without me lately, eh, rookie?”

“… She’s a friend of Reno,” he responded, more than slightly embarrassed by the implication. The last thing he needed was for his fellow Turks to start thinking he made a habit of visiting the local brothels. Tres shook his head and chuckled.

“Man… that kid sure gets around. Anyway… Socialize later. We got a lot of people to wrangle.”

Several screams were heard from the crowd, and without much more warning than that, an all-out stampede started, as the the people rushed for the Sector Five gate. A moment later, Rude realized why. The Pillar was beginning to buckle.

A large section of the towering support broke away, crashing into the slums below. It was well outside of Wall Market, in the residential area, but if it gave way… everything else was coming down with it.

“Ah, fuck. Move it, Rude! They’re not payin’ us nearly enough to get turned into pancakes!”

The rookie found himself being dragged into the current, and had to work to stay in Tres’ wake as the senior Turk elbowed his way through until they were safely within the confines of Sector Five. The pair made their way back, away from the refugees, and could only watch as more and more of the pillar began to break off. Tres let out a low whistle as a particularly large piece crumbled.

“That fucker’s comin’ down any second now. This is gonna be bad. Come on. Let’s find some cover.”

They took shelter behind the stone walls of what Rude was fairly certain had once been a small cottage. Only two of its walls still stood, but what remained was surprisingly solid. Something high above them creaked loudly, and then the pillar broke entirely. Tres pulled him down into the juncture where the two walls met, and moments later there was an earsplitting series of crashes and rending of metal, and suddenly a cloud of dust enveloped them. Rude coughed harshly in the suffocatingly thick air, and covered his nose and mouth with his sleeve, trying to breathe through the fabric. It didn’t help much, and soon, his eyes were stinging, too. All around him were the sounds of destruction and terror.

---

“Holy fuck…” Reno breathed, peering out through the cockpit’s windshield. Tseng, though he certainly must have heard him over the headset, said nothing. The Plate had just… disappeared. No warning. It had just dropped out of sight and was gone. Seconds later, a massive cloud of dust erupted from where it had once been.

He turned his gaze toward the center of the Plate. The detached section of Sector Six was still in place… barely a quarter of it’s expanse. The rest was now a twisted wreck on the ground far below. Shinra had protected Wall Market, the redhead suddenly realized. Which, he supposed, made sense in a sick way. The redlight district was popular with the denizens of the Plate. And from what he’d overheard from conversations before the daily meetings, Shinra Company had a couple of fingers in that particular pie as well.

And he found himself undeniably grateful for that just then. Because if Wall Market was safe, then Lira was safe.

“Tseng,” a new voice interjected over the radio, and it took Reno a moment to recognize it as Veld. “I need you down below. Emergency extraction.”

“Yes, sir… We’re on our way,”the Turk lieutenant responded.

“What’s goin’ on?” Reno asked, and Tseng shook his head grimly.

“… Someone’s hurt,” he replied as the aircraft darted into the chasm left by the fallen sector.

“Tch… Lot of people are hurt.”

“One ours is hurt,”Tseng amended. Reno felt his stomach drop. There were four Turks down below. Rude was one of them…

~end of chapter 19~