Desha's Reno of the Turks Fan Fiction

Chapter 20: Loss

Reno watched mutely as the helicopter dropped down into the slums. Tseng took them under the damaged Plate, directly over Wall Market, and the redhead hoped that the guys up top had the damn thing secure… because there was fuck all holding it up from down below anymore.

The devastation was unbelievable. Though the Market was safe enough, the outlying districts had been virtually obliterated. Twisted steel and broken concrete was all that was left. Smoke rose in a few places, and showers of sparks intermittently erupted in the distance. The air was still thick with dust from the collapse, making it hard to see.

The gate leading over to Sector Seven eventually came into view, and Tseng took them down, landing just outside of a little playground. Hundreds of people lingered just beyond the gate Reno spotted someone waving frantically from the ground. It took him a moment to recognize the figure as Remy.

“Stay with the helicopter,” Tseng commanded. “If anyone gets too close, fire a warning shot into the air. If they don’t turn back… shoot them. We can’t afford to be overrun.”

Reno blinked in surprise at the unforgiving order, but nodded. He supposed he understood. Panic made people do stupid things… and they were no good to anyone if a bunch of idiots managed to commandeer the copter. Still… it seemed awfully heartless.

Tseng slipped out of his harness, and Reno did the same. The redhead crouched beside the door and drew his gun as the Turk lieutenant hopped out and sprinted toward the other Turk. He saw Remy shake her head, and gesture at something on the ground. They spoke for a few seconds, and then the woman was running for the aircraft, her arm clutched tightly to her chest. As she approached, Reno saw the blood mingled with dirt on her now-pale face. Her shirt, too, was stained bright red, and her hand was bundled up tightly in her jacket.

Reno reached out and helped to pull her inside, settling her in one of the seats in the back before turning his attention back to the open door. By the, Tseng was there as well, a heavy burden in his arms. The rookie’s breath caught in his throat as he realized what it was.

Tseng’s expression was grim as he laid the body on the floor of the helicopter and climbed in after it, pulling the door shut behind him. Aaron was motionless, his eyes closed, and Reno looked up at his mentor not daring to ask. He didn’t have to. Tseng shook his head and shrugged out of his jacket, placing it over the fallen Turk’s face, before returning to the pilot’s seat.

The redhead sank back against the side of the craft, sliding to the floor.

He’d barely known the man. Aaron seemed to spend a significant portion of his time in Junon and Fort Condor and Kalm, rather than hanging around the Turks’ headquarters in Midgar. Large and intimidating in appearance, he’d turned out to be both friendly and patient with the rookie the few times Reno had gotten to train with him. Like Remy, hand to hand combat had been his specialty…

Reno glanced over at Remy, whose somewhat blank gaze was locked on the man. By all appearances, the two of them had spent most of their time butting heads… but he doubted that she’d actually disliked her teammate.

The helicopter rose steadily, cresting over the edge of the Plate, and heading straight for Midgar General. He wasn’t sure what the hurry was. Aaron was already dead. It wasn’t as if a few minutes would make a difference. It was only when Remy’s arm dropped limply to her lap that he realized that Aaron wasn’t the only reason they were going there.

The redhead clambered to his feet and knelt down beside her. The woman was unresponsive and breathing shallowly.

Reno tentatively unwrapping the fabric from around her hand… and quickly rewrapping it when the blood began to gush. He clamped down on the injury, applying pressure.

“Hey, Tseng?!” he called out, worried, “… I don’t think she’s doin’ so well…”

He felt vaguely ill. He wasn’t sure what had happened, but in the brief glimpse he’d had of her hand, he was fairly certain that a finger or two had been missing.

“We’re nearly there…” Tseng replied, and Reno couldn’t help but wonder if that was meant to reassure him or the Turk lieutenant himself. Minutes later, they were descending again, landing on the roof of the hospital with a gentle bump. Almost immediately, the door was hauled open and the cramped space invaded by medical personnel, who quickly took over for the redhead and carried the unconscious woman out, laying her on a gurney. Reno watched as Remy disappeared into the building. A second crew soon carted Aaron away behind her.

“Reno… The door…” Tseng prodded him, startling him from his shocked stupor.

“R-right…” the rookie murmured in reply and robotically slid it shut. He glanced back. Blood had pooled on the floor, both where Aaron had been, and next to Remy’s seat. It was on his hands. His clothes. He swallowed harshly wiped his palms on his thighs before making his way back up to the cockpit, reclaiming the copilot’s seat.

“Are you alright?” the Wutaiian Turk asked, as he sent them airborne again.

“… Yeah.” Truthfully, he wasn’t. He was a long way from alright. Somehow, though, he couldn’t bring himself to admit that to Tseng.

---

The sun had set before the Turks had finally been recalled from the rescue efforts, as relief from Junon began to arrive. No longer needed on the ground or in the air, most of them had returned to headquarters for updates and a quiet place to rest. Reno was laying on one of the couches in the lounge, staring up at the ceiling.

“… Hey.”

The redhead lifted his head, and glanced over at the source of the greeting.

“Hey,” he replied.

Rude strode inside, looking exhausted, and the redhead hurried to make room for him on the couch.

“… Is it true?” he asked.

“… Yeah,” Reno replied, quietly. “Haven’t heard anything ’bout Remy yet, but Aaron… He was gone before me ‘n Tseng even got there.”

“…” The bald Turk sat down beside him, and ran a hand over his scalp, shaking his head. After a moment he looked up again. “Saw Lira. She says to tell you she’s okay. Made it into Five before things got bad.”

“Oh, thank Ifrit,” the redhead sighed, relieved. “I’ve been tryin’ to get ahold of her off ‘n on for hours now. Fucking reactor’s leakin’ too much mako to get a decent signal.”

“Tres says they’ll have that under control by morning.” Rude sighed and got up. “Gonna grab something from the cafeteria. You coming?”

“Nah… Not feelin’ real hungry at the moment.” He was having a hard time getting the image of Aaron’s lifeless body out of his head. And when he finally did manage to do so, it soon was replaced by Remy and her mangled hand. Between the two of them… no. He definitely wasn’t in the mood to eat, for once. Rude nodded in understanding.

“You and Tseng staying here tonight?” he asked before he left, and the redhead shrugged.

“Dunno.”

He hadn’t seen hide nor hair of the Turk lieutenant since they’d returned. He’d disappeared into Veld’s office, leaving the rookie to his own devices.

“Hey… Turklings…” a new voice broke in. Kai was suddenly standing in the doorway. “Got a job for ya. When you’re finished, Veld says you can knock off for the night.”

“What is it?” Reno asked, dragging himself off the couch.

“Copter’s a mess. Hose it down, get all the crap off the blades and the windows, and…” She paused for a moment. “… wipe down the interior. Bleach the floor. Sorry, guys… I know it’s a shit job, but it’s gotta be done, and everyone else is busy.”

Reno felt sick. He really didn’t want to do this. Rude, however, gave a resigned nod and headed for the door. The redhead grudgingly followed.

---

“Do we know what caused it yet?” Veld asked. Tseng shook his head.

“We have interviews scheduled with the survivors from the reactor crew first thing tomorrow. We’ll know more then. The foreman informed me there was some sort of issue they were trying to fix this morning, though. It may have had something to do with the explosion.”

“There’s been no claims of responsibility, as of yet… so you may be right about that. Hard to believe something of this scale might be nothing more than an accident. Still, until we know for certain, we will be operating under the assumption that there was some sort of sabotage. I’ve recommended a level two security alert at the remaining reactors. The president has agreed.”

“Has there been any word on Remy, sir?” Tseng asked. He and Reno had gone straight back into the fray after they’d left her with the medical personnel, and hadn’t stopped. In fact, this meeting was the first break he’d had since.

“She’s alright. Relatively speaking,” Veld replied. “She lost a lot of blood, and half of her left index finger, but they’ve got her stabilized. They managed to save the rest of her hand, too, though she may have some nerve damage. She’s going to be on medical leave for at least a week, and out of the field for several more.”

Tseng sighed. “She led me to believe it was only a minor injury when we arrived. Thankfully, Reno was paying a bit more attention than I was.”

“Nothing like trial by fire, is there?” Veld replied. “He did well today.”

“Yes, sir.” The Turk lieutenant hesitated a moment before changing the subject. “Have… you informed Aaron’s family yet?”

“I’ve been in contact with his sister, yes. I’m going to see her in person shortly. Would you care to accompany me?”

“Yes, sir, I would. Aaron was good friend. It’s only right.”

---

Reno had been staring at the pool of mostly dried blood for several minutes now, waiting for Rude to return from the supply shed on the far side of the roof. Neither of them had been looking forward to this part of their assignment. They’d intentionally started on the outside just to put it off as long as possible. But the outside of the helicopter was now spotless, and they were out of excuses.

His fellow rookie returned momentarily with a bucket, and a bottle of bleach.

“Tch… guess we might as well get it over with, huh?” Reno sighed. Rude nodded, and the pair of them scrambled into the copter. The scent of bleach water quickly filled the small space, and Reno turned away as Rude sloshed the mixture across the bloodstained floor. He swallowed back against the bile that rose in his throat as it mixed with the deep red puddle and began to run. The dried edges, however, stuck around, requiring them to scrub to clean away the rim of gore.

He felt slightly dizzy after a few minutes, but shrugged it off. He hadn’t eaten since that morning. It was no surprise he was starting to feel the effects of it. But the more they scrubbed, the worse it seemed to get. The dark crimson gradually turned to a watered-down pinkish brown hue, and the scent of bleach seemed to grow heavier by the second, and his stomach churned uncomfortably.

Finally, he tossed his brush back into the bucket and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment.

“… Reno?” Rude queried.

“Fuck…” he groaned, and darted for the open door. A moment later, he was on the ground, retching. When it finally stopped, he spat, trying to rid himself of the sour taste, and climbed shakily to his feet, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He drew in a deep breath and turned back to find that Rude had followed him in concern. “… I’m good now,” he said quickly, brushing past him to get back to work.

“…”

“Do me a favor, huh, Rude? Don’t… ya know… mention that to anyone.”

“… No problem.”

It wasn’t as if he’d never seen blood before. Hell, he’d seen moreblood than that just cutting up a cripshay for dinner. Somehow, though… it was different when you knew whose blood it was. Especially when you knew that person wasn’t around anymore.

Still… that had been humiliating. What the hell kind of Turk puked all over the place over a little blood? One thing was for sure, though… he didn’t care if he hadn’t eaten all day. He definitely wasn’t going to be hungry any time soon.

By the time they were done, you’d have never known the blood was ever there. Aside from the fading smell of bleach, everything was just as it had been that morning. The two rookies were shortly thereafter on their way back down to the fifty-eighth floor. As they arrived, Rude glanced at his watch and groaned.

“It’s almost ten already.”

“Tch… no wonder I’m beat,” Reno replied. “Hope Tseng’s ready to head home…”

“Tseng left with Veld awhile ago,” Luca said, rounding the corner, and slipping past them and into the elevator. “Went to talk to Aaron’s family. ‘Night, guys…”

“Oh. Great. Guess I’m takin’ the train, then,” he muttered, and then glanced hopefully up at his fellow rookie. “Unless I could maybe talk you into givin’ me a ride?”

“Hmph… Normally, I’d say yes. But I think I’m just gonna crash here tonight. Some of the others probably will, too.”

Reno yawned and cracked his neck. “Ya know what? Fuck it… that sounds like a much better idea right now.”

---

It was late by the time Tseng and Veld left Aaron’s sister’s home. The Turk had had a large family, and somehow they’d all managed to gather themselves into the little condo in Sector Two to hear the two senior Turks’ explanation for his death. Most of them had taken the news surprisingly well… though Tseng had little doubt that had something to do with Veld’s earlier phone call. They were already over the initial shock by the time the Turks had arrived.

Tseng rubbed his eyes. He was exhausted… and at the moment, all he really wanted to do was fall into bed and not move for a solid eight hours.

“Does it ever get any easier?” he asked, wearily, stifling a yawn.

“No… It doesn’t,” Veld answered. Tseng shook his head and climbed into the passenger seat of Veld’s car.

“I realize it’s in the opposite direction, but would you mind dropping me off at home? I’ll pick up my car in the morning.”

Veld snorted softly. “And your rookie as well?”

Tseng froze for a moment and then swore, loudly, in Wutaiian. How in Leviathan’s name had he so utterly forgotten about Reno? The Turk Second withdrew his phone from his jacket pocket and tried to dial out. There was still no signal. He swore a second time.

“What do you suppose the odds are that he’s made his way home on his own by now?” he asked. The Turk leader smirked slightly.

“I would think you’d be a better judge of that than I would, Tseng…”

He sighed and shook his head. He and Reno were the only Turks who made their home in Sector One. It would be irritatingly out of the way for anyone to have given him a ride. Nevermind that he’d already heard several of the others mention plans to utilize the sleeping quarters at the Shinra Building tonight. Unless the redhead had braved the train system with the city still in a state of emergency and while likely just as exhausted as he was… he was almost certainly still at the office.

“Headquarters, then,” he replied, resigned. So much for sleeping in his own bed tonight. He might well be making use of the sleeping quarters himself, at this point.

“You could simply leave him to his own devices. He’s perfectly safe there.”

“I could. And then I could spend half of the morning tomorrow letting you berate me for abandoning him simply because I was tired, and the other half wallowing in my own guilt because you would be absolutely right.”

Veld chuckled, and started the engine, taking them back towards the Shinra Building.

“I just said you could do so. I never said it would be free of consequences.”

---

It had taken some time… and several annoyed Turks whose doors he’d knocked on during his search… but Tseng had finally come across Rude in one of the little rooms, who had directed him to the door directly across the hall. He found Reno curled up in the center of the mattress, sleeping somewhat fitfully.

The little redhead twitched violently in his sleep and murmured something incomprehensible, and Tseng suddenly realized that he was dreaming. He reached a hand out, intending to soothe him, but was surprised when the rookie was startled awake at the slightest touch.

“Tseng?” he asked, suddenly on alert, bright blue eyes gazing up at him in the soft light from a small lamp he’d left on.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to wake you.”

The rookie relaxed and settled back against the pillows.

“S’okay… I’m usually a pretty light sleeper,” he replied, sleepily. “There a problem?”

Tseng drew the covers up over him a little higher, and shook his head.

“No. I was only checking that you were alright. I’ll see you in the morning. Good night, Reno.”

“‘Night…” the redhead mumbled. Tseng was almost certain the teenager was already asleep again before he’d even slipped back out the door.

~end chapter 20~