Desha's Reno of the Turks Fan Fiction

Chapter 26: A New Problem

The trip back to Midgar had been uneventful. Reno and Rude had cut their stay a little short, leaving Tuesday morning, rather than later in the day, and had spent an afternoon in Kalm instead, checking out some of the local shops and watching the preparations for the upcoming spring festival that were getting underway. They finally made their way home as the sun was setting. Dislocated shoulder aside, it had been a great trip.

Waking up Wednesday morning, however, filled the injured redhead with a vague feeling of dread, as he debated whether or not he should report in at headquarters and be ordered down to medical, or just bite the bullet and present himself to Dr. Ward first thing. Neither option was especially appealing.

If he headed into the office first, he’d have to deal with Tseng’s justifiably exasperated chastisement. He’d been gone since Saturday… the Turk lieutenant undoubtedly had new assignments for him. If, as he expected, Ward benched him, someone else would have to handle his workload, which would likely throw Tseng’s scheduling completely out of whack. Reno hated to do that to him… particularly since he still felt more than a little guilty for behaving like such a dick after they’d lost Cissnei.

But of course, if he preemptively made his way down to medical, he’d likely have to put up with a full physical exam, and that disapproving tongue-clucking thing the doctor always did when he ended up hurt after doing something especially dumb. Not to mention… the last time he’d hurt his shoulder, they’d shot him full of painkillers to the point that he’d been stoned out of his mind for half a day. That really wasn’t something he ever wanted to experience again. The needle had been terrifying enough, to begin with… but the aftereffects… He still shuddered every time he thought about it. Why anyone would want to intentionally feel that way was beyond him.

The redhead sighed as he carefully shrugged into his shirt, mindful not to move the injured appendage any more than he had to. It wasn’t too bad if he didn’t jar it… but it still hurt like a bitch when he didn’t keep it still enough. He supposed the smartest course of action would be to just turn up at Medical and get it the hell over with. He’d end up down their eventually, no matter what. The least he could do was save Tseng the hassle of ordering him to go.

Reno glanced at the clock and groaned. Why was it, whenever he desperately wanted to put something off, that time seemed to speed up? He hurriedly finished dressing and grabbed his keys. He’d have to grab breakfast in the Shinra crapeteria if he was going to hit up Medical and not be ridiculously late walking into the office. Wonderful…

---

“Ah… just the Turk I was looking for…” a voice greeted Rude as he stepped off of the elevator and into the Turk offices. He turned to look down the hallway, and spotted Tseng striding purposefully towards him, and mentally chided himself for expecting to be the first to arrive today. Of course Tseng would be in early. He almost always was. “I hope you enjoyed your vacation… because I’m putting you straight back to work. We have something of a puzzle on our hands.”

“Hmph… no fluff assignments to ease back into things, I take it,” Rude chuckled, falling into step beside him at his motion to follow him.

“I’m afraid not,” Tseng replied. “There was a murder while you were gone. One that we’re having quite a bit of difficulty solving, particularly since we’re not technically investigating it at present.”

“Sir?” he queried, raising an eyebrow. They stepped into the Turk lieutenant’s office, and Rude took a seat as Tseng rounded his desk.

“The victim was a member of SOLDIER. As such, Director Faine has claimed jurisdiction and effectively shut us out. Veld isn’t interested in initiating another screaming match with her, but obviously we can’t simply ignore a company employee being gunned down, so we’re… unofficially looking into the matter,” he said, handing the younger Turk a case file. “Of particular interest is the arrangement of bullet casings left at the scene. It seems to be a signature of sorts, but not one I’ve been able to identify.”

Rude flipped open the folder and sifted through the collection of photos until he got to the one that his superior was referencing… and chuckled.

“And here I thought you had something difficult for me…”

Tseng, in Rude’s experience, was seldom at a loss for words. Today, apparently, was one of those rare moments, because for about five seconds, the Wutaiian Turk could only stare at him somewhat blankly.

“I have been searching for literally anything even remotely similar for four days straight. Are you telling me you recognize it?!” he demanded, sounding somewhat annoyed… likely more at his own wasted effort than anything else. Rude nodded.

“Yes, sir…” he replied, “The Zenshou traders have started leaving it behind in the last four months or so. I’ve run into it one or twice dealing with some of my black market informants down in the slums.”

The group had expanded considerably over the last few years. Rude very distinctly recalled his first run-in with them at Icicle Inn as a rookie. Back then, though, they were relatively new to the scene… a mere fledgling smuggling group that had splintered off a much larger Wutaiian organization. Three years on, however, they were far more organized and and growing in reputation… though they weren’t assassins, by any means. He could think of only one reason they’d risk going after a SOLDIER.

“If they went as far as to kill a SOLDIER, I’d put good money on the victim either not being willing to sell… or not being able to pay. Probably the former, if the rumors about what the company pays its SOLDIERs are true,” he added.

Tseng frowned thoughtfully and shook his head. “I’ll inform Kai that there may be a theft involved as well. She and Sato are looking for an opening to get into the victim’s home. It might help them to have at least a vague idea of what they’re looking for. What, exactly, are the Zenshou interested in?”

“From what I’ve been told, it varies pretty widely, though they’ve been getting more… selective… about what they trade. They’re carving out a niche in the rare and exotic corner of the market, and I’ve heard that they’ve been taking contracts for specific items lately, as well. Obscure materia… historical relics… high end technology… pretty much anything that’s valuable and hard to procure. Especially if it’s one of a kind.”

“… I see.” Tseng leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers in front of him. Finally, he nodded. “Check with your network… see if anyone has heard about any recent contracts with the Zenshou. Assuming our SOLDIER wasn’t a customer, I would very much like to know whether or not they obtained whatever they were after.”

“Yes, sir…” Rude replied, and, assuming he was dismissed, made to leave.

“By the way,” Tseng said, before he had a chance to get to his feet, “How was Icicle Inn? I trust Reno enjoyed his birthday?”

Rude stifled a laugh. “I… think I’ll let Reno tell you about that…”

Tseng studied him for a moment before sighing.

“What did he do?” he asked, resigned, but Rude shook his head.

“I’d hate to ruin the surprise, sir…”

---

Reno scowled openly at the door to the company medical suite. He wasn’t exactly looking forward to this.

“Guess I might as well get it over with,” he grumbled to himself, and opened the door, slipping inside. At first glance, the place was empty, and he briefly wondered if he’d managed to beat the doctor into work today… though, owing to the various medications and other supplies kept on hand, the suite was typically locked if no one from the medical staff was around… so someone must be here.

His suspicions were quickly confirmed, as the familiar figure of Dr. Justinia Ward stepped out of her office near the back of the suite, and froze upon seeing him. For a moment, she simply looked him over from a distance, before shaking her head and starting towards him.

“What in Titan’s name did yeh manage ta do now?” she asked, eyeing the sling.

“… Dislocated my shoulder?” the redhead replied, sheepishly, before quickly adding, “Already had it looked at ‘n shit up at Icicle Inn. I just figured I’d check in before Tseng made me come down here. So… how long am I stuck in the office for this time?”

Ward harrumphed, folding her arms over her chest. “Hmph… I can hardly tell yeh that without a proper exam. Yeh know the drill by now…” she said, pointing to one of the curtained-off enclosures. Reno sighed and stepped inside before easing out of his shirt and jacket. The doctor smirked and held out a gown. “Everything.”

“Ah, come on, Doc… It’s just my fuckin’ shoulder!” the redhead protested.

“Language! And since yeh seem ta have conveniently forgotten – again – yer still overdue fer yer annual physical,” she said, pressing the garment into his hands and stepping out to give him some privacy.

“Tch… You were just waitin’ for me to need to come see you so you could corner me, weren’t ya…” he muttered as he stripped.

“Short of having either yer mentor or that friend of yers carry yeh down here, it seems ta be the only way.”

Goddammit… the woman got sneakier by the day. He should have seen this coming.

“Yeah, well… no Ifrit-forsaken shots,” he griped, “I know I’m not due for anything, and I definitely don’t need anything extra… and you better have my candy ready!”

Dr. Ward made her reappearance moments later and the redhead hopped up onto the exam table with a soft growl of irritation.

“Yer twenty years old as of Monday, my little headache,” she said with a quiet chuckle, “Stop acting like yer five. Now… let’s have a look at that shoulder first. Then we’ll take care of the rest of yeh.”

Reno sighed and offered himself up to the doctor, wincing slightly as she gently prodded the injured area and tested his range of movement. Finally, she seemed satisfied, and stepped away, making a note on his chart.

“It seems a wee bit swollen, but that’s ta be expected. I’ll prescribe yeh some anti-inflammatory painkillers, and yer ta keep that sling on until the pain subsides fer the most part. Probably a few more days. Ice it as much as yeh can, and we’ll re-evaluate on Monday. No field work or training until I say so, but yeh can get back ta light duty immediately.”

Reno rolled his eyes, but didn’t comment. At least he wasn’t sidelined entirely. Light duty meant that he could at least supervise the rookies’ training or something. Anything was better than being stuck at his desk all day catching up on paperwork.

“Great. Thanks, Doc. Can I go now?” he asked, inching closer to the edge of the table until he could hop down.

“Oh, no, yeh don’t…” Ward said, firmly, “Yer getting that annual physical… or yer not getting yer treat.”

The redhead groaned in defeat, and sat back down. The things he was willing to put up with for a little candy…

---

“You have got to be kidding me,” a voice snickered the moment he stepped off the elevator. “Didn’t you just get cleared for duty?”

“Shut up, Kai,” the redhead sighed as he started down the hallway towards Tseng’s office.

“So? What’d you do this time, Baby Turkling?” she asked, ignoring him.

“Tried to fly,” he snarked back at her, “Don’t you have anything better to do?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact,” the petite Turk replied, “Actually, we all do. You might want to talk to Tseng sooner rather than later. He had an assignment for you, but if you’re sidelined…”

“Tch… where the hell do ya think I’m goin’,” he snapped, “In case you hadn’t noticed, my office is the other direction.”

“Well, you’re certainly in a fine mood this morning,” she snickered, noting the handle of the sucker that was hanging out of his mouth. “Been down to Medical already, huh? Come on… what really happened to your arm?”

Reno stopped short and shook his head. “I fell snowboardin’, okay?”

“Fell? What… off the glacier?” she laughed.

“No… off the fuckin’ ski jump. I was doin’ fine… ’til I didn’t stick the landing…” he muttered in reply. “It’s fine… It was just a little dislocated. Doc says I’ll probably be back in the field next week… ya know… minus any heavy lifting for awhile. I’m on light duty for the rest of the week.”

“Oh! Good… That means you’re okay to take over stakeout duty. Thank Shiva, because I would love an excuse to get out of it for awhile…”

The redhead frowned slightly, curious. “Stakeout duty? Who are we watchin’?”

He didn’t get an answer right away. Instead, Kai’s gaze shifted to something behind him, and she grinned. “Good news, Tseng! Reno dislocated his shoulder!”

Reno turned just in time to see his mentor and Rude emerging from the former’s office. The Wutaiian Turk raised an eyebrow.

“Why is that ‘good’ news?” he asked, a flicker of concern stealing across his face.

“Because it means that he can sit around watching an empty apartment for awhile… ’cause I have spent way too much time alone with Sato this week.”

The comment elicited a chuckle from Rude. Tseng rolled his eyes as he came to a halt just a few feet from the pair.

“Reno… my office. I need to get you up to speed,” he said. And then he smirked, “Kai… I believe you and Sato are due to relieve Sykes and Petra shortly, are you not?”

Kai shot him an annoyed look. “You suck, Tseng. Sometimes you really, really suck,” she groaned, before turning on her heel and marching off, presumably, to find Sato. Tseng merely laughed, and guided the redhead back towards his office.

“Alright… Let’s hear it,” he said, gently nudging him inside and shutting the door behind him, “Just how did this come about, and how bad is it?”

“Tch… It’s not a big deal. The Doc says I can probably ditch the sling in a few days, and I’ll be back in the field by next week. Won’t be rearrangin’ the furniture any time soon, but…”

“What happened?” Tseng prodded, taking a seat. Reno quickly followed suit and grimaced.

“I… shoulda just listened to Rude. That’s what happened,” he replied, cringing. “I was on my own for a little while on Monday, and I was gettin’ pretty good on the snowboard so… I… thought I’d try one of the runs that was a little more… ya know… advanced.”

“How advanced?” his mentor asked, hesitantly. Reno sighed.

“I went off the big ski jump. And before ya say it… I know. I’m an idiot. I shoulda listened to Rude when he told me it was too much for me to handle.”

“Yes, you almost certainly should have,” Tseng replied… far more calmly that Reno had expected. “Kai said your shoulder was dislocated?”

“… Yeah,” the redhead confirmed, somewhat suspiciously, “Okay, you’re takin’ this a lot better than I thought ya would…”

Tseng snorted softly in laughter and shook his head. “Despite Kai’s enduring nickname for you, you’re an adult… and as such must be allowed to learn from your own mistakes on occasion. And also… though I rather hate to admit it, I am rather… intimately… acquainted with the allure of attempting that jump,” he replied, and Reno’s eyebrows shot upwards. Tseng smiled faintly. “I can hardly berate you for making the same error in judgment I once made when I was younger. Just be glad it was only your shoulder. I was in a cast from the thigh down for six weeks. Veld was not pleased, and Ihave two metal pins in my right leg as a souvenir.”

Reno snickered loudly at the mental image the thought of his mentor taking a flying leap off a ski jump conjured up.

“Judging by Kai’s commentary, I take it Justinia hasn’t opted to sideline you entirely due to your injury…” Tseng continued, ignoring the laughter.

“I’m on light duty, painkillers, ‘n ice for the rest of the week. Re-eval first thing Monday,” he said, “Don’t go changin’ the subject on me, though. I wanna hear more about this trip to the glacier…”

“Perhaps another time,” the Turk lieutenant hurriedly said, and the redhead got the distinct impression that if he wanted to hear the whole story, he was going to have to drag it out of his mentor at some point. “Right now, however, we do have a murder investigation underway, and injured or not, I’m going to need you.”

“… I’m gettin’ stuck with stakeout duty tonight, aren’t I?” the younger Turk sighed, and Tseng chuckled.

“It is amongst the approved assignments you can be given while on light duty medical restriction…” he said, smirking slightly. “I’ll be pairing you with Liam. He hasn’t yet had a turn. You can relieve Kai and Sato this evening for the overnight shift.”

“Figures. Okay… so who got killed?”

“Someone we can’t simply ignore,” Tseng replied, handing him the case file.

---

At around six that evening, Reno pulled into the parking lot of a large apartment complex, and angled his car into a visitor’s space at the far end of the main lot, where no one would be likely to pay any attention to it. He and his passenger exited the vehicle and made their way through the south side entrance of Building Number 3 of the four high-rise complex. The elevator took them up to the fourteenth floor, and from there, the redhead knocked on the door to apartment 1409.

He could hear the sound of footsteps inside and then a pause in front of the door. He grinned widely at the security peephole, and a moment later, the door opened.

“About damn time…” Kai muttered, granting the pair access. Liam followed Reno inside, and was quickly met by a snickering Sato.

“Yeh’d think she were sick o’ me, or somethin’…” the Mideelian said, innocently. Kai rolled her eyes and turned to face him.

“Sato, I love ya, man… but if I have to hear about your still, your girlfriend, or that mole on your ass one more time tonight, I’m going to kill you.”

Reno snorted softly. “The mole on his ass?” he queried, not entirely certain he really wanted to know.

“Apparently it bears a striking resemblance to Lord Godo,” she said, shaking her head, before shooting the other Turk, who was just about to interject with his own commentary, a scathing look, “And for the last time, no. I don’t want to see it!”

Sato cackled and got up from his seat near the window.

“Aye, so yeh keep sayin’… but I know yeh dunnae really mean it, luv…” he teased.

“Ugghh…” Kai groaned. “It’s been quiet all afternoon. They just had a shift change over there about fifteen minutes ago.”

“The Bitch is on duty,” Sato added with a snort of contempt, “Glad yer here. Last thing I wanna do all night is sit around starin’ at her fer hours on end.”

“Umm…” Liam stammered, apparently not sure if he should ask.

“Sato’s ex is in SOLDIER,” Reno snickered. “They don’t get along.”

“Dunnae get along?” Sato exclaimed, eyes widening, “That soul-suckin’, bed-hoppin’, lyin’, cheatin’ holier’n thou spawn o’ the bloody sea hag can can go straight ta the lowest o’ the Nine Hells ‘n stay there!”

“Hey, Sato… Tell us how you really feel about her…” Kai teased.

“Hmph… I’d love ta. But it’s not fit fer the wee rookie’s tender ears,” Sato declared, angrily grabbing his jacket and pulling it on. Kai smirked and headed for the door.

“Come on, ya big baby. We’ll stop for a drink on the way home and you can tell me all about how awful she is. Again. I’m buying. ‘Night, guys!”

“See ya,” Reno called after them. He locked the door behind the pair, and turned back to Liam, only to find the rookie looking slightly shell-shocked. “What?”

“I… I’ve just never heard Sato go off like that,” he said, “He’s usually so… laid back.”

Reno shook his head and took up the seat by the window that the Mideelian Turk had recently vacated. It offered a clear view into the apartment in the building directly across from them, where he could see a woman, dressed in SOLDIER-issue armor, sitting in the living room.

“Yeah, well… It’s kind of a sore spot with him,” the redhead replied, making himself comfortable. “Happened before I got recruited, but the way I heard it, Sato got hurt pretty bad on a mission in Wutai a while back. Spent the better part of two months in the hospital, ‘n they weren’t sure he was gonna make it for a while… ‘n the whole time, his wife was shackin’ up with a real close friend of his. Then she had the nerve to demand alimony in the divorce… which she didn’t get, by the way. So… yeah. He pretty much hates her guts and the guts of the guy she was bangin’ while he was busy tryin’ not to die. Far as I can tell, the feelin’s mutual.”

“… That’s awful,” Liam breathed, shaking his head.

“Tch… and that’s why I’m never makin’ the mistake of gettin’ married,” the redhead said, definitively, “Tyin’ yourself down like that’s just beggin’ to get your heart ripped out, ya ask me. No thank you. I’ll stick to one night stands ‘n the occasional friends with benefits.”

He leaned back, wincing as the movement jostled his shoulder. He’d skipped the painkillers before heading over here. Sure, they’d knock out some of the pain, but he had to be up all night. That wasn’t gonna happen if he was drugged up.

“Hey, rookie… do me a favor ‘n see if they left us any ice in the freezer, will ya?” he requested.

“Yes, sir,” Liam replied, scurrying off the the kitchen and returning a minute later with a baggie filled with ice cubes. Reno grinned and set it against his injured shoulder.

“Heh… Take my advice kid. If Rude ever tells ya that doin’ somethin’s a terrible idea… listen to him,” he snickered. “I’da saved myself a hell of a lot of hassle if I’d done that. I’ll take the first watch. Ya might as well get comfortable. It’s probably gonna be a long night.”

Liam chuckled quietly and took a seat on the nearby couch.

“It couldn’t be any longer than the night I spent on stakeout with Remy…”

Reno laughed and briefly pulled his gaze away from the window, glancing back at the rookie.

“She’s not exactly big on conversation when she’s workin’, is she?” he smirked.

“Er… no. No, she’s not,” Liam agreed. Reno nodded and returned his attention to the subject of their watch.

“Yeah… I was bored outta my mind the first time I had to do that, too. But… ya know. That’s Remy for ya. All business when she’s on duty. Hell, she could give even Tseng a run for his money when it comes to bein’ a professional.”

“Hey, Reno? Could I ask you something?” the rookie venture.

“Sure…”

“How is it that Tseng ended up picking you as his protege, anyway?” he asked, and the redhead smirked as he turned again to look at him.

“I’m not sure if I oughta be offended by that question or not…” he teased. The younger Turk’s eyes widened.

“N-no! I didn’t mean… I just…”

Reno snickered and shook his head. “Relax. I know what ya meant. Trust me… I’m very aware of the fact that me ‘n Tseng are pretty much total opposites. To be honest… I don’t really know why he picked me, exactly. He’s always told me that he just… knew… the first time we met. Guess I made a hell of a first impression.” He paused a moment, watching the occupant of the other apartment get up and walk out of his line of sight into, he assumed, the kitchen. “How ’bout you? How’d you end up in the recruitment program?”

“My dad was hoping I’d follow his lead and join the Shinra army. But I… wasn’t cut out for the military,” Liam replied… and the statement set the redhead slightly on edge. It was a little too reminiscent of a certain Turk turned traitor.

“Yeah?” he queried, cautiously, “You one of those military brat types?”

To his surprise, Liam laughed.

“Oh… no, sir. No, definitely not,” he sniggered, “I was the weird goth kid that spent all his time reading. Dad was hoping I’d turn out to be his little soldier… but I think he accepted that it wasn’t going to happen when I was still pretty young. Besides… he’s got my little sister to carry on that legacy. Cassie was pretty much born saluting. I take after Mom.”

The woman came back into view, a glass in her hand, and resumed her position on the couch. Reno shifted slightly and readjusted the ice pack.

“They in Junon?” he asked, not bothering to look back this time.

“No. Wutai. They werein Mideel last summer, and we lived in a couple of different places on the western continent before I left for Midgar. Dad’s a construction engineer, so he tends to get sent all over. We never lived in any one place very long growing up.”

“Sounds like you’ve been just about everywhere,” the redhead said, with just a hint of jealousy in his voice. “Must have been pretty cool.”

“I guess,” Liam replied, “I mean… don’t get me wrong, it was interesting livingin all those different places, but… we moved so much, it was hard to make friends. Just when I’d finally start settling in and getting to know people in one place, it was time to pack up go somewhere else. I don’t think I ever really felt like I had a home until I moved to Midgar for recruitment last year. It’s… a very strange way to live. Especially for a little kid.”

The rookie suddenly laughed softly to himself.

“I can’t say it was all bad, though,” he added, “You definitely pick up languages when you travel that much. I speak fluent Costan, two different Mideelian dialects conversationally, and… well, enough Wutaiian to get by if I were ever stranded there. I can read it better than I can speak it.”

“Heh… Gotta admit. That’s pretty impressive, rookie,” Reno said. Liam laughed again.

“I’m… actually pretty proud of it. I don’t think Remy is too impressed with my Wutaiian, though. She says I have a very thick accent.”

Reno snorted and glanced over his shoulder at him. “Yeah, well… only Wutaiian I know is what I’ve picked up from their animated porn movies,” he said, grinning, “So… you’ve definitely got me beat there.”

He huffed in frustration when he looked back over at the other apartment. Sato’s ex was still just sitting there. It looked like she had the TV on, but it was hard to tell from where they were positioned. Now that was the sort of guard duty he wouldn’t have minded getting tapped for. Getting paid to sit around in someone else’s apartment, watching someone else’s cable, eating someone else’s food? Yeah… he could stand doing that.

“Hey… it’s gonna be a long night,” the redhead said. “You happen to see any coffee while you were in the kitchen earlier?”

The apartment had apparently already been vacant when Veld had arranged for the stakeout location… but they’d had Turks in and out of the place since Monday. Odds were good that someone had brought supplies.

“Yes, sir… Should I…?”

“Definitely,” Reno replied.

---

“Have fun last night?” Rude asked as a rather bleary-eyed redhead wandered into the office the following morning. The younger Turk yawned and collapsed into his chair with a groan.

“That was the second most boring fuckin’ stakeout I’ve ever been on,” he muttered. “Absolutely nothin’ happened. Tch… ‘least the kid made for decent company.”

Rude chuckled quietly. “Managed to finally get a sentence or two out of Liam?”

“Says the guy who literally wouldn’t say more than a word at a time when we first met…” Reno snorted, laughing, “Nah… the kid talks almost as much as I do when he finally gets goin’. He just takes some time ta warm up to it. Get ‘im caffeinated enough, ‘n he hardly shuts up. I like him.”

“Got a new favorite rookie, huh?” his friend teased, and Reno shrugged.

“Come on… you know I don’t play favorites. The kid just… kinda reminds me of what I was like when I first got here. Ya know… kinda scared ‘n overwhelmed. Not quite sure where he fits in yet or if he’s really cut out for this shit…”

Rude smirked. “Yeah… I remember when you were like that. Think that was, what? … Last Tuesday?” he snickered, teasingly, and Reno playfully flipped him off.

“Hey! I’ve gotten a lot better since I was a rookie,” the younger Turk laughed, “I just… figure that I oughta help out the current crop the same way you ‘n Tseng always stuck by me. ‘Sides… three rookies is a lot for the Boss to have to wrangle on his own, now that Veld’s pretty much hands-off with ’em.”

Reno may have been the first rookie that Tseng had been given full responsibility for, but Cissnei had been the last rookie for whom Veld had shared training duties with Tseng. When Sykes had come on board, the Turk leader had officially handed the responsibility for all subsequent new Turks over to his second in command. Rookies were now entirely Tseng’s domain… and the Wutaiian Turk seemed quite pleased with the extended responsibility, if far busier than he’d been previously.

“Hmph… spoken like a true future second in command,” Rude commented, and the redhead raised an eyebrow.

“Tch… the fuck are you talkin’ about? If anyone’s gonna be takin’ over as Second when Veld finally decides to retire, it’s gonna be Remy. She’s wanted that position for years,” he scoffed, and then snickered, “And ‘sides… with my track record? Tseng’d have ta lose his mind first.”

Rude shook his head, but didn’t say anything further on the subject. Reno snickered again, softly, to himself. The whole idea of him being tapped as second in command of the Turks was pretty laughable, in his opinion. He’d caused enough trouble in his few short years as a Turk to pretty much bar him from it. About the only person on the team less likely to be picked than him was Sato.

And frankly… he was fine with that. It was lot of responsibility, that he was pretty certain he’d never really be ready for. He wasn’t like Tseng… or like Remy. They were the ultimate professionals. He was just… Reno. Former slum rat, team pervert, and human bottomless pit. Not that there was anything wrong with that, per se, but he didn’t think it would ever do him any favors when it came to promotions, given how few were available within their ranks.

Besides which… literally everyone but the team’s rookies had seniority on him, anyway.

“So… who’s watching the apartment now?” Rude queried, changing the subject.

“Kai’s there right now. Switched shifts with Remy, I guess,” he said, and snickered, “Probably so she didn’t have to hear about Sato’s ass anymore. You get anywhere tryin’ to figure out what the hell they’re after?”

“… You could say that,” the bald Turk replied, somewhat smugly, “That’s why I’m here so early, actually. Just finished briefing Veld on some new intel. Word is that there’s an anonymous buyer interested in… unusual… weaponry. Apparently there’s a fifteen million gil finder’s fee up for grabs for anyone who can get their hands on the Masamune for them.”

Reno sat up in his seat. “The Masamune? Ya mean like… Sephiroth’s Masamune?” he asked, incredulously. “Who the hell’d be stupid enough o try ‘n steal that?”

“Offer enough money, people get stupid real quick,” Rude said with a shrug. “The Masamune’s just one weapon on the list, though. Definitely at the top of the list, but there’s a few other interesting items.”

“Yeah? What else is there?”

“A shuriken that’s kept in the Pagoda of the Five Gods in Wutai… a Mideelian claymore that, as far as I can tell, is in the museum at the Gold Saucer… a lot of historical stuff like that. But there’s some more modern items, too, like the Masamune… and one of Scarlet’s prototype gatling lasers. The one that the Company demoed last fall when we did that public showcase for new tech. Hmph… Give ya three guesses who was field testing that one for her.”

The redhead’s eyebrows shot upwards. “Our dead SOLDIER?”

Rude smirked. “Got it in one.”

“So who’s the buyer?” Reno asked, but Rude only shook his head.

“That, I don’t know,” he said, and the redhead could hear the irritation in his voice at having to admit it, “My first thought was Dio over at the Gold Saucer… until I noticed that something he already owned was on the list. They’ve been careful to cover their tracks. I’m working on it.”

“I’m assumin’ the gun they were after’s locked up tight by now?”

“That’s what you’re going to find out for us,” a voice behind him stated, and Reno startled slightly and turned in his chair, only to come face to face with Veld. Remy was with him, standing just outside the door to their office. “Talk to Scarlet. Make sure she’s taking all precautions.”

“Uh… me,sir?” he said, paling slightly. He hadn’t had to face the head of weapons research since their… run-in… at the Christmas party. And, personally, he would have preferred to keep it that way. He still shuddered every time the memory of the woman’s hand drunkenly groping at the most intimate parts of his body crept into his consciousness.

“Yes… You,” Veld reiterated, firmly, “Remy will accompany you. Find out where it is now and what sort of security it has.”

Reno blinked in surprise. “Yes, sir…” he replied, not particularly happy about the order, but not about to argue with his superior. He hurriedly got up and joined Remy, accompanying her to the elevator and pressing the button for the sixty-seventh floor.

“What was that all about?” Remy asked, as the doors closed on them, “And why in Leviathan’s name does it suddenly take two Turks to speak with a board member about security measures?”

“… Uh… Tseng… doesn’t really want me around Scarlet alone anymore,” he replied, somewhat awkwardly. He knew that Tseng had told Veld what had happened, but the Turk lieutenant had left it up to him to inform anyone else. Thus far… he’d only said anything to Rude, and had kind of been planning on it going no further then him. It was only a guess on his part, but he had a feeling that this was Veld’s way of making him face the woman he knew he’d been actively avoiding even thinking about for months now.

Remy eyed him somewhat oddly and the redhead sighed.

“She kinda… came after me. At the executive Christmas party,” he amended, “The Boss thought it’d be for the best if I just stayed away from her. Apparently Veld disagrees.”

“What do you mean she ‘came after you’?” the senior Turk asked, guardedly.

“… She was drunk, ‘n I ended up in an elevator alone with her, ‘n… she… kinda got the idea that… I was a little more… ya know… willing… than I actually was. She had a hand down my pants by the time Tseng showed up ‘n rescued me.”

Remy blinked, shocked, and her face slowly took on a vaguely horrified expression.

“Why didn’t tell anyone?” she breathed. Reno rolled his eyes.

“Tseng ‘n Veld both know about it, ‘n I told Rude, too, ’cause… ya know… I tell him everything. I… didn’t wanna spread it around the office any more than I had to, though. It’s fuckin’ humiliating.”

“Reno…”

“Look, can we just not talk about it. Let’s just get this over with so I can go back to avoidin’ her.”

The senior Turk clearly had more to say on the subject… but mercifully, the elevator chose that precise moment to arrive at their destination, effectively putting an end to the conversation. Reno stepped out of the elevator car, Remy just steps behind him, as he braced himself for the unplanned meeting with Scarlet.

~end chapter 26~