Desha's Reno of the Turks Fan Fiction

Chapter 50: A Thief in our Midst

“Uh… Boss?” Reno said, somewhat hesitantly, “I… think I mighta… kinda… lost Rufus.”

Tseng cocked an eyebrow as he turned to face his protege.

“I swear, he was right fuckin’ there a minute ago…” the redhead insisted, pointing towards the foredeck. “I turned my back for five fuckin’ seconds ‘n he’s gone.”

Tseng shook his head and opted to assuage his protege’s concern.

“I’m aware. He went below deck. The moment your back was turned, as a matter of fact” the Turk lieutenant replied with a slight smirk. Reno groaned.

“That asshole…” he muttered. “Fucker was just waitin’ til I wasn’t lookin’, wasn’t he?”

The senior Turk chuckled softly. He was fairly certain that was precisely what Rufus had done.

“Just leave him to it for now. There’s little trouble he can get into on board the Highwind. I suspect he’s simply gone to sneak a look at the engine room. He’s been rather fascinated with this craft since the they began designing it.”

Tseng guided the younger Turk over towards the railing. They were somewhere near the middle of the island country by now, over the huge mountain range that formed a spine of stone right down the center. A short while ago they’d passed the site of the new reactor, and it wouldn’t be that much longer before they’d be nearing the southern portion of the country.

“Wutai’s not really all that big, is it, Boss?” Reno mused looking out at the scenery below.

“No… it’s not. Were it not for the mountains, a person could easily walk from one end of to other in a week or so… provided they didn’t need to eat or sleep at any point during the trip,” he teased. Reno rolled his eyes.

“You know what I meant.”

“Yes, I do. And you’re right. It’s really not that all big, comparatively speaking. It is, after all, an island, which by their very nature are generally smaller landmasses,” he confirmed. The senior Turk turned his gaze to the south. “In fact, we’ve been in the air less than an hour, and we’re already very near where I grew up. It’s just on the other side of those peaks over there, in the valley.”

The redhead turned to look, cocking his head to one side as the airship approached the aforementioned terrain, and blinked in surprise as they crossed over the peaks and the land unexpectedly fell away, vanishing in to a deep mist they could barely see through. Tseng could just make out the outlines of the buildings down in the village, and the small river that snaked its way through the center of the valley.

“Is it always this foggy?” Reno asked, curious, and Tseng shook his head in the negative.

“Not generally, but it’s not altogether unheard of. When cold air from the mountains collides with warm air from the sea, this tends to be the result. There must have been a storm last night or early this morning for it to be this thick. It will likely have burned off by the time we make our return trip.” He leaned over the railing slightly, eyes scanning the ground for a moment, and locating the familiar landmarks with ease even through the haze. “That’s my father’s land directly below us, by the way… It begins just before the split in the river. The family estate sits in between the two branches.”

Reno squinted, trying to make out the structure through the mist.

“So… that’s where you grew up?”

“Yes. I have to admit, I rather wish I could have shown it to you a bit more close up. The Midori Valley really is very beautiful. I… had planned to take you home with me one day.”

“… Your mom said you wrote to her about me.”

Tseng could hear the hesitation in his protege’s voice, as though he was wary of broaching the topic of his family again so soon. The senior Turk smiled slightly.

“Of course I did. I wrote about you to Mayu, as well,” he replied, “I was… excited… when Veld approved your recruitment. A First Rookie is, after all, a fairly substantial responsibility to take on and I took great pride in reaching that point in my career. I wanted to share that… and you… with my family. Even more so as I grew more and more attached to you.” He sighed quietly and glanced down at the valley again, shaking his head. “It’s a pity I’ll never have the chance to do so. I think you would have liked my mother had you met her under better circumstances. And I’m certain she would have doted upon you.”

The Highwind, by then, had nearly crossed the entirety of the valley, and was fast approaching the mountains on the opposite side. It wouldn’t be long, Tseng suddenly realized, before they reached the southernmost tip of the island… at which point they were scheduled to land briefly for a tour of one of Wutai’s most ancient temples.

“We should probably go and track down the vice president before his father misses him. He won’t be pleased if the tour is delayed while we’re trying to locate him below deck,” Tseng commented.

“Tseng? Would you mind joining me for a moment?” Veld suddenly interrupted, striding up to the pair.

“I’ll go grab the brat, Boss,” Reno quickly said, “Just leave it to me.”

He was already heading for the door to the lower deck before Tseng could reply. Veld chuckled.

“He’s certainly eager to please this morning…”

“I suspect he’s simply trying to make my job a bit easier today, after the rather unfortunate encounter at dinner last night.”

“Hmm… Well, if there’s anything I can do to aid him in that endeavor…” the Turk leader offered. Tseng waved a hand dismissively.

“There’s no need. I really am feeling much more like myself. Besides which… I can only tolerate so much coddling, sir. And Reno has already, apparently, decided to take on that duty himself.”

Veld nodded in understanding. “In that case… I’d like you to double check that the rookies are clear on the etiquette expected of them in the temple before we arrive. I’ve already had to reprimand one of their number on this assignment.”

“Yes, sir,” the Turk lieutenant replied, with a knowing smirk. Veld moved to return to his place at the President’s side, but paused.

“Make sure Reno is aware of the proper etiquette, as well. No sense in tempting fate,” he added, teasingly.

---

Reno descended past the passenger cabins and down into the lower decks of the Highwind. The noise from the engines reverberated through ever corridor down here, almost making the airship seem as though it were a living, breathing entity. He could feel the regular rhythms that pulsated beneath the general hum of the machinery, and wondered if the crew ever thought of it in that manner as well.

Probably, he mused, they did. He knew from experience that when you were around a machine long enough, you got familiar with every sound, every shudder, every vibration it made. He himself could tell from sound and feel alone when something was off with the Turks’ helicopter. No need to wait for the instrument panel to figure out that something was wrong and sound an alert. He imagined that the same was true of something like the Highwind… just on a much larger scale.

He hadn’t been down to the engine room as of yet, but the place seemed easy enough to find. There were signs at every junction, pointing the way to various locations. All he had to do was follow them. Personally, if he’d been just hanging out on board the newest Shinra flagship, he’d have been far more interested in the command deck… but if Tseng thought they’d find Rufus down with the engines, he’d check there first.

He skirted past several crew members in one of the corridors, and finally rounded a corner to find himself in front the the door to the engine room. He peered inside, jaw dropping slightly. He’d had no idea the fucking engine was that big. It took up most of the room, which was, by no means, small, its multitude of moving parts shifting back and forth, up and down, in and out as it churned away, propelling them through the sky.

“… Okay. I can see why the brat might think this is kinda cool…” he commented to no one in particular. The handful of crewmen manning the stations paid him little mind as he took a look around. He didn’t see the Shinra heir anywhere, however. Frowning, he walked the length of the room, peering into corners and behind machinery… but didn’t find hide nor hair of the vice president.

“Dammit… Where the fuck’s he disappeared to?” the redhead sighed, shaking his head. Maybe he was up on the command deck, after all. Or maybe he’d fucked off to his passenger quarters for awhile. With a slight scowl, Reno reversed course, leaving the engine room behind. If he ended up having to search the whole Ifriti-be-damned airship, he was gonna smack the little shit upside the head.

He quickly made his way back upstairs where the din of the engines wasn’t quite so loud and pulled out his PHS. Rufus was wearing a tracking device, after all. All he really needed to do was grab the receiver from Tseng, and it’d point him right at the little shit. He started to dial Tseng’s number to ask him for it… but then paused. He’d said he’d handle this. And Tseng had had enough to deal with in the last twenty-four hours. Reno rolled his eyes and instead selected the contact entry for Rufus’ phone. Maybe if he was lucky, the pain in the ass would actually pick up.

He finally answered on the seventh ring.

“What do you want?” Rufus queried, sounding annoyed.

“Where the fuck are you?” Reno demanded without preamble.

“Don’t you take that tone with me, Slum Rat.”

“Tch… Fine. Where the fuck are you… sir?” he amended, his own inflection conveying just as much irritation as the vice president’s. He heard Rufus snort in contempt on the other end of the line.

“And just why should I tell you?” he asked.

“‘Cause I’m your Ifrit-forsaken security detail, sir. I’m s’posed to be watchin’ your ass and I can’t do that if I don’t know where said ass is. So quit fuckin’ around already, will ya? We’re gonna be landin’ pretty soon.”

“There’s no need to be vulgar, you uncouth little street urchin,” Rufus replied. Reno rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Will ya just tell me where you are so I don’t have ta get Tseng involved? I’m tryin’ to make shit easy on him today…”

“You really are the most unobservant, useless cretin to ever walk the planet… You do know that, don’t you?” the Shinra heir admonished him, “I’m right behind you, you moron.”

Reno’s eyes narrowed as he spun on the spot, turning a full one hundred and eighty degrees… He angrily snapped his phone shut, ending the call, as he spotted the vice president standing at the end of the corridor… a decidedly smug expression on his face.

“Very funny, sir,” the redhead deadpanned.

“Mmm… Yes, I thought so.”

“Ya done fuckin’ with me now? ‘Cause seriously… we’re almost there.”

Rufus smirked and headed up the nearby staircase that would lead him out onto the airship’s observation deck. Reno heaved a frustrated sigh, and wordlessly followed.

---

Tseng glanced over his shoulder just in time to see Reno and Rufus emerging from below deck. His protege, he noted, looked more than slightly irritated, and he had to force the amused smile from his face before the redhead noticed it. Given how long they’d been gone, the Turk lieutenant suspected that Reno’d been pulled into something of an impromptu game of hide and seek. It certainly wouldn’t have been the first time the younger Shinra had attempted to extend his personal time in such a fashion. Tseng had once spent nearly two hours searching for him during a trip to Costa del Sol when he was much, much younger… only to eventually find him in the very first place he’d looked for him when he finally doubled back.

“Any trouble?” he asked as his protege walked over to him.

“Tch… nothin’ I couldn’t handle,” Reno replied, shooting a glare in Rufus’ general direction. Tseng finally did let his smile slip through.

“I take it he decided to disappear for awhile?” he asked, and the younger Turk confirmed his suspicions with a nod, “Don’t take it too personally. He’s done that to me, as well. Rufus simply likes to have a little time to himself on occasion. So long as I know he’s not at risk, I don’t concern myself with it overly much these days.”

“Pain in the ass coulda at least let me know before he took off. Can’t that brat ever cut me a break?” Reno muttered. He sighed and shook his head. “Anyway… so what’s this temple we’re goin’ to? Is it like… a church kinda thing, or what?”

“In a manner of speaking. It’s dedicated to Leviathan. At one time, it housed the materia used to summon the Great Serpent, though that has long since been relocated to the capitol. It’s now kept in the Pagoda of the Five Gods under the care of the fifth master.”

“Ya mean Shinra didn’t take that one?” Reno asked, sounding surprised.

“They initially planned to… but given it’s cultural significance, Lord Godo pleaded with the President to allow Wutai to keep it, with the promise that they would never use it against the Company again. President Shinra agreed as a token of good-will. From what I’ve heard, Godo was forced to give up several other summon materias, however, though I’m not sure what Shinra explicitly acquired through the treaty agreement.”

“Huh. Hey, Tseng… You ever seen a summoned creature? Like in person, I mean.”

“No, I’m afraid I’ve never had the honor. Viridia has, however. She was in Mideel when Titan was summoned to stop a tsunami from reaching one of the coastal villages. If you’re curious, you should ask her about it sometime,” he said. Then the senior Turk chuckled, “Though I’ll warn you now… the story becomes more and more embellished each time she tells it.”

The redhead grinned. “Made kind of a lasting impression, huh?”

“Indeed. I think she’s quite annoyed that she’s never managed to acquire a summon materia for herself. She finds them fascinating. They’re extraordinarily rare, of course. You don’t typically just stumble upon one in a shop. At least I certainly never have.”

“Ya spend a lot of time lookin’ or somethin’?” he snickered.

“Not anymore,” Tseng replied, teasingly. “But… I was once young and naïve. And very intent upon ingratiating myself to a certain member of the Junon Materia Corps I’d only recently met.”

The redhead’s grin widened.

“Don’t start,” Tseng added, firmly, before his protege could even open his mouth. He was perfectly aware of what was coming. Even the most passing mention of his personal relationship with Viridia was inevitably met with… commentary. Reno simply couldn’t resist the opportunity.

“What?” the redhead innocently replied.

“You know perfectly well ‘what’. We’re on duty. Behave yourself.”

“Yeah, yeah…” the redhead laughed, before his attention was drawn to the fact that the airship was suddenly descending. “Guess that means we’re here…”

He and Tseng joined the others at the railing, watching as the Highwind slowly sank until it was hovering mere feet above the ground. In the distance, the Turk lieutenant could see the roof of the Temple of Leviathan rising above the trees. It was a short walk from their landing site.

Set back in a wide cove, the temple extended out over the water, its ornate columns decorated with the visage of it’s namesake. Inside, he knew, was a statue of the Great Serpent, whose scales had been individually, and painstakingly, crafted from silver and mythril. He’d seen it often in his childhood, as his father had made a yearly pilgrimage to the temple to pay his respects to the God of the Seas. It had always fascinated him as a child, the way the light played off the intricately shaped metal, gleaming in the sunlight that streamed through the open roof.

“Hey… best behavior, guys. Boss’ orders…” he heard Reno say, and turned to find him quietly addressing the three rookies. Tseng smirked faintly, and moved to join Rufus in to procession towards the ship’s gangway. The redhead really was a natural born leader… but then, he’d recognized that quality in the young man quite early in his time as a Turk. Reno was the rare type of person who could look at a situation from multiple angles and evaluate which course of action to take to achieve the best outcome. But more than that, he was good at interacting. People listened to him. You wouldn’t think it to look at him normally, but his protege could assume quite the commanding presence when he needed to. He inspired confidence in both his peers and his subordinates, and that, Tseng believed, was key to being an effective leader.

… He was going to have to make the younger Turk aware of his plans for him in the very near future, he realized. For one thing, he was progressing so quickly that, soon, it was going to be difficult to shrug off the questions regarding why Tseng was involving him in matters that were almost exclusively the domain of command. Reno was already questioning the reason for his role in the selection of their new rookies, after all. It was only a matter of time before he figured it out on his own… assuming he hadn’t put most of the pieces together already.

Tseng knew why he was hesitating, though. The day Veld had told him that he would be the next Second in Command had been, simultaneously, the proudest and the most terrifying day of his life up to that point. He had long suspected it was going to happen, but in that moment, it had finally become real. It was a lot to live up to and a lot of pressure to put on a young Turk. Reno was even younger than he had been at the time, and Tseng very clearly remembered the feelings of fear and self-doubt that had dogged him on and off for months afterwards.

Because becoming Second meant knowing that, eventually, the well-being of the entire team would be firmly on his shoulders. That, one day, he would no longer have that comfortable fall back of having someone more experienced to turn to when he didn’t know what to do. And perhaps more importantly, the moment Reno was officially promoted to Second in Command and had to fully take on the burden of knowing that he would one day lead the Turks… Tseng would have to take on the burden of actually doing so.

The prospect was both thrilling and horrifying at the same time.

Halfway down the walkway that led to the ground, Rufus froze, scowling as he patted his pockets in search of something.

“Sir?” Tseng queried.

“I’d intended to bring an offering for the temple. I seem to have left it in my cabin,” Rufus muttered, annoyed at his own forgetfulness. He glanced down at the rest of their party, who had already disembarked and were starting to make their way down the road that led to the temple gates. The vice president sighed. “There’s no need to delay everyone. Inform my father that I will catch up.”

“Yes, sir,” he replied. Rufus hurried back into the airship, brushing past Reno without a word as he did so.

“Where’s he goin’?” the redhead inquired, quickening his pace to reach his mentor’s side.

“He left something in his cabin. Wait for him while I catch up to the rest of the group and inform the President that he’ll be a few moments.”

Reno rolled his eyes but didn’t comment. Instead, he leaned back against the post at the end of the walkway that held up the railing along the narrow ramp.

“Sure he’s not just pullin’ another disappearing act to go see the damn engines again?”

Tseng laughed quietly. “Fairly sure. Rufus has a passing interest in Wutaiian history. I don’t think he’d pass up a visit to this particular temple. Just wait here. I’m sure he won’t be long. I’ll be back momentarily.”

---

Reno grumbled quietly to himself as he watched Tseng jog off to catch up to the group. He wasn’t nearly as convinced that this wasn’t just Rufus trying to get out of something he didn’t really want to do… which the redhead found particularly irritating since he kind of did want to see the temple. Wutai was so far removed from what he was used to in Midgar. He was actually enjoying all the tours and sightseeing, even if he was largely doing it from the periphery.

He tapped his foot impatiently against the ground, and folded his arms over his chest. Waiting was one of his least favorite things to do. Especially when waiting meant risking missing out on something cool. If they started the tour before he finally got there, he was gonna be pissed.

The redhead glanced down the road and saw that the group had paused. For a moment, he thought they were going postpone the short hike while Rufus retrieved whatever the hell it was he’d forgotten, but in short order, they set off again, and Tseng started back towards the airship.

“Come on, already…” he groaned, eyes flicking up the opening that lead into the airship.

When his mentor at last returned, he, too, looked up at the entrance.

“He’s not back yet?” Tseng asked, and Reno shook his head.

“Tch… nope. You want me to go see what’s takin’ so long?”

A smile f littered over the senior Turk’s lips. “Eager to see the temple for yourself?”

“Hell, yes, I wanna see it! It’s my first time in Wutai. I wanna see everything!”

The Turk lieutenant smiled indulgently. He calmly glanced at his watch and shook his head. “Hmm… He does rather seem to be taking his time. Alright… Let’s go and find him.”

Reno eagerly hurried up the gangway, disappearing inside and heading straight for the passenger cabins. Rufus’ was at the far end, and as he entered the corridor, he could see that the door was slightly ajar. He strode purposefully down the hallway, and pushed it open, stepping into… an empty room.

The redhead blinked, looking around, and groaned. Tseng reached him moments later.

“I told ya the brat decided to back outta the tour. He’s probably hidin’ below deck again.”

The Turk lieutenant sighed, shaking his head. “You check the engine room… I’ll check the command deck.”

---

Rufus was not generally one to swear. By and large, he considered crass language to be beneath him, and generally indicative of a poor vocabulary and questionable upbringing. The slum rat was a perfect example of that. There were, however, occasions when a more… cultured… response to a situation simply didn’t express the appropriate level of frustration.

As he searched behind one of the large turbines in the engine room, he was quickly approaching that very level. The space had been abandoned for the time being, the machinery running at a bare minimum… just enough to keep them airborne… the engine crew likely off somewhere enjoying a little downtime while they were docked.

“Where has that Ramuh-be-damned thing gone?” he ground out under his breath. He’d initially assumed that he’d simply left it in his cabin earlier, but when he’d returned, the simple dyed silk pouch was nowhere to be seen. That was when he distinctly recalled tucking it into his pocket before he’d gone downstairs to tour the engine room.

Monetary offerings were common at temples and shrines in Wutai. And though he didn’t particularly believe in any of the gods and spirits folklore that surrounded most of them, the Leviathan was certainly real enough… though he had his doubts as to whether or not the creature paid any mind to the demands of people who left a coin or two in his temple’s offering box. Still… he’d decided that asking the Great Wutaiian Serpent for a reprieve from his father’s asinine attempts to marry him off certainly couldn’t hurt.

To that end, he’d procured the aforementioned pouch, containing a handful of hand-painted one gil coins… a very traditional offering… and had planned to make said request on their visit today. Unfortunately, it had gone missing, he could only assume, while he’d been down here earlier. Probably when he’d crouched down to examine some part of the engines.

Which one, however, was a bit of a mystery, as he’d been thoroughly engrossed in the inner workings of the airship at the time. He scowled as he stood up, considering where to look next… and nearly jumped out of his skin when he realized that someone was standing directly behind him. He yelped and spun on his heel to find himself face to face with… one of Tseng’s blasted rookie Turks. The same one he’d spotted and successfully avoided earlier in the day. He glared at the young woman.

“What in Ramuh’s name are you still doing here? The others have already left. You should be with them,” he groused, annoyed at the unexpected shadow. Not that he really needed an answer. Obviously, he’d been absent longer than anticipated, and Tseng had sent one of his newer minions to track him down.

“Vice President Shinra,” the woman said with a cordial nod, “You’re not supposed to be here. You should go.”

“It’s my airship. I’ll go whenever, and wherever, I please,” he replied, looking down his nose at her. Clearly a very recent hire. She hadn’t yet learned her place, or how to speak to her superiors. Either that, or Tseng was letting the blasted slum rat train their recruits now. The redhead virtually never showed him the proper respect. Why should he expect him to teach it? He glared and pushed past her, stalking over to one of the large pistons. He distinctly recalled observing it for several minutes earlier. Perhaps he’d dropped the pouch there.

There was a soft click, only audible above the hum of the machinery because it was right next to his ear.

“You should go. Now.”

Rufus felt a chill run down his spine. The cordiality was gone and there was a distinct note of threat in the woman’s voice now. He slowly turned to face her, only to find himself staring down the barrel of a gun.

“What is this?” he breathed.

“We’re not interested in a body count, but if you insist, I’ll make an exception. You have ten seconds to leave and not look back. Go. Before you annoy me farther.”

Rufus’s eyes narrowed. “You’re no Turk…”

She certainly looked the part. The uniform. The assured bearing. The dangerous look in her eyes. Perhaps a little too dangerous, given that it was more than apparent that her primary concern wasn’t his personal safety.

“Very astute. Five seconds,” the woman stated. She was serious. The gun was trained on him, and though he was certainly no weapons expert, he knew how to tell when the safety was off. The safety was most definitely off. He felt his breath catch in his throat as he realized that this woman could very easily kill him and almost certainly would if he didn’t as she said.

He was beginning to wish he hadn’t shed his own weapon in his cabin as soon as they’d boarded that morning. He’d only brought it in the first place because Tseng had specifically asked about it back at the hotel. In general, he disliked carrying the damned thing around with him. And besides… they were on the Highwind! What did he need a gun for? He was now rapidly reconsidering his stance on that matter.

The vice president slowly backed away from the woman, edging towards the exit. Five seconds. He hoped she was being generous with her countdown, because that didn’t give him a whole lot of time to cover the distance between his present position and the door.

Meanwhile, the woman’s aim never wavered. The gun was still pointed directly at him, and the faux-Turk wore a mask of utter calm.

“Who are you?” he found himself asking, against his better judgment. Why in the Nine Hells wasn’t he running like his life depended upon it? Tseng and the slum rat were just outside the ship, waiting for him with guns of their own. She was giving him the chance to leave… to run straight to them… and he was trying to engage her in a Ramuh-forsaken conversation!

“Time’s up,” she said, coldly.

The Shinra heir’s eyes went wide as he saw her finger tense on the trigger, and he was half-certain his heart stopped dead in his chest for a brief moment as he realized that he had no escape now. He’d stupidly wasted his brief opportunity. In half a second, he’d have a bullet in his head.

Before he could fully process that thought, however, something slammed into his side, knocking him painfully to the floor, just as the deafening sound of a gunshot echoed in the enclosed space of the engine room. He hit the ground hard, his elbow slamming down painfully on the metal deck, hard enough to send a jolt of pain through his entire arm. For a moment, that was all he could focus on.

A crackle of electricity followed by two more gunshots and a shriek of pain brought him back to reality.

Rufus forced himself upright, turning to look, eyes still wide as platters as he tried to sort out what in Ramuh’s name had just happened and why he wasn’t dead.

The woman was on the ground as well, out cold, limbs occasionally twitching with the aftereffects of electric shock. And standing over her, breathing heavily, was the Slum Rat, electrified baton in hand, poised to resume the attack if she attempted to get up.

Rufus closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. He didn’t know where in the Nine Hells Tseng’s pet protege had come from, but at the moment, he’d never been happier to see the obnoxious little vermin in his life. Of course, now, he mused, he probably owed the bastard another bottle of expensive liquor. He opened his eyes again and staggered to his feet, still somewhat shaken by the close call.

“You okay, sir?” the redhead asked, and Rufus was somewhat surprised at the strained note in his voice.

“Aside from the bruises you no doubt managed to inflict upon me during that mediocre excuse for a rescue… yes.”

“Good…” the Turk ground out, rather breathlessly, and Rufus suddenly realized that something wasn’t right. “In that case, do me a favor ‘n… ‘n get… get the Boss…”

With that, the redhead dropped to the floor himself, and lay there, motionless. Rufus simply stood, frozen for several seconds, before his more rational mind reengaged. He roughly rolled the Turk over, and felt inexplicably ill at the sight of the blood soaking through the front of his shirt and slowly pooling underneath him.

He scrambled back, tripping over his own feet as he scurried away from the blood, and in a panic, ran for the door.

“TSENG!”

~end chapter 50~