Desha's Reno of the Turks Fan Fiction

Chapter 60: Not as Easy as You Thought

“Yeh haven’t been released yet,” Justina Ward noted, arms crossed over her chest as she stood in the doorway.

“You could very easily remedy that for me,” Tseng replied. He glowered in irritation at the cast that encased the lower half of his right leg, starting just below the knee. He paused in his efforts to leave just long enough to gesture to it with his one free hand. “And was this really necessary?”

“Only if yeh want ta be able ta walk again at some point,” Ward shot back. She clucked her tongue and stepped farther into the room. “Fer Titan’s sake, yer barely four hours out of surgery… and it’s Saturday, besides. Can’t yeh just take it easy fer once in yer life?”

“Doc… have you met the Boss?” a teasing voice snickered from out in the hallway. Reno poked his head into the room. “Car’s waitin’ any time you’re ready.”

“Fine,” Ward snapped, clearly annoyed, “Sometimes I truly don’t know why I even bother talking ta yeh. Yeh never listen, anyway.” She turned her glare on Reno. “Neither one of yeh.”

The redhead blinked and backpedaled slightly. “Whoa… what’d I do?”

“You’ve opted to assist me in my escape,” Tseng replied with a smirk at the aging physician, reaching for the crutches that rested against the wall, “I’m guessing that’s more than enough to earn the good doctor’s ire.”

“Yeh’d best watch yer tone, Tseng… I can always put yeh on full medical leave, yeh know.”

The Turk lieutenant sighed and shook his head. “I promise you, Justinia… I will get some rest. At home, where rest is actually possible. Reno is staying for a day or two to make sure I’m comfortable, and I have more than enough paperwork to keep me firmly rooted to the couch until Monday.”

Justinia narrowed her eyes at the senior Turk.

“Yeh park yer behind on that couch and yeh stay there, then.” Her gaze swept back over to the redhead. “And yeh make sure of it.”

“Yes, ma’am…” Reno hurriedly replied, and Tseng couldn’t help but smile faintly at the younger man’s quick agreement on that stipulation. There weren’t many people capable of intimidating a Turk. But no Turk in their right mind wanted to be on Dr. Justinia Ward’s bad side. Not even her favorite patient.

Ward was still scowling, but turned on her heel and marched out of the room.

“Go on, then. I’ll see ta yer release forms…” she grudgingly called back over her shoulder.

“You know she’s gonna make you regret this, right, Boss?” Reno snickered. “Last time I didn’t do what she told me, she was waitin’ for me in my office with a fuckin’ tetanus shot.”

“That’s because she orderedyou to come down to Medical for a tetanus shot after you cut your arm down in the slums, and you ignored her for three days,” Tseng pointed out.

“Tch… semantics. Point is she hunted me down ‘n stuck me in the ass with a gigantic needle ’cause I didn’t do what she told me to,” Reno grumbled, “Seriously, boss… the only thing worse than gettin’ a shot is gettin’ one in the ass.”

“To be fair, your arm was a bit of a mess at the time…”

“I’ve got two of ’em. She did it on purpose,” Reno deadpanned. Tseng chuckled and leaned on the crutches.

“Point taken. In that case, let’s go before she changes her mind, shall we?”

The pair made their way to the nearest elevator and rode it down to the hospital’s main lobby, and then made the short walk to the parking lot… where Tseng was a little surprised to see his own car waiting for them.

“I don’t recall giving you permission to pick me up in my car…” the Wutaiian Turk said in an annoyed tone. Reno merely grinned.

“Well, I mean… I still had the keys after yesterday. And if I hadn’t brought it, it woulda been sittin’ at the office all weekend. I figured you’d want it home.”

“And I’m sure it had absolutely nothing to do with having the opportunity to drive it without the threat of immediate evisceration when I found out hanging over you,” Tseng shot back, though he couldn’t quite contain the tiny laugh that escaped his lips. To be far… he was a little relieved at not having to go and retrieve the vehicle himself, particularly since it would have been quite some time before he was able to. And by now, the redhead knew better than to take any further liberties by joyriding.

“Heh… even if you were gonna kill me, I’m pretty sure I could outrun you right now, Boss.”

“I’m a very patient man, Reno,” Tseng shot back, teasingly, “I can wait.”

---

It wasn’t long before Tseng found himself on his living room couch – exactly as promised – with his injured leg propped up on a pillow and the television remote within easy reach. At the moment, however, his attention was less focused on the mid-afternoon news report, and more on the lengthy schedule in front of him. It was going to be a rather interesting time, introducing three new rookies to the team, the facilities, and the general way they did things around Turk headquarters when, at the moment, he couldn’t even manage a flight of stairs.

He sighed quietly and realized that he was going to have to impose upon Reno far more than he’d initially planned on… which, in and of itself, was certainly not the worst thing he could have imagined, as the rookies themselves were a part of his protege’s training regime now. But at the same time, he didn’t want to run the young man ragged, given that he was only just back from a long convalescence and not even approved for full field duty yet… though he likely would be by the time the rookies reported for their first day.

Still… Tseng would be reduced to an almost exclusively supervisory role for the time being, meaning that any physical interaction with their newest teammates would be in Reno’s hands. He was a bit disappointed to be missing out.

And then, or course, there was the nagging fact that he’d let the Leviathan-be-damned Zenshou best them. He should have been paying more attention… should have realized that one of them had slipped away. Renohad spotted the absence far faster than he had… and though it hadn’t been quite fast enough, Tseng couldn’t help but think that he, himself, had been unduly sloppy during the operation.

And it had almost cost him Reno. Again. That he was safe and… relatively sound… was far more attributable to sheer luck than anything else. If the bridge had been a little higher, or if Tseng had been a little slower in reaching him…

Tseng shook his head, and forcibly pushed the what-ifs from his mind. It was far too easy to fall into the conflicting mindset of wanting his protege to succeed as a Turk, and wanting him to remain safe. They couldn’t always do both in their line of work. The important part, as Veld had pointed out to him yesterday, was that both he and Reno had made it home alive.

The front door opened just then, and the aforementioned redhead stepped inside, arms laden with several take-out bags. Tseng raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

“Just how many people do you intend to feed?” he queried, eyeing the containers.

“Relax, Boss… It’s not all lunch. Wu Long’s had a special on those little meat dumpling things, ‘n that shit tastes good hot or cold. Figured we could have ’em for dinner if you didn’t wanna order pizza. And I mighta also got donuts. Ya know… for breakfast. Since I was out, anyway.”

Tseng snorted softly in laughter.

“Something tells me those donuts won’t even make it until dinnertime,” he chuckled, noting the faint dusting of what was most likely powdered sugar on the younger man’s t-shirt.

“… I only ate two on the way back,” the redhead replied, somewhat shiftily. Tseng raised an eyebrow. “Okay, fine… and one while I was waitin’ in line for the rest of the food.”

The senior Turk snickered and reached for his crutches, while Reno turned and headed for the kitchen with his haul of foodstuffs. By the time he’d managed to hobble his way in as well, the redhead was already unpacking their lunch and setting it out on the table. Tseng lowered himself into his usual chair, wincing slightly as his battered ribs protested the change in position.

“After we eat, I’d like your input on the schedules for the rookies,” he said, offhandedly.

“Heh… no problem, Boss. I’m all yours ’til Monday,” Reno replied, grinning. “And… ya know… pretty much any time after that, too. Just tell my what ya need me to do, ‘n it’ll get done.”

“I’m beginning to think a month in bed has left you in a state of perpetual enthusiasm. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so thoroughly dedicated to the prospect of handling the more tedious parts of my job,” Tseng said, with a quiet laugh.

The redhead merely shrugged. “We got rookies comin’. I’m excited. Sides… helping’ you out while you’re recoverin’ from saving my ass again’s the least I can do,” he said, and then his grin widened teasingly, “And it meant I got to drive your car again to spring ya from the hospital.”

“Ah… I knew there must be a reason you were so eager to volunteer as a nursemaid…” he returned, smiling warmly.

---

It was late… and he should have been asleep, but between the constant ache in his ribcage, and the itching that sporadically crept over his skin beneath the cast on his leg, sleep had stubbornly remained just out of reach for hours now. He debated summoning Reno to bring him the painkillers Justinia had prescribed for him. The pain wasn’t really bad enough to justify them, but they would almost certainly knock him out for awhile.

In the end however, he thought better of the idea. First and foremost, because the redhead was most likely sound asleep himself by now… and also because a little insomnia was not a valid reason to dose oneself with prescription narcotics. He was, however, going to have to do something to try and get some sleep… and after a moment’s deliberation, came to the decision to fall back on his usual cure for a sleepless night. Chamomile, and a good book.

That thought in mind, he groped for the crutches he’d stashed beside the bed and hauled himself upright. He made his way down the hallway as silently as he could… after all, it took next to nothing to wake the younger Turk presently residing in his guest room, and there was no need to disturb him.

As he passed by the room, he paused in surprise, finding the door still open and the bed very clearly unoccupied. The whereabouts of his houseguest soon came to light, however. He spotted a small lump in the darkness curled up at the far end of the couch in the living room. Closer inspection quickly revealed it to be the missing redhead.

Tseng frowned slightly and hobbled towards him. Had he been in any condition to do so, he might have moved the young man somewhere a bit more comfortable. Or… at least attempted it. It was rare that he could manhandle the redhead without disturbing his sleep long enough to accomplish much more than tucking a pillow beneath his head and covering him with a blanket. Which, in and of itself, was a great improvement over his rookie days, when the slightest movement or touch would violently jar the young Turk from slumber.

As things stood, however, there was little point in waking him just to tell him to go to bed. He shook his head and turned to make his way into the kitchen… only to see Reno stir slightly out of the corner of his eye.

“… Boss?” a sleepy voice queried, and Tseng sighed. So much for not disturbing him.

“Go back to sleep, Reno. I’m just after some tea.”

The redhead yawned and sat up, stretching his arms over his head for a moment.

“I’ll get it,” he replied. Before the senior Turk could protest, Reno was already on his feet and scurrying into the kitchen. Tseng snorted in amusement and followed at a much more sedate pace.

“Reno… you’re here to help me. Not to wait on me like a servant. I’m quite capable of boiling water myself.”

“Come on, Tseng… Just gimme this, will ya? You bend over backwards for me every time I’m laid up.”

“Ah…” the Wutaiian smirked, knowingly, “So that’s why you were camped out in the living room rather than utilizing the perfectly serviceable bed in my guest room. You wanted me to end up waking you if I needed something.”

“You slept on my couch when I had the flu last year…” the redhead pointed out as he filled the kettle with water and lit the burner beneath it.

“That’s because the alternative would have been the floor,” Tseng chuckled. “You live in little more than a closet. And given that you were somewhat delirious with fever for awhile, I could hardly abandon you and simply go home for the night.”

“Okay… yeah,” he acknowledged, “But… can’t you let me do this anyway?”

“Why is it so important that you put yourself out for my sake?” Tseng asked… though he already had an idea. Reno shrugged.

“… ‘Cause you would. Tch… you have. And I know you’re gonna say I don’t owe ya for all the times you’ve been there. But I do. And even if I didn’t… you’re family. Hell, cheesy as this is gonna sound… you’re the closest thing I’m ever gonna have to a dad. So… ya know… just let me have this, okay?”

Tseng smiled faintly. Sometimes, with as much as Reno had grown and changed over the years, it was easy to forget that his life prior to the Turks had been more than a bit… lacking. It had left him with a deep-seated need to protect the people he cared about. The younger man had lost everything when he was just a child… and had rebuilt his life, piece by agonizing piece. It was no wonder he held onto everything he’d gained so tenaciously.

“Chamomile and just a splash of milk. No sugar. I’m trying to fall asleep… not spend the remainder of the night wide awake,” he replied, with little seriousness, before turning and making his way back out into the living room, and easing himself down on to the couch.

It wasn’t long before the redhead was carrying a steaming cup of freshly brewed tea out to him. Tseng graciously accepted it, and motioned for him to join him on the couch.

“You didn’t make yourself any?” he teasingly asked. Reno snorted in laughter.

“Sorry, Boss… that’s one habit of yours that’s never gonna rub off on me,” he snickered, and then yawned widely.

“Go to bed, Reno,” Tseng gently chastised him, “The actual bed. Not the end of the couch. Honestly… you had the entire thing to stretch out on, and I find you practically tied in a knot at one end.”

“Heh… yeah. I… still kinda have a tendency do that when I’m worried ’bout somethin’,” he sheepishly admitted.

“There’s no need to worry about me,” the senior Turk stated, “An injured ankle is hardly life-threatening.”

“I know… I just…” the redhead awkwardly began, before trailing off.

“And my injury wasn’t your fault, either,” Tseng added, recognizing the guilt-laden tone the younger man had slipped into. “At least no more so than your broken nose was mine. After all… if I’d noticed our missing Zenshou sooner, we never would have been in that situation to begin with.”

“Yeah, but…”

“Assignments go wrong sometimes. There’s nothing that can be done about it after the fact. One can only learn from the mistake and try not to make it a second time,” Tseng said, setting his tea aside for the moment, and placing a hand on his protege’s back. He smiled faintly, and added, “I, for one, will be paying far more attention to the back seats of cars from here on out…”

Reno snickered quietly in response, and Tseng let his hand languidly stroke the length of his protege’s spine, up and down in a gentle, repetitive motion. It was something he’d discovered – during the young Turk’s aforementioned illness about a year ago, in fact – tended to soothe the redhead. Reno let his eyes drift shut, enjoying the attention. After a moment he roused himself just enough to turn his gaze on his mentor for a moment.

“Heh… Ya know why I like that, don’t ya?” he murmured sleepily.

“No, actually,” Tseng replied, with a soft note of curiosity.

“Mom used to do that…” the redhead answered, the hint of a smile playing on his lips. “Usually when she wanted me to go the fuck to sleep…”

---

It took him until Wednesday to get his replacement PHS. Apparently the IT department was still having some issues. But even so, by Wednesday afternoon, Reno had fallen into a rhythm. Wake up early. Pick Tseng up – in his own car, rather than the sweet as fuck sports car he’d fleetingly been permitted to drive. Office. Morning workout in either the gym or the pool. And then, on with his day… wherein he was basically at his mentor’s beck and call until it was time to head home.

And weirdly enough, he was enjoying it.

Okay, sure, he wasn’t going to miss the whole dragging his ass out of bed early thing once Tseng was recovered enough… or stubborn enough… to drive again, but the rest of it, he was kind of having fun with. He was even starting to think that maybe… just maybe… he’d been freaking out over nothing when Tseng had told him he was going to be the next second in command. He was more or less doing it now, and it wasn’t that hard.

Well… it wasn’t exactly easy,either. But it was a far cry from the insurmountable nightmare he’d briefly envisioned. Maybe he really could do this, after all.

Not that he was suddenly running things around the office, of course. Tseng was still handling all the desk jobs. He was just taking care of the physical stuff his mentor had been barred from for the time being, and serving as his Tseng’s runner whenever there was an errand that needed to be seen to. It seemed to be working out for them both. Things were running smoothly, preparations for the new rookies were coming along, and while they didn’t yet have a solid lead on the Zenshou, Remy and Rude – who were still in Wutai – had reported back that they were making significant progress in tracking them down.

“Reno,” Veld called out to him, peering out of Tseng’s office as the redhead was returning from dropping off a handful of requisition forms downstairs, “Join us, please.”

The redhead slipped inside, shutting the door behind him, and found Tseng seated just where he’d left him a short while ago, looking somewhat perturbed.

“… Somethin’ up?” Reno asked.

“We’ve learned how the Zenshou gained access to the building,” Tseng replied, “Our disgruntled IT assistant seems to have given them a little help.”

“And you have an appointment with Medical. Now. I’ve asked Dr. Ward to reevaluate you for field duty a few days early.”

“Uhhh… I’m guessin’ that means I’m bein’ sent to make an example of the asshole?” Reno surmised.

“You guess correctly,” Veld replied, “… With one caveat, but we’ll go over that when and if you’re cleared. Get downstairs. The doctor is expecting you.”

“Yes, sir,” Reno said, blinking in surprise. He cast one final glance over at Tseng, who was still watching him with a rather odd expression, and then reversed course out the door, heading back towards the elevators.

Something was going on. He wasn’t sure what, but this was more than a simple termination. It had to be. Why the hell else would Veld be rushing to get his field status restored? Particularly when Kai could have just as easily handled the job. Or Sykes, for that matter. And why had Tseng been so obviously uneasy about the whole thing? Just what was this “one caveat” Veld had mentioned?

Reno huffed, annoyed, as the elevator doors closed and the car started its journey down to the ninth floor. He supposed he’d just have to wait until the Doc cleared him to find out.

---

“Is this really necessary, sir?” Tseng asked, after the redhead had dashed off to his unexpected appointment with Justinia.

“You think he can’t handle a simple locate and terminate assignment?”

Tseng glared at his mentor. “You know perfectly well why I’m concerned.”

Veld took a seat across from the younger Turk. “Yes. I do. And you know that, if he’s going to be your successor, you can’t shield him from the less pleasant parts of the job indefinitely. It needs to be done. It’s long past time, really. And as you’re sidelined, it only makes sense that the responsibility for doing it should fall to Reno.”

“I know, sir… I just –”

“You want to protect him,” Veld calmly acknowledged, “You don’t need to explain. It was no easier for me to let you come to understand what being Second in Command really means. But it’s a heavy responsibility you’re asking him to bear, and the sooner he begins to experience the more difficult parts of the job, the sooner he’ll be able to accept them.”

“Yes, sir,” Tseng sighed.

“How are your preparations for the new rookies coming?” the Turk leader queried, and Tseng couldn’t help but smirk.

“Ignoring the fact that you’re not so subtly changing the subject on me… they’re coming along quite well. Reno and I have worked out a reasonably coherent itinerary for their introduction to the team, and scheduled as many of the necessities as possible,” he replied, “Incidentally… has Latchley officially accepted yet? I can’t push through the paperwork for her credentials until she does.”

Veld frowned. “No… she hasn’t. And frankly I’m a little surprised, considering how quickly the others did so. But… she has until Friday. I wouldn’t start worrying just yet. Some recruits prefer to take their time with a decision like this… just to be sure they’re absolutely certain it’s a commitment they want to make.”

Tseng nodded in understanding.

“I’m also supposed to tell you that you’re invited to dinner tonight… Esme is supremely annoyed that she hasn’t had the opportunity to fuss over you since she heard about your injury, and Felicia seems to have emerged from her overcrowded social calendar long enough to wonder where you’ve been hiding yourself.”

The Wutaiian Turk smiled, laughing softly. “A home-cooked meal would be… very welcome,” he chuckled, “Reno is a superb assistant, and a very reliable caregiver… but I swear to Leviathan, if I end up eating pizza again this week…” he sighed, trailing off dramatically. Veld laughed.

“How do braised pork ribs sound?”

“Far, far better than jalapeño, onion, and pineapple pizza…” Tseng deadpanned.

“… Who in their right mind –” Veld began, and then shook his head, “No. Nevermind. I should really know better than to question anything he eats by now.”

“I do know better, but I still question it on occasion,” the younger Turk snickered, “He convinced me… once… to try it. It’s a positively vile combination.”

Before Veld could comment further, Reno poked his head through the still-partially-open door.

“What’s a positively vile combination?” he asked.

“You’re preferred pizza toppings,” Tseng stated, “What did Justinia have to say?”

“That she’s givin’ out flu shots startin’ the first of the month and I’d better haul my backside downstairs to get one this year, or I’ll be sorry,” he replied, “And… yeah, I’m cleared for field duty.”

“Good. Sit down.” Veld gestured to the seat beside him, and Tseng shuffled aside a handful of folders before finally extracting one and passing it over to him. Reno flipped through it briefly, lingering on the photo of his target.

“Sampson Ellerton, formerly of the Shinra Company IT division,” said Tseng, “In spite of his attempts to cover his tracks, we’ve located him in a hotel in Costa del Sol. You’ll find details of his accommodations in the dossier. He’s to be terminated on sight.”

“… ‘kay. I can do that,” Reno replied, with a note of confusion in his voice. “Now what are you not tellin’ me?”

Veld snorted softly, and when the redhead glanced over at him, he looked vaguely amused by the query.

“Your protege is nothing if not perceptive,” he chuckled, and Tseng smiled slightly at the comment. He leaned forward, resting elbows on top of his desk and steepling his fingers before him.

“Uh, oh…” Reno murmured.

“Your assignment is not to take out the target,” said Tseng. He quietly took a breath and released it slowly. “Your assignment is to supervise Liam when he does it.”

---

Reno flipped through the file on Ellerton again. It was short. The guy didn’t seem to have much going for him. No family. Not much of a social life, apparently. He came in, kept his head down, did his job and went home. He’d done so for the last four years. By all accounts, he was a complete non-descript, non-stand-out, non… presence. Right up until he stuck a virus on a file server that had caused enough chaos down in IT and security that a handful of Zenshou could slip through the backdoor. Kai had found a rather hefty deposit in his bank account made just two days prior. Obviously, they’d bought their way in.

And the scumbag was gonna pay for selling out the Company.

That, however, was not the thought that was foremost in Reno’s mind as he sat in the cockpit of the Turks’ helicopter, waiting for the rookie to join him. No, he was thinking about how in the Nine Hells he was going to tell him that they were assassins today, and the kid would be the one pulling the trigger.

He very clearly remembered his own first kill assignment… how terrified he’d been, holding a gun on a man who’d been foolish enough to steal from Shinra. Not because the son of a bitch represented any kind of threat to him – by that point, he’d been unarmed, and Tseng had shattered his knee, leaving him essentially helpless – but because he was about to take a life. It wasn’t even in self defense. It was a cold-blooded murder of someone who was, literally, begging for his life by the time Reno’d leveled the gun at him.

And now he was supposed to make Liam do the same thing.

Reno had been angry at Tseng afterwards. Not just because he’d forced him to kill… but because he hadn’t even told him what was expected of him until the moment came to do it. He’d let him think, the entire journey to Gongaga, that he was just going along to see how it was done. He’d been almost as furious with Tseng as he’d been disgusted with himself.

Nowadays, he didn’t so much as blink when he was given orders to kill. But that first time…

Sure, he’d gotten over it. He’d forgiven his mentor for so abruptly shoving him into that situation. He ultimately even understood why Tseng had chosen not to tell him the real purpose of their assignment from the start, and didn’t hold it against him now. But he hadn’t forgotten the way it had felt.

He had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn’t going to forget how this felt anytime soon, either.

Reno very nearly laughed when he thought about how, just a little while ago, he’d been starting to think that Tseng’s job wasn’t nearly as difficult as he’d imagined. In reality, that was so far from the truth, the naïvete of it was almost painful. Tseng’s job was anything but easy. He’d always known that. But until recently, he hadn’t really fathomed to what extent that was true. Some of the shit his mentor had to deal with was seriously fucked up.

Like ordering a rookie to kill a guy in cold blood. At not quite nineteen, Liam wasn’t that much older than Reno’d been. He was still just a kid, in the grand scheme of things.

And now the redhead was faced with a decision. Tell him now? Or wait, the way Tseng had, until it was time to take the killshot. He didn’t wantto tell him, to be honest. He didn’t really want to do any of this at all. He’d have much rather handled the target himself. But, again, he thought of how furious he’d been. How unprepared. How… hurt. He’d pushed Tseng away when he really could have used someone to talk to because of that anger, and he didn’t want Liam to have to go through that.

So he decided. He didn’t want the rookie to be angry with him the way he’d been angry with Tseng.

Mere seconds after he’d made that decision, he spotted Liam emerging onto the rooftop of the Shinra Building, and eagerly sprinting towards the helicopter. Reno cringed slightly at the enthusiasm on display. He knew exactly where that came from. Rookies tended not to get out of the city much until they had a little more experience. Aside from the trip to Wutai, and maybe the odd hike over to Kalm or Junon, the vast majority of the assignments Liam had been given up until now had kept him safely in Midgar. A mystery assignment on a whole other continent with only Reno along to supervise was inevitably going to breed excitement.

A moment later, Liam had climbed inside and the door on the side of the aircraft was hauled shut. The rookie quickly tossed a small bag into the back and joined him in the cockpit, strapping himself into the co-pilot’s seat and grinning at the senior Turk.

“Ready to go, sir!” he proclaimed.

The redhead sighed and steeled himself for what he had to do.

---

Ryu sat in silence enjoying the warm afternoon. There wouldn’t be many more… Fall was here, and though the days were still pleasant enough, the nights were getting noticeably cooler. It wouldn’t be long before the season changed fully… and not much longer still before there’d be snow on the ground.

As transplants, both of his parents were still far more accustomed to the perpetually mild climate of their homeland, even after more than a decade. He, however, had lived in Midgar since he was three years old, and rather enjoyed the variability between the seasons. His father’s usual grumbling about the weather had already begun when he’d gone to tell them that he’d been accepted into the Turks last weekend.

Their reaction had been about what he’d expected. Pride, with a healthy dose of concern. His mother, in particular, hadn’t been overly thrilled with the idea of her only son becoming a Turk, but in the end, she had given him her blessing. His father, however, couldn’t have been prouder. The Turks were among Shinra’s elite. Quite a bit more distinguished than his own career on the reactor design team.

He’d accepted the promotion immediately, of course. The Commander had barely gotten the words out when Ryu had said yes. There was no need to think about anything for even a second, let alone the entire seven days he’d been allotted. He knew what he wanted, and when it was offered to him, he jumped at it. Starting on Monday… less than a week from now… he’d be a Turk.

He’d already seen to renting an apartment. For the last year, he’d been living in the recruitment center dorms, rather than at home with his parents, and he didn’t intend to go back. He was an adult now, and wanted to live as such. His family was loving and kind… but being an only child, they tended to baby him. His mother was especially guilty of treating him like a ten year old rather than a nineteen year old. The dorms had been his first step towards life on his own, and he’d found that he enjoyed his new freedom immensely.

“Hey, Ryu…” a voice called out, interrupting his momentary self-reflection, and he glanced up, vaguely annoyed. Victor grinned at him from the door that led to the roof stairs, and stepped outside, letting it shut behind him. “Thought I might find you up here. You haven’t seen Zephyr, by any chance, have you?”

“No, I haven’t. Why?” he asked. The older recruit shook his head and walked over to where Ryu was perched on a small ledge and took a seat beside him.

“I haven’t seen her outside of the training hall since Saturday. I keep trying to ask her if she was offered a promotion, too, but I can’t seem to catch up with her long enough to even say ‘Hi’. Kinda seems like she’s avoiding me.”

“Maybe she didn’t receive an offer…” Ryu suggested.

“Yeah,” Victor sighed, “That’s kinda what I’m afraid of. She’s been so down on herself since the whole Great Flood incident. I’m a little worried that if she didn’t make it, she might just call it quits all together and drop out of the program.”

“Not everyone is cut out to be a Turk. If she wasn’t offered a promotion, then, I rather hate to say it, but maybe it’s for the best.”

Victor frowned. “That’s cold, Ryu.”

“I’m just being realistic. If she was turned down, it was for a reason. Perhaps that reason is that the Commander simply didn’t think she had what it takes after our evaluations.”

“Hmph… Yeah, well… do me a favor and keep that opinion to yourself if you see her, will ya? And let her know I’m looking for her.”

“Should I happen upon her, I will deliver the message,” Ryu replied, with a note of disinterest. Victor rolled his eyes and got to his feet.

“And pull that stick outta your ass, while you’re at it. It’s up so far, you’re gonna lose track of it if you’re not careful,” he added, before returning from whence he came.

~end chapter 60~