Desha's Reno of the Turks Fan Fiction

Chapter 64: All According to Plan

Reno grinned slightly as he pressed the button for the sixty-ninth floor. It had taken, literally, the entire afternoon… but the tour was almost finished. All that was left was the President’s office.

Well… the reception area, anyway. He wasn’t cleared to take the rookies up to the seventieth floor. Hell, he’d only been in there twice in the nearly four years he’d been a Turk. There just weren’t many occasions when anyone but executives and investors were summoned to appear before President Shinra privately. In fact, the only times he’d had occasion to enter the luxurious office had been briefly alongside Rufus during the war, when his father had demanded he be accompanied just about everywhere by a security escort.

Everything had gone… pretty great, actually. The rookies had lots of questions… and for the most part, he’d been able to answer them – though there were a few things he’d made a mental note to check with Tseng on, as he hadn’t been a hundred percent sure on Company policy. They’d hit all the major areas, and even run into his old friend, Izzy, down on forty-eight. The redhead hadn’t seen her in months… and it had quickly become apparent why. She looked like she was about five seconds away from popping out a kid. Apparently she’d been on maternity leave, and had just stopped by to pick up some forms from HR and chat with a few of her office buddies. Reno hadn’t even known she was pregnant… but then again, since she’d gotten married, they didn’t really hang out much anymore.

The group stepped out into the large reception floor for the presidential offices, and all three rookies momentarily froze, eyes going wide. The redhead really couldn’t blame them… From what Tseng had told him, the whole space had been designed to trigger that sort of reaction. It was meant to be impressive and imposing and powerful… and it was. He’d had much the same reaction himself the first time he’d walked in here. Two large, long desks ran along either side of the room, and seated behind them were President Shinra’s small army of secretaries and assistants. At the far end of the room, twin staircases curved up to the seventieth floor.

“So… yeah. This is Presidential Reception,” he said, guiding them out. He flashed one of the secretaries a wide grin, which the woman only too happily returned. “And… ya probably won’t get any farther than this any time soon, to be honest. Only thing on the top floor is the President’s personal office.”

“Ugh… What are you doing here?” a voice interrupted, and Reno shifted his gaze upwards slightly to see Rufus making his way down the left-hand staircase, an annoyed sneer already firmly in place. The secretary hurriedly dropped her smile and pointedly shifted her attention back to her computer screen. Reno rolled his eyes. Leave it to the brat to ruin his attempts at flirting.

“Just showin’ the new guys around, sir,” he replied, as Rufus reached the bottom of the stairs and paused in front of the small group. The vice president turned his sneer on the three rookies, looking each of them over in turn.

“This is the latest crop of Turks?” Rufus queried, in an unimpressed tone. He shook his head and sighed. “I should have known it would be a disaster the moment Tseng mentioned to me that he was getting input on the new hires from his pet Slum Rat. What? Did you merely throw darts at a list of names?” His eyes drifted over towards Zephyr. “Is she even old enough to be a Turk?”

“Boss nabbed me when I was sixteen, sir,” Reno said, biting back a snicker. Rufus was really laying it on thick today. If he hadn’t known better, even the redhead might have taken “critique” seriously.

“Hmph… I’m still not convinced he didn’t simply find you stuck to the bottom of his shoe one day and take you in out of sheer convenience… or pity,” Rufus snarked. He paused, momentarily, as if pondering the possibilities. “Or perhaps it was merely a matter of being unable to be rid of you once you’d adhered yourself to him… You are rather fungus-like.”

“Yes, sir,” the redhead replied, with a grin. Rufus snorted and rolled his eyes, before brushing past him.

“Out of my way, Slum Rat. I have a meeting to attend,” he declared, and resumed his original course, walking over to the elevator and pressing the call button. Reno snorted softly in laughter after he was gone.

“Heh… And that was the vice president,” he snickered, glancing at his new subordinates. “So… who wants ta see the roof?”

---

“What a day…” Zephyr breathed, slouching in the hard plastic train seat. She let her head thump softly against the glass window beside her and shut her eyes for a moment. Victor laughed quietly.

“I told you it was going to be a long one…”

“You know what I’m going to do? I’m going grab some dinner and then go straight up to my room and soak my feet until bedtime,” she replied, and then turned her gaze on her footwear, glaring, “But first? I’m going to burn these stupid shoes.”

Ryu snorted softly but didn’t comment. He was too engrossed in his own musings to join in the conversation. Zephyr was right about one thing, though. It had been a day. A long and, ultimately, enlightening day.

He’d had no idea that any of the Turks were slum-born. And by the sound of things, the upper echelons of Company leadership were none-too-impressed with the fact. The way Rufus Shinra had spoken to Reno… as if he were utterly beneath him and worthless… disturbed him. Some of that disdain had clearly been redirected at the new rookies, simply for being in his company.

Ryu did not want to be lumped in with a lowly slum dweller if he could help it. Not that there was anything wrong with being slum-born, per se. People from the slums were just… different… from those who had spent their lives on the Plate. Less intelligent. Less cultured. Less… well… frankly, just less. It wasn’t their fault, of course. It was just the result of growing up in an environment like… that.

How one of them had ever wound up as a Turk, though, Ryu couldn’t quite imagine.

His father had always said that the slum-born ought to be pitied. Their circumstances were pitiable, certainly… but at the same time, Ryu felt that the vast majority of them were just too lazy or too dishonest to really bother doing anything about it, and opted instead to simply accept their lot in life. He’d never actually been to the Slums… but he’d heard the stories. The drugs. The gangs. The crime. The poverty. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that it disgusted him a little.

He wondered if Reno had been selected for the Turks because of his criminal history. He knew that sometimes the best way to gain the upper hand with a segment of society was to bring one of their own under your wing and use them as an emissary. That seemed, at least in his mind, like the most likely explanation. Maybe he was tight with the gang leaders down below. Maybe he’d even been a gang leader. He didn’t really look the type… but who knew what he was like before the Turks had cleaned him up?

Regardless… the company executives didn’t seem to have much respect for him. Besides Vice President Shinra’s cutting comments, Director Heidegger hadn’t looked overly thrilled to see him, either, when they’d visited the executive offices on sixty-six… and if the Head of the General Affairs Department disliked him, Ryu was definitelygoing to want to distance himself from the red-haired Turk as much as possible. Heidegger oversaw the Turks’ parent division, after all. He was, essentially, their boss.

It was nothing personal. Not in the slightest. Reno had seemed pleasant enough. Maybe not the smartest person the rookie had ever met – dear Leviathan, his grammar was terrible… and he swore every other sentence – but welcoming and friendly. But Ryu had his own career to think about and he didn’t want to start it off on the wrong foot with the people who really mattered.

“Ryu? Hey… Ryu. You awake?”

“Hmm?” the younger Turk responded, suddenly drawn out of his own thoughts. Victor rolled his eyes.

“I said do you want to come have dinner with me and Zephyr? This is our stop, so… if you’re coming with us instead of heading back to your apartment…” he said, trailing off as the train slowly ground to a halt at the platform.

“Oh,” Ryu said, blinking, “I… um… Thank you, but no. Mother and Father are expecting me to join them for dinner tonight. I promised to tell them about my first day.”

“See you tomorrow, then!” Zephyr replied with a wave, before bounding towards the door.

“Later, Ryu,” Victor added.

“Goodnight,” the third rookie cordially replied.

---

Reno yawned, stretching his arms above his head, and then shoved aside the completed forms.

“Finished?” Tseng’s voice inquired from the doorway, and he jumped slightly.

“Tch… yeah. All done. And how the fuck can you still sneak up on me on crutches?” he replied, snickering softly. The senior Turk chuckled.

“Practice. Thank you for staying to help me finish those. The sheer amount of paperwork for a new hire borders on ridiculous anymore.”

The redhead shrugged. “No problem, boss. You know how I just love fillin’ out forms. In triplicate.”

Tseng laughed and shook his head.

“One of your favorite pastimes, I know. In appreciation, allow me to treat you to dinner tonight. I’d very much like to hear how the building tour went.”

Reno grinned and hurriedly got to his feet.

“Pizza?” he enthusiastically queried. Tseng audibly groaned, drawing another laugh from the redhead. “Okay, fine. How ’bout that Costan place over on 5th street? Ya know… the one that lets ya put as much of whatever you want on your burrito…”

“While that sounds far more agreeable…” the senior Turk replied, “I was thinking something a bit… quieter… than a fast food establishment. Have you ever been to the The Juniper Well?”

“Nope… Don’t think so…” the redhead replied, somewhat curious, as he got to his feet. Tseng smiled and shuffled out of the doorway so he could get past him.

“Good. You drive, I’ll navigate.”

A short while later, Reno found himself sitting opposite his mentor at a tiny, hole-in-the-wall cafe on a little side street in Sector 2. It was a cozy little place, lit with old-fashioned glass lanterns, rather than modern mako-powered lights. It looked more like something you’d find in Kalm or Nibelheim than in Midgar.

“How’d you even find this place?” Reno snickered as he looked over the menu. “I musta driven by it dozens of times over the years ‘n never even realized it was here.”

“It’s one of Rufus’ favorites. He introduced me. He… frequented it with his mother when he was younger. Apparently, he even purchased it outright to prevent it from going under a few years back.”

Reno glanced up from the menu, frowning slightly.

“Seriously?”

Tseng nodded. “I thought it would be wise to familiarize you with it. Particularly given that you are essentially my de facto stand-in for his personal security these days. He very well might never bring you here himself, but… on the off chance, I wanted you to be aware of the sentimental value. As you know, Rufus… does not often speak of his mother.”

The redhead exhaled as he glanced around the minuscule dining space. “Can’t exactly say I don’t understand that…”

Tseng flashed him a somewhat sad smile. “I think that’s at least part of why Rufus has been somewhat more willing to accept you than most other Turks. Because you do understand. In a way that many people can’t.” He set his own menu aside. “If you don’t mind my asking… how goes your own progress on that front?”

Reno snickered softly.

“That why ya brought me here? To talk about my mom?”

“No… It’s a genuinely goodrestaurant, that I quite enjoy dining at,” Tseng replied, chuckling. “But I will admit to perhaps a small amount of personal concern. Our prior conversation was… ah… unexpectedly interrupted by a high speed car chase, after all.”

“I’m… ya know. Workin’ on it,” the redhead said, shrugging. “I know where I wanna be with it all… I’m just tryin’ to figure out how to actually get there.”

“May I make a suggestion?”

“Sure,” Reno replied.

“Speak to Kai about it. She… had a similar trauma to overcome at a fairly young age, and like you, spent much of her younger years fending for herself.”

The younger Turk shrugged. “Yeah… she told me ’bout losin’ her dad when she was a kid… ‘n I did kinda talk to her about some stuff awhile back, but… I dunno. I guess I just haven’t quite worked up the courage to bring it up again yet. I mean… when I think about my mom, no matter how good a memory it is at first, I inevitably end up thinking about the worst day of my life.”

Tseng nodded in understanding. “There’s no need to force yourself.”

“Yeah, there kinda is,” Reno replied, shaking his head. “… ‘Cause if I don’t, I’m just gonna end up not doin’ anything. So… I guess I just need to grow some balls ‘n bite the bullet…”

The senior Turk smiled softly. “Shall I alert Kai to expect a conversation in the near future, then?”

The redhead rolled his eyes and reached for his water glass, taking a sip.

“No way. If I gotta make myself spill my guts to her ’bout my mom, she’s not gettin’ advance warning.”

Tseng chuckled and glanced up, noting that their waitress was heading in their direction.

“As you wish,” he somewhat teasingly affirmed, before turning more serious, “And… while my own experiences my be considerably different – and frankly, I’m still sorting some things out in that regard, myself – you can talk to me, as well. Any time.”

“I know,” Reno replied, with a faint smile.

---

Victor snorted softly as he made his way out onto the roof of the recruitment facility and caught sight of Zephyr vindictively jabbing at the smoldering remains of a pair of shoes that had been roasting on the little barbecue grill someone had dragged up here long before either of them had joined the program.

“They dead yet?” he quipped, walking over to her.

“Oh, they’re dead, alright,” she replied, glaring at the embers. She suddenly laughed and shook her head. “I seriously don’t know what in the Nine Hells I was thinking wearing those today.”

Victor grinned and took a seat on a nearby lawnchair, sitting back and gazing up at the night sky. It was nice out. A beautiful fall evening in Midgar.

“You know? I think I’m going to miss this place…” he said.

“Any luck on the apartment hunting yet?”

The older rookie shrugged. “Eh… I’ve got a few places to look at this weekend. Not sure about the rent, though. All the stuff that’s reasonably close to the office is a little pricey. And way bigger than I really need just for myself.” He glanced over at Zephyr. “So, that’s why I was sort of wondering… any chance you’re interested in a roommate?”

Zephyr blinked in surprise. “Me? You want me to room with you?”

Victor shrugged again. “Well… we’d be keeping pretty much the same schedule for work anyway, and it’d save us both some money on rent that we could put toward other stuff,” he replied, and then teasingly added, “And we’ve basically been living next door to each other for almost a year now anyway, so I know I can at least tolerate you. Worst case scenario, we hate it, don’t renew the lease when it’s up, and go our separate ways.”

Zephyr laughed quietly and joined him, pulling up a small barstool that resided amongst the hodgepodge of miscellaneous roof seating that had made its way to the top of the building over the years.

“I… guess that makes sense,” she said, thoughtfully, “… Okay, sure! Let’s do it.”

“Great!” Victor replied, glad that she was on board with the idea. Truth be told… when he’d actually started looking for an apartments rather than just thinking about it, he’d gotten a little nervous about the whole prospect. It had suddenly occurred to him that… he’d never actually lived on his own. He was used to having comrades sharing his living space, be it fellow soldiers or fellow recruits, and having to give that up – in addition to starting out in a whole new career – had seemed more than a little daunting. “If you’re not doing anything on Saturday afternoon, I’ve got a couple of viewings scheduled over in Sector 7…”

“Okay…” Zephyr replied, nodding enthusiastically. She sighed, smiling slightly, and turned her gaze upwards, at the inky sky. “Know what? I think I’m kinda gonna miss this place, too.”

---

The delivery had been late today. A mudslide that had taken out the southern road had caused delays… but the package had eventually arrived. It had been dutifully handed over to its usually courier.

And when it had, Rude had been waiting. Unfortunately, said courier wasn’t alone this time, as he had been in the past. The other Zenshou from the safehouse was with him, as was a third individual… a woman, they’d seen only once, shortly after they’d first located their quarry.

“What do you think?” he asked Remy, subtly pulling the hood of his sweatshirt up further, to better conceal his face. It was growing dark, but it wasn’t yet that dark. He’d still stand out like a beacon if anyone noticed him.

“We stick to the plan. Wait for the meeting and follow their contacts down the coast.”

Rude frowned, but didn’t comment.

“I don’t like that we’re outnumbered, either,” Remy added, “But this is a deviation from their normal routine. It could mean they’re preparing to pull up stakes. If we lose them now, it could take weeks to track down another lead.”

The younger Turk nodded and hurried to fall into step behind her as she set off after the small group. He was careful to keep his distance, looking as though he had no idea who Remy was, so as not to draw any more attention to either of them more than was necessary. As expected, the Zenshou trio quickly made their way to the docks. The two Turk kept carefully to the shadows, watching… and waiting.

It wasn’t ever going to be easy, following a lone boat down the coast without being made by their targets… but it was going to be even harder in the dark. He hoped they weren’t going too far. Though he and Remy had a boat of their own, hired from a local fisherman, it likely wasn’t nearly as fast or maneuverable as the one the Zenshou used… but it had been the best they’d been able to do.

They reached the docks several minutes later, and Remy crept aboard their hired boat while Rude hung back for the moment. As they’d observed previously, it wasn’t long before a small, black speed boat approached the docks…

---

Reno yawned and leaned back against the wall of the elevator as it carried him upwards the next morning. Yesterday had been the building tour and taking care of all the administrative bullshit the Company required of its employees. Today, though,would be the first day of training for the new rookies. He was looking forward to seeing just what they could do.

Oh, sure… he’d observed from a distance at the recruitment facility, but it was hard to make accurate assessments on ability without being a little more hands-on… at least in his opinion. He was especially interested in seeing what Ryuunosuke could do. His use of materia intrigued the senior Turk a bit.

Maybe it was because he had next to no ability to even use it himself. Or maybe it was just because there had never beena Turk who specialized in materia-based combat since Reno’d been recruited. Tseng and Remy equipped it on occasion, and Petra used it as some sort of augmentation on her crossbow – and, okay, yeah, his own EMR ran on a materia-based battery pack, but that wasn’t really him using materia – but no one else on the team ever really touched the stuff.

He wondered how exactly he was going to help Tseng train the rookie when, really, he didn’t even understand his fighting style. Like… at all.

A few moments later, he stepped out into the hallway on the fifty-eighth floor, just as Sykes was rushing past.

“Morning, sir,” the Turk greeted him with a nod.

“Mornin’,” Reno waved, and turned, heading for the lounge to see if anyone had made coffee yet. He didn’t get that far, however.

“Reno… join me for a moment,” Veld intoned, peering out from inside of his own office. The redhead altered course and stepped inside… pausing somewhat apprehensively as he realized that the Turk leader was alone. Even after going on four years as a Turk, being pulled into Veld’s office on his own still made him a little nervous.

“Sir?” he queried, as the senior Turk shut the door tightly behind him and flipped the lock, ensuring there would be no unexpected interruptions.

“Have a seat,” Veld said, gesturing to the chairs in front of his desk. Reno hesitantly did as ordered.

“… Okay,” he breathed, as the older Turk, too, sat, steepling his fingers in front of him on the desk, “What am I trouble for… ?”

“You’re not in trouble. Should you be?”

“Nope,” the redhead quickly replied, and exhaled sharply in relief. “Seriously, sir… don’t do that to me. I’m still tryin’ to repress the trauma of all the other times you’ve dragged me in here outta nowhere.”

Veld snorted softly. “I need your help,” he stated bluntly, and Reno’s eyebrows rose in curiosity. “And I need your word that you will not discuss this with anyone else. Not even Tseng. Especially, not Tseng.”

“Sir?” the younger Turk replied, frowning. He’d never been asked to keep something from his mentor before… and frankly the idea didn’t sit well with him. To his surprise, however, Veld laughed.

“I’m not recruiting you for some clandestine conspiracy. The fact is… Tseng is going to be evaluated soon, and he absolutely cannot know about it ahead of time.”

“Oh,” Reno replied, breathing a slight sigh of relief. “Um… okay. Evaluated for what, though?”

“On just how well he’s learned what I’ve taught him,” Veld said, leaning back in his chair. “Formal evaluation doesn’t end after Hell Week, after all. At least… not for those Turks earmarked for command. Being given a First Rookie is also an evaluation of sorts, and one that Tseng has already successfully passed. I’ve decided that it’s time for the next test of his progress, and for that, I’m going to need you.”

The redhead grinned slightly. “Just tell me what ya need me to do, sir…”

Veld smiled and stood up, rounding his desk. He stopped beside the younger Turk and rested a hand on his shoulder.

“I have a general idea… but the details are going to need a bit of refining. According to Tseng, you were exceptionally good at that during the planning for Sykes’ Hell Week,” he replied, and then smirked, “And… you will also be playing a rather important role during the evaluation itself…”

~end chapter 64~