Desha's Reno of the Turks Fan Fiction

Chapter 97: The New Second

“You… w-what?” Remy stammered, staring back at him with a perplexed look on her face. Tseng had anticipated the surprise, of course. This wasn’t at all what had been planned. But… plans sometimes had to change.

“I know it’s sudden,” Tseng replied. “But the fact is that I am now in command… and I need a Second.”

Remy narrowed her eyes accusingly. “And when exactly did you decide that it wasn’t going to be Reno…”

Tseng exhaled slowly. It hadn’t been an easy decision. He’d wrestled with it all throughout the sleepless night. But in the end, he’d come to the conclusion that it couldn’t be Reno. He needed to do what was best for the team, and his protege simply wasn’t ready.

“He’s too young. Too inexperienced,” Tseng replied, trying hard to hide the note of sadness in his voice. “I just… didn’t have the time to prepare him for this.”

Remy stared back at him, eyes locked onto his own. For several very long seconds she said nothing. Just stared at him, and much to his chagrin, he felt himself begin to wilt under her uncomfortable gaze.

“No,” she finally said, and Tseng blinked in shock.

“I beg your pardon?” he said, thoroughly confused. This was something she had dreamed of attaining for years, and he didn’t understand how, under any circumstances, she could turn it down now.

“No,” the younger Turk repeated, and this time Tseng picked up on a definite hostility in her tone. She stood up, abandoning her half-finished coffee, and stormed off towards the door.

“Remy!” he called after her, but she ignored him and disappeared into the hallway. Tseng was left speechless. He’d counted on their being some hesitancy, given that she knew full well that she wasn’t his first choice… but the possibility of outright refusal had never even occurred to him.

However… he’d made up his mind, and he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. His options were limited right now. Had Kai been there, he would have simply offered the position to her, instead. He’d even briefly allowed himself to consider Rude, given his seniority… before coming to the conclusion that, exceptional as he was when it came to intelligence, the young Turk was just plain ill-suited for leadership, nor did he have any desire for such a role. In fact, most of the time, he actively avoided taking charge, given the choice. Beside which, Rude was really no more experienced than Reno was, when it came right down to it.

No… it had to be Remy. He had no other option.

He sighed and got to his feet, intent upon following her to her office, and making his case more strongly to the woman. Tseng hurried into the hall, just in time to see her disappearing around the corner, and quickened his pace to catch up. He’d very nearly done so when the elevator chimed and the doors opened.

“Tseng!” a familiar voice called out, and the next thing he knew a short, but solid body, had collided with his own and wrapped its arms tightly around his torso in a rib-cracking hug.

“Kai?” he sputtered in surprise.

---

The wind was still relatively calm, it being so early in the morning, but it was cold enough that even a faint breeze was enough to chill a person to the bone. Reno shivered slightly and took another drag off of his cigarette as he looked out over the city from the Shinra Building’s rooftop. He exhaled a plume of smoke and mist into the icy air and flicked some of the ashes over the railing.

He felt like a failure.

He knew he really shouldn’t, but he did. Maybe if he’d tried harder… Learned faster… But it was too late now. Veld was dead, Tseng was in command, and… Reno didn’t have time to learn the several years worth of skills he’d need to catch up to the vastly more experienced Remy.

Everyone had told him there’d be time. There was no rush. He didn’t need to know everything right this second. As it turned out, that had been a lie… or at best a false hope. Fate, or destiny, or just plain old shit luck had decided to intervene and speed up the timeline, and now he was fucked.

A part of him felt that maybe it was for the best. Before Tseng had actually told him that he wanted the redhead as his successor, Reno hadn’t even considered himself as being in the running. Hell, forget being in the running… he hadn’t considered himself fit for that level of responsibility and couldn’t imagine anyone else doing so, either. Not even someone who believed in him as much as Tseng did.

But he was still disappointed. He’d never set out to be in command. Not really. It wasn’t that he hadn’t wanted it… he’d just never considered it before it became a reality. But even that wasn’t the issue. The issue was that, had Tseng never dangled it in front of him like a carrot, it wouldn’t have even bothered him that he’d picked Remy over him. If he hadn’t known… he wouldn’t have been feeling like he’d lost something now.

But he did know… and he had lostsomething. He’d had time to grow into the idea of being a leader. Had started to look forward to it. To take pride in being chosen for it. And… now it was gone.

The worst part was that he couldn’t even argue with the choice. He knew he wasn’t ready, and obviously Tseng felt the same way. He was just going to have to suck it up and move on. Remy would make better Second, anyway. Probably better than he ever could, when it came right down to it.

That knowledge didn’t make this suck any less, though.

It also didn’t make him any less angry that Tseng had just up and made this decision without even telling him. A fucking heads up would have been nice. The redhead had been doing his best to at least try and act like he’d thought a Second in Command ought to be acting in this situation for hours now… only to find out that it wasn’t his place at all. So yeah… he was a little miffed. Of course, he’d literally just gotten back to the city, and maybe his mentor hadn’t wanted to break news like this to him over the phone, but… couldn’t he have at least waited to tell Remy until after he’d told him?

Reno sighed and finished his cigarette. He tossed the butt out into the wind and shoved his hands into his pockets as he made his way back towards the elevator. Maybe he wasn’t going to be Second in Command anymore, but that didn’t mean he was free to just fuck around and feel sorry for himself. Shit still needed to get done, and Second in Command or not, he was still a Turk.

---

“Kai…” Remy breathed, as she abruptly halted in her tracks and turned, overjoyed to see her friend again. Eventually the diminutive Turk released her grip on Tseng and turned to the Remy, embracing her, as well.

“I started back as soon as I got the news. I’d have been here last night, but my Shiva-be-damned chocobo came up lame halfway over the mountains. Had to walk it almost eight miles before I could trade it in for a fresh one,” she explained, somewhat breathlessly.

Tseng shook his head. “How did even you know to come?” he asked, “Much as I hate to admit it, I… haven’t really been on top of notifying everyone.”

“Rude. I went into town for supplies and came back to camp to find my voicemail box almost completely full,” she explained, “I was going to call and tell him I was on my way, but my battery died about halfway through listening to all the messages. Then I had to wait for the Titan-forsaken boat to come back, so I didn’t even get started back to Midgar until it was getting dark.”

Remy folded her arms over her chest, and fixed Tseng with a pointed look.

“Well… now that you are here, maybe you can talk some sense into Tseng,” she declared, “Preferably before he does something he ends up regretting.”

Kai paused and cocked her head to one side.

“What’s going on?” she asked, “I mean… aside from the obvious.”

Tseng opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted as the elevator chimed a second time. The doors opened to reveal Petra, her arms laden with several bags of food from a nearby takeout place.

“What’s all this?” Tseng asked.

“Er… breakfast, sir. For everyone,” she replied, staggering off of the elevator. “Um… could someone maybe…”

Kai hurried over to take some of the burden from the the young Turk.

“Thanks,” she breathed, smiling slightly. She then stopped short and blinked. “Oh! Kai?”

“Come on… let’s get this to the lounge,” the diminutive Turk said by way of greeting. She turned towards Remy and Tseng before setting off after Petra, “I’ll meet you two in Tseng’s office as soon as we get this little buffet dropped off.”

Tseng shook his head and gestured for Remy to continue on, trailing her towards his office. The pair stepped inside, and he shut the door behind them.

“Remy… I need a Second in Command. And there’s no one more qualified than you,” he said, gesturing towards the chairs in front of his desk. The female Turk staunchly refused the offer.

“I’ve already given you my answer, Tseng.”

Before he could continue, the door opened, admitting Kai back into the little meeting.

“Okay… So, someone wanna fill me in?” she asked.

“I am simply doing what is best for the team,” Tseng insisted, and Remy loudly harrumphed and turned her full attention on Kai instead.

“He asked me to be Second,” she stated simply, “I said no.”

Kai’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What? Wait… Tseng, why the hell are you asking Remy?” she demanded, “What about Reno? W-wait… did something happen to my Baby Turkling, too?! Tseng, I swear to Ifrit, if something happened to him and no one told me –”

“Reno is perfectly fine,” Tseng quickly reassured her.

“Then what in the name of Titan’s ball sack is going on?” she asked.

“Yes, I’d like to know that as well,” Remy added, “You’ve been grooming Reno for this role for months. He’s been your pick practically since he was promoted to full Turk, everyone on the team knows he’s your pick, and now you’re suddenly changing your mind at the last minute?”

The Turk resolutely stared back at her.

“He isn’t ready for this, Remy. How could he be? I didn’t even tell him what I had planned for him until just a few months ago.”

Kai, none too gently, slapped him on the back of the head.

“Bull fucking shit, Tseng,” she stated. The senior Turk glared at her, rubbing the spot he’d just been struck.

“Is physical assault really necessary?”

“If that’s what it takes to get the point across… yes,” Kai replied. “What’s really going on here?”

Tseng sighed heavily and sank down into one of the chairs, pressing his palms to his face. For a long moment, he was silent… almost to the point that Remy was half convinced he wasn’t going to bother giving them an answer.

“How can I ask that of him?” he finally asked, quietly. “How can I ask him to take on a job – and not an easy job, at that – that I never prepared him for?”

Kai sat down in the the chair opposite the Turk leader’s and rested a hand on his knee.

“It’s more than that, though… isn’t is?” she gently prodded. Tseng looked up at her, somewhat miserably.

“I… thought I understood,” he said, cryptically. “Being Second in Command is more than just a title. It means you… are essentially a backup. A replacement, if something goes wrong and the worst happens. I thought I understood what that really meant. I wasn’t prepared at all for how painful it would be. And how… terrifying. Not only have I lost a man I respected more than anyone on the Planet… I now have to take his place. I have to be responsible for all of you. For the security of the Company. For every decision we make from here on out. And I have to do all of it without him to guide me. I can’t ask this of Reno, knowing that, if the same fate befalls me, it will mean he will quite likely have to go through this as well one day. He’s had enough pain and fear in his life.”

Kai rolled her eyes dramatically.

“So… what?” she asked, “Instead of sitting him down and asking him what he wants, you decided you’d just make the decision for him?”

“Yes… Because I already know what he’ll chose. He’ll accept the position unquestioningly, entirely out of loyalty to me, whether he really wants to or not,” the Wutaiian Turk shot back.

“He’s not a kid anymore, Tseng,” Kai protested, “You can’t start treating him like he’s still your ward whenever you feel like being an overprotective asshole… He grew out of needing a guardian a long time ago. How did he take it when you told him?”

Tseng looked away, guilty, and Kai’s jaw dropped.

“You haven’t told him?!” she hissed, angrily, “Tseng… and I say this as someone who thinks of you as a true friend and brother… you are the biggest asshole on the face of the Planet. What? Were you just gonna spring it on him out of nowhere at the briefing later?!”

“Of course not,” the Turk leader replied, with a sigh, “But he was out of the city on assignment when everything happened, and… this is something I needed to do in person. For both him and Remy. I was going to speak to him the moment he returned, but as it happens, Remy arrived first.”

The aforementioned Turk shook her head.

“I officially decline promotion to Second in Command,” she said, cutting to the chase, “You can frame it however you wish, but the plain and simple fact of the matter is… I’m not the Second you need. You know that.”

Tseng frowned and glanced over at Kai, who snorted condescendingly.

“Oooooh, hell no. Don’t look at me. Just because I haven’t officially submitted my resignation yet doesn’t mean I’ve changed my mind about leaving,” she replied.

“So… you’re both going to force my hand in this,” Tseng sighed.

“Yep,” Kai confirmed, smirking slightly, “Because we obviously can’t leave this decision up to you, right now… you’re not thinking clearly.”

“If you really want what’s best for the team,” Remy added, “then there never was any other choice. Reno is what’s best for the team. Not because he’s better than me… but because he’s what’s best for you.” She sighed and shook her head. “And if I’m being completely honest… I’m not even sure that I can claim that I would be better, anymore. Reno’s the one who jumped in and organized everything while you had your hands full with breaking the news to Esme… from Wutai, I might add. He’s the one who recalled Sykes and I from our assignment after he realized that we were sitting useless in Costa del Sol due to the Leviathan-be-cursed weather. He’s the one who told Rude to contact Kai. And I’d be willing to bet that he’s also the one who sent Petra out to get breakfast for everyone.”

Kai snickered softly. “Face it, Tseng. You made him too perfect for the job, and now you’re stuck with him.”

Tseng shot his friend a slightly irritated look, but Remy could tell just from his expression that they’d managed to get through to him.

“I swear to Leviathan, Kai… if I hear the words ‘I told you so’ leave your mouth at any point in the next few minutes…” he muttered, annoyed.

---

Reno hit the button for fifty-eight. Petra was probably back with breakfast by now. And he wanted to check in with Rude and see whether or not he’d heard from Kai yet… Plus, there was also that Nibelheim mission that still needed to be dealt with, so the sooner he checked the weather forecast to see when they would have another shot, the better.

Of course… none of that was really his job to worry about. But things were probably going to be a little chaotic for awhile, so he was planning on jumping in wherever he could. Besides… he’d already assumed responsibility for most of that, anyway. Might as well see it through, rather than shoveling it off onto Remy’s plate. She’d have more than enough to do in the coming days, he was sure.

The elevator only made it as far as the sixty-sixth floor. The car slowed and stopped, the chime sounding as the doors opened. Reno found himself unexpectedly greeted by none other than Rufus Shinra.

“Hmph… I would have thought you’d be far too busy to darken my doorstep again so soon,” the Shinra heir commented, stepping aboard. “Is Tseng in yet?”

“Yeah, he’s downstairs,” Reno replied. The executive eyed him a moment before somewhat sheepishly clearing his throat.

“Have you… mentioned anything about the Wutai trip to him yet?” he asked. The redhead rolled his eyes.

“Ya mean have I told him that I caught you with your tongue down your security escort’s throat yet?” he replied.

Rufus glowered at him and jabbed at the emergency stop button.

“There’s no need to be vulgar, you cretin. I asked you a simple question.” he growled, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Tch… no, okay? I haven’t told the boss about you ‘n Petra yet. He’s kinda got bigger shit to deal with right now,” the redhead snapped.

“Watch your tone, Slum Rat,” Rufus replied, “You may have gone up in rank following your previous commander’s untimely passing, but I am still your superior.”

Reno had to actively take a breath and rein his temper back in… which was no easy task given that he was already kind of pissed off at Tseng. Rufus might have been something of an asshole, but he was absolutely right about one thing. He was still his superior. No matter what else was going on right now, the redhead couldn’t let himself forget that. The last thing he needed was to get himself into trouble of some sort. Rufus was safe enough to spout off to once in awhile, but if he did that with anyone else because he wasn’t paying attention to decorum, he’d be in deep shit.

“Yes, sir…” he grumbled, “Tch… but just so ya know, I’m still the same rank. Tseng is makin’ Remy his new Second.”

He braced himself for the mocking insults he was certain were headed his way and preemptively bit down on his tongue in an effort to stem what he was sure would be an overly emotional reply if he didn’t clamp down on it ahead of time.

“Excuse me?” Rufus demanded, one eyebrow rising in curiosity. Reno just shrugged, and the Brat continued to eye him for several seconds. “Hmm…” he hummed, and pressed the button to release the emergency stop. The elevator continued downwards, finally halting at the fifty-eighth floor, where both men exited.

Rufus said nothing further to him… he simply stalked off in the direction of Tseng’s office. Not that Reno really cared. He had things to do, and less time dealing with the V.P. meant more time to do actual work. That in mind, he hurried off to the lounge, poking his head in and finding Petra, as well as Ryu and Liam nibbling on an assortment of items laid out on the side table. Good… At least breakfast was taken care of.

“Hey, Petra… You seen Rude?” he asked.

“I think he’s in his office,” she replied.

“Thanks.” He ducked back out into the hallway and headed for his friend’s office. He found him seated at his desk, pouring over his usual influx of intelligence reports. “Hey…”

“Hey,” Rude replied, not immediately looking up.

“You get hold of Kai? And Ashland?” he asked.

“Talked to Ashland a little while ago. He’s flying in day after tomorrow. Kai’s already here… saw her helping Petra carry food into the lounge, but she ran off before I could say anything to her. Think she and Remy are with Tseng in his office,” he replied, finally looking away from his screen. “Also… Reactor Maintenance Division wants an update on the Nibelheim assignment.”

He paused a moment, studying his friend for a moment.

“Where’d you disappear to, anyway?” he asked. Reno groaned and flopped down into one of the chairs nearby. He ran a hand through his hair.

“Needed a cigarette. Bad. I went up to the roof.”

Rude snorted softly. “Hmph… Guess I can’t blame you. Been a stressful twenty-four hours.”

“Heh… yeah…”

“How you holding up?” Rude asked, and the redhead shrugged.

“Still can’t quite believe this is happenin’…” he admitted. Honestly, he’d been so preoccupied with making sure shit was taken care of, he hadn’t really had the time to just sit down and process the fact that Veld really was gone. In spite of the fact that he’d spent hours aboard the Highwind alone with his thoughts, most of those thoughts had been dedicated to the logistics of what needed to happen back in Midgar and worrying about his mentor… and of course, damn near pissing himself every time he remembered that he was going to be Second in Command. At least, he supposed, that was one less thing he had to worry about now…

“You look tired,” Rude commented, and the redhead shrugged again. “Didn’t get much sleep, huh?”

“Tch… didn’t even bother tryin’. Speakin’ of, I gotta get some coffee soon. It’s gonna be a long ass day without it…” he replied, fighting back an unexpected yawn. “We doin’ the morning briefing on time today, or are we postponing?”

“Haven’t heard yet. Why?”

“‘Cause it’s already a shitty day, ‘n it just keeps gettin’ shittier. If I got the time, I’m gonna run over to that place Kai likes ‘n get one of those expensive as fuck mocha espresso things instead of whatever Petra came back with,” Reno said, glumly.

“… You okay?”

“… Yeah…” the redhead sighed, “Just… gimme a call if they decide to start the meeting on time. I need caffeine, man…”

He wasn’t sure what stopped him from bitching to Rude about getting passed over for Second. Maybe it was because his personal slight was nothing compared to what the team had lost in Veld. Or maybe it was out of respect for his mentor, given that it was Tseng’s announcement to make… not his. Or hell… maybe he just didn’t want to have to see the looks of pity from any of the others just yet. Whatever it was, he opted to keep his mouth shut for the time being, and instead headed for the door. He paused halfway through it.

“You want me to bring ya back anything?”

“I’m good…” Rude answered, in a slightly suspicious tone, and Reno mentally kicked himself. It just figured he knew something was up.

“Back in few, then,” he said, hurriedly ducking out of the office and making a break for the elevator before Rude got him to spill his guts or anyone else could corner him.

---

Somehow, Tseng wasn’t overly shocked when Rufus casually let himself into his office without knocking and strolled in like he owned the place. After all… technically, he did. What did come as a bit of a surprise was the scowl embedded firmly on the young executive’s face… and the fact that his ire seemed to be directed squarely at him. Rufus all but ignored the other two Turks as he stormed up to the Turk leader.

“Well?” he demanded in a petulant tone.

“Well… what, sir?” Tseng asked, plainly confused. Rufus snorted loudly.

“Your first official day… hmph… your first official hour as head of the Turks, and you’re already making the sort of idiotic decisions I’d expect from the Slum Rat… but not from you, Tseng.”

Tseng blinked in response, entirely lost. “Sir, forgive me, but… what are you talking about?”

Rufus continued to scowl at him, but threw in an eyeroll for good measure. “What in the Nine Hells are you even thinking, promoting her?” he demanded, nodding towards Remy… who immediately took on a highly offended expression, but opted to remain silent.

Tseng, meanwhile, was growing ever more perplexed. How in Leviathan’s name did Rufus, of all people, know anything about that?

“Tseng?” Kai said suddenly, looking thoroughly aghast, “Something is very wrong. Rufus Shinra and I actually agree on something…”

The vice president shot her a glare. “No one was talking to you,” he growled, before turning back to Tseng, “Well?”

“Sir… Who I choose to promote is…”

“Entirely my business, and I’ll thank you not to tell me otherwise. What in Ramuh’s name are you even thinking? I’ve had to put up with that idiot of yours for four years all the while under the impression that you would be promoting his worthless hide no matter how ill-suited he is, and now that I’m finally relatively alright with the idea, you opt to put… her in command instead?” he ranted, “I have half a mind to demand that Medical put you on temporary leave… You’re clearly distraught and not thinking straight.”

Kai glanced sidelong at Remy and gently elbowed her. “Is… he defending Reno? Or insulting him?” she asked quietly.

“I’m fairly certain he’s insulting me…” Remy muttered under her breath, annoyed.

“Alright… enough,” Tseng said in a frustrated tone. He sighed and shook his head. “Sir… Remy and Kai have already thoroughly berated me for my shortsightedness, and Remy has declined my offer.”

Rufus paused, speechless for a moment. Then his scowl return.

“You mean to tell me I came in here and spoke on that perverted little slum rat’s behalf for nothing?” he grumbled.

“I… suppose so, sir,” Tseng replied, having to quickly school his expression at the absurdity of the situation.

“Well that’s just perfect…” Rufus snapped, and turned on his heel, walking back over to the door. He paused and turned back, “Just so that this meeting hasn’t been a complete waste of my time and energy… you’ll be joining me for lunch this afternoon.”

With that, he vanished into the hallway, the door shutting loudly in his wake. Once he was gone, Kai started to laugh.

“Wow… I never though I’d live to see the day that Rufus Shinra decided to storm into your office and demand you promote Reno…” she snickered. Tseng sighed and shook his head, smiling faintly.

“He… has his priorities,” he replied, and then froze, brow furrowed.

“Tseng? Is something wrong?” Remy asked.

“Yes…” the Turk leader said, somewhat mystified, “Our brief run-in with Petra aside… you and Kai are the only people I’ve spoken to since I arrived this morning, as well as the only people I’ve discussed any of this with. How did Rufus know of my intentions to promote you?

A moment later, he rounded his desk, and rushed out into the hallway, intent on asking the young man that question personally. He caught up to him just outside of the elevators.

“Rufus… wait,” he called out, just as the younger man was stepping aboard. Rufus paused and cocked an eyebrow. “Who exactly told you what my plans were?” Tseng asked.

“The Slum Rat, of course. Was anyone else even aware yet of what you were planning?” the executive replied with an impatient sigh, “I’ll see you at noon.”

With that, he stepped into the elevator and the doors closed behind him. Tseng paled slightly. How in the Nine Leviathan-forsaken Hells did Reno know? Until they’d bumped into Petra, Tseng hadn’t even been aware that his protege had arrived back at headquarters yet.

He groaned, realizing that he had some damage control to do. He vaguely wondered just how upset Reno was with him. This had been all but promised to him, and he’d come very close to simply stripping the younger Turk of it without even discussing it with him.

Tseng made his way back towards his office, but rather than returning to Kai and Remy, he headed farther down the hall, and knocked on Reno’s door. When he received no answer, he peered inside.

Empty.

He frowned, but then remembered that Petra had just a short while ago returned with food… and if there was food to be had, the redhead typically wouldn’t be far from it. That thought in mind, his next stop was the lounge. When he arrived, he found nearly the entire remainder of team had arrived. Sykes and Petra, as well as all four of the rookies were helping themselves to food and coffee, and looking generally depressed and unsure of what they ought to be doing with themselves. The redhead, however, was conspicuously absent. Tseng stepped into the room.

“Sir! Good morning…” Victor greeted him, and Tseng gave him a friendly nod.

“Good morning, all of you. Has anyone seen Reno?” he asked.

“He was here a little while ago looking for Rude, sir… who, last I saw, was in his office,” Petra said.

“Ah… Thank you, Petra,” Tseng said, relieved. “We’ll be starting the morning briefing a bit late today. I’ll summon you all then.”

With that, he hurriedly reversed course, seeking out the aforementioned intelligence specialist. In retrospect, he should have gone to Rude before even bothering to look elsewhere. Rude was the first person Reno would have gone to in this instance. He knocked firmly on his fellow Turk’s door and was answered with a somewhat gruff “Come in.”

He opened the door, bracing himself for the accusatory looks he was likely going to be getting from the resident of said office – not to mention the hurt expression he imagined on Reno’s own face – and… received neither.

“Rude? I was told that Reno was with you…” he said, frowning.

“He was. Went for coffee.”

“But he just sent Petra for food and coffee…” Tseng protested, growing slightly frustrated over having to track the redhead from one corner of the building to the other… as well as concerned that his protege was actively avoiding him. Rude shrugged.

“Said it was going to be a shitty day and he wanted the good stuff,” he said. Rude shook his head. “Hmph… probably gonna need it, too. Said he was up all night.”

No shock there. Tseng had been up most of the night, as well, and what little sleep he had managed to get hadn’t been the most restful. And he hadn’t even been working most of that time. Reno had been on assignment until the moment he’d arrived back at headquarters. And, from what it seemed, he’d spent much of that time coordinating things that Tseng ought to have been handling himself… and would have been, had he been in a better frame of mind. And then he’d returned, only to somehow discover that he’d been ousted from his new role on the team.

Forget damage control. He was going to have to beg for forgiveness after this…

“Did… he say anything else to you?” Tseng hesitantly asked. Rude frowned and stared him down for a moment.

“I knew there was something he wasn’t telling me. What’s going on?” the younger Turk asked, bluntly.

“A foolish, and ultimately selfish, error on my part. One I intend to correct just as soon as I locate him. Do you know where he went?”

“… Said he was going to the place Kai likes. I think he meant the coffee shop across from the main entrance.”

“Thank you,” Tseng said, and turned, rushing back the way he’d come from.

“I could just…” Rude began, only for the door to close on him, “… call him.” Rude snorted a quiet laugh and shook his head. Sometimes Tseng could be almost as neurotic as his protege.

---

Mocha latte with a double shot of espresso. And whipped cream. And caramel syrup, just for that added sugar rush. He didn’t usually bother with the fancy shit. Usually plain old ordinary coffee and a shit ton of sugar was enough to keep him going all morning.

Today, though, he was in a crappy enough mood that the diabetes-inducing concoction was welcome, even if the damn thing had set him back almost fifteen gil and required a ten minute wait. He took a drink, savoring it for a moment, before swallowing the mouthful and licking the whipped cream from his upper lip. It was good. He still kind of felt like shit, but the drink was good.

He’d originally planned on just getting it to go, and heading right back up to the office… but frankly, he was running on fumes right now, and aside from his earlier smoke break, this was the first real downtime he’d allowed himself since they’d gotten the news. Plus… as soon as he went back, he’d have to listen to Tseng announce Remy as the new Second in Command. He wasn’t looking forward to that. As much as he wanted to congratulate Remy… he was still feeling more than a little sorry for himself.

He’d come to the conclusion that it wasn’t even losing out on the position that upset him. He could live without being in a command role. No. What really made him feel about two inches tall right now was not living up to his mentor’s expectations. Even if it wasn’t entirely his fault, he felt like he’d let Tseng down… and that was something he’d promised himself a long time ago that he’d never do. Plus he wasn’t real happy with Tseng, anyway, right now.

He felt betrayed, in a way. Tseng had made him believe he could do this. Had reassured him, trained him, encouraged him. And then when the time came, he’d just… changed his mind. And even though he understood why, it hurt.

Which was why he was presently sitting in a busy coffee shop, sipping a cup full of sugar and caffeine, and staring forlornly out at the cars passing by on the street outside.

“Fuck, I’m pathetic…” he sighed, and removed about half of the whipped cream from the top of the drink with his tongue.

“Well… I’ll admit, this particular display can’t be said to be one of your more impressive…” a voice beside him intoned, and the redhead very nearly choked on the thick, sticky cream. He only just managed to force it down before inhaling.

“Fuck! God fucking dammit, Tseng!” he swore, eyes wide as he turned in his seat, “For fuck’s sake, don’t fucking do that while I’m in the middle of swallowin’ something!”

“In my defense, I did actually try to get your attention first, this time. You were a bit lost in your own thoughts.”

The redhead huffed angrily and took another drink. Tseng sat down across from him.

“We need to talk,” he said.

“Tch… no we don’t,” Reno sighed, not having to guess where this was going, “I… kinda overheard you talkin’ to Remy in the lounge earlier. I already know.”

“Ah… that explains it. I have to admit, I was a little stumped on how you’d already learned of my offer to Remy and relayed that information to Rufus before I even knew either of you had returned…”

Reno ducked his head slightly. “Uh… yeah. Sorry ’bout spillin’ shit to the Brat ahead of time. It just kinda slipped out after he made a comment about me bein’ Second. I didn’t tell anyone else.”

“You needn’t apologize. If anyone here is owed an apology, it would be you,” said Tseng.

“Nah… I get it,” Reno replied, still looking down at his coffee. “We thought we’d have years to get me ready for this shit ‘n we didn’t. I can’t fault ya for doin’ what you gotta do. Ya couldn’t’ve told me first, though? I mean… don’t I deserve that much, at least?”

Tseng reached across the table, and gently lifted the redhead’s chin until he could look him in the eye again.

“I’m so sorry, Reno… you have every right to be furious with me.”

Reno snorted softly. “Yeah, I’m not real happy with you at the moment, Boss…” he replied, letting just a little of his anger slip into his voice. Because he was angry. But at the same time, he felt terrible for being angry… because all he’d lost was a stupid promotion. Tseng had lost a dear friend, and no matter how ticked he was about how his mentor had gone about this whole thing with Remy, Tseng was still… Tseng. Everything he was, was thanks to Tseng, and he loved him like the father he’d never had. Even when he was pissed off at him.

“I wish to Leviathan you’d never heard me ask her. Because now, not only can I not deny that I did something so utterly stupid, I’m also in the unenviable position of having to ask you to forgive me before I do what I should have done in the first place.”

He finally let his hand drop back to the tabletop, and Reno cocked his head to one side quizzically.

“What’dya mean?” the redhead asked.

“The reason I asked Remy to be Second in Command was because… I panicked,” Tseng admitted, “All I could think was how utterly terrified I was when I realized that the team was mine. How all I wanted in that moment was for Veld to somehow come back and take that burden away from me… and how one day, that could be you. The longer I thought about it, the more horrifying it seemed. And I just… couldn’t do that to you. I couldn’t… not protect you. So I convinced myself that you were too far from being ready, and I had no other choice.”

“Tch… but I’m not ready. I’m not even close to bein’ ready…” Reno sighed.

“No…” Tseng said with just the hint of a somewhat amused laugh, “To be perfectly honest, you’re really not. But then… you weren’t ready when I took you from the Slums, and dragged you into this life to begin with. It didn’t stop you from succeeding then. It won’t stop you now.”

The redhead blinked in confusion and looked up at his mentor.

“Huh?”

“Remy declined the promotion,” he explained, “And… then she teamed up with Kai to – both metaphorically and literally – beat some much needed sense back into me.” He sat up straighter, taking on a much more formal air. “Reno… forgive me for making such an inexcusable mistake. Please… join me as Second in Command of the Turks.”

Reno, for a long moment was rendered speechless. A tiny part of him wanted to say no, just out of spite for how much the initial rejection had hurt him. But he knew he could never do that.

“You… sure, Boss?” he finally managed.

“If you wish me to grovel, I would be more than willing to do so…” Tseng replied, a hint of teasing in his voice, “Reno… I… honestly don’t know if I can do this without you, and I feel like an absolute fool for ever thinking otherwise. Remy would certainly make a competent Second in Command, but she’s not the Second in Command I want. Or need. I need you… perhaps more than ever, right now.”

“So… you’d really grovel to get me to say yes?” the redhead asked. Tseng sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“That is your takeaway from my heartfelt speech imploring you take over as Second?” he sighed. Reno grinned slightly.

“Aw, come on, Boss… you already know my answer,” he said. He’d given it to him months ago, after all. It hadn’t changed just because his mentor’d had a momentary freak out… something Reno was intimately familiar with himself, so it would have been kind of hypocritical to hold it against Tseng now.

Tseng shook his head and smiled faintly. “You’re taking all of this far better than I expected. I honestly thought I might be getting the cold shoulder for awhile after what I tried to do…”

“Yeah… I mean… I was kinda pissed at you. But, ya know… how many times have I freaked out ‘n done somethin’ dumb over the years? I figure I owe you a pass on this one…” he replied. Reno shifted somewhat uncomfortably. “… ‘Sides… The past year or so has kinda driven home the point that anything could happen to any of us at any time. I don’t wanna fuck around bein’ angry at someone I care about, ‘n end up regretting it.”

Tseng gave him an understanding look, and chuckled softly. “You have, I think, matured far more than I sometimes give you credit for.”

Reno grinned. “Iseriously do kinda wanna know if you’d really grovel in front of a whole coffee shop full of people, though.”

“On second thought… I take that back,” his mentor deadpanned, which only caused the redhead’s grin to widen. “In any case, we’re going to be late for the morning briefing,” Tseng replied, getting to his feet, “And, as one might expect, there is a great deal of paperwork involved in the transfer of power…”

Reno took another sip of his overly sweet coffee, and joined him, quickly glancing at his watch.

“Morning briefing was s’posed to start like fifteen minutes ago, ya know… And, do you really want me fillin’ out important paperwork with my shit handwriting?”

“Hmph… It occurs to me that if you’re the Second I need, I really must be a masochist…” the Turk leader said, dryly. He shook his head and wrapped an arm around his protege’s shoulders, smiling as he guided him out of the little coffee shop and back towards headquarters.

“So… no groveling, huh?” Reno asked, snickering softly.

~end chapter 97~