The Life of a Turk

by Soldier's Strife

I take a shaky breath and raise the gun again, aiming at the target's heart. I pull the trigger. Bang! Hit.

I put the glasses and headphones on. I extend my arm, feeling the cold weight of the gun in my hand. I remember the first time I entered this firing range. My father standing and watching as I missed every target. Teaching me. Training me in the ways of a Turk. I aim at the paper cutout's head. I pull the trigger. Bang! Hit.

"Reno, sit still!", a laughing brunette woman pleads with her seven year old son. "Mom! Hurry up!", the little boy with spiky red hair whines, bouncing up and down in the swing. The red haired man behind him laughs and holds the chains of the swing, keeping his grinning son still. Click! Both redheads are temporarily blinded by the flash of the camera. "Lydia, now I can't see!", the older redhead laughs. The woman smiles and laughs. "Oh honestly, Eros, you're worse than Reno.", she said looking at the little redhead who was furiously rubbing his blue-green eyes. Eros takes the chain and pushes them away from him. Reno's hands immediately grab the chains. He laughs as he is pushed higher and higher into the air. "Happy Birthday, Reno!", the man says, smiling as another picture is taken.

I feel tears stinging my eyes. No, I won't break down. Not now. Not anymore. I blink furiously and move my aim to the target's stomach. I pull the trigger. Bang! Hit.

"Reno, can you come here for a second?", Eros calls as he straightens the tie on his Turk's uniform. He had thought long and hard about his son's ambition to follow his father's footsteps and join the Turks. The now twelve year old Reno comes running into the bedroom, his cargo shorts and t-shirt hanging loosely on his lanky frame. "Yeah, Dad?", he asks, jumping up onto his parents' bed and sitting cross-legged facing his dad. "Reno, you're old enough now to understand. I have a very dangerous job and one day I might not come home. I need you to promise me three things.", He said turning towards his son. Reno nodded, completely serious. "First off, I want you to promise me that you won't ever let ShinRa forget the name of Sinclair." The young redhead nodded. "Next, I want you to promise me that you will always respect your target. Never take pleasure in a kill. If you do, you'll be no better than a common murderer." Again the little boy nodded. "And finally, always put those you love before your loyalty to ShinRa." "But, Dad, wouldn't that be against the Turk code? Jeopardizing the mission and all that?", Reno asked, confused. "I don't know, but what I do know is that I would put you and your mother before ShinRa any day. Always put your heart before ShinRa." Reno nodded. "Good. All right you can go out and play now.", Eros said solemnly. Reno smiled and ran out of the room. Eros sighed. He hoped he had prepared Reno for the life he had chosen.

I blink again, fighting the tears that now threaten to blur my vision. Turks don't cry. I'm stronger than this. I raise my aim a bit, aiming at the lungs. I pull the trigger. Bang! Hit.

Two twelve year old boys ran around the yard. One has messy red hair and mischievous blue-green eyes. The other has shoulder length light brown hair and dark forest green eyes. "Taren, you're so slow!", the redhead yelled as he sped past his friend. Taren tried to catch up. In a few minutes, both boys were lying on their backs in the grass and laughing. Suddenly, Taren looked serious. "Hey, Reno? When you become a Turk and go to Midgar, will we still be friends?", he asked quietly. The redhead sat up. "Of course we will, stupid. We're best friends. Nothing's gonna change that.", Reno said. Taren sat up. "How do you know?", he asked. Reno pulled out his pocket knife. "Hold out your hand.", he said seriously. Taren obeyed. Reno pricked his finger with the pocket knife, then did the same to his friend. He pressed their fingers together. " 'Cause now we're blood brothers. Nothing can break that", he said smiling. He meant every word.

I take a deep shuddering breath, trying to clear my head. I can hear footsteps coming. It's probably Rude. I can't let him see me like this. I slide a new ammo cartridge into the gun.

"Eros, are you sure he's old enough?", Lydia said as she watched Reno run around the yard. The Turk watched his now fourteen year old son run. "Yes. He's ready. It's just a patrol. I just want him to understand what he's getting into.", he said. He kissed his wife goodbye, then went out into the yard. Reno ran over to his mother giving her a quick hug and 'I love you' before joining his father in the truck. In about an hour, they arrived in Midgar. Two other Turks met them. One was Tseng, second in command of the Turks. The other was a rookie named Rude. They were to patrol the outskirts of Midgar. They passed the shooting range that Reno and Eros sometimes came to for practice. They had been on patrol for an hour when they heard a low growl in the darkness. Tseng drew his gun, in his haste not noticing that his EMR band slipped off his wrist. Rude drew a gun, Eros an EMR. A rogue behemoth came into their view. Eros went pale. "Reno, climb the wall!", he whispered to his son. Reno nodded and ran for the wall behind them. That's when the fighting broke out. Rude and Tseng fired at it, but the bullets seemed to have no effect. Eros swung his EMR at it. The electricity seemed to hurt it. It snarled and rounded on the redheaded Turk. Reno saw his father in trouble and turned mid-run, speeding towards the glittering EMR band that lay in the grass. He snatched it up and flicked the weapon out, running to help his dad. "Reno, get out of here!", Eros yelled when he caught a glimpse of the fourteen year old. The behemoth turned and used both of its front paws to swipe at the youth. A bloody cut in the shape of a behemoth claw appeared on either side of his face. Reno screamed in pain and fell. The monster opened its mouth about to finish the redhead off. When suddenly, Eros was standing over his son, his EMR caught between the animal's upper and lower jaws. The animal howled in pain and knocked Eros away with one swipe of it's claw. The voltage coursed through its entire body, paralyzing it and eventually killing it. Reno staggered to his feet, blood pouring from the gashes on his face. He ran to his father. The Turk lay on his back, blood pooling from the deep cuts on his side. Eros had enough breath to tell his son one last thing before the light faded from his eyes. "Reno, remember your promises….."

I've kept my promises, Dad. I try to live by them everyday. I run my fingers over the now tearstained red scars the behemoth left me with. I had red ink tattooed into them so I would never forget that night. I was initiated into the Turks less than a week after your death, Dad. I take a shaky breath and raise the gun again, aiming at the target's heart. I pull the trigger. Bang! Hit.