AN: Welcome back to The Occult Materia/Knife to a Gunfight series. It's been over eight years since I've done anything with these stories, but I felt they had potential and I've decided to update them. It'll be a slow process, since I'm now a senior in college, but anything that gets me writing is a good thing.

If you're not familiar with either series, don't worry. I've rewritten them so that they stand on their own. If you're returning, I hope you enjoy the new twists and turns I've added, and if you're new, I hope you stick around to see where it's all headed.

Disclaimer: I don't own any Square copyrighted material.

Reno's eyes were locked on the red horizon as the glassed-in elevator rose above the streets of Edge. The sinking sun had scratched its claws across the city, leaving blood red marks on the buildings and the heaps of metal that were once Midgar. Below, Edge stirred with the bustle of early evening, the streets slowly coming alive with artificial light. The nine-to-fivers would all be home by now, and Reno had been just about to do the same when a message came from Reeve's office asking him to come by before he left. Irritated, he had obliged.

Reno left the elevator on the 70th floor. His tired feet scuffed the carpet as he shuffled toward Reeve's office. Once there, he buzzed himself in on the keypad beside the door. "Who is it?" came a voice from the intercom.

"It's me," Reno said. Without a reply, the door popped open and he pushed it aside, letting it slam closed behind him. He slid his hands into his pants pockets as he sauntered up to the desk. Reeve was currently absorbed in the contents of a red folder—classified. He closed it and placed it down as Reno approached. He then strode around the desk to meet him with his hand extended.

"Reno," he said brightly, "good to see you."

Reno eyed him for a moment before reciprocating the handshake. He did not reply.

"Thank you for coming to see me," he continued. "Please, have a seat."

Reeve returned to his position on the other side of the desk, and Reno fell nonchalantly into the seat across. "So what is this about?" he asked, splaying his arms over the sides of the chair.

Reeve cleared his throat and linked his hands together. "I have a job for you."

Reno wasn't surprised. Though the Turks had remained strictly Shinra-controlled even after the fall of Meteor, Reeve often requested one of them to do small tasks here and there. It was mostly boring work—playing bodyguard for visiting diplomats or transporting goods through the city. Reno usually didn't mind them, but he could tell something was different about this job by the way Reeve was fidgeting. Reeve never fidgeted.

"Go on."

Reeve hesitated again. He placed his hands over the cover of the folder. "We've received word of a new strain of Materia emerging at a collapsed reactor to the north," he began. "I'd like you to go and collect a sample for me."

Reno took a moment to take in the information. Never in his tenure had Reeve asked him to go outside the city for a job, and he hadn't returned to the Northern Continent since the attempted recovery of Jenova. He had no wish to do so now, either.

"Why can't you get one of your W.R.O. lackeys to do it?" Reno asked, trying to look as uninterested as possible.

"My officers aren't trained for such a job," Reeve explained. "We need someone we can trust to get the job done. We need a Turk."

"Take Rude or Elena."

"Rufus specifically requested the job go to you," Reeve said.

"Why?"

"I think he believes you need it."

Reno turned those words over in his head for a while. Things at Shinra had been slow for some time, but he attributed his lack of work to the stabilizing economy. There was no longer any need for murder or kidnapping since Rufus had turned over a new leaf. Still, he hadn't failed to notice how Rude and Elena had always gotten the big jobs, while he was assigned to guard duty or paperwork.

"I'm touched, Reeve, I really am, but I don't think I'm your guy."

Reeve suddenly sat up very straight. "I'm afraid you don't have a choice," he said, his voice steady as a drum. "The arrangements have already been made."

"Wait a second, man," Reno interjected. "Why don't I get a say in this?"

"Rufus has agreed to lend me your services," Reeve explained. When Reno gave him a blank stare, he continued. "From now until the job is finished, you're on my payroll."

"This is bullshit," Reno hissed under his breath. He knew his work had been less than satisfactory lately, but he hardly believed it warranted a full staff changeover.

Reeve ignored the comment. He turned the folder over to Reno, who snatched it defiantly.

"You are to rendezvous with your liaison tomorrow at 6am sharp," Reeve explained. Reno flipped the cover of the folder open.

"…Liaison?"

Yuffie still had not gotten used to the wail of the train whistle. She had been living in Edge since the beginning of its construction, and most of the other inhabitants considered the whistle part of the city's ambiance. Coal-powered trains were now the norm almost everywhere—Reeve had gone to great lengths to lay down tracks on every continent, connecting the major cities and towns. Yuffie, however, still considered the whistle a nuisance. She had spent most of her life in the quiet confines of Wutai, a town that prides itself on its tranquility and traditional ways. Though Yuffie was quite adapted to city life, and even preferred its bustling excitement and unpredictability, she was not yet won over by the whistle.

She had spent most of the afternoon covering her ears every ten minutes as the trains announced their arrivals and departures. Her partner was now late by over an hour, and she was quickly losing patience. She had tried to call Reeve several times, but his office was flooded with calls today. Suffice to say Yuffie was already disenchanted with Reeve's selection for her partner on this mission.

Yuffie had been overjoyed when she was appointed Head of Materia Affairs after the Deepground incident. Her assignments had taken her to every corner of every continent, conducting research and collecting Materia for the W.R.O. The most important pieces had to be forfeited to Reeve after the conclusion of her excursions, but he usually let her keep some of the basic Materia she found. She would often bring those pieces to Wutai to give to her father. Though Godo had since reconciled with Shinra, which had lost most of its power and influence after the fall of Meteor, Wutai's Materia stores were small compared to the other developed towns. Yuffie's visits replenished those stores, allowing Wutai and its people to grow and thrive as an independent nation as they had always wished to do.

Yuffie was itching to get out to the Northern Continent and search the collapsed reactor there. Though Shinra had long since ceased Mako and Materia production, the W.R.O. still kept an interest in natural Materia for restoration purposes. Some of the pieces she'd found had alleviated the manual labor of the W.R.O. workers drastically, and the organization now had a healthy stock of curative Materia should there ever be another disaster. Though Yuffie loved to take credit for such successes, it actually made her feel quite proud to be part of the world's recovery efforts.

When the train whistle blew yet again, Yuffie threw her arms up and yelped in frustration. She scooped up her things and spun to head home when she suddenly collided with a body heading her direction. Her knapsack flew out of her hands and the contents fell everywhere when it hit the ground. She almost lost her balance herself, falling back a few steps with flailing arms. She steadied herself and turned her eyes on the culprit, fuming.

"Watch where you're walking, asshole!" she spat at the man dressed in blue that stood with his back facing her, rubbing his shoulder in pain. She was just about to lean down to pick up her things when she noticed the man's head of wild red hair and the ponytail that trailed down behind it. He turned his head toward her, eyes narrowed in anger.

"Speak for yourself, you dumbshi—!"

Yuffie and Reno stared at each other for a long time, eyes flying wide and mouths falling open. They had not seen each other in over four years, but neither failed to recognize the other. They stood, ignoring their discarded belongings that sat on the ground between them, the sudden realization washing over them.

"Uh-uh," Yuffie uttered, "no way."

"Not a chance in hell," Reno replied.

"Tell Reeve to send someone—anyone else." Yuffie had not worked closely with any of the Turks, but she knew just from the incident in Wutai and the stories that floated around the office that Reno was the laziest and meanest of the group.

Reno was in the midst of dialing his phone while Yuffie retrieved her things. Thankfully, none of her Materia had broken as a result of the Turk's incompetence.

"Damnit Reeve, pick up!"

Yuffie stood, throwing her hair out of her face. "Well maybe if you'd been on time, he would have been around to take a call!" she accused. "You're almost two hours late!"

"I hit traffic," Reno lied.

"Really? At 2 o'clock on a Wednesday?" Yuffie crossed her arms indignantly.

Reno hung up the phone for the third time. "Shit!" he hissed, looking at the young girl that stood across from him. She looked as bratty as ever, standing there with her arms crossed and foot tapping. She had grown a bit since their last encounter—filled out in a womanly way, but her lips were still puckered like a child's and her lavender eyes narrowed at him.

Reno remembered Reeve's insistence from the night before and figured it would be useless to plead his case again. He sighed and scooped up his bag in defeat.

"Looks like I'm stuck with you," he said at last, turning his back to her.

"What?!" Yuffie exclaimed. "You mean I'm stuck with you! Reeve was obviously off his rocker when he assigned you to this mission."

"Yeah he was," Reno mumbled in return. "But he's not answering his call and we're losing daylight, so let's just get this rolling and agree to stay out of each other's way."

He started to walk through the crowd and Yuffie huffed angrily. "Fine!" she called after him. "Hey, wait up you stupid Turkey!"

She jogged up next to him where he now stood at the ticket window.

"You have the case file, right?" Yuffie asked as he purchased two tickets to Junon. "Reeve said you have the only copy. I need to go over on the train."

"Yeah, I have it," Reno replied without giving her so much as a glance. He studied the tickets before turning around and heading off toward the train. She growled and continued after him.

"Well?" she nagged. "I'd like it sometime today please!"

Reno made a sharp turn off the platform and Yuffie had to skid to follow him onto the train. "Keep your shorts on, princess," Reno muttered as he walked down the aisle, looking at each seat's number.

Yuffie's hands curled into fists as she followed the arrogant man down the train. She had to fight to keep from screaming at him for using that nickname. She was about to grab his collar and force the folder out of him when he suddenly stopped, and she almost ran into the back of him. He turned around, smirking, and motioned to the seats beside him. "Ladies first."

Yuffie scowled at him before chucking her knapsack onto the floor and flopping into the window seat. When Reno slid in beside her, she felt his arm graze hers, and she squirmed away from him. This was going to be a long trip.

Reno finally leaned down and opened his own bag, digging through it a minute before pulling out a red folder, dropping loose papers and food wrappers in the midst. Yuffie rolled her eyes and reached for the folder. At the last second, Reno jerked it away. "Say please?"

"Not a chance," Yuffie spat, grabbing the folder defiantly. Reno stifled an amused laugh.

Yuffie immediately flipped open the folder and began scanning its contents, leaving Reno to deal with the conductor when he came by to check their tickets. She found the information very helpful to fleshing out her approach for the mission. The Materia cave was located on an island about one hundred kilometers off the coast of the Northern Continent, buried deep in the confines of a collapsed reactor that had been out of commission for nearly fifteen years. The island was owned and operated solely by one family, in whose mining tunnels the reactor been built in. Yuffie guessed that's why Reeve had chosen Reno to accompany her—he was the best helicopter pilot among the Turks' ranks, and the reactor would have to be reached by air.

The train suddenly lurched forward and Yuffie, engrossed in the folder, continued reading as it gathered speed. She was just reading about the Materia's unique characteristics when she felt a twisting in her stomach. She had almost forgotten about her motion sickness. She immediately snapped the folder closed and cast her eyes upward. A sweat broke out on her forehead and her stomach began to twist more violently, and it was only exacerbated as she tried to hide her symptoms from Reno. She slowly moved her eyes over to where he sat, his face a mixture of curiosity and bemusement.

"You alright there princess?" he asked.

"Fine," she snapped, unable to even protest the nickname. She turned her head to look out the window. She'd been told by Cid (who was probably a less-than-reliable source when it came to motion sickness) that focusing on the horizon would calm her queasiness. A few moments later, when she felt her heart begin to beat loudly in her ears, she decided that this was false.

"You sure about that?" came Reno's voice again. "You look a little green."

Yuffie turned to look at him, breathing heavily now. She worked her hands in and out of fists on her skirt, but it was no use. "Move it!" she finally gasped, pushing past him and tripping out into the aisle. She made a mad dash for the bathroom, shoving people out of the way as she did so. When she'd finally reached it, she burst in and slammed the door, leaning over the toilet to vomit. Before she'd even lifted the cover, her foot slipped in a puddle of water, sending her flying backwards with flailing arms and a loud yelp. She hit her head on the sink behind, sending her a world of pitch darkness.

Yuffie let out a loud groan as she finally came to, her eyes still filled with swirling stars and her head throbbing in pain. There was something cold resting on her neck, as well as something warm against her cheek and around her shoulders. She shifted and blinked her eyes clear of static, her blurry vision suddenly filling with red. She immediately jerked backwards, yelping in both pain and surprise. The ice pack fell down into her lap as she reached up to cup her throbbing head. Startled, Reno stared at her, still holding the pillow he had laid her head on.

"Ugh!" she blurted with disgust. "What do you think you're doing? Who told you that you could put your arm around me?"

Reno narrowed his eyes and scowled at her. "Well I could have just left you there, gurgling in your own spit!" he hissed, trying to keep their argument to a low volume.

"I would have rather let the medics drag me off this death trap…" she mumbled in reply, putting the ice pack back onto her neck.

"I don't know why I didn't let them—at least that way I'd be rid of you," Reno said virulently. "…You're fuckin' lucky you didn't break your neck."

"Sometimes I wonder why I don't break my own neck…"

The two of them stared in opposite directions for a while, Yuffie mortified by the incident. As a ninja, she had always prided herself on possessing great agility and grace. Now she just looked like a blundering moron.

Yuffie had closed the visor of the window beside her, which seemed to help calm her stomach a bit. Within a few moments, a stewardess with a drinks cart rolled by. "Can I get you two anything?" she asked brightly.

Reno smiled smugly, his eyes looking up and down her. "I'll have a bloody Mary," he requested, his voice suddenly soft and slow. "And your phone number, if you would be so kind."

Yuffie scoffed and rolled her eyes, but the blushing young stewardess just giggled sweetly as she poured his drink. "Anything else?" she asked as she handed him the drink.

Reno cast his eyes to Yuffie for a brief second. "How about a tranquilizer for the lady?"

"Certainly," she said, retrieving a tiny bottle and handing it to Yuffie. The stewardess rolled her cart away, giggling again at a wink from Reno.

Yuffie stared at the tranquilizer, then looked up to Reno shamefully. "Thanks," she muttered before twisting the cap off and downing the whole thing in one gulp.

"Don't mention it," he replied.

Yuffie felt her whole body relax as the tranquilizer set about her limbs, numbing them and quieting her mind. She settled into her seat and closed her eyes for a few moments. She opened one and set it on her companion briefly.

"Reno…" she said softly, getting his attention. "How long was I out?"

He smirked and looked at his watch. "Must have been about a half an hour," he replied, a playful glint in his cerulean eyes.

Yuffie's cheeks flushed with embarrassment again. Her pride was not easily damaged, but it seemed it was the only thing she was capable of doing in Reno's presence. With a scoff of annoyance, Yuffie rolled over and reclined her seat, resting her head on the pillow Reno had so graciously gotten for her. As she closed her eyes to sleep off the rest of the journey, she wondered what she had to be so embarrassed about in the first place. He was just a stupid Turkey, after all.

AN: Please review if you've enjoyed. It will help me stay motivated to continue rewriting this series. Thanks for the visit!