Rufus Shinra walked silently through the Shinra building to the basement below,Tseng and Rude behind him. Elena was in her office doing paperwork. Reno,however,was neither following Rufus,doing work,or on a mission. Instead,he was lying in a cell in the basement of Shinra. He'd done nothing wrong though. In fact,he was quite innocent. But Rufus would tell a different story. It had been recently discovered that the young redhead was not human,much like Vincent Valentine. There was no reason for him to be arrested. He'd just used his abilities to save Tseng. But Rufus saw it as a threat. Daily,Reno was tortured and ripped open by Hojo.
When Hojo wasn't shredding the redhead's insides apart,Rufus was beating him. Tseng and Rude could only watch. Often at times,Rude had turned his head away so he didn't have to see the bloodied body of who used to be his partner. Tseng would do the same,only he would close his eyes and try to block out the screams with good memories. However,when you're a Turk,your only good memories are sitting at your desk for eight hours a day and doing paperwork.
Rude had been promoted to second in command in Reno's 'absence' and had tried countless times to refuse the promotion. But Rufus had blown it off,anyway.
Now,in all the time that had gone by,no one had even bothered to inspect Rufus's sudden odd behavior. Everyone,including Rude and Tseng had chalked it down as a mere matter of stress. Never-minding that Rufus was the complete opposite of his father and could have cared less that he'd hired a mutant to work for him. What it all really boiled down to was that Hojo had drugged the man. Rufus's mind was...shall we say,off a bit. He wasn't himself. All it would take to solve the problem would be a good,strong dose of materia and Rufus would be back to his pissed off,moody,incompetent,yet still generous self again.
Arriving finally at the redhead's cell,Rufus stared at the body that slept on the floor. Rude and Tseng dared to look and saw what they had never thought they'd see. Reno's shirt was long gone and his pants were torn at the ankles. His wrists were held behind his back with bindings that were cutting off his circulation. His back was perfectly visible and was covered with huge scars from whips,small scars from being stabbed and shot,and the largest scars were surgical wounds that were bound shut with black stitches,some of Hojo's famous handiwork. The black stitching stood out against the redhead's ghostly pale skin.
You'll burn this time
Seeing the violence
It's feeding my mind
No one is saving you
How can you find
A heaven in this hell?
The bright blue lines of nerves were visible all over his body, his skin had taken a very gentle blue tint due to Rufus having found a love for strangling him at times and cutting off his oxygen. ''Reno?''Rufus called sweetly. Reno didn't speak,but the blond did hear a sigh from him. ''What do you want?''the redhead spat,refusing to look at the man. ''Actually,I'm not the one that wants to see you. Hojo has something new he'd like to try and you're the only living experiment in the building. But you'd know all about that,wouldn't you?''
Reno managed the energy to sit up an the floor and turn to look at the blood. Rufus managed to hide a shudder as Reno stared at him with bloodshot eyes. If looks could kill,Rufus would have shriveled up and died the day Reno was arrested. ''Is this somethin' he got to use on Valentine?''Reno questioned. ''Actually,he never got the chance to use it on Valentine. Which means he doesn't know what'll happen if he gives it to you.'' Reno chuckled and shook his head as he turned away. ''I've been beat up,tied up,stabbed,shot,maimed,surgically cut into while wide awake,stitched back together,and even raped. What more could he possibly hit me with? And why should I care? According to you,my life ain't worth shit.''
Leave it behind
Hearing your silence
It screams our goodbye
Cannot believe it's an eye for an eye
Life is gone to waste
''Blood transfusion,''Rufus replied. ''Blood transfusion? Really? 'The hell is that supposed to do?'' ''Oh,they're not just any blood cells. Hojo managed to save some from Sephiroth. That,and according to him,you're also overdue for heart surgery.'' Reno's head snapped towards the young president. ''I'd rather stay here,''Reno responded. ''Like hell you are.'' Reno noted with annoyance that Rufus was opening the cell. When the blond went for his arm,Reno fought back and bit him,seeing to it that he drew blood. Rufus,however,was unfazed in the least. ''My,you like to bite,''said man stated as he examined the damage. Reno spat in the man's face. ''Touch me again and you'll lose that pretty little hand.'' Rufus glared at him. Defiance was not smiled upon in Shinra. Hojo especially laughed at it.
With rage,Rufus snatched Reno by his arm and wrapped his own arm around the redhead's throat. Said redhead thrashed violently to the point of Tseng and Rude having to regretfully help and drag him to the labs. ''Oh,the fun he'll have with you when he finds out you bit me,''Rufus said slyly. Reno continued thrashing in Tseng and Rude's hold,never minding that they'd made it into the labs and Hojo was watching quietly. ''Best you do something about that mouth of his or I'll shoot it off,''Rufus warned. ''Oh,come now,Mr. President,I'm sure it can't be that bad,''Hojo implied. Rufus sighed and held up his hand. Reno had ripped the skin open to the point of the bone being visible. He'd also broken three of Rufus's fingers in the process of biting him. Hojo glared at the injury and then looked to the redhead that had been taken hold of by his assistants and thrown to the floor.
''Very well. Come with me,''the man implied. Rufus followed,stopping to give a swift kick in the ribs to the redhead first. Hojo took hold of the blond's hand and applied hydrogen peroxide. Rufus gasped in pain. ''Getting sensitive,are we?''Hojo chuckled. ''Shut up,''Rufus ordered. Hojo smiled and wrapped a bandage around his hand. ''Give it a few weeks before it's officially healed. I wouldn't advise a potion or materia.'' Rufus sighed. A few weeks meant a long time of not being able to sign papers neatly. Damn it,why'd it have to be the right hand? ''What do you wish I do with the 'wild animal',Mr. president?'' The blond looked at him and smiled wickedly. ''Something you haven't done before. I don't want him to expect a certain punishment.''
Angels have faith
I don't want to be a part of his sin
I don't want to get lost in his world
I'm not playing this game
Hojo smiled again and guided the blond out to the beaten redhead. Reno looked up at the blond and glared,a heavy snarl escaping him. If he could just have his hands free for even a minute,he could slaughter the person he once swore to protect. ''What should I do with him,and give me a specific idea,''Hojo demanded quietly. The blond was looking down at the redhead. Reno's eyes had gone to red with black slits. ''Mutate him,''Rufus ordered and stormed off. Hojo laughed. he was going to have so much fun. He'd been resisting the urge to mutate Reno as he didn't have permission. Now,he was free to do so as he was suddenly picked up and dragged to a table. ''What the...LET GO OF ME!'' ''You'll do well to keep your mouth shut or I'll shut it for you,''Hojo warned. Reno kicked and screamed the whole distance to the table.
If it weren't for Hojo's good sense of patience,Reno's mouth would have already been shot off. After a grueling fight of trying to get the redhead to sit still,Hojo's assistants finally got Reno strapped down to a metal table. Reno was breathing heavily and uncontrollably. ''Heavy breather? At that pace,you'll be hyperventilating before I can even cut into you.'' ''I've been through worse shit than this...''Reno gasped out. ''I'm not so sure. From what I've read in Rude's reports,he's come back from missions with you unconscious many times...and the list of injuries has been more than long enough to kill any other...what should I call it...living being,''Hojo stated as he sorted through an assortment of surgical knives.
Reno dared a glance and came face to face with the blade of a knife. ''W-wait. I don't handle surgery well,''Reno begged. ''That's not my problem.'' Reno picked up his head,but it was slammed down by Hojo. Reno started struggling to breath again,and the knife was suddenly buried in his chest. Hojo continued to slice his way through,nicking his heart more than once. Reno thrashed on the table and screamed,the pain having become unbearable. By the wall on the far side of the lab stood the many assistants that had refused to help Hojo destroy Reno's life.
When the shadows remain in the light of day
On the wings of darkness he'll retaliate
He'll be falling from grace
Till the end of all his days
From the ashes of hate
It's a cruel demon's fate
On the wings of darkness
He's returned to stay
There will be no escape
Cause he's fallen far from grace
ohhohoho
Hojo released Reno's head and began to tear into his chest and was eventually able to reach the heart itself and started to disconnect the arteries and veins. Reno jerked when he felt the first artery being sliced. ''WAIT! STOP!'' Hojo chuckled and continued. There was a sudden and very audible crack that escaped one of Reno's legs and his shoulder. As a result,he screamed at the top of his lungs.
From a distance the assistants watched,scared of the insane scientist. The newest assistant was watching Reno's hands attempt to pull free from the straps. He was putting in a lot of effort,and the assistant knew it because Reno was cutting off his own circulation. Hojo was watching Reno's eyes roll back with interest as he cut the last vein and artery. With no more than a laugh of success,Hojo promptly pulled the redhead's heart free from his chest and left the man lying on the table as he left to analyze data.
What have you done?
Is this what you wanted?
What have you become?
His soul's not forsaken
You're walking alone
From heaven into hell
Now that you know
Your way in this madness
Your powers are gone
Your chains have been broken
You've suffered so long
You will never change.
The assistants waited until Hojo was completely gone before they quickly approached the table. All they could do was stare. Another sudden clang and the door to the lab opened again. Most of the assistants ran off for fear of it being Hojo who was coming back. The newest assistant,named Lyra,remained calm and grew calmer and grateful when she saw that it was the redhead's partner that came into sight. Lyra didn't have time to open her mouth before Rude was standing next to the table,staring at Reno. Rude eventually looked up at the lightly purple skinned woman. Lyra's orange-red hair swayed as she took a step back.
''I didn't...Hojo...'' Rude nodded with understanding. There was a sudden flash from the middle of Reno's chest,and soon his heart and broken skin regenerated on it's own. ''Get him out of here. I'll help you if you need me to. But right now,I can't.'' Rude wasn't listening. He was too busy undoing the straps on Reno's wrists and ankles. With a little effort,Rude managed to remove the straps and pulled the unconscious body into his arms. ''What's the quickest way out of here?'' It was a straight up demand,not a simple question. Lyra looked around to confirm that no one was around and quickly ran to a door in the back of the lab.
''This door leads down to a tunnel. When you get to the end of the tunnel,you'll find another flight of stairs and a door that will lead straight to the parking-lot. Move as quickly and as quietly as you can and no one should notice you. Not even Rufus can see the parking-lot. If I know you,and I really don't,your shift should be over,right?'' ''It is. I already clocked out.'' ''Then by the time Hojo realizes what's happened and tells Rufus,you should be home. And another thing. Rufus isn't himself. Haven't you noticed?''
Angels have faith
I don't want to be a part of his sin
I don't want to get lost in his world
I'm not playing this game
''I have,''Rude answered. ''Good. Here. Next time you're around Rufus,slip this into his drink or food.'' Rude nodded,took the materia,and quickly headed out the door. Just as Lyra had said,there was another flight of stairs and a door,both of which lead straight to the parking lot. Rude lay Reno in the back seat of his car,got into the driver's seat,and drove off.
For several hours,Rude attempted to bandage over the stitches in Reno's back,bandage the thin cuts around his wrists from the bindings,and wake Reno up. Lyra had even come over to help,though there wasn't much to do until Reno woke up.
Round about three o'clock in the morning,Reno stirred from his unconsciousness. Rude was sitting by the bed at the time and notice Reno's movements. ''Hey. How are you feeling?''Rude asked softly. ''...Like I got ripped to pieces...''Reno said as he turned onto his side towards Rude. The black man chuckled. ''You practically did...you hungry?'' Reno muttered a ''no'' and then added ''but I'm sore and I'd love nothing more to put a bunch of holes in Rufus and see how he likes it.'' to his response. Rude sighed. ''You want a pain killer?'' Reno nodded and continued to lay still as his entire body was hurting. ''Here.'' Rude popped the pill into Reno's mouth and gave him something to drink.
Reno thanked him and rolled over with a moan of pain and fell asleep...or so Rude stood from his chair and left the room,honestly believing that Reno had fallen asleep. ''He's asleep...I actually expected a little more fuss than that.'' Lyra nodded. She too was relieved. She'd been in Rude's house for a few hours now,and Reno's screaming while unconscious as she tried to disinfect his wounds gave her quite a headache. ''If you're tired,and I'm sure you are,you can curl up on the futon and I'll grab a few blankets,''Rude offered. The light purple skinned woman nodded and retired to the futon.
Rude grabbed the blankets along with some sleeping medicine and retired to his own room for the night. Reno was sleeping in his own room,as the redhead didn't like having to share a bed,and when he moved in with Rude,the guest room become his room.
...
When morning officially came,Rude entered the kitchen to make breakfast. Upon reaching the kitchen,he found that the sharpest of his kitchen knives was missing. 'He didn't...' Rude ran to Reno's room and found the redhead gone. The blankets were all over the floor,and there was a note lying on his pillow. ''Gonna set shit straight. Don't come looking for me.'' Rude ran back out to the living room and shook Lyra awake. ''Lyra,he's gone...he's gone after Rufus.'' The woman launched up from the futon and got dressed. In no time had Rude followed and they were both in the car headed towards Rufus' home.
When the shadows remain in the light of day
On the wings of darkness
He'll retaliate
He'll be falling from grace
Till the end of all his days
From the ashes of hate
It's a cruel demon's fate
On the wings of darkness
He's returned to stay
There will be no escape
Cause he's fallen far from grace
Angels have faith
I don't want to be a part of his sin
I don't want to get lost in his world
I'm not playing this game
Rufus screamed in terror as Reno stabbed him multiple times in multiple areas of his body. He wasn't expecting the redhead to even get out of Hojo's labs alive,for that matter get out at all. ''LET'S SEE HOW YOU LIKE IT,YOU SON-OF-A-BITCH! THIS IS WHAT I WENT THROUGH FOR SEVEN MONTHS!''Reno screamed,''YOU GOT THE BOOK SHOVED SO FAR UP YOUR ASS THAT IT DOES COME OUT OF YOUR MOUTH! ''RENO,STOP! PLEASE!'' Rufus was actually begging the man to quit stabbing him. But Reno wasn't listening. He'd gone completely insane. His eyes had dilated and even gone from aqua blue to yellow with solid black ebony slits.
For several minutes,the redhead was stabbing Rufus in the sides and stomach. He'd even gotten a few stabs in the arms. Rufus didn't know how to react to Reno's sudden outburst and feared that he would have time to. His assumption was proven to be correct when he felt another stab,but this one had taken place in his heart. The blade of the knife was jammed into his chest and even through his spine. Rufus stared for a minute,not really understanding what had just happened.
Reno glared at him in the eye. He wanted the blond to die,and since looks couldn't kill,he'd decided to kill the man with his hands. Rufus jerked suddenly when he felt the blade of the knife twist and turn inside of his chest. ''You liked to put holes in me...so how does it feel,Mr. President?'' Rufus tried to speak,but no words came out. His hands had launched up at the beginning of the attack and wound up on Reno's shoulders to try and push him off.
When the shadows remain in the light of day
On the wings of darkness
He'll retaliate
He'll be falling from grace
Till the end of all his days
Rufus's hands tightened their grip for a moment,but they eventually slid off. Rufus wound up lying still before Reno,his head turned away to look at the group photo of Shinra's Class A Turks. Reno was smiling in the picture,his arm lazily slung around Rude's shoulders. Rufus was standing in the middle. But the glass covering the picture was now soaked in his own blood.
Reno reached yanked the knife out of Rufus' chest and reached in with his bloodied hands. With a firm grip,Reno tore out his prize-Rufus' heart. The redhead eyed the organ hungrily like a wild animal. With an animal-like growl,Reno brought it to his mouth and bit a huge chunk. It was almost like biting into watermelon-soft,juicy,and sweet. Reno sat down on the side of the bed beside the dead body in the bed,stared out the window,and continued to eat his 'treat.'
...
It was about an hour later that Tseng arrived,having beaten Rude and Lyra since they were stuck in traffic. Tseng stepped into Rufus' bedroom...and found the blond lying still,his entire chest portion was taken out,and Reno was still sitting in front of the window. ''...R-reno...?'' Reno's head turned towards Tseng,and the Wutain was faced with bright yellow demon eyes. There was a creepy childish smile on his face,which was smeared with blood. ''I'm still hungry...'' At that moment,Reno went straight for Tseng...
From the ashes of hate
It's a cruel demon's fate
On the wings of darkness
He's returned to stay
There will be no escape
Cause he's fallen far from grace
Tell me what you thought. I kinda wanted to make Reno flip a little. Again,I'm willing to do a pairing request! (;
