" The name is Reno, yo."
"And mine is Elena, a pleasure to meet you. Tseng told me a lot about you."
The blond-haired woman with deep brown eyes looked at him with a look that was somewhere in between amusement and curiousity. Reno wondered what Tseng had told her about him, but maybe he didn't want to know. He fully realised that despite the fact that all his co-workers respected him as second-in-command for his fighting skills and his dedication to the Shinra company, there were some rumours about him as well. Sure, he was a bit more relaxed about work that he found unimportant, and he appreciated his holidays a bit more than others, but as veteran, didn't he have the right to? He grunted at the word "veteran". He was only 25, damnit. It was incredibly stupid he was considered as veteran while was he was just a few months older than the vice-president, who was always considered as the "young one." Completely unfair. Maybe it was because turks didn't seem to survive for long, at least not the ones that weren't skilled. Reno knew he was. Not only was he good in fighting, he also managed to fly a helicopter perfectly, he was a good leader who could order around easily and was capable of fighting and writing with both right and left. Though he had to admit he was more a lefty anyway.
" Err, sir?" Elena said and awakened Reno out of his daydream slumber. He focused his gaze at her eyes again, who were staring at him with a slight hint of worry.
" Ah, yes, I am sure he did. Hope it was something nice" Reno said and held out his hand to Elena, who shook it. Bweh, she gave such a weak handshake. He hoped she fought better than that she shook hands, else she would be the first to go.
"Yes, he said you were second-in-command and a very skilled, though unorthodox turk."
"Well I guess that can be considered as true" Reno said with a smile, paying attention to his language this time. It was clear Elena had already spoken to Tseng about him, and he didn't want her to go and report about his language. He knew that the "yo" in a lot of sentences and his accent weren't showing that he was a very etiquette-filled guy, but then again, he just wasn't. He wasn't a part of high society, he was just simply a man who managed to work himself up.
"So, Tseng told me you would show me around. Could you do that for me?" Elena said with a slight blush on her face, for what reason, Reno had no idea. Probably the bonde thought it was embarrassing that she had to ask Reno to be her tour guide. It was.
"Sure, it's pretty simple. We got 60 floors you can play on, rookie"
"My name is El-"
"Yeah yeah whatever. 60 floors. Above that is no acces for you. Not even with those big cute eyes of yers."
" I am here to do my work, not to flirt with co-workers"
"Whatever, yo" Reno said and pressed the button of the main elevator irritated. This was not the way he imagined his day when he got up today. He knew that he was heavily injured and had accepted the fact he would spend the day with papers, but still...Rookies...
The ping of the elevator made him look up and he smiled at Elena, who was still staring to the Shinra logo that was inside the elevator.
" We're there, rookie"
" My name is Elena!"
"Elena, this is our floor...The turk floor..Now since yer just a starter, you most likely don't have a desk yet. That's gonna be alright, Tseng will arrange that most likely. He is our upperboss ever since Veld got killed..."
"Who is Veld? And how did he get killed?"
" Yo, that's topsecret and not important for now. Just remember. First-in-command is Tseng, second is me now, and the rest is lower but still above you."
"Great to know, boss."
Reno replied with a cheeky grin.
"I like that, yo"
They both walked out of the elevator and Reno high-fived Rude quickly when he passed his desk. Rude was always way earlier than Reno, since the man didn't like working until late. Reno didn't either, but he simply didn't bother to come earlier because of that. If it wasn't done, it wasn't done. Easy as that. He walked to his own desk and to his annoyance, Elena followed. Now, he knew that was logical, but how did he tell her in a friendly way to get lost so he could do his job? His boring paperwork job...He moaned as he sat down behind his desk, which was facing Rude's. All the turks worked in this open area, most of them in box-offices that looked ridicilous. However, Rude's and Reno's desks were all the way behind, close to Tseng's office (which was really a room). Because they had a more private setting than the others, they didn't have the distracting noises or the ugly fake grey walls the others had. Tseng's office had a typical door that had glass you couldn't look through and with the words " Foreman Turks". Reno grabbed himself for a moment when he sat down, complaining soflty about his wounds. Typical. They had a mission and he wasn't allowed to go, because he got injured. Damn that stupid Aeris, or Aerith, or whatever the bitch's name was. Elena was still standing next to him, watching his injuries.
"You are injured"
"Oh really? I had no idea"
" Badly..."
"Thank you, captain Obvious."
"Then why do you come to work?"
"Yo listen rookie. Lemme tell you something about the turks. Once you start, you never quit. There is no "time off". Even on your holiday they will drag you by your collar to do some work if they want to. That's life when you join the turks. Being a turk becomes your life. That's why sometimes you have to draw the line yourself. But not in the beginning, so you just listen and nod and do whatever they say against you. You are never free, you never say no until you get a little bit higher and at least know how to hit someone properly."
Rude chuckled and Reno gave him a glare while folding his arms (ouch ouch ouch). His partner just smiled at Elena and shook his head.
"Don't take Reno too serious, as rookie he didn't listen to anyone, did whatever he wanted to do and went rather with his feelings than with his orders"
"Well thank you, partner, I can always count on you to backstab me in front of a rookie, yo"
Elena just smiled back at Rude and obviously tried not to laugh at Reno while he snorted and grabbed a file. He pretended to be doing important things while waving Elena away.
"Listen, I have more things to do, I showed you around, so you can go and ask Tseng for a desk. Then start doing yer paperwork or whatever you are here for..."
"I am not here to do paperwork. I am here to replace someone who got injured in the new mission to fight a certain man named Cloud.."
"Oh great, she's here to replace me? Thát is going to replace me?" Reno complained towards Rude, who just answered by blinking behind his sunglasses. It was useless to wear sunglasses in the office, but it worked really good for Rude. After all, he already was a big black guy with an expressionless face and the sunglasses just added a bit more to that. This way, it was sometimes impossible to guess Rude's feelings or emotions.
"Oh, so I am replacing you?"
" Yeah, yeah rub it in...Now go to Tseng and ask for a desk to prepare your mission along with Rude."
"Yes sir." Elena saluted and Reno found that despite hysterically comical, also quite nice. As though he actually had power over her. A new rookie to rule over. Oh he loved screwing with new co-workers. He opened the file and started flipping through it, while Elena walked towards Tseng's office. She knocked and there followed a muttered "Enter". She indeed entered and Reno turned to Rude, sighing and stopping pretending as though he was working.
"What's your impression about her?"
"Young."
" Yeah, too young if you ask me. What a dollface. Heh, bet they blow that off pretty soon if she is as naïve as she looks."
" I think she'll be quite okay actually. Considering Tseng hired her."
"Tseng can have let himself lead for the big brown eyes. You know how much he lets emotions take over."
"That is not true, not ever since..." Rude started whispering. "...ever since Veld learned him otherwise.."
"Ah you are probably right. Tseng knows what he is doing. But she still looks like a dollface" Reno decided and focusses back on his work, scribbling what down now and then. After a few minutes Elena came out of the office, sitting down at a desk that was free close to Tseng's office. She looked a bit red in her face and Reno grinned. Oh the ignorance and bliss of rookies. He himself was called to the office quickly after that, and he followed Tseng into the office. The black-haired man from Wutai was staring at Reno, who came in with the sound of a smashing door, before letting himself fall down on one of the chairs and grinning at Tseng. The man replied by shaking his head and Reno tried to look as though he was paying attention. In reality, he was cursing underneath his breath because of the pain he had caused himself by falling down on the chair so carelessly.
"So Tseng, what did you call me here for?"
" Reno, considering you are injured you can't join us in the mission to the mines to stop Cloud and his party. Therefore, our newest member, Elena, will take your place."
" I was informed about that, thank you very much" Reno said, not being able to keep the cynical tone out of his voice.
" Good. Then I'll get to bussiness quickly. While I , Elena and Rude go off to the mission tonight already, you get another job. Unfortunately, due to my absence, I can't work as head of the safety department during the Shinra Party tonight. Therefore, considering you are second-in-command and therefore during my abscence, you may lead the safety part. You are given 68 of our topworkers who will keep the building safe. You don't have to do much, just make sure everyone is doing what they do and lead a counter-attack if there is an attack."
"So I just have to babysit President Shinra, his son and all the other high society people while you guys have fun beating that chocobohead and his gang up?"
"Cloud and his party, yes. You don't have to do much at all. Just check if the security is okay and shout at the people to open fire. And keep President Shinra and the rest safe, preferably."
"Sounds something I can do."
"Even you?" Tseng joked with a slight curl on both ends of his mouth. Reno grinned back.
"Even me. "
"Here are the files with the plan of security. Read them. Carefully. This is your current priority. If you feel like correcting my plan, feel free to do so. I have faith in you, Reno."
"Thank you, Tseng" Reno said with a respectful nod and left the room with the files. He sat down to the opposite of Rude again and sighed while starting to read the files and making small notes in the corners of the paper. Tseng's plan was good.
" Be glad you can go and kick some chocobo-ass, Rude"

"That's right buddy."
Reno looked further on the files. It was indeed a good plan. Sharp-shooters all over the roof and the first floor. Shinra soldiers ( not SOLDIERS, mind you) patronizing all over the place and some incognito agents who would be around President Shinra, his son and a few other top people. Then there were a few bodyguards at every single entrance, even the backdoor. He wrote down he was okay with the plan and then returned the file to Tseng. They shook hands and Reno left the office at five, for an afternoon nap to make his wounds heal faster. He said goodbye to Rude with a man-hug before leaving the office, grabbing his coat and nodding at Elena, who gave him a flustered "yessir!"
He grinned all the way to his car about the rookie. Then he started the engine and drove to his home, to search for a proper outfit he could wear on the party. Tseng had warned him not to have his shirt all opened and untucked. When he arrived at home, he fell down on the couch and started moaning about his wounds, while watching some tv first.