Reno didn't get drunk.
Tseng followed the bouncing redhead with his eyes as he sipped on his drink. The bar was packed with people, and yet finding Reno wasn't hard. He was in the center, dancing like his life depended on it. His arms were flinging around, his hips moving alone with the beat. He bowed forward to say something in the ear of some girl before him. It wasn't hard to make out that her boobs were just as fake as her platinum blond hair. The girl threw her head back and laughed as Reno wrapped his arm around her waist and stumbled. His steps seemed unsteady and his movements unfocused. He was laughing widely, calling for another drink by raising his arm high up in the air. Several people immediately shouted along with him. Reno, seemingly liking the response he got, started a chorus of some random song that Tseng didn't know. Soon half of the bar was chanting over the music, or at least attempting to for most men couldn't even spill out a single word anymore. It was late. The booze had been rich tonight and had spilled like honey. The DJ was searching his database to apply to the need of his listeners and indeed soon the music was booming again. The crowd went livid. They moved as one being with one mindset: to party the worries of the day away. And slap bang in the middle was Reno, still with the girl on his arm. His drink had magically been refilled and he was waving it around, spilling half of the content on his shoes and on those of the people around him. His mouth was moving along with the words of the, in Tseng's opinion, hardly musical sounding song. It was more like a continues rhythm that stood in so great contrast with the peaceful classical music that Tseng preferred. Reno seemed to ravish in it. His head lolled around. His drink was gone. The whole glass had disappeared to some place, Tseng suspected the ground, in million pieces that was. He wondered if the shoes of his subordinate were now also stuck with shards of glass along with being mushy from the liquor.
Reno looked so drunk. He nuzzled the neck of the girl before him, who, Tseng noticed, was no longer the platinum blond one. The brunette currently grinding her body against the redhead's in some kind of modern dance move was taller then the blond one. Tseng figured that she was probably sporting heels. Reno was quite tall, but this girl almost matched his height. Reno didn't seem to mind. He seemed fairly happy about the whole deal. Seriously if Tseng didn't have past experience he would pluck subordinate out of the crowd right now. But Reno was a special case. He had always been a special case. The main point was that Reno didn't get drunk, but could very well pretend he was absolutely wasted. Reno could practically pretend he was anything if he really wanted, but Tseng knew that his body had just enough Mako in it to make sure he could drink himself to the moon and back without even batting an eye over it. Tseng also knew that Reno actually didn't drink that much anyway. Turks never drunk excessively on duty and as the rule went Turks were always on duty. Conclusion Turks never drunk excessively. On contrary to, perhaps, popular believe Reno valued his job. It was his life. It was him. And he was extremely good at it as well. There was a good reason that that flailing and bouncing man was his second in command. Reno was dedicated, loyal, smart and strong. Along with that he packed a certain love for danger, wasn't afraid to risque his life in some kind of suicide mission and he often seemed to have luck on his side. (Reno always said that he was just to damn sexy to die, luck had nothing to do with it).
His target was moving. Tseng straightened and fixed his tie. In the mass of people he couldn't signal Reno, but he was pretty sure that Reno followed his movements just as close as he had done just a moment ago. Turks always watched their surroundings. His target had just finished his drink and his talk with the bartender. He was moving towards the back door along with the bartender and with a last glance back closed the door behind his dark suit. Tseng got up, finished his drink and placed the glass between the mass of others on the counter. He noticed that his sleeve had been drenched in some kind of beverage. So much for his clean suit.
He followed the two men to the door after waiting another minute and after painfully manoeuvring through the crowd. How Reno moved so smooth was beyond him. He guessed it was because Reno practically grew up in this environment in contrary to the strict home in Wutai where Tseng had been living. The estate had been his home, clubs were Reno's.
The door opened into a narrow corridor that smelled of booze and sex. Tseng didn't even bad an eye at the smell that hit him square in the face. There were three doors along the hallway, the one in the far end probably leading to the back alley, but he was sure that the men hadn't left the building. He had set up surveillance outside. If the man had left through the back door he would immediately had gotten a message through his wireless ear piece that was tucked away safely in his left ear. No, the target had not left. That was also pretty clear from the fact that he could hear muffled voices from behind one of the two other doors. Tseng's hand went to his gun and he carefully released the safety with a soft click. With the weapon raised he positioned himself before the door. Technically Turks always worked in partners. It was safer to have someone who could look after your back. However lately the Turks had dwindled in members. There was not always a man ready to be the backup. They all had their tasks to do. Besides it was not like Tseng couldn't take out two men who didn't expect him. He would have the element of surprise on his hand. After making sure for the second time that the safety was off his gun he opened the door and pointed the weapon forward.
"Freeze." He said, pointing the gun to whoever was inside.
He was met by four gun barrels to his face. Tseng expression didn't change. He simply observed the men before him. There were four of them with four guns all pointing at his head. He doubted if any of them were any good shots.
"Hands in the air. Drop the weapon." His target said to him, motioning around with his gun. Indeed, as Tseng had suspected, no real experience with the weapon at all. Still, this was not a very favorable situation. Slowly Tseng raised his hands and went through his knees to place the gun on the ground. As he got up he kicked the weapon towards his attackers.
"Search him." His target urged one of the other men. One of them lowered his gun and came forward. He looked weary to the Turk and with slightly shaking hands started searching Tseng's jacket and trousers. The man took his spare gun, his materia, his wireless ear piece etcetera and proceeded with binding his hands. (They missed the hidden knife in his shoes, amateur fault) With his hands tied between his back he was pushed down on a chair. Tseng crossed his legs and leaned back. His emotionless eyes watched the men before him. His target was obviously not in charge. He kept sending short looks to a man with a short cropped hair cut who wore a gray suit. After a moment of silence this man turned his just as gray eyes towards him.
"I thought they said the Turks were the best in their job." He sneered, stalking over to Tseng until his face was hovering before that of the commander of the Turks. "Got a little overconfident?"
Tseng said nothing. The man grinned. He tapped his gun against his tight. "So what I wanna know is," the man aimed the weapon at Tseng's face, "how did your little shit group knew we were gathering here tonight? Who was the one that rattled us out?"
Tseng eyed the gun. "That is classified information." The Turk said evenly. For a moment the thought crossed his mind that Reno would probably make all kinds of not really funny jokes right now.
The comment rewarded him with the sound of the safety flicking of a gun. "We know that one of us spilled his beans to you lot," he said, "because of that we had to call the whole deal off and move all the stuff to another place. So I want to know the name of the guy who did this and you better tell me or I'll blow your head off."
Tseng was weighting his options. How far could he go with this man? He opened his mouth and-
The door opened with a slam and two figures stumbled inside in the middle of a full out make out session. They crashed against the guy closest to the door, but didn't seem to notice. With a slight raised eyebrow Tseng realized that one part of the mass of arms and legs belonged to his own subordinate. Somewhere along the way Reno had lost his hair tie and his fiery red hair was falling wild over his shoulders. The girl was dragging her hands through it as Reno shoved her against the door that he had closed with one move of his foot, making sure their lips stayed connected. He had one hand going up her shirt, the other was holding some kind of own jacket has disappeared.
Suddenly Reno seemed to notice that he was not alone in the room. He stopped his assault on the girl's exposed neck and slowly turned around.
The whole room was silent for a moment. Reno grinned sheepishly. "Wrong room?" He asked slurred, sounding amused by the whole deal. The bartenders eyes were bulging. The girl looked dazed.
The man in the gray suit rolled his eyes. "Get out." He said, waving with his gun to the door.
Reno raised his hands defensively in the air. "Oi take it easy man." He stumbled and raised his glass towards the bloke. "Just wrong door, could happen to the best of us. Have a drink. I think there is still something in this… Is there?" Reno turned the glass upside down. Whatever was left of the content splashed on the gray man's shoes. Reno grinned broadly. "I guess there is nothing left now."
"Fucking drunk." The gray suit spat and he raised his gun. Immediately Reno smashed the glass against the man's head. The man dropped the gun, which was caught by Reno, and slumped down on the ground, unconscious. Reno spun the gun around between his fingers before pointing it at the other three guys in the room. It seemed unfair, three against one. But the three were so shocked that they seemed to be frozen on the spot. Suddenly the guy on the right, their target, moved and raised his gun. Reno was obviously faster and shot him right in the forehead. The man fell down, his eyes forever open in shock. The girl shrieked and pressed herself against the wall. Tseng rolled his eyes. The bartender and the other guy dropped their guns and made way for the door. Surprisingly Reno let them go without so much of an attempt to chase them. Instead of that he turned to Tseng.
"Yo bossman." He said, stuffing the gun in his pocket.
"Reno." Tseng acknowledged his second in command as Reno proceeded with undoing his cuffs. "Clean shot." He said when he could use his arms properly again.
Reno shrugged. "I was actually aiming for his nose, but I guess my aim has never been that good." He said.
Tseng looked to the dead man on the ground and then to the girl. "So you got it done?"
Reno did an half-assed salute. "Sure thing boss. Tagged the running man. Tracker is safe in his pocket."
"Good." Tseng responded. "Bit risky though."
"Nah." Reno waved the comment away. "I had everything under control, yo."
Tseng looked impassively at him. Reno grinned and pointed to the girl behind him. "Owner's daughter man. He wouldn't shoot his own child. Pretty sure of that."
Tseng nodded as he picked up his stuff and reattached his ear piece. "Okay let's go."
"Yes sir." Reno saluted again. What ever had happened to the drunken pretend state was long gone. This was Reno the Turk and Reno the Turk did listen to his commander. On the way out Tseng gave the redhead a look.
"I will be subtracting the cost of a new jacket from your pay though. That is the third one you lost this week."
Reno stared to him. "Can I go back then? For that money I at least want to finish what I started. She was pretty good."
No, Reno didn't drunk and he wasn't stupid. But he was an asshole.