1 Tales from the slums - Reno's Story, a final fantasy vii fanfic

TALES FROM THE SLUMS:

'Reno's Story'

It's hard to imagine the outside world when all you've ever known is the slums. A city beneath a city, full of crime, poverty, garbage, and death. Everyone lived in shacks made from rundown buildings, shipping containers, and scrap metal. The most common occupation is thief or gang member—if you call that an occupation—and everyone else is either a drunk or a drug addict.

Reno lived his entire life in the slums. He had never even seen a tree or frolicked in nature. He never resented living in the slums because it was all he had ever known, it also helped that he had a loving parent rising him. He knew his mother tried to do the best she could, she gave him a roof over his head and food on the table, although the food did more to fill the stomach than provide any nutritional value.

The problem with being a female in the slums is that even if you wanted to work an honest job the only employment available for a woman is prostitute, seamstress, waitress, or stripper. Sure, some lucky women were able to own their own business selling the clothes they made or owned their own bar, but that usually required a lot of start-up money or connections of some sort.

The only place Reno's mom was able to find employment was as a waitress at a strip club in their sector. As a waitress she normally didn't have to strip but if one of the girls failed to show for their shift, the boss would make sure one of the waitresses would take their place. She tried to hide the fact that she was a stripper from her son, but Reno knew from the older kids in his neighbourhood and from overhearing comments from some of the adults.

Despite all this, Reno knew she was a good mom who did the best she could with what she had. She never brought home men, she never talked about her job, she didn't do drugs or drink, and she made sure Reno knew every day that she loved him. Reno knew how lucky he was and would never want to replace her, which was why, at just the age of seven, he was ready to fight to his death the night it happened…

It started off like any other night his mother had to work. Reno would stay with Mary, she was his mom's best friend and had a son Reno's age. Reno liked spending his time at Mary's house, it was the closest thing to a real family he as ever seen and he felt safe there. Like always, it was late by the time Reno's mom came by Mary's house to pick him up.

When Reno and his mom were walking home that night, it felt like something was different but at the time Reno couldn't figure out what it was. Looking back, Reno believed his mom also knew something was wrong because they walked home a little faster than usual. Everything after that seemed like a regular night; Reno would get a snack before bed and they talked about his day. Then his mother would tuck him into bed and kiss him goodnight.

Reno was just falling asleep when he heard a scream. He knew it was his mother's cry, so he jumped out of bed and ran into her room. It was dark, but he knew someone else was in the room with her. He switched on the light and saw a man sitting on top his mother who was laying on the bed half naked and her face was bleeding from the attack.

The intruder was a man in his mid-to-late twenties with dirty blond hair and tanned skin. He had dark eyes with circles under them. His eyes were so dark you couldn't tell where the iris ended and the pupil began.

Seeing his mom lying defenceless and bleeding caused a wave of rage to rush over the boy as he ran across the room towards the intruder in an attempt to stop him. The man effortlessly grabbed Reno by the neck and picked him up off the ground. Reno tried squirming free in the attacker's hand. He struggled to breathe as the man moved away from his mom and proceeded to slam him up against the wall. Reno noticed the knife in the man's hand when he released the boy sending him to the floor grasping for air.

The man kicked the child hard in the face causing him to fall onto his side trying as hard as he could not to cry as blood poured from his nostrils. The man did not say a word as he kneeled, coming face to face with Reno. He then grabbed Reno's chin with one hand and rubbed a knife along the boy's cheek with the other; not hard enough to cut it but enough so Reno could feel it.

The man smirked at Reno. "You're never too young to learn how fucked up life can be down here kid," he said with a grin. "I'm going to make sure you never forget this."

The last thing Reno remembered from that night were the man's dark eyes staring right threw him and the sharp pain of his head hitting the wall.

When Reno awoke the next morning, only having a faint memory of the night before. Then the memories started to slowly return when he noticed the small puddle of blood on the carpet and felt a sharp pain coming from the back of his head. He could taste blood in his mouth and his whole body ached. That was when he remembered his mother and looked left towards her blood covered body on the bed. Every inch of him wanted to go over and try to wake her up but he already knew it was too late.

The police never came down into the slums, so there was no one to call upon in emergencies unless you had family or friends willing to help. Reno only knew of one person he could go to for help, so he left his house to go find Mary.

Reno was in such shock walking to Mary's house that he didn't even notice all the people staring at him as he walked down the street. Reno stopped at Mary's house and knocked on the door. Mary answered and was shocked by what she saw: not only was the boy covered in blood from the broken nose, he had one cut under each eye which caused blood, now dried, to run down his face and on to his clothes.

Mary looked horrified. "Reno?" she whispered, both of her hands covering her mouth as she tried to hold back tears.

Four years later

By the time Reno was eleven years old he was completely self-dependent. After his mother's death, Mary offered to take him in. He did stay there for the first few months, but he felt like he was intruding on their family. He knew there would always be a bed for him and a plate on the table at her house but he felt bad taking from a family who was struggling. Still, it was the closest thing he had to a family and he would still stay there on occasion having dinner or crashing overnight.

Mary's son, Rude, who was his best friend growing up was now like a brother to him. The times when Reno stayed around the house the two were inseparable. They would spend their days looking for scrap metal to trade for things they needed or sell it for gil, but they made most of their money doing jobs for the local gangs.

The gangs would need runners to transport drugs and gil. They often used neighbourhood kids because the gangs were very territorial and for a gang member to step foot on another's territory was a death sentence, especially for the well-known members. A rival gang would be less likely to target a kid form their own neighbourhood.

All the money Reno and Rude made together they would give to Mary to help the family; except for the odd gil or two they would spend on themselves. When Reno was alone he would make money pick pocketing strangers and used the money to buy food for himself. Any money he had leftover he would give to his family the next time he would visit. Rude had three sisters and a baby brother so they needed the gil for food and to buy medicine for Rude's middle sister who had a chronic lung disease from all the air pollution.

When Rude's mother would ask where they got the money from, they would tell her it was from selling items they found in the train graveyard. Rude's father worked long hours fixing the train tracks on the lower Midger plate. Shinra figured it was more cost efficient to pay someone in the slums less than any minimum wage worker from the upper plate was willing to work. One day Rude's father happened to be there at dinner time when Rude and Reno brought home some money for the family. When the two boys explained to Rude's parents that they earned the money selling used parts from the train yard his dad looked a little skeptical but didn't say anything.

Reno and Rude's friend, Kenny, was an older neighbourhood kid they grew up with and was a member of the Sector 2 gang called Mayhem. All their moms were friends growing up, so they had known each other since they were toddlers. Kenny would always offer jobs to Reno and Rude and paid them the most for transports. He would always offer the boys a chance to join the gang, but they knew that joining a gang in the slums was like putting a target on your head. Once you identify with a gang you become a target for all the rival gangs and once you were in, it was nearly impossible to get out.

One day Kenny offered the boys a different job compared to the transporting they usually did for him. Reno and Rude were walking towards the train graveyard when Kenny came running up behind them.

"Hey boys, I gotta job that'll pay some big coin," Kenny said as Reno and Rude stopped to look back.

"What?" Rude asked, looking skeptical. He knew that any job that paid well was going to be dangerous.

"Actually, this job's more for Reno," Kenny said slapping the red-haired boy on the back. "My boss needs somethin' lifted from a guy and we all know that's Reno's department."

"Who?" Reno inquired, a little curious. He always enjoyed the thrill of pickpocketing and he knew if the job was going to pay big, it was going to be risky. He had been honing his skill the last few years and felt he was ready for a challenge.

"Word has it that some Turks are down in the slums lookin' for somethin' and I need you to lift a keycard from one of em'," Kenny said looking a bit nervous.

Even though the slums were full of criminals, there were not very many who were willing to steal from a Turk. Reno was the only person Kenny knew that was a good enough pickpocket and could get near a Turk without looking suspicious.

"How much?" Reno asked, raising one eyebrow. He knew what Kenny was thinking and wanted to milk this for as much gil as he could get. He could see Rude looking at him in disbelief and knew his friend was not going to want him to do this.

"1000 gil" Kenny replied with a smug smile. Considering that a regular transporting job pays between 50 to 100 gil, depending on the area, it was expected that Reno would jump at the offer.

Reno snorted laughing. "Are you kidding?!" he exclaimed as he turned and started walking. "You want me to risk my life for a measly 1000 gil! I would want at least double that before I even consider messing with a Turk."

Kenny paused, considering the counteroffer as Reno continued walking away from him. Rude started to follow Reno as Kenny stood there contemplating.

"Wait!" Kenny called, holding his hand out as he signalled for the boys to stop. He approached as the two boys turned around to face him. "My boss only gave me a 1000 for the job but if you're successful, I'm sure I can get another 1000, he really wants the keycard. Deal?"

Reno, not wanting to seem eager, paused for a second to think about the offer.

Rude looked nervously at Reno, not wanting his friend to engage in something so risky. He heard stories of the Turks from his dad and knew what they were capable of.

"Deal, so where are they?" Reno asked.

"I heard two of them were havin' some drinks in Sector 6." Kenny said before turning and walking towards sector 5. "We better get goin' before we miss em'."

The two young boys looked at each other then followed the older boy towards Sector 6. When the three arrived at the Wall Market Pub, they couldn't help but noticed how busy it was in front. There were a few small groups of people standing around talking and drinking. Reno, Rude, and Kenny stopped in the alley next to the bar to discuss the plan.

"So what do these Turks look like?" Reno asked, never seeing a Turk before.

"You'll know 'em when you see 'em. Just look for the guys in the suits," Kenny replied, glancing over at the people standing in front of the bar. "Boss said the keycard should be in their pockets or on a tether attached to their belt."

Reno nodded, then glanced over at Rude before turning to walk towards the bar. Rude knew this was a bad idea but he also knew there was nothing he could do or say to stop Reno.

The young red head was lucky that bars in the slums didn't have age limits or strict rules in their establishments. As long as you had the gil to pay, business owners didn't give a shit, so it was not out of the ordinary for someone like Reno to walk in and order a drink.

Grabbing the bartender's attention, Reno ordered his drink and placed the gil down while nonchalantly scanning the room for his targets, spotting them immediately. Taking a few seconds to size up his targets, Reno quickly formulated a plan and took a deep breath before setting it in motion.

The Wall Market Pub was particularly busy, even for a Friday evening. Tseng looked around at the all the deprived people drowning their sorrows in the dark dingy bar.

"I don't see why we couldn't just go back up top to have a drink," the young rookie Turk commented to his superior.

"I kind of like this place," Veld said looking around. "Plus, we're not clocked out yet. We still haven't found what we were looking for." Veld took a sip of his beer and then leaned back in his chair.

"I doubt she's still in Midger," the young Turk commented while examining all the shady people around him. He then turned his attention back to his superior. "If I just escaped with my child I would get as far away from this city as I could."

"So would I," replied Veld. "But that doesn't mean she did. Hojo said that the woman was sick and weak. She probably couldn't make if far even if she wanted to."

Tseng sat back in his chair realizing that he was going to have a long night. He hadn't been working with Veld for that long but he knew his superior well enough to know that they were not going anywhere until they had some answers.

Catching his eye, Tseng turned his attention to a young boy with fiery red hear that just walked into the bar. Tseng shook his head at the thought of kids running around drinking with no parental supervision. Tseng thought his hometown in Wutai was lenient with allowing teenagers to drink, but this was crazy. He watched as the young boy sat at the bar with his back to him and ordered a drink. Not wanting to watch the spectacle any longer, Tseng turned his attention back to his boss.

"So one more and then back to work," Veld said, laying his empty bottle down. "I think it's your turn to buy." He motioned to his young partner.

"Yeah," Tseng said as he reached for his wallet.

He really didn't want another drink and just wanted to get out of this dump, but he knew better than to piss of his boss who seemed to be enjoying himself. Tseng considered calling out for a refill but didn't want to wait the hour for the slow service so he decided to go to the bar to order. When Tseng got up he noticed the red haired boy take his beer and start walking away from the bar towards a table. As they crossed paths in the crowded bar, the red-haired boy, not looking where he was going, hit his left shoulder against Tseng's arm. The contact caused the boy to drop his drink on the floor sending beer and glass everywhere.

"Hey, watch where you're goin'!" Reno called to the young Turk who had stepped back to avoid getting his shoes wet. "You going to replace that?"

"You're too young to drink kid," the young Turk responded. "Why don't you go home."

Tseng continued walking towards the bar not even looking back at the young boy. Reno frowned at the man then left the bar without saying another word.

When Reno exited the bar he quickly glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was following him. He slipped a small pair of scissors back into his pocket along with the keycard. One good thing about growing up in the slums, he knew to keep certain items on him at all times including a sharp pair of scissors, a knife, a lock-pick kit, and materia. It was having these items that made him a master of his trade and could get him into or out of any situation.

Reno headed towards Kenny and Rude who were still standing in the alley and continued to walk past them.

"Did you get it?" Kenny asked as him and Rude followed the young redhead.

"Do you have my money?" Reno asked. He stopped to look at Kenny figuring they were a safe distance away from the bar.

"Like I said, my boss only gave me 1000 gil," Kenny replied as he reached into his pocket pulling out the cash. "The other 1000 we're gonna to have to get from him directly."

"Well, let's go." Reno took the money and handed him the keycard.

"I don't know how my boss will feel bringin' you two by the club house," Kenny said putting the keycard in his pocket. "But he'll probably be happy to know who helped him get the last item he was after."

With the job completed, three boys started to make their way to Sector 2.

"Where do you suggest we look next?" Tseng asked as the two finished their last drink.

"Well, since we're going in order, the next stop is sector 7," Veld explained, placing down his empty bottle.

Veld and Tseng stood up to leave the bar when Tseng put his hand on the clip attached to his belt. Instantly, he noticed that the tether that was attached to his keycard had been cut. Tseng looked around the bar to see if maybe his keycard was lying on the floor but deep down he knew that someone had to of taken it.

"Someone took my keycard," Tseng said to Veld. His mind raced as he tried to remember any recent encounters. He remembered having his keycard when they arrive in sector 6 so it must have been lifted in the bar. Then he remembered his run-in with the redhead boy. "It must have been the boy I bumped into," Tseng explained while checking his pocket for his wallet which he still had. "Why would a kid from the slums take my keycard and not my wallet full of gil?" Tseng questioned, perplexed about the whole situation.

"The kid must be working for someone," the senior Turk informed the rookie. "You need to pay more attention in the future. Now we now have to put our current mission on hold to look for this kid."

Wasting no time, the two men hurried out of the bar to commence their search for the young thief.

Sector 2 was like any other sector in the slums but was particularly run-down looking and had a lot more garbage lying around.

Kenny took them to a metal shack with a red painted door and attached to several larger shacks. It was one of more impressive club houses compared to some of the other gangs. Kenny knocked on the door three times and kicked it twice causing a slot at the top to open. A pair of eyes peered out at them.

"Who is it?" the voice on the other side of the door asked.

"It's Kenny," the older boy said, "and I have two boys the boss wants to see." The eyes then glanced over at Reno and Rude gazing at them for a second before the slot closed and the door opened.

An older boy with dark brown hair and brown eyes looked at them. "Get in," the boy directed as he stepped aside to let them in.

Reno and Rude follow Kenny into a dimly lit narrow hallway. As the door behind them closed, the boy behind them pressed a switch on the wall that unlocked the door at the end of the hallway. Kenny walked up to the door and entered.

"The boss' in the hideout," the other boy informed Kenny as they walk into the clubhouse and shut the door behind them.

The clubhouse had everything a gang would need as a center of operations. There was a bar in the middle of the room with a wall behind it full of liquor. There were tables and chairs with televisions hanging on the wall along with bulletin boards full of paper and another one with pictures of rival gang members. It looked like it was partied in many of times with bits of glass on the floor like someone did a half-ass job cleaning up a mess. Their gang's logo, names, and various tags were spray-painted on the walls along with crude drawings.

The first room only contained three other people besides Kenny and the two young boys. One guy was standing at the bar making a drink and there was a guy and a girl sitting on a couch in the back of the room making out. They appeared to be oblivious as to anyone else in the room.

Kenny walked towards a door in the back of the room and the boys followed. He opened the door into a short hallway that lead into a much larger room with high ceilings. There were surrounded by huge metal bins that looked like shipping containers and they could hear what sounded like a crowd coming from inside the room.

As the three boys walked between the metal containers, Reno could see a large opening ahead of them and could hear the crowd getting louder. As they walked closer Reno could see a group of twenty-five to thirty people standing around another metal container with a small group of five people standing on it.

Reno's eyes studied the small group of people standing on the top of the container then he suddenly paused, focusing in on one person in particular. Reno heart began to race at the sight of him, even though he was only seven at the time, Reno immediately recognized him. The man with the dirty blond hair and tanned skin, he had aged a bit in the last four years, but those dark eyes were unforgettable. A fiery ball of rage began to build in Reno's stomach, but he knew there was nothing he could do in a crowed this big without getting himself killed. Reno pulled his sweater hood over his head and put his head down. He knew that the man might recognise the marks on his face, so he couldn't get too close.

Rude noticed that Reno had stopped and looked back to see what was going on.

"What's up?" Rude asked as he glimpsed over his shoulder to look at Kenny who was still walking towards the group. Rude could see that Reno was trying to hide his face and knew something was going on.

"It's him," Reno whispered to his friend as they slowly walked towards the group.

Rude didn't need any more explanation then that. He knew he was going to have to take the lead and do the talking this time.

"Who are those two?" A girl standing by the dark eyed man yelled at Kenny causing the whole crowed to stop and look back.

"These two got the keycard for the boss," Kenny said proudly holding up the keycard.

The dark eyed man narrowed his focus in on Kenny. "What are they doing here Kenny?" he demanded.

"Well, such as dangerous mission I kind of told em' you would give them an extra 1000 gil if they could get it," Kenny said nervously. "You have to admit boss, it takes a lot of guts messing with a Turk and these were the only guys I could find who would take the job."

The dark eyed man frowned at Kenny and paused to think. He then turned around to a chest behind him and pulled out a bag, throwing it down to someone standing in the crowed.

"Give this to the kids," the man said to one of his crew before turning his attention back to Kenny. "I know your young Kenny, so I'll let it slide, but next time you want to promise someone more money you better run it by me first."

"Understood boss," Kenny said nodding his head vigorously in agreement.

As one of the gang members handed the gil to Rude, the dark eyed man gazed down at the young boys from on top the container. "How would you two like to be part of our organization?" he asked smiling. "We could use more people with your skills."

"Thanks for the offer," Rude said, speaking for the two of them. "But we find that we can better serve you by not formally associating with your gang."

Rude glanced at Reno who still had his head down with his face covering his hood.

"Gang?" the man said, sounding insulted. "We are far more powerful than any slum gang, and now that we have this keycard we're going to own the slums like Shinra owns Midgar." As soon as he said that, the crowd roared with excitement but fell silent when the man raised his hand. "But please explain to me how you can better serve us by not joining us?" He asks inquisitively. The man did not look thrilled about his offer being rejected.

"Well you see, sir," Rude said choosing his words wisely. "We do a lot of running for Kenny and your 'organization'. We find that it's much easier and safer transporting packages if we are not believed to be associated with any particular group."

The man paused as he contemplated what Rude just told him. After a few very long seconds the man smiled. "I like the way you think kid," he said as a wave of relief flowed over the two boys. "We'll be sure to request your services again in the future," he said looking at Kenny who nodded in agreement. "Now Kenny, will you please escort these two boys out of here?" Following his boss' orders, Kenny turned and walked towards the entrance with the two boys.

"Thanks guys," Kenny said as the two boys exited the clubhouse. "I was a little nervous for a second there, but it all work out, eh?"

"What is your boss' name?" Reno asked, eager to finally put a name to a face after all these years.

"Well, he insists we call him boss," Kenny replied, looking behind him to make sure no one was around. "But I heard someone call him Baker before, I don't know if that is his name though." Kenny escorted the boys to the exit and closed the door behind them.

As Reno and Rude walked through Sector 3, Rude couldn't help but noticed the look on Reno's face. He had a serious expression and looked like he had a lot on his mind.

"So, what should we do?" Rude asked his friend.

Reno new exactly what he were referring to and it was the only thing he could think of since he left Mayhem's hideout.

"I have to kill him," Reno replied, looking down as his mind raced.

"I know that, but how?" Rude asked. He had not seen his good friend this upset since it happened four years ago.

"We have to find a way to get him alone and we can't let him fulfill his plan to take over the slums." Reno appeared more focused and seemed to have a bit more fire in him as he spoke. "I wish I hadn't of lifted that keycard," he complained, angrier at himself than at the situation. He felt like an idiot helping the man who murdered his mother.

"You had no way of knowing that he was the leader of Mayhem," Rude explained, trying to comfort his friend.

"Listen, we need to head back home," Reno explained. "We'll give your parents half the money and use the other half to stock up on supplies." Reno mind was already formulating a plan on how to get this guy. Having thought of something, Reno stopped and looked at Rude sincerely, he couldn't ask his best friend to risk his life for his vendetta. "I can understand if you don't want to do this with me—"

"You know I am with you all the way," Rude interrupted his friend before he could finish. "You're my brother and I won't have you do this alone."

Reno nodded at his friend appreciatively. "We better get going," he said, walking towards home. "We don't know how long until they use that keycard and we still need to figure out what they are going to do with it."

When they reached their home in Sector 4, it was past midnight, so everyone was sleeping.

"Mom's going to kill me for coming home so late and not staying," Rude explained, writing a note to let his mother would know he was home. He put the gil next to the note indicating that they were fine and would be back soon. While Rude was writing the note Reno grabbed some supplies.

"We need to go to Sector 7 to get some materia and more supplies," Reno explained, wanting to avoid the Wall Market. "Then we'll go stakeout Mayhem's clubhouse." Reno continued explaining the mission as they exited the house. "Once they leave their hideout we'll wait for a time to make our move."

As the two boys walk through sector 5 on their way to sector 7, Rude had a thought. "We better be careful in sector 6," he said to his friend. "There might still be Turks in the slums and they could be looking for you."

"We should stick to the back alleys and rooftops just in case," Reno suggested, agreeing with his friend's recommendation.

The two boys carefully made their way towards Sector 7. Sector 6 would have the items they needed but they figured it would be best not to stick around in that sector after Reno's run-in with the Turks.

Reno already owned a titan bangle filled with a maxed lighting materia. Since they only had 1000 gil they picked up an iron bangle for Rude and a fire materia. They also purchased two potions for Rude and a grenade for Reno. After they secure their items, they made their way back to Mayhem's clubhouse making sure to avoid high traffic areas.

The two boys found a secure spot on top of a roof near the clubhouse so they could get a view of the surrounding area. Knowing that the clubhouse extended through multiple buildings they assumed there had to be multiple exits.

They waited for a few hours without any sign of movement until finally they spotted four people exiting a structure near the hideout. Rude recognized them as the four people who were standing next to Baker in the clubhouse. The boys figured if they followed these four long enough, they might get some information regarding their boss' plan.

They climb down and followed behind the three men and one woman all the way towards the train station. When they arrived at the platform there was no one around besides the four gang members. The boys hid behind a pile of rubble out of sight but still close enough to hear them converse.

"This is my first time going to the upper plate," the youngest looking of the four told his comrades. "I'm not sure where to go."

"That's why I am going along to show you," the oldest looking male of the group replied. He was full of tattoos and had long dark hair.

"I forgot which sector I'm assigned to," the other man said to the group. He had a shaved head and had multiple piercings on his face.

"You're assigned to the Sector 3 location," the green haired woman replied to the man, sounding annoyed with the question. "I'm Sector 1 and Tommy and Snake are Sector 5. You better not fuck this up or the boss will kill us," she added, glaring at the man.

"I still don't see how he expects to hit all three locations at once with the one keycard…" the nameless man continued.

"Shut up!" the woman yelled, hitting the man on the head. "What the fuck are you doing talking about this shit out here?" She lowered her voice as she glared at him. "If you were listing you would know he doesn't need the keycard to hit all the locations, just the one. Now don't say another word!"

Knowing they couldn't get on the train without being seen, the boys returned to their stakeout near the clubhouse. "What do you suppose they're planning?" Rude asked his friend.

"It sounds like he is going to use the keycard to hit some location up top," Reno suggested, not taking his eyes off the clubhouse and the door the four exited from earlier. "Considering who we listed the keycard from, we know it's going to be Shinra owned, but why so many targets?"

"Hey Rude?" Reno asked, wondering why his friend didn't respond.

The redhead took his eyes off the clubhouse to look back and see what Rude was doing. He was shocked to discover his friend being held by a man with short black hair and scars on his face. He had Rude's mouth covered and a gun to his head. Standing next to the man was the Turk he lifted the keycard from.

"How did you find us up here?" Reno asked, his heart racing. Out of all the rooftops in all the sectors, how did they know to check this one?

"We've been watching you since one of our informants spotted you in a Sector 7 shop," Tseng replied. "Why are you stocking the people you gave my keycard to?"

"I'll tell you if you let my friend go," Reno replied, concerned for his friend's safety. "He has nothing to do with me taking your keycard."

"How about you tell us or we'll shoot him," Veld said sounding annoyed with this whole conversation.

Reno looked at Rude and then at Tseng before answering. "If you must know, a member of that gang offered me a lot of gil to lift your keycard but the leader is someone I have to kill. Unfortunately, I didn't realize this until after I gave them your keycard."

Tseng looked at Veld who lowered the gun away from Rude's head but was still pointing it in his direction as he held on to the his shirt. "What now?" the young Turk asked his mentor.

"We're going to take them back to headquarters," Veld replied. He then proceeded to turn and walk away with Rude still in his grasp.

Tseng looked at Reno. "Let's go," he said to the redhead as he reached out and grabbed him by the arm.

Reno and Rude have never been to the upper plate before. They've never had a reason to go up there, but they heard a lot of stories from the many people who had once lived up top before hitting hard times and moving below the plate. If you can't make it on top than you have no choice but to move to the slums. Shinra keeps a tight leash on the upper plate so if you are homeless the Shinra police will arrest.

The two Turks escorted the boys to the top plate by train. It was a lot like Reno had imagined. The streets were full of cars that weren't broken or rundown and there were real buildings built high like skyscrapers. There were billboards and advertisements for plays and products for people to spend gil on. It was dawn and Reno could see the sun starting to peek out over the dark city in the distance.

When the four reached the Shinra Headquarters located in the center of the city, Reno and Rude couldn't believe the size of the building towering over the city. They walk through the front doors and to the back of the lobby were the elevators were located.

Once inside the elevators, Tseng pressed the button for the 15th floor. They walk down a hallway and stopped at a door with a keycard lock. Veld took his keycard and opened the door, inside was a large room with multiple computer monitors on desks and a sofa and chairs in the back. In between two of the desks was a door leading to another office.

"I'll go advise the president of the situation and get you a new keycard," Veld informed the young Turk. "You stay here with them," he said, motioning to the young boys.

The Turk leader left the room leaving the three inside.

"Take a seat," Tseng directed, pulling two chairs up in front of a well-organized desk. The two boys sat down in the chairs while Tseng took a seat in his chair on the other side of the desk. "What do you know about this gang?" he asked the two boys.

"Not much," Reno replied, not wanting to give away too much information to the suit. "We've done the odd job for our friend who's a member but today was our first time inside their clubhouse and meeting their boss."

"Why do you want to kill him?" Tseng inquired, looking at Reno.

Reno frowned, falling silent for a few seconds as he decided if he should tell the Turk. "He killed my mother," the boy informed him. Reno didn't like to talk to people about what happened to him but for some reason he didn't mind telling this guy. He didn't really know why, maybe because he was feeling bad for stealing from the guy and giving it to the dark eyed man.

"Sorry to hear that," Tseng said, not sure what else to say. He kind of felt bad for the kid even though he took his keycard and made him look like a fool in front of his boss. Regardless, he couldn't let his pity for the kid get in the way, he had a job to do. "Do you know his name?" Tseng asked the boys.

"We were told his name might be Baker," Rude replied, giving Reno a break from answering questions. "Even his own gang members don't know what his real name is. They're told to call him boss."

Tseng smiled at the gang leader's ego and cockiness thinking he could mess with Shinra. "Well kid," Tseng said looking at Reno, "I can't help you kill this guy, but I can assure you, if he messes with Shinra he's as good as dead."

Reno frowned. "Not if I get to him first," the redhead informed the young Turk.

"Listen kid," Tseng said in a stern voice. "Stealing from a Turk can get you killed or put in prison for a long time but given your situation I'm going to be nice and lock you up until I clean up this mess you helped get us into."

Tseng stood up from his desk and motioned to the boys to stand as well. He led them out of the room and down the hall to another room with no door. Inside the room was a Shina security guard sitting on at a desk next to a set of keys hanging on a hook on the wall. Reno and Rude look to their right of the room to see two cells with metal bars.

Tseng cleared his throat causing the guard to startle awake. He stood up quickly putting his hand to his head.

"Yes, sir?" the guard asked.

"Put these two in a cell until I return," Tseng said to the guard, pushing the two kids forward.

"Yes sir!" The guard took the keys from the hook and directed the two towards the cells. He opened the furthest cell from the entrance and put the two boys inside. "Anything else, sir?" the guard asked Tseng as he put the keys back on the hook.

"Actually, yes," Tseng replied looking at the guard sternly. "These two boys are not prisoners so don't treat them as such. This is for their own protection and if you could do me an extra favour?" Tseng asked the guard as he took some gill out of his pocket and handed it to him. "When you're on your break, would you mind bringing back something to eat from the cafeteria?"

"…yes sir..." the guard replied taking the money from Tseng giving him a strange look. He put the money in his pocket and sat back down on his chair.

Tseng quickly looked back at the two boys in the cell and exited the room to go find Veld. As Tseng left the room, he spotted Veld walking down the hallway ahead of him. "So how upset was the president?" Tseng asked as soon as he reached his superior.

"He appeared to be more concerned with the idea of a gang trying to take over the slums than the missing keycard," Veld replied as the two walked back towards their office. "He pays Don Corneo mounds of cash to keep the slums under Shinra's control and he doesn't appear to be doing his job."

"Well this guy must be after the armories," Tseng commented as they walked into their office. "Couldn't we just change the code to the access panels so the keycard won't work?"

"Remember what that minion said down in Sector 2," Veld said, walking towards his office in the back. "They only have one keycard and they plan to hit all three armories." He sat down at his desk checking his computer. "I don't think they need the keycard to get into the buildings."

"What else could the keycard be used for?" Tseng asked as he walked up to his mentor's desk.

"Here," Veld replied, pointing to his computer monitor. "There's a secure storage safe here in the Sector 5 warehouse. It's level A clearance and on a secured network meaning the code cannot be changed on our system, it has to be done manually."

"That must be why they need my keycard," Tseng said, finally realizing their plan. "Only senior executives and Turks have level A clearance."

"We need to get a unit to each of these locations," Veld explained while grabbing an extra gun from his desk. "Call in all available Turks, I want one at each location while we head to Sector 5."

The two men exited the office and head toward the elevator. As they walked, Tseng pulled out the PHS and sent a message to his fellow Turks.

"What's in the storage safe that's so important?" Tseng asked his superior as the elevator door shut.

"Apart from some very powerful weaponry, the Sector 5 location has a dozen highly volatile mako bombs that weapons development created two years ago. Even the smallest bomb can destroy a whole city and the aftereffects can be devastating for years. They are too destructive to use realistically but President Shinra's hunger for power prevented him from dismantling them. In order to store them safely they created a failsafe that can be activated in a control room at the warehouse that will flood the room rendering the bombs useless." As soon as Veld was finished explaining the elevator door opened. The two exited onto the main floor and hurried towards the Sector 5 armory.

The Shinra security guard, Lance, sat in his chair bewildered. Tseng was a rookie but even he should know that they never leave their post when the cells were occupied. But then again, Tseng did say that the prisoners were not regular prisoners and were just in the cell for their own protection. Lance sighed in frustration, it was now break time and he wondered if he should just go to the cafeteria like Tseng suggested or follow protocol. He looked over at the kids who were now sleeping on the bench in the cell.

"What harm could they possibly do if left in a cell for fifteen minutes?" Lance thought to himself. Plus, the Turk did tell him to get the two boys some breakfast. Finally making up his mind, the guard stood up and left the room towards the cafeteria.

As soon as the copper departed, Reno opened one eye and glanced over at the empty seat.

"Rude, it's time to go," he informed his friend while shaking him to see if he was sleeping.

Rude sat up and looked around. "How do you suppose we get out?" he asked his redheaded companion.

Reno smiled. "Those Turks were idiots," he replied as he reached for his lock pick set. "They didn't check our pockets before putting us in here." He pulled out the set and grabbed two picks before walking over to the cell door.

"Always prepared, eh, Reno?" Rude asked with a big smile.

"Well, like I always say, you never know when you're going to be thrown in a prison cell," he commented with a smile as he picked the lock. After a few seconds they both heard a click and the cell door opened. "Common, let's go," he said to Rude as he put the picks back in his pocket.

The two boys exited the holding room and down the hall.

"So where do we go now?" Rude inquired as he followed Reno down the hall.

"First we have to get out of this building and then we have to find out which warehouse this Baker guy is targeting," Reno informed his friend as he pressed the button to the elevator.

As the elevator door opened, Reno and Rude were about to step in but stopped when they noticed a young boy with blond hair standing in the elevator. The boy had to be around their age, maybe a few years older at most. He looked too young to be an employee, but he was well dressed for a kid their age wearing pristine looking designer clothing. He still looked a little sleepy from having just arrived to work to get an early start to his day.

Not sure what to do, Reno and Rude look at themselves nervously and stepped into the elevator. They were both thinking the same thing, hoping this kid was not going to rat them out. Reno pressed the button for the ground floor and the doors closed. There was a few seconds of awkward silence and the unknown boy started to speak.

"Who are you two and why were you on that floor?" the boy asked with a raised eyebrow. The look on his face told them that the he knew something was amiss.

"We're their guests and we were told to go get some food in the cafeteria," Reno informed the blond as his mind raced for an excuse.

"If that's the case, you're going the wrong way," the boy said, his smile growing. "Let me show you," he added as he reached over towards the control panel.

Remembering that the guard was in the cafeteria getting them some food, Rude stopped him. "No wait!" he said, putting his hand out to stop the blond before looking over at his friend. "We should just tell him the truth Reno, he might help us," he explained to his friend. Even though he dressed like a spoiled rich kid, Rude was good at reading people and he had a feeling this kid was not going to rat them out.

The kid looked like he was the son of some wealthy executive and Reno didn't trust him. But he did trust his friend's judgement, so Reno decided to follow Rude's advise and tell the truth.

"Listen," Reno said, closing his eyes in frustration. "We are after the same guy the Turks are after, so they brought us here to make sure we stay out of the way, but I need to get to him first."

"Why?" the blond-haired boy asked, looking at little intrigued.

"I have to kill him," Reno answered.

The blond boy paused for a second thinking. "So, what do you need help with?" he asked the two boys.

"They are hitting three warehouses simultaneously, but we have no way of knowing which one the main target is," Rude replied. He was originally just going to ask for help getting out of the building but figured it wouldn't hurt to ask.

"I might be able to help you, but only if you do something for me," the clean-cut boy explained. He had his finger on the elevator button but refused to press it as he waited for a reply.

"Sure, what?" Rude asked. He couldn't think of anything they could offer this kid, but whatever it was, he figured it couldn't be that bad.

The boy grinned and pressed the button for the 12th floor. "My dad is sending me away tomorrow," he explained to the two boys. "I've been stuck in this building for the past three months, I was supposed to be learning about the inner workings of the business, but I've just been board off my ass. He said I need more structure and supervision." The boy sighed in frustration. "I need to get out of this place and have some fun at least once before I'm shipped off, so I want to go with you."

"What's your name?" Reno asked as the elevator door opened to the 12th floor. He thought this kid was crazy wanting to go help them kill someone. But Reno wasn't going to question it, he knew they were going to need all the help they could get.

"Rufus," the blond boy replied. "What's yours?"

"I'm Rude and this is Reno," Rude introduced them as they stepped off the elevator.

"What are we doing here?" Reno asked, looking around the long hallway.

"I have a computer that should be able to help," Rufus explained to them. "If one of the Turks search any information on their computer, I will know about it."

The two boys followed Rufus down the hallway to the forth door on his left and swiped his keycard to enter the room. On the left side was a computer on a desk with a chair in front of it. In the center of the room was a big screen TV hooked up to a gaming console with a leather reclining chair in front of it. There was also a big gun safe in one right side corner of the room and a punching bag on the left side. Rufus walked over to the computer, sat in the chair and started typing.

"Which Turks were you with?" Rufus asked the two boys.

"One was an older guy with short dark hair and scars on his face," Reno explained as he stood behind Rufus, looking over his shoulder. "The other was a younger guy with dark hair and a mark on his head."

"You're talking about Veld and the new guy," Rufus explained. "I think his name is Sing or something." He started typing on the computer as Reno continued watching. "The last thing Veld searched was information relating to a Shinra warehouse in Sector 5. I have the address right here." Rufus quickly memorized the plans for the warehouse.

"That must be it," Reno said, excited by the prospect of a lead. "Let's go," he directed the others as he was about to walk towards the exit.

"Wait a minute," Rufus stopped the redhead. He stood up and walked over to the gun safe punching some numbers on the keypad. The safe opened and he reached in taking out a shotgun and two handguns. He threw a handgun to Reno and Rude along with an extra clip each. He swung the shotgun over his shoulder and walked over to his computer pressing three buttons causing a secret door to swing open in the back of the room. "Now we can go," Rufus informed them leading the way through the concealed exit.

A speechless Reno and Rude look at each other with utter amazement before quietly following the young blond through the secret egress.

The sector 5 armory looked like a prison from the outside with two sets of chain linked fences both covered in barbed wire along the top. There were enough security cameras to cover every inch of the grounds and an armed vehicle patrolling the outside 24/7.

There were two towers located at the back corners of the warehouse armed with a guard on each tower. Two more guards were stationed at the gate while another guard manned the security camera room.

Jerry was a guard stationed in a booth inside the main gate with his partner Mike. "Tom, Paul, and Terry are late again," Jerry said with yawn. Having been there all night, he was exhausted and eager to get home.

The guards posted at the front gate were on eight hour shifts while the towers and the control booth security personnel were on twelve-hour shifts. As soon as Jerry finished speaking, he noticed three figures in security guard attire walking up to the gate. Jerry recognised Paul who was ahead of the group. The two guards walking behind Paul had their heads down so their faces couldn't be seen.

"Hey, Paul!" Mike called to his colleague, happy to know he was about to go home after a long night. He signaled to the camera to open the first gate, when it opened Paul walked up to the second gate, so they were now face to face. The other two with Paul were much slower and still had not reached the first gate. "Wow, Tom and Terry are slow this morning. What happened to them? Were you guys out partying again last night?"

As the two guards with their heads down entered through the first gate it closed and the second gate began to open. When the two others walk up behind Paul the other guard noticed that Terry and Tom had their eyes covered by their hats.

"What's with them?" He asked Paul. Normally Tom and Terry would have greeted him by now.

"You were right, they partied too hard," Paul explained as he approached the booth. "They have such a bad hang-over the light bothers their eyes."

As the last gate shut behind Tom and Terry they continued to just stand there as Paul, Mike, and Jerry entered the control post in order to sign off on shift change. Once they stepped inside the control room Paul took out his gun and quickly fired at the guard manning the cameras in the back and then quickly turned to shoot Mike and Jerry. They didn't have time to raise their firearms in defence before it was too late.

Paul stepped out the room signalling to 'Tom' and 'Terry', who were gang members in disguise. The building was tall enough so that the men occupying the towers couldn't see the guards in the front of the warehouse. The two men known as Tom and Terry split up and walked around each side of the warehouse and up the tower to take out the remaining men guarding the perimeter. Once all the men guarding the perimeter were neutralized, minus the one in the patrol vehicle, they opened the gates.

Unaware of what was going on inside the fence, the patrol vehicle turned the corner when it suddenly breaked for a young kid. It was the young gang member, Tommy, from the sector 2 train station, who was standing in the middle of the road. The guard in the vehicle leaned out his side window to yell at the kid to move and came face to face with an older, tattooed gang member holding a gun to his head. The gang member shot the guard in the head without hesitation, then opened the door pushing the body over so he could get into the driver's seat and drive the vehicle towards the open gate.

Veld, Tseng, and five Shinra officers arrive at the ally across from the Sector 5 armory just as the gates were opening. Other than the gates opening for the parole vehicle, they don't see anything out of the ordinary. Veld noticed that there were no guards manning the gate and looked down at his watch.

"Its 8:15, the shift change should be over by now," Veld noted.

"Here they come," Tseng said, causing his boss to look down the street. Turning the corner they observed a bus covered in scrap metal followed by a large 18-wheeler truck.

Just as they noticed the vehicles, Veld heard his PHS ring. He answered it and listened to someone on the phone before replying. "Radio over to headquarters and have them send reinforces." He hung up the phone and looked at Tseng. "As expected, they're targeting the other two locations as well," he explained while putting his phone back in his pocket.

"What's the plan?" Tseng asked his superior.

"We have to fight our way in and stop them from reaching the safe," Veld explained to Tseng and the guards. He looked over to see the vehicles drive through the opening and towards the warehouse bay door which was being opened manually by two men. Tseng took out his gun and nodded to his superior. "Let's go," Veld directed and they all rushed towards the warehouse.

Not much time had passed by the time the three young boys reach the same alleyway that Veld and Tseng were standing in moments earlier. They look over to the armory to see an old bus refurbished with scrap metal located in front of the opened gates. They could see over the bus and noticed that the door to the warehouse was open. As far as they could tell, there was no one outside of the building but they could hear gunshots echoing inside.

"Let's go," Rufus said while holding the forend of his pump action shotgun and cocking it with one hand.

The three took off towards the warehouse. They ran up to the bus and peeked their heads around to scope out the situation. The 18-wheeler was backed next to a loading bay with doors wide opened. There was no one outside but the sound of the gunfire inside was intensifying. They ran over to the big rig for cover and to get a better look at what was going on inside. They could see Shinra guards and gang members exchanging gunfire as they ducked behind various objects for cover.

"We should find another way in," Rufus informed the two as he observed the action going on inside. "I think I remember seeing a back door in the plans, let's hope it's unlocked."

Rufus ran away from the truck and around the side of the warehouse. Reno and Rude followed the blond towards the back of the building and stop when they reach the back door. Reno turned the handle and the door clicked open.

"Be careful…" Rude said to Reno as he slowly opened the door and peeked inside.

The door lead into big room separated from the commotion coming from the main part of the warehouse. Inside the room were two men surrounded by racks of guns and smaller weapons like grenades with a closed door in the middle. Two men had their backs to the boys and were busy loading the weapons into large duffel bags. Rufus looked at Rude signalling for him to get out his gun while Reno held the heavy metal door opened. Rude never really liked firearms but knew better than trying to bring fists to a gunfight. Without warning, Rufus barged in with his shotgun held up aiming it at one of the gang members with Rude following suit and aiming his weapon at the other.

"Hands up!" Rufus said as the men turned around to face the young boys.

One of the men probably thought the youths weren't going to shoot because he reached for the gun at his waist side prompting Rufus to shoot him in the head. The man's head exploded leaving a mess on the wall behind him and the man standing next to him. The man looked in shock at the sight of his comrade's head being blow off.

"The head? Was that really necessary?" Reno asked at Rufus. Reno grew up in the slums and although he was no stranger to a gun, he had yet to shoot someone. He always preferred his lighting materia since electricity was his strongest element.

"He was wearing a ballistic vest," Rufus explained, shrugging it off. It was obvious to the two boys that the blond was no stranger to this kind of thing.

Rude looked at the terrified man standing at the end of his barrel. "Get on your knees," he ordered.

The man obeyed getting down on his knees. Rufus walked up the man slowly aiming his gun at his head. Standing behind the man, he hit him over the head with the butt of his shotgun knocking him out instantly.

"Is that better?" Rufus asked the boys who nodded in agreement.

With the room secured, the three of them planned their next move.

Tseng and Veld managed to make their way through the gunfire to the top tier of the warehouse where the safe room was located.

"I haven't seen their leader yet," Veld commented as he scanned the area.

"He could already be in the safe room," Tseng suggested to his mentor. "Where is it?"

"To the right," Veld replied. "You go to the safe room while I from the main control room and try to lock this place down."

Veld was the only one of the two who knew how to activate the security system and the failsafe. No matter what, they couldn't let Baker leave with the mako bombs.

Tseng ran left towards the door located at the end of the walkway. He ran in with his gun drawn and noticed Baker standing next to a big piece of bulletproof glass with a big metal safe behind it. On the bulletproof glass was a keypad and Baker about to reach for the keycard in his pocket when Tseng rushed in.

"Stop what you're doing," Tseng ordered as he walked into the room aiming the gun at the target's head.

Baker slowly raised his hands in compliance and turned around.

Suddenly, Tseng heard movement behind him and noticed something out of the corner of his eye. He quickly turned around, but it was too late. Another gang member fired at Tseng who was quick enough to move out of the way but not quick enough to completely dodge the bullet. It successfully hit Tseng's forearm causing him to drop his weapon.

Tseng quickly uses his fire materia causing a ball of fire to quickly engulf the gang member. This allowed Tseng enough time to reach for his gun and fire at the attacker, shooting him dead.

"Stop!" Baker yelled at Tseng from behind him. Tseng turned around to see Baker aiming a gun at Tseng. "Drop you gun, your materia, and any other weapons you may have," he ordered the young Turk who complied.

Tseng dropped the requested items and raised his hands in compliance. He knew he was cornered, and just hoped Vald was having batter luck with the security system.

Inside the gun room, Reno cracked open the door leading to the main warehouse. He looked outside to see the Shinra guards and gang members still fighting and exchanging gunfire as they took cover throughout the warehouse. To his left he noticed a staircase leading to a floor above.

"I don't see Baker anywhere," Reno said as he looked around. "He must be upstairs."

Reno looked back to see Rude directly behind him looking out the door while Rufus was busy admiring the wall of weaponry. Rufus grabbed a newer looking rifle with a strap off the shelf and threw it over his shoulder. He then started filling his pockets with smoke bombs, ammunition, and grenades.

Reno was eager to find his target and did not have time for looting. He motioned for Rude to follow him, leaving the preoccupied Rufus behind. The two boys exited the room and slowly made their way towards the staircase.

Someone must have been guarding the door because as soon as they exited the room a gang member stepped out from behind a big oil tank with his gun raised, aiming it at Rude. Reno noticed him and dived for Rude trying to push him out of the way. Without saying a word, the man fired and missed Rude but hit Reno in the shoulder. The two boys fell to the ground with Reno landing on Rude.

Reno grabbed his shoulder in pain. Suddenly, Rufus charged through the door with his shotgun loaded and immediately shot the man in the chest, causing him to fall back. Four more gang members noticed Rufus shoot one of their own and proceeded to run over with their guns drawn.

"Reno, you go get Baker while Rude and I guard the stairs," Rufus ordered as he pulled Reno off Rude before the gang members came within firing range. "The room Baker wants is up the stairs to your right," he notified the redhead.

Reno ran up the stairs still holding his inured arm as the gang members opened fire, trying to stop the redhead but he stayed low so the bullets deflected off the railing. Rude and Rufus opened fire on the gang members as they sought cover behind a forklift.

"I need to go with Reno," Rude informed Rufus while he fired at the enemy. "He's been shot, and I have the healing potions and cure materia."

"We need to neutralize these guys first," Rufus explained as he dropped his empty shotgun and reached into his pocket for a grenade. He pulled the pin before throwing it at the gang members who jumped out of the way as soon as it hit the floor next to them. Without skipping a beat, he grabbed the new rifle hanging on his shoulder and opened fire, successfully hitting the remaining two men.

Reno ran right down the walkway holding his shoulder. He found the closed door and could hear voices coming from inside the room. He then heard a gunshot followed by a man yelling.

Reno peeked into the room to see Baker aiming a gun at Tseng who had his hands up in the air. He went to reach for his gun to shoot Baker but realized that Tseng was in his way, plus his arm was too injured to take a steady shot from this distance. He took out his lighting materia and focused on Baker causing a massive bolt of lightning to strike the dark eyed man. Baker screamed in pain as he fell to his knees.

Tseng looked back to see Reno who threw his gun to Tseng. Baker slowly tried to stand up, but Tseng shot him in the thigh causing him to fall back down and grab his leg in pain. Baker's gun fell out of his hand and onto the ground next to him.

"This one's yours," Tseng said as he handed the gun back to Reno.

Reno accepted the weapon from Tseng with his good hand. He walked over and kicked the Baker's gun across the room. As Reno stood over the injured man, he stared down at him with intense hatred and anger.

"Remember me?" Reno asked Baker. The man peered into Reno's eyes and noticed the scars on his face. His eyes widened upon realizing who the kid was. "This is for my mother," Reno said before shooting the man in the forehead, killing him instantly with the force of the gunshot causing the body to lurch backwards.

Reno took a few seconds looking down at the dead man. He then bent down to retrieve the keycard next to the body. Still holding his shoulder, Reno walked over to Tseng and handed him the keycard.

"Sorry about this," Reno said as Tseng accepted the card from the youth.

"It happens," Tseng replied, relieved that this event was almost over. "I need to find Veld," Tseng said as he retrieved his weapons and materia off the floor.

The two walked out of the room and down the walkway. Veld was standing by the top of the staircase.

"I saw everything from the screen in the control room," Veld informed the young Turk. "I would have assisted but I needed to be ready to pull the failsafe should you, well, fail. From what I could see on the cameras, it looks like the gang members are losing the battle downstairs. Did you bring a small army with you?" Veld asked the redhead.

"My friends are down there," Reno replied remembering Rude and Rufus. He ran down the stairs with his gun in hand and the two Turks followed.

The three reached the bottom of the stairs to see the two boys taking cover behind an oil tank. Rude was hitting the enemy with the fire materia and Rufus was shooting at the gang members with the rifle. The materia Rude had was new so it did little damage other than stun the enemy, allowing Rufus enough time to get a few shots in.

"Rufus?" Veld asked, surprised to see the president's son.

Before Veld could say another word, a gang member spotted them and opened fire. The three took cover with Veld and Tseng returning fire. Veld critically hit a gang member causing him to fall to the ground leaving one remaining.

Rude handed Reno a potion but Veld stopped him from using it.

"If he's been shot you have to remove the bullet before you can heal him," he directed the boys then turned his attention back to the blond.

While Tseng peered out from behind the cover and opened fire, Veld addressed Rufus. "What are you doing here?" he asked the boy crossly.

"They needed my help," Rufus said with a bit of a gin. He couldn't help but laugh when his father's employees tried to discipline him.

Veld rolled his eyes. "You know your dad is going to hear about this," he said before opening fire on the final assailant while Tseng reloaded. Veld hit the gang member allowing them to come out from hiding.

"You three stay here while we go see if the coast is clear," Tseng ordered the three boys.

Veld and Tseng ran towards the front of the warehouse to see if any attackers remained. The three boys could hear a few gunshots in the background but it did not last long.

"Did you get him?" Rude asked Reno but the look on his face said it all. Rude smiled, feeling relieved for his friend.

Minutes later, Tseng and Veld returned with their weapons down. Veld was on his phone talking to the other Turks to see how they managed. When Veld put his phone away, he turned to address Tseng.

"They're okay," Veld informed to the young Turk. "Apparently, the other two armories weren't hit as hard as this one. As suspected, this was their main target."

The two Turks and the three boys look at the destruction around them. The warehouse was covered in bullet holes and there were bodies of gang members and Shinra guards on the ground. There were some Shinra guards remaining that were starting to collect bodies.

"Let's get back to the headquarters and get you some medical attention," Tseng said to Reno.

The three boys and two Turks exited the warehouse towards Shinra Headquarters. As soon as they arrived Tseng took Reno and Rude to the infirmary while Veld took Rufus to see his father. The doctor had just finished fixing up Reno when Rude and Tseng entered the room.

"Thanks for taking a bullet for me," Rude said to his friend.

Finally getting his revenge, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off Reno's shoulders. "Well, I did get you into this mess," Reno replied with a smile. "Plus, I would take a bullet over your mother any day knowing what she would do to me if you got hurt." They both laughed then Reno looked over at Tseng who was watching the two. "I have to ask; did you know we were going to find a way out of that cell?" he asked the young man.

Tseng paused for a moment and smiled. "Call it a test," he informed the young boy. He normally didn't smile but there was something about these boys he liked. They were brave, skilled, loyal, resourceful, and they were starting to grow on him. "You know," he said looking at the two boys. "You two would make excellent Turks. If you're interested, I can help you get into the academy in a few years."

"Thanks," Reno and Rude said to the young Turk.

"And in return I'll promise never to lift anything from you again," Reno commented jokingly.

Tseng shook both their hands and left to go write the mountains of paperwork and briefing notes resulting from this incident. He almost forgot the fact that he was in the middle of another job before this even happened, making the last twenty-four house a major setback.

The two boys returned to the slums where they both received a very angry lecture from Rude's mother.

For the record, Reno was almost able keep his promise about not stealing anything from Tseng with one other exception. It was years later after he became a Turk he lifted Tseng's phone which he used to prank text a certain blond female co-worker.