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Ruins of Midgar, 7:09 PM
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It was late at dawn, the dim crimson sunlight only enough to animate elongated shadows as it met several derelict constructs all around the forsaken sectors. Only a residual breeze would try to whisper a nostalgic tale.
Thump, thump, thump
Ηeavy boots quickly stamping the ground were suddenly trespassing the two year still silence.
Thump, thump, clank
Metallic sounds of wielded guns were increasingly pouring throughout the old sector 8.
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Outside Midgar Ruins, 7:13 PM
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"Sir, we're closing in on the target."
A filtered voice came from the specially designed earpiece.
The recipient of the message cracked a small mischievous smirk, as if he had been waiting for this very moment.
"Awaiting orders."
The receiver's static sound stopped, the message had ended.
The man took his time answering back, lazily inclining his head to the left, the side the transmitter was.
"How's visibility down there?"
He finally spoke in a laid back voice, lowering his chin in wait of an eventual reply.
"Sir. We can probably make a 50m radius reconnaissance in the immediate vicinity."
The light exhilaration disappeared from the man's lips.
"Nope. That's not good at all..."
He paused shortly, his eye rolling to its corner as he became aware of a presence standing in the shadows behind him.
"You guys won't even see that scythe coming at you from a mere 50m distance."
"Go—h..!"
The soldier's amateur reaction was quite audible through the receiver, fully conveying a growing uneasiness to his superior.
"Reno-san.. Are you sure this is—"
"Oi oi! Relax!"
The red haired man scolded,
"Just switch on the heat sensor in your goggles already. Set it to a three layer scanning zone. That should make up for the lack of visibility."
"A-Ah! Understood!"
The shinra soldier sounded quite more relieved than before.
"Any other orders, sir?"
The Turk fell silent for a moment, his eyes narrowing to a glare as he prepared the final instructions.
"Proceed with fucking caution."
He emphasized in a more serious tone and finally removed the earpiece, tossing it on the nearby seat.
"Haah..."
Reno let out a deep frustrated sigh, as if he had just finished a rookie's training,
"You know what..?"
He began, extending eye contact far to the stoic figure patiently waiting in the dark.
"I don't have a good feeling about this mission. Even you look nervous, Rude."
The silent Turk finally emerged from the shadows.
"It's a dangerous target."
The taciturn man remarked,
"Dangerous my ass."
Reno chilled back at his seat, immersing in an unusually edgy mood.
"168 shinra soldiers, Rude.. Do you realize how much that target has cost us so far?"
His partner just turned his head the other way, seconds passing as he opted to not elaborate with an answer.
"Say, Reno..."
He reluctantly began,
"Don't you think the boss should..?"
With the corner of his eye Reno allowed a peculiar glance over his shoulder, only to meet Rude fixing his tie, almost uncomfortably.
"Of course not, idiot!"
He tried to sound as cool and reassuring as he could,
"If we finish this tonight, the president won't even need to learn about this.. well..."
"Mess?"
Rude added, quite accurately, to Reno's dismay.
"You really piss me off sometimes, man.."
Reno muttered, placing a hand on his forehead to wipe the subtle sweat.
"We finally tracked the target down. They even got her cornered in sector 8 with the heat detectors. There's no way—"
"I'm not sure about that.."
Rude interrupted, believing that Reno was conveniently running the best case scenario.
"It's true that we did track the target down, but..."
A sulky groan escaped Reno's mouth as Rude had fallen dead silent all of a sudden.
"We ain't got all day you know."
He prompted him to continue,
"That ability..."
Not even the dark shades could hide the deep concern possessing Rude's eyes. For the reserved Turk to openly express such caution, whatever he was thinking of was undoubtedly troublesome.
"That's so unlike you, Rude..."
Reno's quiet words were almost rebuking his partner's uncertainty.
"We're President Shinra's most trusted!"
He growled at Rude, who almost flinched by this sudden fit.
"Carrying out this mission has nothing to do with winning or losing."
Reno paused for a second to make sure he had his partner's undivided attention,
"You know why we gotta do this, right?"
He asked, smirking knowingly at Rude.
"Hmph!"
The stern Turk scoffed a smile right back at him.
"Because... It's our job."
The smirk climbed further on Reno's lips.
The two just kept silent, staring at each other cockily, yet subtly approving of each other's conviction.
"Guaaah!"
Their eyes flew open as the silence was torn apart.
An agonizing scream suddenly flew out of Reno's distant earpiece.
In the blink of an eye he rotated his seat and reached for the transmitter.
"What's wrong!?"
As seconds went by without response the Turk's concern was getting the better of him.
His ear could only grasp the heavy gunfire in the background.
"Oi! I said what's w—"
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"Kuhuhuh... Shinra swines..."
A woman's apathetic chuckle, bathed in her bottomless resentment.
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Reno's heart skipped a beat, his eyes dead pale.
"Reno.."
Rude approached Reno and placed a hand on his shoulder, his eyes forming a ready glare behind the shades.
It was not long before Reno's eyes turned back to normal as he snapped out of her ominous words.
"Rude, get ready!"
Rude watched as his partner tossed the earpiece on the floor and initiated several switches on the panel in front of him.
It was not long before Rude could hear the rotors starting up.
Then he knew.
With a burst of speed he dashed to the back of the helicopter, straight to the trunk.
Reno gazed over his shoulder rather impatiently.
"Are you ready partner?"
He saw Rude raising his thumb, an assuring smirk on his lips.
The professional Turk was already standing at the helicopter's door holding a shinra modified rocket launcher.
As if to muster his own confidence, Reno clenched his teeth as they took off, heading straight to sector 8.
"We're taking down that bitch!"
~TBC