AWAKEN
Chapter 1 – Lucky one
*Pairing: Reno/Tifa, Reno/Elena, Tseng/Rhodes, Tseng/Elena, Rude/Cyr
*Rating: T
*Disclaimer: I do not claim to own any of the characters from all FFVII films, RPG's etc. I claim no hold over characters and locations.
*Summery: A new eco-warrior faction? The Turks are briefed on their new assignment and Reno is less then happy on his target!
* EDGE * SHINRA HQ * FLOOR 54 * CONFERENCE ROOM C
* 17th July 1998 * 08:31 *
Tseng handed the brief around talking as he paced around the table "Tara Rayne..." he placed each folder down with a small smack on the table as the plastic cover hit the highly polished table top "... Leader of new terrorist faction going by the name of INCENDIA TEMPESTAS aka-"
"FIRE STORM?" Reno interrupted scrunching up his nose and glancing over his shoulder to Tseng who slapped Reno's copy of the file onto the table in front of him, Rude gave Reno a questioning look "Latin" Reno said quietly as an explanation
"Indeed..." Tseng continued, walking back to his place at the head of the table "...Information on this faction can be found on pages 3 to 5, I'm afraid the information we have found on this group is limited as they have only presented themselves to us recently" he cleared his throat and placed the palms of his hands down on the table "Tara Rayne is kicking up quiet a fuss, said to be the next Cloud Strife."
"Without the stupid haircut" Elena pointed out glancing at the unflattering mug shot on the top the Miss Rayne's biography Reno smiled at the remark and glanced back though the file. Tseng ignored the remark and carried on with his brief
"There have been rumours of a merge between AVALANCHE members and 'FIRE STORM', sharing information et cetera." Tseng's gaze narrowed, looking at Rude, Elena and Reno "Your job is to track them and survey the targets we suspect maybe of importance" he lowered himself into his chair and looked at his subordinates "Each one of you will be assigned a target, including myself, a 'hot' location. In your file there is information about each of the suspected collaborators and details regarding your location." Tseng turn his glance to Elena "Elena."
"Sir" she responded
"Midgar, Sector 1, Gym. Information on this is listed on pages 8 to 14, including schematics. Pages 15 to 29 included detailed biographies about each of the key suspects spotted at this location." Tseng slid an envelope across the table toward Elena "enclosed is a full gym membership"
"And what's that supposed to mean!" Elena quipped with an annoyed expression, Reno and Rude both exchanged a look and Reno smiled ever so slightly
"Elena!" Tseng scolded before turning to look at Rude "Rude" he diverted his gaze from Reno who was balancing on two legs of his chair and rocking backwards and forwards "Pages 8 to 21 list details about Midgar, The Edge, New-Mart, Bar... Pages 22 to 30 include details of some major players spotted at this location" Rude nodded in understanding and started flicking through the information package, Tseng turned his attention to his second in command who was now dare delving on one leg alone and swinging to stay in balance "RENO!" Tseng broke his concentration nearly knocking him right back, luckily the red head grasped the edge of the table frantically pulling himself back onto four legs, crushing his ribs against the table in process, Reno made an odd 'ergh' sound as the air left his lungs, pushing himself back into a reasonable position to looked up at Tseng with a cheeky smile. Rosalind and Cyr bit their lips trying not to laugh at Tseng's expression.
"Sir?" he asked, Rude shook his in disapproval and Elena cringed back a giggle.
"Reno. Your location, Midgar Outskirts, Edge, Seventh Heaven pages 8 to-"
"Hold on one second! Seventh Heaven?! As in Tifa Lockhart?"
"Problem?" Tseng asked giving a stern look towards Reno
"If you recall I dropped Sector 7 plate on that bar, or that whole sector... I think it may hinder my progress there"
"I know your background, and after some careful consideration I stick to my first judgement-"
"Are you insa'y-" Tseng's fists pounded on the table
"I wound NOT finish that sentence Reno! If you have a problem and want to question my judgements then take it up with Rufus and take any consequences when this all blows up in your face! Otherwise shut up and do your job"
"Yes sir" Reno replied
* UPPER MIDGAR * SHINRA HQ * FLOOR 55 * LOCKER ROOM *
* 17th July 1998 * 08:57 *
Reno lent against his locker, flicking through the folder aimlessly, his thumb running along the bleached pages of the thick wad of paper. His thumb almost caught on one of the pages, he stopped and looked at it with a small sigh, Tifa Lockhart he thought studying the page How am I supposed to just waltz into the bar ?!'Ergh sorry I squashed your friends and everything you loved with a oversized metal pizza! But ,eh, how about a drink ay?' Reno let his head audibly hit his locker, Rude and Tseng looked around in unison.
Rude was polishing his sunglasses on his jacket watching his partner look frazzled, he replaced his sunglasses before closing his locker and walking towards the gym area "I'll get Elena" he said as some sort of an explanation. Tseng waited for Rude to get out of earshot before crouching down in front of Reno.
"This isn't going to be a problem is it?"
"Huh?" Reno had his forehead rested on his knees, he looked up from his slumped pose making eye contact with Tseng. "I'm supposed to be staking out this place, y'know, I destroyed there lives… I just trying to figure out how the hell this is gonna work" Tseng raised an eyebrow.
"Reno, how long have we known each other?" Tseng said levelling with his next-in-line. Reno screwed up his face
"Years" Reno answered not sure where this was going
"Hmm… No matter which Turk went to Seventh Heaven would have had a hella time getting any information out of them" a half smile spread across Tseng's lips "Out of any one of us, myself included, I can't think of anyone who could do the impossible other than the Reno" Reno started laughing
"Get outa my ass!" he replied jokingly, Tseng smiled and just shrugged standing up and extended a hand to aid Reno, he took it and bounced onto his feet. Tseng broke the grip and moved back to his locker just as Rude and Elena entered.
Elena was wearing a black sweat suit with a black thick hair band, her blonde hair wasn't in its normal smoothed and sleek style but instead it was messy and wild. "Don't tire yourself before you get to sector 1" Tseng scolded.
"Hey! You're underestimating my stamina!" Elena squeaked
"You really are" Reno gave a cheeky wink to Elena who giggled. Rude and Tseng rolled their eyes. The other Turk's knew that Reno and Elena's relationship was now just friendship. About once every few months on a division night out they'd both get plastered, sing 'we are the champions' and stumble 'home' together ;The next day they'd be completely normal, just friends.
* EDGE * SEVENTH HEAVEN * MAIN BAR *
* 17th July 1998 * 12:02 *
Tifa contently polished the glasses with an un-starched tea towel; she gazed down looking at nothing in particular. Lunch time was always quiet; recently the number of unemployed residents had been on the decrease since Shinra needed cheap workers to do building work at the Edge. Still there was her usual few who'd still come in at opening and leave at closing. Jimmy was one of them.
Jimmy was at least in his 60's, he'd been in sector 7 working the day the plate fell. He was one of the lucky ones. He only lost a leg, his wife, his daughter and grandchildren. He was one of the lucky ones. He'd come in at 10:30. Leave at last call. He barely talked to anyone, only spoke to Tifa on the odd occasion of when he was requesting his usual cheap ale.
Jimmy sat at the end of the bar and a couple of other's were sparsely seated around. Just the normal crowd. Tifa placed down the gleaming glass and picked up another to start work on when she saw the bar door swing open. The made a gleaming silhouette. Even with the intense sunlight she could tell who it was. The glass slipped though her fingers and hit the hard floor making a cringe worthy 'Smash!'.
* EDGE * NEW MART * ENTERANCE *
*17th July 1998 * 11.23 *
Tseng walked with Rude to New Mart. Tseng seemed stressed, it wasn't unusual, Rude suspected it was Rufus putting unnecessary pressure on the poor guy, Rude also didn't think Tseng appreciated the quip about Elena's stamina earlier that day.
The Turks always stuck together, obviously there was a chain of command but they were all friends; Turks didn't allow their personal qualms with each get in the way of business. Everyone knew that Elena had a crush on Tseng. Everyone knew her and Reno were prone to a roll in the hay, figuratively speaking. Rude knew nearly every female that had joined the Turks had at some point or another fallen straight into Reno's welcoming lap. Rude knew this drove Tseng mad and that he was secretly jealous of Reno's charming quirkiness that seemed to drive the most prudish of girls into his bed, But despite all this the Turks worked like a well oiled machine
Rude and Tseng had been walking in silence for the last 30 minutes when Tseng's PHS broke the silence.
"Yes?" Tseng nodded to himself "Good. Lets keep contact to a minimum from this point forward. I'll contact you at 1400." Tseng rolled his eyes "Yes Elena… Right." Tseng closed the mouth piece and placed it back in his jacket glancing at Rude. "She's in place"
* EDGE * SEVENTH HEAVEN * MAIN BAR *
* 17th July 1998 * 12:02 *
Tseng had called Reno over half an hour telling him everyone was in place. Elena was the lucky one, she had a couple of days a week staking out her Gym, working out, making idle chit chat with the clients. Rude would just keep a low profile, well as low profile as a huge South American Turk could manage, he'd sit in the corner of the bar looking miserable and just keep that up a few days a week, other days he'd walk around New-Mart, maybe use the gym etc. and no-one would care, the Turks were always seen around the sectors. Reno knew that his job was the hard one, what's his excuse for being at seventh heaven?! Granted his apartment was one in the new Shinra owned building a couple of streets away, but it didn't mean he'd sit in an AVALANCHE pub. There was a pub at the base of his building. How was he meant to confront Tifa Lockhart and try and make small talk?
Taking a deep breath he walked forward, feeling very uneasy but keeping his hard and collected composure. If he was going to do this he couldn't try and keep a low profile, that would be too suspicious, he was Reno, of the Turk's, he never did anything by half. He walked forward, straight through the wooden doors with confidence, he scanned the room, as his eyes met with the bar hostess he heard a 'Smash!'