Initial Operation

This story is an Elena point of view. It's a two part story. More or less about what could have happened if the whole meteor ordeal had never happened. So you could call it an alternative timeline instead of an alternative universe since I'm still using the characters as they are in the game. It's Elena's first day as a Turk after six weeks off training. And I'm gonna stop rambling now, I'll turn into Elena at this rate. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: They aren't mine. None of them. Elena, Reno, Rude and Tseng and anyone else who appears belong to Squaresoft.

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Chapter 1

The suit was so god damn itchy. The tie felt like it was cutting off circulation, though I was pretty sure I hadn't tied it right. The boots felt too small and had heals. Did they really expected me to run around in heals? I sighed having another attempt at fixing the tie.

I'd never worn a suit in my entire life. Why would I? Being a girl and all.

I got all flustered at the stupid piece of black silk and ended up tying it in a knot. Looking at the reflection in the mirror, I made a face at myself and undid the tie, shoving it in my pocket. What's with the tie anyway? Wouldn't it give people a chance to strangle you when you're back was turned?

I stared at the pair of black sunglasses I'd left on the table. Picking them up I put them on, looking back in the mirror. My face scrunched up even more than before.

"Yeah Elena, the sunglasses so suit you." I took them back off, pocketing them with the tie. A few minutes later, I found myself staring at my reflection again. You know when you have one of them days, when you just look like shit. I was having one of them. I splashed my face with some water, patting it dry with my fluffy white towel. I looked again, still didn't look any different. Maybe if I put make up on..........

God Elena. What are you thinking girl?

I didn't need to impress them.

I never wore make up. Make up was for the tramps in sector six. That's what my mother always told me.

I brushed the imaginary dust off the blue fabric of my jacket. A final look in the mirror told me I wasn't going to look any better than I did an hour before. Since when was I so bothered about how I looked? I wiped the corners of my eyes, while I fished my keys out of the fruit bowl I always had next to the door. So much easier to find them that way, although I didn't always remember to put them back there when I walked in.

I decided to walk to the Shinra building. It wasn't that far from my apartment building, around ten minutes. It would probably take just as long in the car, with the amount of traffic that tried to get to the tower at the same time every morning.

It was a typical January morning in Midgar. More or less the freezing your balls off temperature. Good job I didn't have balls to speak off.

The wind blew past my face, causing me to try and wrap my jacket around myself more. Funny how much of an automatic reaction that really is. Yes I'm rambling to myself. I get like this when I'm walking, it doesn't exactly take the whole of my brain function to walk, though sometimes I wonder. Being engrossed in my own thoughts about stupid little things like that was my specialty.

I was knocked out of my thoughts, when I heard someone shout just up ahead of me.

"Rude, you dumbassed twat! I don't always do that."

Reno. Just great. Great, great, great, great, great. I looked up to see Reno give Rude a little push. Rude retaliated with his own, which was a hell of a lot strong than Reno's. The said red head flew smack into the wall of a building and slid down it. I can't begin to image what Reno had done to deserve that.

"Egotistic shithead!" Reno shouted. I guess he was in a foul mood this morning.

I stopped walking and waited while Reno had decided to get up and follow the bald man. I didn't want to run into him. Reno saw me as the 'stupid rookie Turk in training that couldn't find her way out of a paper bag'.

Just as I suspected when I got out of bed this morning, god didn't want anything good to happen to me today. I saw Reno's eyes travel towards me. I quickly put my head down and started to walk towards the tower, which meant I had to walk past the narcissistic bastard. I could feel him grinning at me as I got nearer.

"Well if it isn't our lovely rookie?" I heard him say as I started to walk past him. I decided not to give him any ammo to throw at me.

"Morning Reno." I mumbled as I left him behind me, speeding up a little bit so he'd get the hint and not start with his little taunts. Too bad this just made him more determined.

"Found your way outta that paper bag yet?" See? I can never get enough of the wanker. I found myself smirking as he caught up with me.

"Yeah." I turned to look at him. "I've also found my way outta a plastic and cloth bag as well. Although the cloth bag was a little harder, I think I handled it well." The retort was worth it to see the gob smacked look on Reno's face, even though he did recover a second later. His face changed into a smirk.

"There may be hope for you yet rookie." For once I had another come back.

"I'm glad you approve, because I don't think I could sleep at night if you didn't" I said overdramatically. Reno chuckled. I swear, if the man shut up once in a while, he might actually be tolerable. But I'm really not that lucky.

"Don't blame you. Who could sleep with me around anyway?" I watched him chuckle again. I decided not to inflate his ego, so just looked at him with a bored stare. Inside, I just wanted to yell, 'You womanizing sadistic bastard!' It was only eight in the morning, I had to put up with him till six tonight. Ten hours of torture. No surprise that Reno's the one most likely to have interrogation duty.

I noticed that the Shinra Tower was directly in front of us now.

"What did Rude say to you to make you shout like that?" I decided to ask him. I'm always up for a good bit of gossip. Reno waved his hand a little.

"Nothing worth knowing about." Oh well I'd have to try extra hard on getting it out of Rude. Just hope the big guy snaps under pressure.

I found it weird that after just over six weeks of training, I knew the three existing Turks like I'd known them for years. Or at least I knew the act they put on at least. Reno, the womanising bastard who just liked to annoy the hell out of anyone. Rude, the one who said next to nothing, but you still knew what he was thinking most of the time. And Tseng, the collected one who could be intimidating, despite being the smallest. Well not including me of course, I mean I'm only five foot four, Tseng had a good five inches on me.

During all this thinking I was doing, I noticed I'd ended up in the elevator, Reno looking at me. I stared back.

"What?" Was the only sensible thing I could come out with. He smirked

"Where's the tie?" My hand went unconsciously to my pocket, pulling it out. I dangled it out in front of him. "You can't do ties, right?" The smirk still graced his face. I shook my head slightly, like I was acting as some kind of robot. I watched as he took the piece of silk from me and hung it around his neck. He tied the knot loosely then brought it back over his head and handed it back to me. "Just tighten it." I must have given him a strange look because he smirked even more. "What? Just because I don't wear a tie, doesn't mean I can't do them." I took it slowly out of his hand and did as he told me. I looked down at it for a moment. Now why can't I do that?

I could shoot a gun. I could kill someone in two seconds flat, but I couldn't do a tie.

I couldn't cook either, but that's a totally different subject.

The elevator went bing and the doors slid open. I watched as Reno walked out, then turned back to look at me.

"Well? You comin' or not rookie?" I cocked my head at him.

I wonder how fast I can take his nightstick and shove it up his ass?

"Comin' you self-centred wanker." I mumbled. I don't think he heard me, but then again he wasn't meant to. By this time Reno had disappeared into the office. My brain then came to it's senses and told the part that makes me move to walk inside the office, because I wasn't going to get any work done stood here. I've got to admit, I think the brain was right for a change. Although it's this same brain that makes me look ditzy at the dumbest of times. Like the time someone said to me 'Looks like someone's banana is generous in size, if you know what I mean.' and I came out with 'Why would he have a banana down his trousers?'

Why did I have a feeling the ditzy part of my brain was going to be working in overdrive today?

I realised I was still stood in the corridor. Defiantly one of those days. Maybe I should just crawl back into bed right now? I walked steadily to the office door and stood in it's doorway. I had no idea what I was expecting, but this certainly wasn't it. I wouldn't really call it an office, more like a staff room. It had a television, two sofas and above all else a pool table.

I raised an eye brow. What was I thinking anyway? Was I expecting it to be an actual office with desks and what not? Then it came to mind that Heidegger did actually do some work. After all, he is their - our boss. And I thought Shinra Ex's did nothing all day but sit there and look pretty.

"Elena." Someone greeted me. I noticed Tseng was stood straight in front of me. I decided to smile, not wanting the ditzy part of my brain to answer for me. Reno and Rude were at the other side of the room.

"Rude! Damn it! I only want to shine your head!" I blinked. Reno had a yellow cloth in his hand and was trying desperately to reach Rude's head. Rude kept swatting him away. After a while Rude obviously got fed up and punched Reno in the face. Though to Reno's credit, the red head didn't fall down. I blinked again and looked at Tseng.

"Please tell me he's not always this bad." I asked in a desperate plea. Tseng smirked slightly and shook his head.

"This is just Reno on a Monday morning. It'll fade in a couple of hours. Once I give him the news."

"News? What news?" Reno perked up.

"That we have a mission." Reno started jumping up and down like a kid who had just been given candy. I had to laugh a little, even though I knew it would only encourage him. He fell to his knees in front of Tseng.

"Please Daddy! Can I go and kick some ass?" Reno had now adapted the kid's voice to go with the pouting, holding the yellow cloth like a security blanket. Even Tseng chuckled at this.

"Yes Reno. You can go and kick some ass." He said, the smile still on his face.

"So what's the mission?" I asked, wanting to sound eager to start.

"I'll inform you just before we go. Just meet downstairs at 1400 hours." Tseng stated. My ditzy brain chose then to reveal itself.

"What's 1400 hours?" Yep, I deserved a kick up the ass for that. Bad brain, no candy for you later.

"Two PM Elena." Rude answered from the other side of the room. As if I wasn't embarrassed enough, I chose that moment to blush like crazy.

"Yeah. Right. Sure." I mumbled, sitting down on the worn leather sofa.

I would do anything for the ground to swallow me up right now.

And it was only half past eight. Just great.

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The second and final part coming real soon!