It's been… fifty-one years, hasn't it? Maybe a little longer. It's hard to tell anymore, the days have been passing by for you. You rub your face and stare out the window, looking to the city beneath. The world has changed so much. Thirty years asleep, twenty years with Cloud and the others, and one year since… Since you've gotten everything together. One year sober, if you can call it that. No blacking out, no nightmares. Nothing. The world seems a lot clearer to you. The screaming and growls in your mind are calming back noise, if only because they aren't there. How do you… adjust to this newfound silence you've acquired? You don't know, but you've been managing.
With the silence, you've discovered how really tired you are. How your bones seem to ache, how every movement is just a stretch of fatigue. You've realized how absolutely exhausted you clearly are. And one year of taking it easy, of helping others out, just isn't enough of a break for you, but you're too tired to rest. You already did thirty years of it; you can't take anymore.
When your phone rings, it's usually Cloud, but today it's someone different: Reno. He's on your phone, and he's asking for a new favour. He's older but still young and naïve in his own way. You decide to go seem him because why not? Fresh air couldn't hurt anyone, right? You still don't drive, even though you can. You prefer to run, to jump, to feel the wind against your cheeks and under your cape. Travelling by flight has always been your preferred method, even if no one understands how you do it. It's not really for their understanding. Or their benefit, is it…
You drop down in front of the ShinRa building and scare a couple of associates who are just entering. You mutter a small apology, low and gravelly, and they stutter out that it's unnecessary. You let out a 'Hm' and proceed inside. It's a little funny, you admit, even if it doesn't show on your face. But if it did, who would see it? Your collar goes up to your nose.
Reno greets you on the fifteenth floor and gives you the entire song and dance of your mission. It's an escort mission with Tseng and Elena as the carriers. You look over Reno as he talks. He's still very languid and nonchalant with the way he talks and generally approaches his job. This year, he changed his hairstyle and lopped off that long ponytail that had long since grown past his waist. Too bad. It really suited him.
He hands you the documents to read, and you can tell this time he's watching you. He starts with "Vincent" and trails off, waiting for you to look up. You do—you glance and then look down to your papers, giving a small "Mm?" in response.
"What have you been doing with yourself?" he asks. "You know, you can always come work for us," he jokes, but you're not entirely sure how much of it is a joke.
You let a sheet fall back onto the stack in your hand before handing it back over to him. "I don't do many things, but I idle my time rather well." When he takes it from you, he watches you with a steady eye, so you add, "and I'd much rather not trouble the dust in this place."
"Why not?" he asks with a small laugh, dropping the papers onto his desk behind him. "We could always use a veteran like you."
And you let it trouble your mind for a little bit. You stand there and think for a few brief seconds what a Turk like would be like these days, but then you shake your head casually.
"I'll pass."
"Suit yourself," Reno replies, shrugging up both shoulders with his arms crossed in front of himself. "But my door's always open. I can get you in with the big guy."
"You mean Rufus," you note, staring at him flatly and a slight tip of your head to the left.
He laughs. "Oh, right. You have connections."
"Something like that."
The light banter is welcomed, and it doesn't strain you to participate. You're thankful Reno has some sort of idiot savant charm when it comes to conversation. Not that he's an idiot. Completely, anyway. He has his lacking moments.
"Where's Rude?" you find yourself asking.
"Oh, you know," Reno sighs, tipping his head back. "Being a great employee and doing work."
"And what are you doing?"
"Well, I am doing work, but there's a difference between him and I." He points forward, nowhere in particular. " He's doing a seminar." Then he points to himself. "And I'm doing a briefing. Between the two, I'm doing the least amount of work, and that's all a guy can ask for."
"Hm. Efficient," you joke.
"Surprisingly," Reno adds with a grin.
From his tone, you think he caught your gist. Or at least you hope so. Just because you found some sort of placidity doesn't exactly mean you've become a social grace over the years. Of which you're thankful, but at the same time, you wish it had gotten… a little easier. Still, this is fine enough.
While he gets you reacquainted with Tseng and Elena and the object that will be carried, you can't help but ask for some sort of information about it. It's not that you think there will be another remnant incident; you just want to make sure this isn't a priceless artifact, or better yet, something that should be left well enough alone.
"You're right to be suspicious," Tseng addresses, reopening the container for you to examine. "You'll find that this is regular materia."
"And if it isn't, we'll just throw it back," Reno adds from his position against the wall.
"Or," Elena begins, turning her head to stare solidly at Reno, "we'll put it to rest in the Lifestream."
Reno tilts his head and sighs out, "Same thing."
When you're placated by your discovery, you let it go and decide to carry on with the mission. You're on alert just in case, but overall, you think everything will be fine. And, aside from the occasional encounter, it is. You have to keep your distance and make sure no one sees you, but you can tell from your shadowy state, that everything is going as planned. Still, you leave room in your mind for error.
And as the wind kisses your cheeks and ruffles your hair, you have time to think on the state of things. How you went from a Turk working within ShinRa, to being tortured and maimed by a scientist of ShinRa, to an enemy of ShinRa, and now back to… being somewhat of an associate. It's strange how things worked out, isn't it. Hm, you think so. And now that your mind is back to being your own, you have a lot to think about. It's as though all your thoughts are catching up with you.
When you reach the drop off point, you ask, "Is everything going to be okay?"
"We should be fine," Elena assures, nodding her head.
"The Doctor isn't here right now," Tseng says to her and then looks to you. "Do you have to stay with us or?"
"The contract stated reassurance, so I suppose I do."
"Fair enough." He begins walking towards you, opening his blazer and reaching inside. "I suppose I can pay you ha—"
There's a roar on the other side of the wall, further down in the facility. Someone's panicky screams come close to the frosted window but never made it to you. Tseng turns around; Elena drags the box closer. The roar turns into a shrill, dragonlike scream. And you all wait. The building starts to rumble, and you usher the two Turks outside. "We have to plan," you say just as a fire erupts and blows up the Western wing.
Twenty years of silence and peace with no threatening destruction like this. Well, it's about time there's something exciting. Don't you think?