Blackout
There's no room in the world for cowards.
Don't be so weak.
Just pull the damn trigger.
It's kill or be killed.
Kill.
KiIl.
Kill.
" Reno, I'm gonna kill you! "
" I swear, I didn't mean it, 'Lena! "
" That report was due today! "
" Well, I didn't know- Hey, hey! Put the gun away! "
BANG!
" Ha! Missed me! "
" P-please...I h-have a wife a-and two kids back at Junon... "
Blood...it was...everywhere.
" C'mon, Rookie. Just kill the damn moron. "
Red. Everything was red.
" I c-can't... "
" Just do it. Rude's holdin' him down, there's no way you can miss. "
" N-no...h-his family- "
" Man, you're stubborn...fine, then, gimme the gun. "
" W-what? "
" Do I have to spell it out for you? I'll kill him. "
He talked like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like death was a part of everyday life. It terrified her to think about what this man was capable of. There wasn't a single hint of remorse in his voice. He fought like he wanted to die; recklessly throwing himself into battle the first chance he got. What exactly was he?
She was so deep in thought, she hadn't realized that he had already taken the gun from her limp hand, until...
BANG!
" It was one shot, you idiot! He was gonna die anyway. "
Death wasn't as unfamiliar to her as it looked to him. But the deaths she's seen weren't bloody at all. Cancer. Old age. This particular demise had more impact to her than any other. The sad part was...she was just about to pull the trigger. Just to get it over with. Of course, she had Reno's impatience to thank. If he hadn't grabbed the gun, she would've shut her eyes, and fired. She would have branded herself a murderer.
" We're leavin'. You can stand there in the rain all night for all I care. "
Reno stole a glance at her. She was staring blankly at the dead man's body, practically melting away with guilt. He knew she was going to break down like this. He knew they shouldn't have taken her with them. He knew she couldn't take it. All that blood, all those deaths, right before her eyes. And all by his hand, too. Rude was merely a spectator, watching quietly until he was actually needed.
Stepping over the bloody corpse, he made his way to her. Sighing loudly, he knelt down, took her hand into his, and deposited the handgun into her palm.
" Give it back to Tseng. You won't need it. "
Elena shook her head.
" Man, you're stubborn. " He motioned for his partner to leave without them. Rude nodded, and left. " C'mon, you'll catch a cold. "
He made a move to get up, but she held on to his sleeve, and as easily as it would've been for him to pull away and get on with his life, he couldn't bring himself to do so. It was the first time he's heard from his conscience in years.
" Why did you do it? " Her voice was angry. Accusing. Like he had done something so inhuman that the ground might as well swallow him up, and send him plummeting to the depths of hell. He laughed a hollow laugh.
" It's all part of the job. " The job. It was his answer to everything. It was the only thing that mattered. Every guy who wanted beer had to make a living, after all.
" It's cruel of you, you know. Just talking about people's lives like they don't matter. "
" People like him don't do the world any favors by staying alive. "
Elena clenched a hand over the gun Tseng had presented her earlier that day. Why was she so stupid as to even think of joining the Turks? Oh, right. It was all because of her perfect older sister. Always showing her up. Always being the better kid. She never had to try-- even if she screwed everything up. their parents would always favor her. And it was all because of a despicable thing called love.
Elena got up, slowly, gingerly, ignoring the hand Reno had half-heartedly offered her.
Reno, on the other hand, couldn't remember the last time he felt sorry for ending somebody's life. It was just another criminal with the death penalty. He was simply the executioner. He didn't care. He knew he didn't. Then, why was it, that those accusatory words that came pouring out of her mouth ripped at him more than any blade, any bullet, ever had? Nevertheless, something had to be done. He had to be killed.
That was the job. It was their mission as Turks to erase every obstacle, every nuisance, that stood in Shinra's path. They would fulfill their task without objection. Without emotion. Without remorse. That was what being a Turk meant. That was who they are.
But it wasn't who they wanted to be.
It was a funny thing, death.
Most fear it.
Some crave it.
Regardless of whether we want it or not, it'll have to happen. Maybe in years, maybe in days. It could come for us tomorrow, or the day after that. Nobody knows why, or how, or, more importantly, when.
But it'll happen.
Someday.
Someday...
We'd all fall dead.
A/N: I'm not sure whether to turn this into a multi-chapter story or not; I think it stands pretty well on its own. If it's liked well enough, maybe I just might make it a little bit longer...
Anyway, just leave a review, it it's not too much of a waste of time. If you wish to flame me, go right ahead. (I'm fireproof, baby! )