The sound of panting breath and stumbling footsteps were the only sounds to be heard as two figures ran through the back alleys of the city. The taller one stopped, his limp going from bad to worse. The smaller one, a skinny redhead, panted for breath as he sank to his knees. "Did we lose 'em, yo?" The taller one adjusted his sunglasses, the only thing on him that wasn't splattered with blood. "I don't know. I think we can rest for now, though." The lanky redhead nodded, leaning back against the grungy alley wall, glancing over as his partner sat down beside him. "I think we finally met our match, Reno."

Reno scoffed, slightly elbowing his partner. "What are you talkin' about? We're Turks. We always get out of tough scrapes." Rude sighed, not looking at the redhead. "Maybe not this time. Face it. We're outnumbered, without connections, and injured. It's not rocket science." Reno growled. "Will you stop talkin' like we're gonna die! We're gonna be fine." Rude shot him a skeptical look. "Oh? Then move your arm." The redhead looked down at the mangled flesh that used to obey him. "Alright, I'll give ya that one. But there's no way a couple of thugs are gonna take down Shinra's best Turks. Stop being so negative, yo."

Silence fell over them for a while. The shouts of the enemy echoed in the distance as a light rain began to fall. It was Rude who broke the eerie quiet. "Think we can still get out of here?" Reno sighed. "Maybe. I dunno. You were running like Rufus without his wheelchair." Rude smirked. "You would too, with a bullet in your leg. And making fun of the injured, Reno? Low blow." The redhead growled. "Getting me and my partner killed. Even lower blow." Rude sighed. He'd miss these easy conversations with Reno. He wondered if they'd meet again in the Lifestream.

Reno shot him a glare. "I told you to stop actin' like this is it. We'll get out. You'll see. And maybe Tseng"ll finally give us that vacation we deserve. I was thinkin' Costa del Sol."

Rude shrugged. "It'd be hotter than hell."

"There's an ocean."

"Get sand all over you."

"Nice little cantina on the beach."

"You'd get freckles in the sun."

"I'd get a tan."

"After you got sunburned."
Reno sighed, smiling a bit. "You're no fun." Rude smirked. "Not in my job description." Reno thought for a moment. "Hey, Rude? You think we're gonna be punished for all the shit we've done? Ya know, like after we die?" The taller Turk shrugged. "I guess if you believe in all that stuff. I think we'll just go to the Lifestream. It's not like we're out slaughtering innocents, Reno." The redhead let loose a humorless laugh. "What about the plate on the slums, huh?" Rude winced, knowing that that particular assignment had haunted his partner for years. Reno had had to destroy the very place he'd grown up in. Kill the people he'd grown up with. He thought for a minute. "I guess we're both in for punishment."

Voices were heard in the distance, footsteps getting closer by the second. Reno stood, holding the EMR in his uninjured hand. Rude struggled to his feet to stand beside Reno. He looked at the skinny Turk. "Guess we're about to find out." Reno shot him one of his lopsided we-ain't-goin'-down-without-a-fight smirks, though his eyes were cold, accepting their inevitable fate. "See you in hell, partner."

This is just a drabble I came up with and had to write. I know it may contain errors, but it was just a dialogue exercise. Reviews are welcome! - Strife