Author's Note: This is the first in a series of one-shots, completely unrelated to each other. =P The only similarity is Reno's involvement in them all. Let me know what you think of this one, k? I wanted to title it "Hell hath no fury..." but that inevitably leads to the rest of the saying which would make it "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" and there is no woman being scorned so........oh well. =P Just read it now and I hope you like it!!
The quiet clink of delicate silverware and the gentle hum of subdued voices filled the plush, candle-lit room. Pleasant music softly filled the lulls in sound as the elegantly-clad musicians drew beautiful notes from their instruments, stationed as they were in a corner. Mouth-watering aromas wafted from the bustling kitchen, tempting the multitude of patrons filling the dining room. Elena's brown eyes sparkled with delight as she looked around her happily. Her gaze soon fell on the tall red-head sitting across from her in their little corner table for two. Reno was currently preoccupied with the small, flickering flame of the thin candle set between them on the table. He stuck his hand out and ran a finger through the tongue of fire swiftly, amused by the seemingly miraculous lack of burn.
"Behave, Reno!" Elena reprimanded in a whisper, but she smiled and the light in her eyes only sparkled more.
"Sorry," he grinned, "I like to play with fire."
The couple had been together for nearly two years now, but Elena could still count on just one hand the number of official dates they'd had. Most of the time, it was impossible to get away from work, especially the two of them at the same time. Luckily, after months of begging, Tseng had managed to spare them both for the evening and they were making the most of it. Somehow, Reno had managed to get them into Midgar's finest restaurant at the last minute, with no reservations. Elena had no idea how he pulled that off, but she didn't even bother asking. He was Reno, thus, he could do anything.
"Well, you look gorgeous," Reno commented, the always-present smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth, "Not that it's any different than usual."
"Always the charmer, aren't you," Elena beamed, smoothing the soft, sparkling layers of her aqua dress, "You don't look too bad yourself."
"Yeah," Reno agreed with the compliment in his humorously arrogant way, "Damn uncomfortable though." He shifted, attempting to make his stiff suit more cozy than it actually was. It took a very special occasion for Reno to bother donning his nice suit.
"Don't worry, it'll be off soon enough," Elena took a sip of her champagne, and smiled innocently, an enticing glint in her eyes. Reno raised an eyebrow, looking a bit surprised at such a comment coming from her. Then again, she was constantly surprising him. His smirk didn't take long in coming, but his reply was cut off by the heinous buzz of his cell-phone.
"What do they want?" Elena questioned, slightly irritated by the interruption, "They know we're busy!"
"Gotta answer. It's the boss, " Reno shrugged, "What the hell do ya want? I'm on a date." Clearly Reno's allowances for Tseng did not go very far. Elena watched, first with mild annoyance, and then with curiosity as Reno listened in complete silence, a serious expression growing on his face. The one-sided conversation lasted less than a minute. "Alright, be there in five." Reno tossed more than enough gil to cover their drinks on the table, and then stood, offering his hand to the confused girl. "Sorry, baby, but we got to go."
"But what's going on?" Elena asked, taking Reno's hand and being hurried out of the restaurant.
"Rufus seems to have gone and gotten himself held hostage," Reno explained in a hushed voice, "And in his own house too. Tseng and Rude are coming as fast as they can, but we're much closer. Our job is to go rescue his conceited ass as fast as we can."
"Jerks!" Elena grumbled fiercely, a scowl on her face as she was forced to abandon her fairy-tale date.
"Who exactly are you referring to?" Reno asked, "Rufus, the attackers, or Tseng and Rude?"
"All of them," Elena replied, "Enough talk, let's get this over with."
True to his word, Reno had them at one of Rufus' several palatial apartments, the one Rufus happened to be living in at the time, in under five minutes. Great lengths were taken to keep the location of Rufus' homes a secret. As an added security measure, the President of Shinra never stayed in the same building for long. He was always switching from one to another. The Turks, however, were required to know the exact location of each and every one of Rufus' homes, and which one Rufus would be in at any given moment. Memorizing the floor-plans of each was also strongly suggested.
Accordingly, Reno had them in through a little-used side door and navigating the luxurious apartment in no time. Whether from habit or a constant level of alertness born from being a Turk for years, neither of them ever left their handguns far from them. Slinking stealthily through the tastefully decorated halls, guns drawn and loaded, the Turks attempted to locate the man held hostage. Normally, in any scenario, Reno took the lead and Elena naturally followed. Elena was moving awfully quickly this evening however, often reaching new corners and rooms before the redhead. The girl hadn't said another word, but sparks were flying from her eyes. She was clearly upset that her date had been interrupted.
The entire home was searched, except for Rufus' bedroom, and a total of five men found lurking around as guards had been incapacitated. Finally, the two Turks crouched together in an alcove a few yards down the hall from Rufus' bedroom. A light showed under the door.
"They must be in there," Reno whispered, "I don't think we'll be able to sneak in, but if we approach very quietly-" He stopped speaking abruptly when Elena rose and stepped into the hall, marching towards the doors with little to no effort at being quiet. Her high-heeled shoes clicked swiftly on the floor. "What the hell are you doing?!" Reno hissed, alarmed by her sudden and risky move.
Holding her gun by her side, Elena threw open the double wooden doors, flooding the hall with light and revealing the situation before them. Rufus sat calmly in an armchair, clearly expecting his rescue any moment, while the man who had taken him hostage paced the floor, holding a gun on the President. All eyes were on the angry girl as she entered the room without a second's pause or hesitation. Without even glancing at Rufus, she walked straight for his attacker. The man stood frozen in surprise. Maybe he had been expecting someone to come attempt a rescue, but he certainly hadn't expected a woman dressed in formal evening wear. Elena came to an abrupt stop right in front of the man.
"You ruined my date, bitch!" Elena shouted, her eyes furious as she stomped on the man's right foot. The stiletto heel had to have pierced his boot, and probably some of his foot as well, judging by the man's scream. The man reflexively grabs his foot, dropping his gun in the process. Reno rushed forward to confiscate the dropped weapon, still watching Elena in surprise. The girl wasn't finished yet. Grabbing the man's shoulders, she kneed him in the groin, and then, as he was hunched over in pain, she took his head and broke his nose on her knee. Roughly pushing the man over, she left him wallowing in pain.
Reno's mouth was hanging open as he watched Elena smooth her skirts and turn to the two men staring at her.
"That all?" she asked Rufus, a bit of fire still burning in her eyes. The man was speechless. At this moment, Tseng and Rude rushed in, weapons drawn, looking for someone to take out. They quickly took in the situation, and lowered their guns.
"Don't worry guys, Laney took care of it," Reno grinned, putting his arm around the girl's bare shoulders.
"Yes, yes," Rufus spoke up, "Uh, excellent work, all of you. Is there a way I can repay you for your ruined date, Elena? It obviously meant a lot to you."
"Aw, nice of you to ask!" Elena smiled sweetly, "I actually do have something in mind. I want this weekend off, and I want to spend it with my sexy boyfriend in Costa Del Sol. I'd be happy to leave tomorrow morning. Make it happen. Ok?" Still smiling sweetly, Elena left the room with a small wave for all there.
"You've really influenced her, Reno," Tseng commented, a bit stunned as they all were.
"Well, at least she gets her facts straight," Reno grinned, "I am sexy."
"Reno!" Elena called from the hall, "Come on! There is still one part of our evening that can still be salvaged. And it doesn't involve that suit."
"See ya on Monday guys," Reno smirked, heading out the door, already loosening his red tie.
A profound silence filled the room as it's remaining occupants attempted to process everything that has just happened.
"Rude, would you mind looking around for my staff? They should still be here somewhere. When you find my butler, please have him make arrangements in accordance with Elena's requests," Rufus said quietly. Rude nodded and walked off. "Tseng, how did you find out about my recent hostage status? I had not managed to alert you yet."
"Oh," a small smile played on Tseng's lips, "Did you have a woman over this evening?"
"Well, I really can not see what that has to do with anything, but yes."
"Yeah, on her way out, she noticed the suspicious activity and had the presence of mind to contact me. Smart whores you keep around here."
"She has a name, Tseng." An expectant silence reigned. "And I can not remember it. But she has one." Rufus waved a finger solemnly at the Turk leader.
"You'd better make sure you get that vacation scheduled," Tseng laughed, "I don't think we would be able to save you from Elena if you didn't."
Author's Note: Yay.......fun. I enjoyed writing it, I hope you enjoyed reading it! Review and let me know what you think!! And if you like it, be sure to subscribe to story alert so it will let you know when I post more! xD Thanks for reading!!!