Brown eyes fluttered open, feeling cold rain hitting her skin. Though her vision was blurred, Elena could still make out the alleyway she'd fallen in, darkened by the fading daylight. She took a breath in, gritting her teeth in agony. Why did it hurt so much to breathe? She looked up at the sky, rain mixing with her tears as she realised why. It had only just begun to rain yet her body was soaked. Soaked in Crimson. Soaked in Blood...
She let her head fall to the side, a trickle of the Red liquid running from her lips and looked towards the main street. Opposite the alleyway, she could see the Shin-Ra building and using whatever strength she had left...she called out to one person.
"Re...no..."
She knew it'd do no good and she knew he couldn't hear her but she knew that she was dying. And she knew she wanted to see him before...
Turning her face back to the sky, letting a fresh river of tears flow down her face to join the Blood pool beneath her she closed her eyes and replayed the events that had landed her where she was right now...
Off Duty. Sighing contently, Elena turned down the alleyway, heading for home. She'd normally be with Reno but he had overtime so she was walking alone. She'd been just about to turn the corner when a blinding pain shot through her stomach, sending her against the wall. Such pain made her want to cry out but she couldn't breathe from the agony she was in...
She staggered backwards, turning to face her attacker, eyes growing when she recognised him.
"Y...You?"
He lifted his gun and took aim once more watching as it ripped through the girl's chest before turning away and running from the alley. Elena fell back onto the ground as the warm Red liquid spilled out across her chest and stomach.
"ELENA!"
The dying Turk was brought back to her fading senses by a voice. His voice. She took another painful breath and whispered his name softly.
"Reno..."
"Oh God Laney...what happened..."
Her eyes clenched shut when she felt pressure applied against the worse of her two injuries and she heard Reno let out a sob.
"I'm...I'm sorry Hun...but I gotta do this"
More pressure...it hurt so much that she cried out and Reno pressed a shaking hand to her cheek.
"Shhh...Laney don't worry...it'll be fine"
Looking up through blurred vision, Elena lifted her hand to grip his shirt in desperation, the breathing getting harder with each passing moment.
"Ts...Tseng..."
Reno looked down into the dying Blondes eyes.
"What?"
"It...was..."
His eyes widened as he realised what she meant and he felt the anger boiling in his veins.
"Tseng...did this to you..."
A feeble nod answered him and he applied more pressure to the bleeding, desperately clinging to whatever life the girl had left.
"Well...when you're all patched up, we're gonna have some serious words with him...right Elena?"
Her grip disappeared from his jacket and she let out a cry. The Redhead felt warmth on his cheeks and knew he was crying but he didn't care, Tseng was gonna pay for this if it was the last thing he would do.
"Re...no"
"Laney Shhh...Don't waste your breath on me..."
"It's...gonna be...ok"
Then her head dropped to the side and she fell quiet. Reno looked at her, his face draining of colour.
"Laney...Laney?"
He reached out and touched her numb cheek, feeling his heat pounding in his chest...
"ELENA!"
Why couldn't he do it? After so many people he'd saved, why did the only person he couldn't have to be the girl he cared for most...