Assignment
by: Jason Tandro
Author's Notes: In case it isn't obvious to my few loyal readers, I love the Turks. They are my favorite group of characters in any Final Fantasy game. Cold, calculating, cool, and each with their own personality quirks. Secret Lives of Turks and Abyss were about specific moments in their lives and Day Off and One More Round were snapshots of what they do for a living, so I decided to change the formula a bit. Assignment is about what the Turks are best known for: their line of work. These are a set of unrelated stories that show how the Turks deal with cases they are assigned. They may be common, but they are never boring.
Briefing
0830 Hours, November 3rd
Shinra Building, 67th Floor
Shinra Department of Intelligence
Office of Director Tseng
Reno sat in the cold metal chair opposite of his boss. The wide office made Reno resent his with a renewed passion. The window that looked down on the rest of Midgar like a single glowing eye, the tasteful paintings that adorned his walls, and the desk which due to its size was far neater than Reno's; it all made him want more.
Tseng was standing, his hands pressed firmly on the desk. He slid a folder over to Reno. He looked with anticipation at the tip of the folder, which would give a general indication of his mission. To his satisfaction there was a crimson tip, which indicated a matter of pressing urgency. His lips creased in a smile as Tseng began his briefing.
"About 22 hours ago, I received word from our outpost in Rocket Town that a former member of the Shinra Intelligence Agency, Ed Callance, was shooting off his mouth to a pilot there. This man is wanted for UDCI (Unauthorized Disclosure of Classified Information) as well as suspected larceny. The current reward for this man is 125,000 gil," Tseng explained.
Reno knew that, as a Turk, he would only see a 10 commission of the actual reward. The high amount was to keep them from using valuable resources, such as their Turks. Still 12,500 gil is quite a bit of money. Reno looked at the man in the file photo. He had short black hair and wore glasses. Reno remembered this man as a former colleague. It didn't make a difference now. He was a wanted man, and the mission came first.
"At the present time, as of 2 hours ago, the man is at an inn at Rocket Town. Your mission is quite simple. Get there, find him, capture him and prevent him from leaking anymore secrets. Also, get in touch with the pilot he was talking to. If he knows too much, report it. It may be better to get rid of him," Tseng explained.
"Understood. What's the IMT(Insertion Method and Timeframe?)" Reno asked.
"You will be deployed from the helipad on the 70th floor and sent over the mountains to Junon, where a Gelnika carrier craft will fly you the rest of the way to Rocket Town. The transit time will be about sixteen hours total. You will be given 36 hours to complete the mission. If you fail, then our army will quarantine the city. Understand this: Shinra would feel more comfortable if you completed this mission quietly and made sure that any potential leaks were dealt with. He doesn't want to shed any innocent blood," Tseng briefed.
"Got it," Reno nodded.
0845 Hours
Shinra Building, 70th Floor
Helipad
Dock #4
The loud whir of the helicopter blades was a sound that Reno loved. He was quite the pilot himself, actually. Alas, protocol dictated that he could not fly when he was being deployed on a mission, because he had to stay "fresh". This particular bird was one of Reno's favorites too. The PC-132. It was a personnel carrier designed to carry two squads of eight into combat. It had 3/4-inch-thick armor-plating, two front mounted .50 calibur chain guns, and six "Air Raider" missiles. This was a beast meant for war.
After the usual pleasantries with the pilot and crew, Reno boarded the craft and belted into one of the seats. The interior of the helicopter had eight seats on each side, and one long stretch of terminals down the center for mobile briefing and command. The sides of each terminal had weapon holders for the comfort and convenience of the passengers. Of course, Reno knew from personal experience that there was no soldier who would board this craft and not have at least one of his weapons in his hands at all times.
Reno logged onto the terminal and decided to review the layout of Rocket Town. It had been a while since he had last been there. It was about four years ago during a test launch of the Shinra-21. The rocket collapsed in place, but damn it they kept trying. Shinra-26 was their last model, and according to the map he was looking at, it remained in place, although tilted slightly.
The helicopter lifted off the pad and Reno tilted his head back.
1300 Hours
Junon, Upper Section
SAF Airport
Dock #12
The helicopter touched down gently on the metal dock. Reno unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out of the bird. He looked across the way from him, at Dock # 11, where his Gelnika awaited.
The Shinra Air Force Airport was probably the largest airport in the world. It had thirteen loading docks, although due to an age-old superstition that Reno never understood, the main dock was not called dock 13, but rather dock 14. The airport was the second highest point in Junon, second only to the Junon cannon firing area. Reno remembered the days when he had actually done a stint here, while he was still a soldier.
Reno boarded the Gelnika. It was a much larger craft, obviously, than the helicopter. The craft had several compartments aside from the main seating area. It was capable of carrying a full company of soldiers, plus 3 fully armed tanks into combat. The craft itself had four .45 calibur gatling guns, two .60 calibur "Tank Smasher" chain guns, and eight "Air Raider" missiles. With all this armor and armaments, Reno was amazed the damned thing could fly. But it could, and soon Reno was on his way to Rocket Town.
0230 Hours, November 4th
Rocket Town, Outskirts
Farmland Area
Reggie's Farm
The Gelnika now hovered over a small farm just outside of Rocket Town. There was no place for this craft to land in the city, so instead Reno got to slide down one of the four Gelnika side-mounted grappling hooks, which almost touched the bottom. Reno had to sort of hop the last ten feet, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. The Gelnika flashed a green light to check on Reno, and Reno shook his hand to reply. The Gelnika flew back over the mountains to refuel at Costa Del Sol before returning to Junon. From this point on, Reno was alone.
Just the way he liked it.
Investigation
0300 Hours (35:30 hours remain)
Rocket Town, Central Square
Skelter Pub
Bar Area
Reno walked into the pub and saw that despite the town's simple appearance, the night life was surprisingly active. He sat down at the bar and took a quick glance around his surroundings. There was the bar area, which seemed about the same as any other bar you could imagine. A few feet to the right was the inn registration. Reno made a mental note to check that log to see if his quarry was foolish enough to stay in the same place overnight. Beyond that was a restaurant area which included a small stage where a lovely red-headed girl was dancing.
"What'll you have?" Came the voice of the bartender.
The man had a thick brown moustache, and balding brown hair. He seemed almost stereotypical of a barkeep.
"I'm not here for a drink, unfortunately. I need to know if you served a man named Cid Highwind or Ed Callance," Reno explained.
The bartender scoffed and began wiping the bar. "I don't know half the people I serve, son. Cid Highwind, yeah, I know him. He lives down the road from here, always keeping an eye on that damned rocket like Shinra is ever gonna go back into space. And flies that damned Little Bronco around no matter what time it is. As for this Ed whatever, I never heard of him."
"He would have been, what you'd call, a disgruntled employee of Shinra. Shot off his mouth to Cid a couple days ago. Heard they almost got into a brawl here," Reno said.
The bartender stopped and rested his hands on the bar. The dirty rag he was wiping with was draining onto the back of his palm as he furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "You know, I thought there was something suspicious about him. He stayed at the inn last night , but from what I can tell he's up and left town."
Reno nodded. He was afraid of that. This mission would be a little harder.
"Did he say anything that seemed... erroneous?" Reno asked.
The bartender laughed. "Worried he mighta spilt the beans? Don't worry about it, kid, I know Shinra is full of shit. Nothing he could have said would have changed that thought."
Reno grinned, against his will. As much as was professionally obligated to hate this man, he couldn't help but like him.
"Thank you for your assistance. How about that drink now?" Reno asked.
0330 Hours (35 hours remain)
Rocket Town, Central Square
Skelter Pub
Restaurant
Reno walked over to the Innkeeper. She was a beautiful woman with long red hair in a ponytail. Reno felt a sense of Deja vu and then turned to look at the dancing girl.
"You have a keen eye," the innkeeper smiled. "That's my daughter."
"You let your daughter dance at pubs?" Reno chuckled.
"I can't say I exactly approve, but she has fun and brings in some money," she sighed.
Reno suppressed some lewd thoughts that came to his mind. She was far too young, and he was on the job. He pulled out Callance's photograph and showed it to the woman.
"This man stayed here last night. Do you know anything about him?" Reno asked.
The innkeeper shrugged. "He started picking a fight with Captain Highwind. I let him stay the night, but I told him I wasn't gonna suffer him another night."
"Kicked him out, did you?" Reno smiled.
"Damned straight, hun," she smiled back.
Reno's smile faded. "So, what exactly were they fighting about?"
"Oh, some stupid stuff. Cid was stickin' it to Shinra and this guy started saying stuff like 'Well, if it wasn't for Shinra you wouldn't be worth shit' and 'Well if your dumb ass hadn't aborted the mission!'" The innkeeper was now standing to add dramatic effect.
"Oh, I know all about that. Cid aborted the mission in the middle of the launch sequence to save some engineer, right?" Reno asked. The innkeeper nodded. "Okay. I think I have all the info I can use for now. I need to get some sleep, so how much are your rooms?"
The innkeeper slid her hand up to Reno's. "That depends on which room you sleep in."
Reno looked at the innkeeper, who was smiling. Reno's gut told him never to sleep with somebody in the middle of a mission, because it compromised the position of the agent (and was also occasionally life threatening), but Reno figured he had to sleep anyways. He took her hand and led her up the stairs.
"The name is Reno, you?" Reno asked.
"May," the innkeeper replied.
0900 Hours (29:30 hours remain)
Rocket Town, Central Square
Skelter Pub
May's Bedroom
The sun shone through the upstairs bedroom window. Reno slowly awoke and tried to remember what had happened. Having been a veteran, like he was, it was hard to remember exactly which girl's bedroom you were waking up in. There was a modest bed, which they lay on. A large white quilt covered them. Reno's clothes were tossed off haphazardly on or around a small nightstand next to him. The only exception to this was his two guns which were neatly set aside and unloaded.
On her side was a bureau, where her clothes somehow were neatly stacked. Even in spontaneity women were neat to a fault. There was a mirror besides the bureau and the window across from the door. It was a small room.
Reno looked at the girl and remembered her name was May. She was the innkeeper and had a teenage daughter who danced for complete strangers. Her naked body was covered by the sheets and quilt now. Reno sighed and got up. He didn't see a shower anywhere nearby, but it didn't bother him. He just got dressed, the same way he always did. He didn't even bother to wake her, he just went about his business.
0930 Hours (29 hours remain)
Rocket Town, Central Square
Home of Cid Highwind
Front Door
Reno knocked on the door of Cid's house. It was easy to spot; the only one that had a rocket in its backyard. A woman with long brown hair opened the door. At first, Reno thought he had got the wrong house.
"Oh, excuse me. Is this the Highwind residence?" Reno asked.
"It is," the woman replied. "Please, come on in."
The house had a very rural look to it. The living room, dining room, den and kitchen were all one large room. There was a small hallway where the bathroom and two bedrooms lay. Reno had to admit that even though he preferred the cities accommodations, this wasn't bad either.
"Cid will be right out. Can I get you some tea?" She asked.
"No thank you. Do you have any coffee?" Reno asked.
"Coming right up," the woman nodded obediently.
The woman set about working in the kitchen, boiling a new pot of coffee. Some eggs and toast were on the stovetop. Reno would have asked, but it wasn't his place. A few moments passed, and down the hallway came an old man with graying blonde hair and a pair of pilot's goggles. He wore a thick denim jacket and was smoking a cigarette.
"Oh great," the man cursed. "A Turk this early in the morning."
"Reno, pleased to meet you Mr. Highwind," Reno bowed slightly. He extended his hand, but Cid just stood there, took another puff from his cigarette and then sat down.
"What do you want from me?" Cid asked.
"I wanted some information regarding the brawl you had with an Ed Callance a couple nights ago," Reno explained.
Cid started to laugh. "Gonna cart me off to jail for bitching about Shinra, eh?"
"Not at all. It's Callance we want. He's wanted for UDCI and larceny. I was told you might know something about his whereabouts," Reno explained.
"Look, I don't know where he is now, but the UDCI charge is nonsense. He didn't shout anything that I or anybody else here didn't already know," Cid explained, seeming to calm down.
The woman walked up and set Reno's coffee down. Cid snapped his fingers and the woman brought him a cup as well.
"This is Shera," Cid explained.
"Your... wife?" Reno asked.
The woman blushed, and Cid smashed one fist on the table. "Hell no, she ain't my wife. She's my assistant."
"I see that," Reno chuckled.
"Heh heh heh, fuck you," Cid cursed.
"Are you sure there is nothing else you haven't told me?" Reno asked.
Cid nodded and kicked his feet up onto the table. "I've told you what I know. Only other thing I might tell you is that after I kicked his ass eight ways from Sunday that boy said he was going to hang out at a friend's place."
"He stayed at the inn that night though, didn't he?" Reno asked.
"At the inn? No, he got tossed out by the barkeep. He started walking downtown, I thought you knew that," Cid replied.
Analysis
1000 Hours (28:30 hours remain)
Rocket Town, Central Square
Skelter Pub
Bar Area
Reno walked up to the bar and pounded his fist down on the bar. The barkeep jumped back and grabbed a knife.
"What the hell are you doing?!" The barkeep shouted.
"Getting some answers. Put the knife down or I'll put so many holes in you that you'll win first prize in the swiss cheese lookalike contest," Reno ordered.
The barkeep dropped the knife and started to protest. "I told you. The guy and the pilot were fighting. He stayed here-"
"No, that's bullshit. The pilot says that he left the building," Reno replied.
The barkeep sighed. "Show me the photo."
Reno showed the barkeep the photo and the barkeep sighed.
"Here it comes," Reno scoffed.
"This guy. He wasn't alone. There was this other guy with him. They could have been brothers," the barkeep said.
Reno rubbed his forehead. "You didn't think this was worth mentioning before?"
"No, because I didn't think anything of it at the time. But the guy he was with signed out a room for the both of them. What was his name... Ed something?" the barkeep said.
Reno's head hit the bar. This was getting ridiculous. "Whiskey sour, please."
1230 Hours (26 hours remain)
Rocket Town, Outskirts
Farmland Area
Network Hotspot: Longitude 48, Latitude 112
Reno had been walking around the town for two hours trying to get a signal and finally found a hotspot in, of all places, the outskirts of town. Not much could be done about it, though. They had cut off the network in this entire region. As much as he was glad to get a signal, he was also a little bothered by the fact that he could. He set it aside for now and called his comrade Rude, who was back in Midgar.
"Rude, this is Reno. Can you hear me?" Reno asked.
"Hey Reno. What's up?" Rude asked.
"I need your help on an assignment of mine. Ed Callance was here and apparently hanging out with some guy who looks just like him. Think you can do a bit of digging for me?"
"I'll have the answer for you by 1600 hours," Rude replied.
"Thanks man, I owe you one," Reno said gratefully.
1400 Hours (24:30 hours remain)
Rocket Town, Residential Sector
Runway Ave.
The Home of Victor Daling
Reno had been trying to piece together what information he had, but none of it made any sense. To solve a crime, you needed four things. First off, you needed a clear crime. Reno had nothing more than hearsay and suspected crimes. You needed a suspect, and while Reno had several suspects, there was no crime to pin any of them down upon except the seemingly fictitious character named Ed Callance. You needed a motive, and that completely eluded Reno. And finally, you needed evidence to support your suspicion, which Reno lacked entirely.
Reno decided to poll all the members of the town, to see if they knew anything. He figured it was bug them now, or in a little more than a day they would all be quarantined and dealt with and with severe prejudice.
Reno arrived at a small house which looked beat to hell. The mailbox read " 32 Runway Ave. Daling". Could someone be living here? The door was hanging on by a single rusted hinge, the windows had either been broken or boarded up. Shingles were falling from the roof bit by bit like a rain of molasses. Reno decided that if he would get any information from this house, it would be by sheer luck, and yet he had exhausted every other tool.
Reno knocked at the door, which nearly collapsed under the force of his fist. When he received no answer, he kicked the door in and pressed his back against the first wall he could get to. In his mind, Reno knew this was stupid. Even if Ed Callance or his lookalike were here, it was highly doubtful that they were a threat. Still, Reno's Turk training taught him never to underestimate an opponent and to take everyone down with brutal, ruthless aggression.
The place was barren, except for a rug here and there, some garbage left by the previous owner, and shards of glass that Reno assumed had once belonged to light fixtures or some other manner of lamp. The first floor was completely empty, and there was no second floor. However, there was a doorway next to the kitchen. Reno figured that this probably led down.
Reno pulled out his gun and turned on his flashlight and laser sighting. If he wanted to be truly cautious he would have used night-vision, but again, Reno doubted it would be necessary. Plus, if the cellar was dark enough, his night-vision wouldn't even work. If there was no light to magnify, then he couldn't see. So, he put his faith in a sub-standard weapon attachment that had served him well up until now. Reno carefully opened the door and saw a small set of wooden stairs leading down into the cellar.
Reno's first instinct was to shout for somebody's attention, but he decided against it. If there was somebody here who wanted to harm him, or just escape from him, then the warning would backfire against him. If there was someone else, then Reno would find out eventually himself.
Reno took the first cautious step onto the wooden step, which buckled instantly under Reno's weight and sent him crashing down the stairs into the darkness. Reno's flashlight battery went dead.
Occupational Hazard
1630 Hours (22 hours remain)
Rocket Town, Residential Sector
Runway Ave.
The Home of Victor Daling
Reno awoke to the vibration of his cell phone. He lifted his head, and saw the cellar covered in dust and splintered wood. He remembered tripping on one of the steps, and then... Reno grabbed his phone from his pocket. It couldn't possibly be Rude. He remembered that this entire town seemed to be dead network-wise. It suddenly made sense to Reno. If they were afraid of a potential information leak, they would have shut town all network towers within range. Reno looked at his phone and saw that it was merely the alarm he had set for his rendezvous with Rude. He shut it off and began to look around.
Reno felt the warm trickle of blood down his left pant leg and across his cheek. He stepped with his left foot and had just rolled the rest of the way. The stairs were completely destroyed, so without a rope he wasn't getting back up. And thanks to the stone walls and lack of a cell phone signal he couldn't exactly call for help. He decided the best bet was to just explore the cellar, which seemed abnormally wide for a simple resident. He walked down a small hallway and noticed what appeared to be a spiral staircase heading down.
It reminded Reno of the Shinra Manor, and he began to wonder whether or not he should proceed. The Manor house in Nibelheim, the town across the mountains from here, was the home to the gruesome and twisted creations of Dr. Hojo. Could this be another one of Shinra's dumping grounds?
Reno noticed, with greater concern, that there was a light emanating from the bottom of the stairs. And it was moving.
1630 Hours (22 hours remain)
Shinra Tower, 67th floor
Shinra Department of Intelligence
Office of Director Tseng
"I can't reach Reno," Rude explained.
"Hmm, we've had to shut of network access to that entire area. I'm not surprised," Tseng replied.
Rude was pacing, concerned. His usual cool exterior seemed less obvious and even Tseng, who was infamous for being nearly heartless in the dispensation of his men, seemed highly agitated.
"I know Reno. He may be a bit reckless, but he keeps his appointments. He would have at least sent me a flash by now," Rude said, rubbing his chin.
"Well tell me, is there a threat?" Tseng asked.
"Oh yeah. Ed Callance has an identical twin named Jeremy Callance. We all know that Ed is a former member of the SIA and worked with top secret information. What we overlooked was the fact that his brother worked for the Department of Aeronautical Research," Rude explained.
"Aeronautics? You mean he was involved in the failed space program?" Tseng asked.
"Yeah. And guess where he has taken up a permanent residence?" Rude asked.
Tseng sighed, and tapped his fingers on his desk. He then stood up and faced out the window. "So then, this breach..."
"It could be Ed, Jeremy or both of them. My main concern is that since they are twins - and with respect Shinra is not too concerned with the individuality of its employees - if it is Jeremy, and there's something he wanted while Ed was working for the SIA..."
Pieces began falling into place in Tseng's mind like an explosive game of Tetris. Every conclusion he reached only made this matter far more severe.
"So, let's think," Tseng said. "Jeremy has a vested interest in the space program, his brother is in Intelligence. Program flops, Jeremy gets scorned, and wants revenge?"
"That's one possibility, although I think a weak one. Why would he start leaking information as a form of revenge? And he'd known that would affect his brother. Even if they weren't on the best terms..." Rude's mind was working overtime. He did not like where this conversation was heading. Tseng's eyes suddenly flashed with unpleasant realization, and at that moment, Rude remembered a question that had been bugging him. "With the whole UDCI I completely forgot about this guy's other offense. What exactly did this guy steal?"
Tseng sighed and faced Rude. "A variety of chemicals and electronics. This crazy son-of-a-bitch is gonna make a bomb."
1700 Hours (21:30 hours remain)
Rocket Town, Residential Sector
Runway Ave.
The Home of Victor Daling
Reno had spent the past half-hour trying to determine whether or not he should make his way down the stairs. The light continued to dim and grow brighter against the stone walls of the cellar. It was not that Reno was scared, per se. It's just that there was a lot going on which he hadn't even begun to piece together.
He picked up his gun and made sure the flashlight was off. The last thing he needed was it to suddenly come back on and give away his position. He left the laser-sighting on, though. His aim wasn't exactly perfect after that crash.
That was something else that bothered him. If someone was down there, then they certainly would have heard him. Unless they showed up after he had his accident. Time was wasting, and finally Reno decided to make his move.
He began to creep down the stairwell, crouching against the inside wall in case he needed emergency cover. He kept his gun clutched close to his heart as his left hand kept him balanced against the wall. The last thing he needed was to fall down this flight of stairs.
Reno finally reached the bottom and saw a room that looked almost like an office, complete with two cubicles on the right side and a large conference table in the middle. Reno breathed a sigh of relief when he found that the source of the moving light was simply a torch flickering.
"Nice place," Reno thought. "All they need now is an Iron Maiden and it'll be just like the office back home."
Suddenly, Reno heard a door slam ahead of him and he crouched into one of the cubicles. He leaned back against the wall and took the safety off of his weapon. He heard two men arguing fiercely.
"Look, I don't know what you're expecting Jeremy. It's over. Shinra has no more interest in space," the first man said.
"Well," Jeremy began. "That doesn't really matter to me. Framing my brother was only the start of this operation. With the SIA in turmoil cleaning up this mess, we'll have plenty of time to complete our other operation."
"You're talking about the Mako Reactor in Nibelheim?" The first man asked.
Reno had to hold his breath to keep from bursting out from under his cover.
"Yes. Ordinarily reports come from each reactor every half hour. But Shinra has blocked the network around this area to prevent any of us leaking information," Jeremy explained.
"Yes, this immediate area, but Mt. Nibel is seven hours away on foot, there is no possibility that their network jammers have gone that far," the man inquired.
"Nonsense. The Reactor is the center of the network catalyst. There's an effective radius of over 230 miles. Nine hours in any direction away from the mountain and you'll be back on track," Jeremy explained. "You forget that my brother taught me all of these things when I was in the space program."
"So, what? You're going to sneak out of town and bomb the reactor?" The man asked.
"I have too. The people of this town will suffer dearly for it, but it has to be done," Jeremy sighed.
"What about your brother?" The man asked.
"He was a member of Shinra to the very end. He was my enemy," Jeremy cursed his luck and pounded his fist on the table.
Reno had heard enough. He emerged from his hiding spot and pointed his gun straight at Jeremy. Reno stared back at the man who could have been the twin of the man in the photograph.
"Freeze!" Reno shouted.
The two men stared back at Reno. Jeremy stood his ground, but the other man, who wore a full-length body cloak, tried to run. Reno fired a round into his chest, neutralizing the subject. The man groaned in pain as Reno continued.
"Reno of the Turks. You are under arrest for UCDI, larceny, murder, obstruction of justice and conspiracy to commit high treason. And I'm sure I'll think up a few others while my friends and I escort you home." Reno said.
"Funny. I didn't think Turks took prisoners," Jeremy smiled. He leapt over the table and pulled out two guns of his own. He then stared down Reno, who had fired off a few rounds during this stunt act.
"I have two guns to your one, surrender. I don't want to hurt you," Jeremy shouted sincerely.
"You killed your own brother and he was in Shinra," Reno retorted.
"No, it's not like that! Ed's death was an accident. I didn't mean to kill him," Jeremy explained.
"Who's your friend over there? He a citizen, or another disgruntled Shinra employee?" Reno asked.
"Lay down your arms! My firepower is superior!" Jeremy shouted.
"Yeah, but I'm just so much quicker!" Reno shouted as he fired a round which whizzed by Jeremy's head. Jeremy ducked underneath the table and turned it over. Reno ducked into a cubicle.
Reno's mind raced. If he didn't hurry up and take care of this guy, the other man would probably bleed to death. But he still had to figure out whether or not Jeremy had armed the bomb and planned a timed or remote detonation, and he still needed to find out the whole story about Ed Callance. Still, Jeremy had a point. At the moment, he was outdrawn. Even though he had a second gun, Reno was not the best shot when wielding both.
Reno would have to time it perfectly, or he'd likely end up dead.
Reno jumped out from his cover and slid into the table, kicking it back and colliding into Jeremy. Jeremy grunted from pain and leapt up. Reno pointed his gun at Jeremy's torso, but before he had a chance to fire, Jeremy had leapt over the table and run back through the door from whence he came.
"Damn it!" Reno cursed. "I'm getting too old for this."
Further Analysis
1830 Hours (20 hours remain)
Rocket Town, Residential Sector
Runway Ave.
The Home of Victor Daling
Reno ran over to the man in the cloak. He removed the hood to find the face of the barkeeper staring back at him.
"It's always the butler," Reno cursed. "Alright, what's going on?"
The barkeep smiled a bloody smile and began to cough a crimson spray the covered Reno's face and shirt. Reno wiped his face with his sleeve. "Answer me! Because if you don't, the Shinra Army will be here in a little under twenty hours and they will quarantine the city. Don't know if you've ever seen a Shinra Quarantine... lemme put it in terms you can understand. Do you remember a city called Lugor Borderton? It was right on the edge of Gongaga and Corel. You probably don't remember because about thirteen years ago, Shinra quarantined the city. Out of the original population of 212 only 3 were spared. Those three were retired soldiers. Everyone else: men, women and children, were slaughtered."
"I know what happened when Corel was quarantined. That is why I am helping. You Shinra will just kill anybody who threatens your power and money. It's time that we fought back," the barkeep cursed, coughing up more blood.
"Yeah, I know. Shinra is full of assholes. I only do what I do, because I know that I can do it well. I don't kill anybody I don't have to. I could have killed Jeremy back there if I wanted to. I want to protect both this city and the workers at that reactor. Now tell me," Reno pleaded.
"The bomb is on a timed detonation. There are two bombs, though. One bomb is here, and the other bomb is at the Mako Reactor. The bomb here is not armed and will not be armed at all, unless for some reason the one at the Mako Reactor goes off-line.
Here is the beauty. The bomb at the Mako Reactor has a timer which expires in about twenty hours. Jeremy planned for the quarantine. You take off the bomb and the bomb here goes online, killing a few hundred innocent lives and nearly one-thousand Shinra lives," the barkeep smiled.
"Well that's easy. I just go disarm that bomb and then come back," Reno was cut off.
"No. The timer on the bomb here is ten seconds. Even if you had a team of two working on it, you could never stop both bombs. Now, Turk, choose. Which is more important to you? Machinery or people?" The barkeep smiled as he gasped his last breath.
Reno walked over the door where Jeremy was, and saw daylight. It was a secret exit to the Daling house, which set him about a quarter mile from the center of town. Daylight wasn't the only thing he saw. There was a large army assembling near the rocket.
1630 Hours (19:30 hours remain)
Rocket Town, Disabled Rocket
Engineering Section
Walkway 12
General Commander Astley was standing on the second highest walkway, looking at the city. He was not originally from this area and he need to determine the best points of invasion to ensure a secure quarantine. He knew that there was a Turk working on this assignment, but the deadline was bearing down on him, and he had to be ready to move.
"General!" a scout above him shouted. "We've got a Turk heading our way!"
Astley saw Reno limping towards him. He looked like hell. This was not good, it could mean a premature quarantine under the worst of circumstances. Reno ran towards Astley, his left leg still hurting from his stunt back in the Daling Basement. He saw the General Commander and decided that this matter would best be kept secret from the military until Tseng made a ruling upon it.
"General, I need to get in contact with Director Tseng immediately," Reno ordered.
"Son, the network is down in this area," Astley replied.
"I'm aware of that. I need someone to give me a drive to the farmlands a few miles over in that direction" Reno pointed to the area where he'd gotten a connection before. "I can reach the Director from there."
"Is this an emergency?" Astley asked.
"Not an emergency, but it is urgent that I speak with him, so make it happen soldier," Reno commanded. He made sure that he was more direct this time, he had precious little time to waste.
1600 Hours (19:00 hours remain)
Shinra Tower, 67th floor
Shinra Department of Intelligence
Office of Director Tseng
Tseng's phone rang, and the director eagerly picked it up. "Hello?"
"Tseng, is that you?" came the voice of Reno.
"Reno, where the hell have you been?" Tseng shouted.
"Hey, easy man. You can yell at me for not delivering a status report after you help me out. I need Rude here and I need him here now," Reno said.
Tseng was understandably upset, but his anger at Reno subsided at this remark. If Reno needed Rude, the Turks resident explosives expert, then his fears were confirmed. The lunatic had a bomb.
"Reno, the travel time alone is 16 hours-"
"Well you better hurry then, because in 19 hours the Nibelheim Mako Reactor is gonna go up in flames," Reno shouted.
"Nibelheim, what are you talking about?" Tseng asked.
"It was a red herring! Jeremy framed and then killed his brother Ed. He wanted us to be distracted and focusing our efforts on a UDCI so that we would retract our military presence from Nibelheim. The son-of-a-bitch planned this down to a tee," Reno explained.
"You don't need Rude, you can disarm bombs too-"
"Not this bomb. He has two that are networked together. They use a landline, and while that technology is old it has the advantage of being insusceptible to network crashes. I can disarm the one in the Mako Reactor, but that will arm a bomb that is somewhere in Rocket Town. And its timer is only ten seconds. I need somebody who can disarm a bomb that quickly, because if we disarm the bomb in town first, then the Mako Reactor bomb will detonate on the spot," Reno explained.
"Wonderful. And where is Jeremy?" Tseng asked.
"He fled. Most likely towards the Nibelheim Reactor," Reno said.
"Alright. You chase him down, I'll get Rude there as fast as I can," Tseng ordered.
Confrontation
1000 Hours, November 5th (1 hour remains)
Mt. Nibel, Mako Reactor
Central Chamber
Compression Vaults 16-24
The Mako Reactor was just like Reno remembered it. It seemed like something out of a hellish nightmare, particularly the Compression Vaults. Large metal pipes towered overhead, occasionally shooting out steam. Eight large orbs were organized neatly in front of Reno. There were plans to add more, it seemed. What made this reactor so unique was the fact that at the very end of this set of compression chambers was a large doorway that seemed immovable. Above it was a silver plate that read: JENOVA.
"God this place sucks," Reno thought aloud.
"Tell me about it," came a voice from behind him.
Reno turned, but before he could draw his weapon, Jeremy shot him in the left arm. Reno fell against the stairwell and hit his head on the metal railing. In the haze, he could see Jeremy walking over to one of the compression chambers and fiddling with a small device. So, this was the bomb.
Reno stood up again, but Jeremy shot him again, this time hitting center mass and knocking Reno down on the ground. Reno's world went black.
1030 Hours (30 minutes remain)
Rocket Town, Disabled Rocket
Engineering Section
Oxygen Tanks 4-8
Rude had arrived two hours ago and had been scanning the entire city for the bomb. The quarantine had to be put into effect early in order to get the citizens to cooperate although most were eager to make sure their home wasn't housing a bomb. The Victor Daling Residence, where Reno explained he had had his initial confrontation with Jeremy Callance, was searched up and down, but there was simply no bomb in that area.
After two hellish hours, Rude finally had an epiphany. An excellent destruction point, and an area that Jeremy Callance was highly familiar with, was the disabled rocket. And his theory had just now been confirmed when a bomb squad opened Oxygen Tank 7 to find a bomb with a landline heading down into the ground through a drilled hole. This was the bomb.
"Okay," Rude said. "Have all the citizens been evacuated?"
"As many as we could convince to leave. Some refuse to leave their homes," a soldier told him.
"That's unfortunate. It means I better do this right. Tell everyone else to get at least..." Rude examined the bomb. "...three miles out of town."
1045 Hours (15 minutes remain)
Mt. Nibel, Mako Reactor
Central Chamber
Compression Vaults 16-24
Reno awoke to Jeremy's swift kick. Reno spat out blood and looked up at Jeremy.
"Only a few minutes left," Reno said, coughing up blood. "Shouldn't you be running?"
Jeremy laughed. "I am content to die here."
Reno rolled over onto his back and tried to sit up, only to find that Jeremy had tied his hands together behind his back. This was only a minor distraction though, but Reno let Jeremy think he was in control for the moment. What Jeremy did not realize, in his hasty shooting, was that most Turks were equipped with bullet-proof vests. It still pounded Reno pretty hard, but the vest took most of the bullet. He wouldn't die, but he wasn't going to be comfortable either.
"Guilt of killing your brother... finally get to you?" Reno asked.
"I did not kill my brother," Jeremy said. "My brother actually came here. He found out what I was up to and was killed by something that came out of here."
"What are you talking about?" Reno coughed.
"This Reactor. The reason I am destroying it is not just because I think Shinra is poisoning the planet. This Reactor is a breeding ground for monsters. Something or someone killed my brother here."
"You've... lost it," Reno laughed.
Reno looked at the bomb timer. 12 minutes remained.
"No, and the sad thing is I didn't want to hurt anybody. I just wanted this damn thing destroyed," Jeremy cursed and smashed his fist against the wall.
Reno proceeded to untie his wrists and grab his gun, which he shoved under Jeremy's neck. "I really hate to repeat myself... but you are under arrest." Reno smashed Jeremy's head against a pipe, knocking him unconscious. Reno ran over to the bomb, clutching his stomach in pain. The timer ticked off as Reno did his work. 8 minutes... 7 minutes... 6 minutes...
Suddenly Reno felt a kick in the back of his head. Reno turned his body and pointed his gun at what he expected to be Jeremy Callance. But Reno saw Jeremy still remained on the floor. Standing in front of him, was the battered body of Ed Callance. He looked like a monster. His eyes were blood red, his clothes seemed to have been welded to his skin and the bones of his arms and legs protruded sharply.
"Ed Callance... what the hell happened to you?" Reno asked in horror.
The monster just shrieked loudly, and Reno fired three rounds into his head. The beast fell to the ground next to his brother. Reno returned to the bomb and finished his work with only two minutes to spare. Reno just hoped that Rude had found the bomb and was ready to go.
1058 Hours (10 seconds until bomb detonation)
Rocket Town, Disabled Rocket
Engineering Section
Oxygen Tanks 4-8
Rude saw the bomb suddenly become armed and at timer ticked off 10...9...
It was wonderful that Reno had successfully completed his objective, but Rude now had ten seconds to disarm this masterwork of a bomb. He tore off the casing and saw a horribly disorganized jumble of wires. All he had to do was disarm the detonation trigger from the device, but in this mess, it would be nearly impossible.
7...6...5...
Rude's life flashed before his eyes. His rough childhood, his time in jail and his commission to the Turks. Bomb disposal was everything to Rude, and it made sense that this was how he was going to die.
4...3...2...
Rude was out of time, he just snipped the first wire that he could see.
1...
Rude guessed wrong. The bomb suddenly shorted out and a message came across the timer. "Blast Off..."
Rude laughed at himself. This entire time, they had all been played. It was just another one of Jeremy's red herrings.
Debriefing
1900 Hours, November 6th
Shinra Tower, 64th floor
Shinra Medical Wing
Room 142
Reno was just now waking up. He didn't remember much after disarming the bomb in the Mako Reactor. Things must have gone well though, because Rude was sitting in a chair next to him. Reno instantly recognized this as the medical wing in Midgar. The blue wallpaper was a dead giveaway.
"Give it to me straight doctor," Reno joked weakly.
Rude laughed, a rarity for a man of his nature. "You'll be just fine. The bullet that hit your arm was removed and the one that got you in the gut barely even broke the skin. As a matter of fact, don't get too comfortable. I think Tseng wants you to work again this Friday."
"Tell Tseng that I'll be glad to work after I get the commission on this capture," Reno grinned as he noticed Tseng walking in the door. Tseng was carrying the same red-tipped file that Reno had first seen four days ago.
"Well technically speaking the actual capture of Jeremy Callance was done by our bomb squad boys, but yes the commission is yours. You will be receiving 6,250 gil and Rude will be receiving the other half," Tseng explained.
"Hell yeah, that's only fair right," Reno smiled. "I mean the man had to disarm a bomb in ten seconds." Rude turned away from Reno to keep from smiling, a gesture which Reno instantly caught. "What aren't you telling me?
"The other bomb was a red herring. It was meant to distract us from the Mako Reactor bomb for fear of losing civilian life," Tseng explained.
"Can't say the guy is original. Everything was a damned decoy except that Reactor bomb," Reno cursed. "What's his deal, by the way?"
"He was suffering from Mako poisoning. Guess all those years in the reactors finally got to him. Because of those circumstances, we can't execute him, but he will be serving a life sentence," Tseng explained.
Reno turned in his bed, his hellish encounter with the deformed Ed Callance still fresh in his mind. "What about Ed Callance?"
Tseng sighed, expecting this question. "Ed Callance somehow got drunk and fell into the Reactor Core. The condensed Mako deformed him horribly. Your actions were actually a coup de grace, so we don't need to report this to the disciplinary board."
Reno tried and failed, to count the number of times that he had been reported to the disciplinary board. It was a nice thought that because he was injured, he would be spared the boring Riot Act and bureaucracy of Heidegger, Shinra's military leader. He acted outside the rules and got the job done. That was the way good Turks operated. In Reno's mind, if you were following the rules of society then you were breaking the rules of the Turks.
"Alright then, Reno. I will be giving you a couple of weeks to recover but I expect you to be getting back to work on the 20th, understood?" Tseng asked.
Reno nodded, and Tseng returned to his office. Reno could imagine at this moment he was now pulling a bright red stamp and pressing it against the folder reading "Case Closed". Rude was the next to leave, pitting Reno against his furious imagination on how he was going to spend the money. It was almost a full hour before Reno finally fell asleep.