MURDER MARKS
Preface
I had always wanted to be a Turk. And hey, don't get me wrong! It had its ups. I got respect, a great partner, lots of pretty women; especially after the whole "save the world" thing. Oh, yeah, and free booze. Anywhere I went drinks were on the house. Well, except for the Seventh Heaven. No surprise there.
Anyway, perks for Turks, definitely. But sometimes, you have to write your own story…
DAY THREE
A low rumble was heard in the distance from the shabby back room of the bar. A little girl sat next to her friend, humming as she braided her doll's hair. She paused for a second, seeming to cock her ear, to get an indication of what the noise may be. Even the clock seemed to pause with her. She glanced at an open notebook on the table with disdain. She was supposed to be doing her homework, like her Aunt had told her. But she hated school. She sometimes wished secretly that the world would be in chaos again, just so she wouldn't have to do homework.
The rumble got louder, turning to a low, constant thrum. She gasped in delight. She stared wide-eyed at her best friend for a moment before letting out a childish squeal and launching out of her chair. It sea-sawed for a moment and then clattered to the floor. The doll that had been so lovingly groomed slumped over; as was the custom anytime that noise came around. A full flight of stairs was no obstacle for the tiny thing as the thrum died off into a cackled purr, then went silent. She careened with her caretaker but quickly recovered.
She made it to the door just as it fell open, and with a sort of earned habit, threw her arms around two muscular legs clad all in black.
"Well, look who's home from school."
"Yep!" She gave a full grin, despite the fact that her front two teeth were newly missing.
"We missed you, Cloud." The warm feminine voice came up from behind the girl, and she was smart enough to stand aside from the inevitable—being scrunched into a pancake when Tifa's arms went around him.
The hug lasted longer than normal, and to Marlene's great satisfaction, she realized it was Cloud's doing. "I got back as soon as I could," he responded, letting his right hand linger at her back as long as possible. "But you know how demanding Wutai has been lately."
"It worries me," Tifa replied slowly. "Do you think it has something to do with that girl you saved yesterday?"
Cloud shrugged. Ever since the rumor had gotten out that Jenova's finger was found in the dig site near the ancient city, people had been ordering a lot of weapons. Everyone was jumpy and paranoid, especially the Shinra. He had recently rescued a village girl who had been attacked by them. Poor families were spending the last dimes they had to pay for arms. It didn't surprise him that Wutai had been ordering more than necessary. No one wanted to see Sephiroth one more time without somehow managing to blow his head off. Not to mention if NEW SOLDIER continued to harass their town people, they were going to be ready to battle, he imagined. He had to admit he would feel the same in their position. Pure terror had rarely gripped his heart….but the last time he saw the self-appointed "one-winged angel" his senses were overloaded with it. "They're just getting ready for the worst." He tried to take a step forward, but Marlene had glued herself to his side again. He picked her up easily and bodily carried her over to a nearby table, where he sat for a drink. "Don't you have schoolwork?"
"Nope!" Marlene said.
"Yes," Tifa accusingly barked at the same time. She sighed. "Do you think the rumors are true, Cloud?"
His eyes darkened. "I don't know. But if they are, I'll be ready, too." He glanced at a movement in the corner and saw Denzel coming down the stairs. "Hey."
The boy looked up sourly. He had been that way for a while. Sour, depressed, even angry at times. When he had explained to Cloud why, the ex-soldier had felt his blood chill inside. He wished he knew what was exactly wrong. It was a bit disturbing that he couldn't help him. He used to be a bright-eyed kid. "Hey."
"Did you walk Marlene home?"
"Don't I always?" he barked. Cloud fairly jolted. Denzel was not short on surprises, lately. Only a year had passed since the geostigma incident, but sometimes it felt like the boy was mature and tough enough to enlist in the NEW SOLDIER army. He wished he could help. If the geostigma wasn't enough….now this! "Come on, Marlene. If you do your homework I'll play Turks and Raiders with you tonight."
She grinned, unaware of the downside of that bribe. "Okay!" She fairly leapt out of Cloud's lap and hurried up the stairs with her friend.
Cloud eyed the stairs suspiciously as his fiancé set a drink before him. "Did I see a bruise on his eye?"
Tifa slid into the chair beside him, sadly. "They all know he's different, Cloud. They give him such a hard time." She shrugged in remorse, shaking her head. "They say such terrible things."
"It's only because they don't understand him." He took a long sip of the drink, aware that she was watching him intensely. He smiled only slightly, touching her fingers lightly with his gloved hand. "I owe you everything."
She grinned, mood changing suddenly. "You're right."
He was just leaning in when the door banged open suddenly. Cloud spun, sword in hand, pushing Tifa behind him with the other. His senses, flushed with radical Mako, burned hotly inside of him. He drew back for the strike. He stopped just short of severing the Turk's head from his shoulders.
"What are you doing here?" he barked irritably. They may have aided in saving the world, but he didn't exactly trust them, yet. The only people he was carrying more equipment to than the Wutai were the Shinra. Thoughts of them rebuilding the Shinra empire often plagued his mind, and he never liked the idea.
The redheaded Turk panted, swallowing hard. His lip was bleeding. "I can't believe I'm saying this, buddy," he told him, extending his hand in a friendly gesture, "but I need your help."
'I need your help?' Cloud glanced over Reno's shoulder, blade at the ready. "Where's your partner?"
"I came alone."
It was obvious that Reno was shaken. That was something that never happened. Reno always managed to keep his cocky sense of humor, even on his deathbed. And he never did anything for the Shinra independently….that he knew of. He took a glance at Reno's attire: Sloppy, even for him; dirty, a hole in his knee, a swollen, bleeding left eye, and a deep scratch along his chest. He was wild-eyed and anxious. Cloud slowly lowered his sword. He nodded. "Take a seat."
DAY ONE
Wutai hadn't changed much; even through two near end-of-the-world experiences. Maybe that's part of why I went there so much. It was simple, not like Midgar or Costa del Sol or even Mount Nibel, which had recently become a tourist attraction on the southern slopes of "Sephiroth's mountain". People here took life one day at a time and didn't care to do much besides that.
I would be lying if I said that's why I came, though…
Reno waltzed in with an arrogant flair and threw himself into his normal spot—far end table, away from the entrance, back to the bar. "The usual, baby, I'm parched!" He called out in his usual lackadaisical voice. He hadn't even seen her, yet, but he knew she was there.
They had started talking three years ago, when he was off on sick leave; Just after Cloud, Tifa, and Barrett had kicked the snot out of him in Sector Seven. She was charming and funny and kind and….well, even if she hadn't been all that….extremely pretty. It was enough to keep him coming to Wutai over and over again. They had their ups and downs, though. One of the downs was that her father claimed to resent the Shinra, and when he found out that she was dating one, he used excessive force to convince her otherwise; Which Reno found out about and retaliated by slamming his head into a wall—six times. Oh, they had gotten into a huge argument about that one. But she viewed it as her responsibility to take care of him, especially since (as she said) he was her father by choice and not by nature. Apparently he had found her in Midgar years ago and raised her as his own. In any case, Reno noticed the new bruises never stopped and neither did she. She was always so damned supportive!
Then again, even though he hated her mistreatment, he viewed it as a chance to show her he was her knight in shining armor. All the while, he never lost his edge or his stupid dry sense of humor. Even after he had nearly killed her father a while back, he never lost his cocky grin.
He had kept her secret for all three years. If the company knew he had a 'distraction', he would have lost his job. And he wasn't about to give up his compensation! There had been close calls, however. One time when he was busy, Rude answered his phone for him. He raised one eyebrow, staring at Reno. "Strawberry!" He bellowed aloud. "Who the…?" Reno had launched himself at the phone before Rude could figure it out. He hung up with a nervous chuckle, saying it was a new call sign. Rude had given him a "Sure, like I really believe you," look and walked out. Another time, he took her to Costa Del Sol and ran into Reeve in the dressing room. Once, she waved at him from a crowd and made a kissy-face during a parade. Despite all that, no one had caught on and she was still his little secret.
A little secret that apparently didn't hear him come into the door. "Hey, Avera, did you hear? I'm one thirsty hunk 'o man in here!" He paused, chuckling to himself. His face fell when he got no reply. Where was his kiss? Where was his cute little bar maid in the halter-top? Where was his Lifestream Flush? "Avera?" He stood, wrist flexing instinctively, as if he already had the shock-rod in his hand.
As he walked behind the bar, he thought of his first date with her: Costa Del Sol. The way she wiggled out of that swim cover-up….his flesh bristled at the memory. His lips flinched into a grin. Oh, yeah; That was nice, wasn't it? Okay, she wasn't behind the bar. He paused, blue eyes scanning the room. Could she be playing a prank on him? Was that it? She had tackled him one time when he walked in. Oh, that was nice, too! His lips twisted again and he caught himself smirking. As he was thinking about that one, he heard a soft mumble in the kitchen behind him. So she must be playing a trick on him! She was probably back there whispering to Yuffie about how they would jump him again. He grinned some more, putting his hand to the doorknob.
Another memory came: The Golden Saucer. He had taken her there the same night Cloud and his gang came. They never ran into each other, thankfully, although he was called off early to assist Reeve in his little Cait Sith subterfuge. In any case, Reno had decided nothing was sexier to a woman than watching a man play nice with the big dumb animals. He climbed into the chocobo stable, (her fussing the whole time about it not being a good idea), and fell flat into a pile of choco-crap bigger than the wheels on a truck. After a long shower and intense humiliation, he took her on the gondola. He had managed to get his first kiss. Unfortunately, the car jerked to a halt just as they were getting the swing of it, and he nearly flew over her head. Oh, yeah, she had laughed her pretty head off at him that whole evening. But he quickly found out comedy worked for him, and he began using it at every opportunity. Just wait until he saw her this time….
He swung open the door with his cocky half-grin on his mouth. It didn't last long.
He was over the top of the overturned refrigerator and dented stove in about two seconds, picking her up gently from the shattered remains of glasses and serving plates; utensils littered the floor like confetti. She moaned a little when he moved her. He licked his top lip, drawing her pale blonde hair out of her face. He swallowed at the bruises there. "Avera," he forced.
Her green eyes fluttered a bit. "Reno?"
"Who, Avera?" His eyes flashed in anger, thinking of how he was going to kill her father as soon as he got her to safety.
She shook her head ever so slightly and brushed his jaw with her fingertips. A smile flickered for a brief second in recognition and then faded. "Soldier," she muttered. That's all she could say before she faded again.
Rufus Shinra was busy. It was true that he was busier since the last Jenova incident, but it wasn't just with "rebuilding the world". No, nothing so serene and docile. He sat behind the scientist before him, listening to him rant and rave over the progress they were making. Truthfully, most of it went between his ears with no impact in the middle. It was a miracle in itself that the scientist was even around. It was even more amazing that he was willing to work after all the rumors going around about Jenova's finger. Not only was that supposed to be classified, but it wasn't even enough for the world to be panicked with. The finger was so old and decayed it wouldn't have been a threat anyway. The real threat came a year before—if you could call it a threat. "I don't care about that," he snapped at him. "Will it work or not?"
"We need a specimen," the scientist replied simply.
Rufus nodded to himself thoughtfully. "I suppose we can isolate the Jenova isotope in one of those kids."
The scientist chuckled to himself. "I have a better idea," he replied. "Use a clone."
The president smirked at him. "Clone? Oh, I suggest we politely ask Cloud Strife to surrender to a painful procedure that, if successful, means Shinra is rebuilt and regains ultimate power. Maybe we should pay him. Then he'll come willingly."
"Not that clone," he replied, laughing even more hysterically. "Another failed experiment."
He was losing his patience. He glared at him.
"I've already sent some of NEW SOLDIER to retrieve the clone. They should be back shortly."
"If it is a docile Sephiroth clone," he argued, "It is a mistake to send NEW SOLDIER. Especially these new cadets—they aren't the soldiers we remember. We should send the Turks. They've never lost their edge."
"If we send them," he replied, unblinkingly, "we risk revealing the secret. They are smarter than these new cadets."
Rufus pressed his lips together, and then nodded. "Very well. But the last thing I need is another Sephiroth on the loose. It doesn't shine well in the Tabloids. Take every precaution necessary."
DAY TWO
No matter what I say or do, she's always there. When I fought Cloud, she was there. When we fought Loz and Yazoo, she was there. When we blew them up…Hmm. I'm beginning to see why President Shinra always considered outside relationships to be detrimental. Then again, she gave me this kind of spiritual fuel; a strange energy.
I didn't know what I would do if she were threatened; if she were in danger of being taken from me. Maybe that's why it happened…
She was unlocking the doors to the bar. The breeze in Wutai was cool and inviting, yet strangely ominous. She felt jittery. Something seemed to brush by her, in her mind. She spun to attack but saw no one but the village elders waiting for their daily weaponry shipment. She paused, touching the bruise on her face, watching the suspicious stares of the elders. She shivered. If they knew, was it possible that others knew, too? Was that why NEW SOLDIER…? Without a second thought, she shoved the idea to the back of her mind and opened the bar door.
The elders were staring at the bar the girl had just entered when Cloud pulled up. They gave him the usual friendly greeting, which he usually didn't care for. He shot them a brief wary glance as he began backing away, letting them shuffle through their order.
"Can we get you anything?"
Cloud's Mako-born eyes looked away from one of the elders. "No."
"Are you sure? We have excellent drinks here, sir. Many people visit for a special kind—a….uh….Lifestream Flush, I think she calls it. Reno the Turk comes here for them often."
His eyes narrowed and shifted back to the elder. He wanted nothing to do with the Turks, although Reno was the most acceptable of the four. "No, thank you."
Right about that time, there was a crash, and all turned to see a man flying through a now-shattered window. By the look of his uniform, he was one of NEW SOLDIER. Cloud's curiosity and sense of foul play got the best of him. Excitement pumped through his veins like mad. Without hesitation, he dove into the bar to investigate. As he crashed through the door, sword in hand, he took it all in: One man in a white coat disappearing through the back door, twenty-odd NEW SOLDIER attacking one woman, who fell to her knees before Cloud. She looked up in despair, and he knew it was his turn to fight.
From the moment she heard the door slam and rock off the hinges, she knew her salvation had come. She expected it to be a redhead in a black suit, but she fell to her knees before Cloud Strife himself. With a cool glance, he took it all in and began fighting them off. It took all of about a minute before they realized they were outnumbered and took off. Cloud turned to her. He hadn't even broken a healthy sweat. "Are you alright?" He asked, checking her over briefly.
She grinned. "Of…of course! That was amazing! Thanks a lot!"
He pointed a finger at her face. "They injured you?"
"What? No," she traced a finger over her cheekbone. "That's from yesterday."
His eyes went sharp and clear. "Yesterday?"
She frowned. She had forgotten whom she was talking to. He was the hero the world over knew and loved. To get him involved in this would be frivolous and petty. Besides, the last thing the Wutai elders wanted was publicity. They didn't even like the fact that Reno came every other day. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get you involved. They've been here two days in a row. I don't know what they want. But they don't want drinks." She sighed, waiting for him to shrug it off and leave. Instead, he stared at her coolly and curiously. He seemed intrigued by her. She felt it, too. A strange familiarity came rushing over her, but she couldn't quite place it. It was like looking at a person you never met and wondering if you had. "Sorry. I wish I knew what they wanted."
"You should be more careful," he finally replied.
"I know." She shook her left shoulder, feeling the tenderness there. The last one had hit her with some sort of stick.
Cloud took in the broken tables and smashed window, and then looked back to her. She was slightly shorter than him, slender-built but somewhat solid. Built like him except for much more feminine curves. She was strikingly pretty: large green eyes, pale blonde hair, long eyelashes, curved brow, full lips. A faint scar touched her right eyebrow. Something about her was so strikingly familiar it made him nervous. Giving her one last sweeping—almost accusing—glance, he turned to leave.
"Cloud…"
He stopped at the doorway and looked over his shoulder at her.
"You…." She paused, as if wanting to reconsider, and then continued. "You wouldn't happen to know why, would you?"
"If I did," he assured her, "I would stop it." He paused. That wasn't much of a comfort to her, he imagined. Besides the fact that he didn't know why he would volunteer to get involved in a thing like that in the first place. He considered that for a moment. Then he suggested, "You should probably leave town."
Her face fell. "You're not the first person to tell me that. I'll consider it. Thanks."
Cloud Strife walked out of the bar as suddenly as he had walked in. She turned, brushing her pretty hair away from her eyes, as she surveyed the damage. "What a mess." Only one thing to do: She made her way over to the phone with a sense of dread and dialed in the number.
"Reno? It's Avera. I'm fine….No, really, but…."
Her eyes skimmed the bar. "It's happened again."
Reno came tearing into the Wutai bar as if Bahamut was after him personally. Wild-eyed, he gazed around the nearly tidy bar. He caught sight of Yuffie first, grumbling something about not being a janitor, but a famous ninja. "Yuffie!" He grabbed her by the arm.
"Yipes, Reno!" She griped. "She's over there! Jeez!" With an irritated gesture, she jerked herself away. Apparently she had always held the same high opinion of him as the rest of her save-the-world companions.
Reno caught sight of his girl wrapping up some broken glass beside the bathroom door. He walked up to her slowly, as if she weren't really there and his eyes were playing tricks on him. Besides, he didn't know what he was going to say when he finally got there.
She caught sight of him immediately. Her eyes sparkled and she grinned ear-to-ear, as if nothing extraordinary had happened at all. "Hey, Turkey. What's up?"
Turkey was his nickname given him just recently. He hated it. The cute little ring along with the implications often made him want to keel over and vomit. But he never objected very strongly, as she said it, and her voice made everything just a bit more acceptable. The idea of her giving him a nickname also gave him an egocentric tingle that he loved. He wasn't in the mood for that, though. She could tell immediately by the blue-eyed glare he gave her. "What's up! Oh, you know—flying from Midgar to pass the time and decided to swing by Wutai to see if my overly-popular girlfriend was dead or not. You know—the usual."
She suddenly got irritated. She stood to face him. "I called you, didn't I?"
"You could have left like I told you to do."
"You know I have to take care of my father!" She shot back.
"Oh right! Your crazy, drunk old man. Hmm. I could be wrong, but it seems like you may be a sucker for punishment." He knew he was yelling, but he couldn't seem to stop. Reno had, among other things, a very hot temper.
She advanced, getting right into his face. "Don't blame me for this! It's your stupid company that wants to beat me black and blue lately!"
Yuffie jumped in right about that time with something about bringing the next meteor down on their heads with all the noise, but Reno had already stopped. He took that like a bucket of cold water right in his face.
She immediately regretted it. She gave him an apologetic look. "Reno—I'm sorry. I'm shaken up, that's all."
He didn't respond at first; he sat motionless in the closest upright seat. Jenova. The "Sephiroth gene". Geostigma. Is that why he…? My company, my president…my fault. He felt a hand on his shoulder, which broke through his thoughts. It was Avera, all bruised up but as gorgeous as ever. "It's my fault," he told her.
"What? Reno, no…."
"Yes, it is. I could have stopped him. I should have." He shook his head. "I was too busy being a damned Turk."
Her eyes searched his. "What do you mean?"
He thought to himself for a minute. Company secrets were things he had sworn to keep, under penalty of severe punishment. But never in his life had he thought anything like this would happen. He was so wrapped up in the Shinra advances, the rebuilding of Shinra, and the training of NEW SOLDIER. He had made friends with the kids, and was sure that the rebuilding of their world was more important than any ethical reasons why the Jenova cells shouldn't be used for a mutually beneficial purpose. He looked up at her, thinking over and over of the oath he took when he became a Turk. Then with a forced smile, he took her hand. "I can't tell you. Classified company stuff. But don't worry. I'm going to figure it all out, okay?"
She stared at him hesitantly, and then her eyes dropped to his hand in hers. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Oh, yeah."
With no warning, she leaned over and gave him a quick smack on the mouth. His skin seemed to jump off of him when she did that. He savored the sensation as he stared up into her eyes. He couldn't wipe that dopey smirk off of his face. He imagined he looked ridiculous. She took a lock of his hair in her thumb and forefinger and shook it back and forth playfully. "You're a real great guy, you know that?"
"Hey, I'm a Turk, remember? I'll get to the bottom of it. That's what I do." Yeah, along with murdering people.
By the look of fear and sadness in her eyes, he could tell he just didn't quite convince her. It didn't matter. He didn't convince himself, either.
Rude, Tseng, and Elena stood alone before the president. He looked up from his paperwork. "Where's Reno?"
Tseng and Elena, as if on cue, looked at Rude. Naturally, Rude would know before anyone where Reno was and where he was going. They were partners, and more than that—they were friends. 'Best buds,' as Reno had said one time. In his usual cool, nonchalant manner, he replied: "He called in sick a few hours ago."
"In the middle of the day?" Elena wondered aloud.
Tseng smirked. "Twenty gil says he's hung over."
The president cleared his throat. All turned to him a tad guiltily. "We'll have to continue without him, then." He stood and stretched his legs, walking gamely across the room. Just a year ago and he couldn't even stand. The treatments had certainly worked magic for him. "The latest project Shinra has adopted requires a viable, living specimen. We have sent NEW SOLDIER several times, but they have returned empty-handed."
"And now it's the Turks' turn," Tseng offered. "Where do we need to go?"
"A word of caution, first," The president replied. "This specimen has the strongest cluster of Jenova cells we have seen since Kadaj. They are equal in strength, we suspect, to Cloud Strife himself. She's also a….rowdy…fighter. Use extreme caution."
Tseng nodded, but the caution hadn't fazed him. He knew they could handle it. "Where, sir?"
He looked out the window, hand falling to his side. "Wutai."
Reno had finally convinced her to leave. He told her that dear old dad could handle things for two measly days while he figured out why his company was trying to kill her. She agreed. He glanced at his watch as he stepped out of the chopper. She was supposed to be packing up a few things right now. He was going to make a few phone calls and then he would be back for her. He assured her it would be quick. He had already stopped by his house to get it "guest worthy". Right now, he was half-jogging out of the landing bay, sliding his card through the sensors without thinking.
It was only a few moments later when he heard Rufus Shinra's voice call him. He fairly back-peddled from heading into Rude's office. "Yes, sir."
"Feeling better?" He was down the hallway a bit, staring at him coolly.
Reno half-grinned, trying to keep his nervous embarrassment down. The last thing he needed was to go on probation….again. "Heh-heh. Yeah. It's the strangest thing, ya know…."
"I'm sure. I sent Rude out on assignment. He's not in his office."
"Oh." His face fell. He was sort-of hoping to get Rude's help. "Okay. Well, if there's nothing else, I think I'll call it a day."
Rufus never lost his cool. "There is, actually. Why don't you walk with me?"
"Oh. Yes sir. Heh-heh." Darn it! He stepped up beside the president. As he glanced at his watch again, Shinra began to talk.
"I'm sorry you were ill. I wanted to send you on the same assignment. Despite some past disciplinary situations, you know you are the next in line to be Turk One, correct?" He didn't need an affirmative. Reno knew he was good. He bragged on it all the time. "Though you have a roguish edge, I believe I can trust you. You are loyal to me, and this company. To show my gratitude, I'm letting you in on our newest operation."
Yawn! Jeez, if he doesn't shut up, I'm never going to get to Wutai in time to pick Avera up!
"Look, Reno. Only a year ago, I couldn't walk. Do you remember what healed me?"
Everyone does, hot shot. You won't let them forget. You go on and on endlessly about it. He tried to hide his boredom, more for job security than politeness. "Jenova cells, sir."
"Correct. But if the world knew that they would oust me, possibly destroy me. We know what's in the best interest of the world, though, even if they don't. You've always kept our world's interest at heart. Can I trust you to continue?"
What in the heck is he going on about? "Of course."
"Good." The elevator stopped and the doors slid open. They were in the science wing, third floor—the lab. Just before them were the two double doors leading in. "Ironic, isn't it, Reno, that along with the calamity of Geostigma came glorious healing. The geostigma racking my damaged body with pain, yet healing the damage from weapon's attack. And the power of the Cetra took away all the misery of the stigma. But the work wasn't complete, remember? That's when I decided to use our stash of cells we hid from Kadaj….and now I can walk! I feel so….healthy!"
Reno seemed to look through him. Why do big wigs ramble so much? I've been away from Wutai for seven hours now. Avera's gonna think I'm dead. Well, I guess I will be if he keeps boring me to death.
"So I began thinking: What if we combined the power of Jenova with the ancients? Think of the strength, Reno! The wisdom of the two greatest forces we've ever known working together! What do you think?"
He looked up from his watch guiltily. He had been half-listening. He had managed somehow to get the gist of the last part. "Well, sir, I'm no scientist, but I don't think it could ever work. If you tried it, it would probably kill you." Be glad you can walk again instead of trying to fly.
Rufus smiled pleasantly. "We thought that, too. But an exceptional scientist—an old friend of ours—thought he could remove the incompatible chromosomes that would cause them to deteriorate. However, testing it would be risky and painful. We needed a specimen." He chuckled. "She put up quite a fight, but we finally got her a few hours ago."
He suddenly felt dizzy and sick. He had a really bad feeling. His eyes went round. "You…you did what, sir?"
"See for yourself." With a calm smile, he opened the doors and let Reno in. They walked in about twelve feet until they rounded the back of a huge cryo-chamber. From the metal lining on the back, he was given a few more seconds of bliss, without pain or fear or worry. But when he came around the front, all those bad feelings were confirmed. At the sight of the love of his life floating there, face pinched in pain, the room spun in circles and his knees went weak.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" He heard Rufus say from what seemed like miles. "She's our chance of really rebuilding."
Behind the glass, one small hand was stretched out; The hand that sported the oversized Turk ring. She seemed to be reaching for him even though her eyes were closed. Reno caught himself barely reaching out in return, as if he could possibly pull her out of the nightmare. He lost cohesion for a moment and simply fell against the glass; it was unbearably cold to the touch. So cold it was, in fact, that he pulled back in amazement, swaggering the other way.
"Are you still sick, Reno?"
He swallowed hard. "Yeah…." He was shaking all over, and he couldn't help it. Everything he had within him was building a barrier against his rage, trying to keep it all in and not blow his cover. "Why her?" His voice sounded tiny and slightly strained.
"She is Sephiroth's blood," a new voice called from behind him.
His eyes blazed as he turned to the voice. "Hojo!"
"Hee, hee! Jenova cells are more resilient than that fool Cloud believed. After all, here I am." He walked up to the glass and rapped on it lovingly. "My beautiful specimen…. my pretty Sephiroth clone."
The world shot into pretty colors and then dimmed. Pressure built up inside of him until he thought he was literally going to explode. "Sephi….but she's a girl! What are you talking about?"
"Variation A of the Sephiroth clone. The female prototype: A'vera."
Reno doubled over, clutching his stomach. He felt sure he was going to be sick all over the equipment. This was too much to handle. She couldn't be a Sephiroth clone! First of all, she was a girl. The whole gene manipulation thing just sat as impossible in his mind. Secondly, she didn't look like Sephiroth. Maybe similar sharp features, but hardly comparable to the nightmare. Thirdly, she was his girl; she had never done anything anywhere close to evil. She cared for a father that would rather beat her than talk to her. It just couldn't be true!
The president's hand fell on his shoulder. "You should go home, Reno. You don't look very well."
He looked up into the eyes of Rufus Shinra, the president, the man he had committed his career—practically his life—to. Everything he knew was crumbling around him. Everything seemed so transparent, so unreal. So it is my fault after all. To think I watched while he injected himself with Jenova cells. He turned to Hojo, unable to mask his glowering stare. "You're a frickin' monster!" He spat angrily. "You brought Sephiroth into this world to begin with! You fought the only person capable of defeating him. And now you're doing this! You sorry…"
"Reno!" The president called sharply. "You're sick! Go home! Now!"
He spun on Shinra, anger gathering in his eyes like a solar flare. Pull it together Reno. You can't do this alone! Every soldier and Turk will be on you before you can get to the door! You've gotta think…gotta think…Gotta…Cloud! His face relaxed into a moderately strained look as he grappled for control. "You're right, sir. I apologize. I'm…uh….I'm not feeling like myself."
Rufus nodded under his blonde bangs. "Get some rest."
Reno staggered for a minute and then righted himself. He had just taken a step forward when he heard an alarm squeal behind him. He spun on his heel to find Hojo rushing for the computer. "Contain her!" Rufus yelled at him, backing away slightly. As he turned back, he saw her hand flex and then stretch out further. Her eyes shot open, but it wasn't her eyes at all. What used to be emerald green and turned into Mako-infused, pale-blue. The color was so light, he was sure he had never seen it before. Mystified, he stared as she reached out more, until her fingers bumped the glass. "She's waking up, you idiot!" Rufus snapped again. He was losing his dignity quickly.
Hojo was enamored. "Such a beautiful, strong specimen! So much like her failure of a sibling! She's breaking our hold on her."
The Turk's hands clasped into fists. Come on, Avera. Come on, baby…fight it! Once again, he heard Rufus' voice bellow out over the screech of the sirens. "The last thing we need is a lady Sephiroth on the loose! Get control or get out!" The scientist snapped back to reality and complied, tapping controls quickly. The cryo-chamber responded by sending electrical currents all through the water. Sparks flew from her teeth, her hair, her fingertips. NO!
"Re….no…." Her eyes locked onto his. For a moment, he thought she had won over all the torture they were putting her through. And then, shuddering all over, she bowed her head and accepted defeat.
"The voltage was too much for her mind to take," Hojo explained. "She should be unconscious for a long time."
Rufus stood up straight, sweating. "Good. Reno, I know this concerns you."
…You're damn right it concerns me…
"I know you want to stay. I know you want to protect me. I assure you, we have everything under control. This little mishap was just a fluke. Nothing to be worried about."
Sure, I wanna protect you, pres. I want to put you in a really safe place; like maybe that chamber my girlfriend is in. "Sure," he snapped, and then stalked out of the room aggressively.
The president sighted and pulled out his PHS. "So unfortunate," he muttered to himself as it rang. "I was hoping he would understand. But, This is Shinra. I'm sorry to call you in the middle of the night, especially after your wonderful service today. However, I need your assistance. I have a special job for you."
Cloud was driving back home late at night when he first felt it. An itch, a tickle, at the back of his mind. "ugh!" He shook his shoulders and twisted his neck, trying to rid himself of the maddening sensation. Instead, it spread; all the way through his fingertips and down his spine.
Somewhere in Midgar, a little boy woke up, screaming aloud. Tifa heard the unknown name as she was shaken from her slumber. "Avera!"
Reno had ran the whole way to the chopper. The engines were already turning by the time he reached it. He was about to climb in when someone called his name. He turned, nearly frantically, to the sound. He had one focus and one only: To find Cloud and convince him to save a Sephiroth clone. Piece of cake, right? "Rude! Listen, buddy, I'm glad to see you!"
"Drop your weapon."
Reno looked left and right and behind him, sure there was someone else around that he was speaking to. When he found no one else he was shocked. He squinted at his partner. He was some fifteen feet away from him, stone-faced and grim. "What? Hey, what's going on?"
"The president has requested your full cooperation."
"Oh, come on now. Rude, we're partners. How long have you known me? What's going on?"
Rude frowned even deeper, if that were possible. He seemed to be fighting an internal battle of some kind; probably about whether he should tell him or not. Meanwhile, he watched his partner: unmoving, red hair and unkempt clothes flapping in the force of the helicopter's blades. "The president has informed me he is doubtful that you still have the company's best interests at heart."
Reno feigned shock. "Is that what he told you? When's the last time I did something that stupid? Er….don't answer that, huh?" He shook his head stubbornly. "Do you know what he's up to? He's got a female Sephiroth clone in there! I don't think he's going to win any peace medals here."
"That's why word shouldn't get out."
"Come on, man! It's dangerous! Besides, she's an innocent woman! She doesn't deserve any of this."
"She's not so innocent when she's surrounded by three Turks and backed into a corner," he replied evenly, touching a new bruise on his jaw.
He stiffened, his blue eyes widening and going dark. "You….? Rude, how could you?"
"I took the same oath we all did: to protect the company's interests."
"What about the world's interests? Don't they matter? What about her interests?" He paused, trying to find some way to reach him, struggling to decide if he should break his vow of silence. "I kept her a secret from you, I know, but….she's my girl, Rude. She's my girl! They had no right to do this to her! You know?"
His partner looked very surprised. Reno's girl? Reno had a girl? How unusual. How unlikely. How disturbing….he didn't have one himself. The two of them hardly ever had women. If one did it was always Reno. Why was that? But if he had been keeping her a secret that meant it was serious enough to hide. That meant he cared about her and their relationship in a way that he didn't normally care about anything—even his job.
He knew enough about Rude to know he was about to cave in. But Rude didn't particularly like caving in that easily. He looked uncomfortable at first, then shrugged. "I'm sorry, Reno." He looked genuinely apologetic. "The president made a request. It's my job to ensure his requests are fulfilled."
But you're my partner; my buddy…"I don't want to fight you, Rude." He put his hand in his pocket and shifted his weight to one foot, waiting for his chance.
"Then come along."
"Fat chance!" He snarled, grinning at him.
"In Shinra's interests, I must insist…"
Reno chuckled. "Oh, come on. You never talked this much before. Feeling a little hesitant, friend?"
He frowned.
"I would be, if I had to fight me; the next in line for Turk One. Would have been, too, if Tseng weren't such a quick healer." He smiled at their old joke. Only this time, Rude wasn't smiling back. "Come on. We're Turk brothers!"
"Not if you no longer serve the president."
"Come on; I still serve the president….give me a chance to prove it."
Rude extended his arm, a signal that he was about to fight.
His eyes widened in alarm. "Come on, Rude. Just listen a second will you?" That's all he had time for. Rude dove for him and the battle was on.
