Cloud seemed to find the redhead irritating at the best of times. Reno had never quite been able to work out why. It was most likely to be his links to Shinra and the past that Cloud so eagerly longed to forget. Rude disagreed, saying that it was his partner's general attitude that annoyed the blonde swordsman.
"Either way, it's a damn hopeless situation."
A woman turned to stare at him as he walked past the water cooler, thinking he had been addressing her. He flashed a flirtatious grin and waited until she blushed and looked away, murmuring an apology.
He continued walking and wandered out of the building. New scaffolding hovered precariously against the walls. After Rufus had revealed himself to the press, only a few weeks earlier, work had begun on renovating the old structure as part of a project to 'restore Midgar to its former glory.' One of Reeve's phrases, Reno was sure. It didn't sound like one of the President's press lines.
He jogged leisurely in front of a van whose driver cursed his sense of timing as he swerved and almost crashed into a neat stack of delivery crates that were acting as steps. A group of children, watching from atop another stack, applauded Reno loudly. He bowed, dramatically, continuing to walk backwards into a nearby alleyway.
"A bold performance."
Reno turned sharply as the sound of dark laughter echoed down the passageway.
"Who's there?"
A shadow in the far corner shifted, slowly.
"Now, now. Mustn't spoil the suspense."
The soft reprimand was accompanied by a dark chuckle.
Reno's fingers curled around the handle of his EMR. He thought he could make out a vague form in one far corner: a darker point against the shadows. It shifted, as though raising one arm. Every nerve in his body wanted to strike out, but Rufus had specifically ordered the Turks not to do anything that might tarnish the new Shinra's reputation.
"What are you looking for over there?"
The voice sounded close. Far too close. Next to his ear.
Reno turned back towards the street. The boys had gone. A lone man was sitting on the stack of crates reading a tabloid. He had a slowly smoking cigarette in the corner of his mouth.
"Wrong again."
The voice was behind him again. It laughed as his eyes fruitlessly searched the alleyway for any sign of the presence.
"Shall I help you?"
As he turned again, he found himself facing a tall, thin man with red, shining eyes. Long, grey hair framed a tanned face, which sported a smirk of triumph.
"Surprised, Axel?"
The man approached him slowly, seeming to float over the ground rather than walk upon it.
"Axel? Wha-"
The man was standing before him now. Reno felt his back collide with something hard and realised that he had been backing away, towards the wall. A sudden anger flushed through him: how dare this man stand up to a Turk? He gripped the handle of his weapon tighter and pulled himself to stand straighter.
"The fuck dude? The hell d'you want?"
He flashed a cocky grin and took a step forwards so that he was no longer pressed against the wall.
The man played along, stepping backwards. This time, Reno could see the flow of his long black robe as he moved. Nothing supernatural, nothing out of the ordinary.
Yeah, 'coz just anyone can walk up that quietly, right?
"Look, why don't we come to an agreement." He smiled condescendingly, a look he had perfected from Tseng. "You get outta my way and don't bother me again, and we say no more of this. Sound fair?"
The man's smile widened.
"It would indeed sound fair, if I was at all feeling intimidated by you. It seems that you do not yet have that advantage."
Reno sighed dramatically and looked up at the man, shaking his head.
"Well, I didn't wanna have to do this, yo."
Rufus and his rules be damned; this guy doesn't know how to take a hint.
He pulled the EMR out of its holster at its hip with a flourish. The stick sang in his hand as he activated its electrical pulse and swung it out towards the figure. He threw his weight behind it, to ensure that when it struck it would leave the man reeling.
It never hit.
Instead of colliding with the man's broad chest, it fell through and Reno fell with it.
"Oh dear, that really wasn't very sensible, Axel. You should have known better."
From the floor, Reno glared up at the man as the red eyes began to glow with an eerie light as though infused with materia. The wind picked up around them and the man seemed to be falling towards him, arms outstretched and his mouth open wide in a grotesque grin.
Reno had time to mutter one last thing before his mind went blank.
"Oh shit!"
