Piece of Turmoil
Summary: Even if they wanted to tear each other's throats out and decapitate one another, even if they hated one another so much that there was a visible wall of tension between them at all times, they were in this together – and there was no getting out anymore.
Setting: The world is Final Fantasy VII, however there is no magic or monsters – slightly more high-tech than in the game. Midgar has been destroyed by the final attack in the first and only World War, WRO does not exist in this however ShinRa does and Rufus ShinRa is the most powerful man on the planet.
Rating: M – for language, mature content, and ideologically sensitive material
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the world, I do however own the storyline and the names given to characters that originally don't have them (last names)
Note: as before, sorry if any of the characters appear OOC. As well as, I write and post – will check for spelling and grammar mistakes when everything is done.
Thank you and please enjoy.
New Boss
Reno looked up at the beautiful woman when she leaned away from him, taking away the view of her full cleavage in the process, and noticed a faint bruise fading from her neck. "That his handiwork?" he pointed to it, not even bothering to be subtle.
Tifa looked at him before leaning once more and grabbing his hand, rubbing an ointment over the redhead's bruised knuckles. She remained silent though and Reno ground his teeth. The redhead's eyes narrowed. "What happened with you and Rude?" the woman looked him in the eyes before shrugging and changing hands. "He still cares for you, ya know?"
"I know. He was too over-protective, which is why we had to end things."
"Because of this?" Reno made a point to look at their surroundings and sighed softly. "Jeez Tiff, if I were him I'd be over-protective of you too. You are the third woman I've seen since I've walked in – not counting the brats dressed like boys and sluts." He shook his head and watched as she stepped away to put away all of the materials. "You doing okay?"
"I'm fine, Reno!"
"So you do know each other?" an obviously annoyed voice came from the doorway and both turned to see Axel leaning against the doorframe.
"Yea... she's dating my best friend," Reno shot back, ignoring the glare Tifa sent him.
"I didn't know you considered us that close, Reno," Axel drawled out and grinned lightly as he stepped further into the room and closed the door behind him.
"Axel... it's alright," she leaned closer to the younger redhead, her body curving to his as if it belong there and grabbing at his upper arm to keep him close. "That was in the past."
The redhead avoided her body pressed to his and sneered down at Reno. "Why are you here?"
"Working with you, my dear... and you?" Reno mocked the other with a light grin and stood up. He noticed the way Tifa was holding the male and her posture scared him for a moment. "Jeez Tiff... you serious for him?"
"Back down, Reno. Not on this one. I'm as serious as I'll ever be about something like this." She kept close to the younger redhead and after a moment Reno noticed Axel's hand had snaked around her middle and was holding her possessively close.
"What about Rude?"
"We're a thing of the past, Reno. I've changed. I... want to be here with him," both her arms laced around his neck and Reno understood only one thing at the moment: either she was an amazing actress, or she was serious. Since she had contacted Shinra to tell them about Axel she—Reno suddenly remembered that that was one of the things Vincent had said before he decided to spill the truth and something Rude had said as well. And Rude did not know the details of the mission – she may actually be part of them and Rude has been told otherwise so he would not become unstable.
"What about Cloud?"
"Are you calling her a slut?" Axel shot out defensively, his arm tightening around Tifa's waist.
"It's alright," she gently patted the redhead's chest and gave him a look full of apology. She then turned to Reno again and nodded softly. "Cloud knows, he does not approve, but he said he'll stick by me to help me out however he can."
"Is that why he's doing errands for your boyfriend here?" Axel growled at that but Tifa nodded. "Seriously? Didn't know you were into the drug scene... what about Marlene and Denzel?"
"Barret took them both when he went back to Mideel."
"Oh yeah... did you hear about that?" a sudden smirk split his lips and although Tifa had not been close to him before the incident she remembered every time Rude cringed when that look appeared on the redhead's face. "His newborn died."
"What!?" she pulled away from Axel only for a fraction before he pulled her close again and she held him tighter. "What happened?"
"His wife back in Mideel, she was using the dust your boyfriend is selling," he motioned to Axel. The younger redhead was scowling and his expression only became grimmer when Tifa looked at him in surprise. "That ended up killing the baby and she died shortly after. So Barret is now taking care of Marlene and Denzel by himself while working that—whatever job he had."
"Oh my," Tifa gasped, overtaken by sorrow for her old friend.
"What happened with the orphanage? What made you turn to this, Tiff?"
An awkward moment of silence passed where Reno ignored the glare Axel was directing at him and Tifa seemed deep in thought over the situation. "Orphanage was forced closed; there was nothing we could do about it. Rebuilding back here failed, as you can see, and every investor pulled their funds back. Most of the older kids got involved into drugs and the younger were sent around the world to different orphanages. I stayed back to take care of the ones that remained."
Reno thought about it for a moment and nodded. It made sense to him that the woman would remain, that was one thing about her that he doubted anybody would be able to change. But there was one problem: "when did you start using?" Tifa fell silent.
"She's not." Axel was the one who spoke and that surprised the other two in the room.
Tifa looked back at the door quickly as if to make sure it was closed and walked over to it. She opened it, looked out in the hall and looked back inside. "You know if he finds out about it, he'll have your head!"
Axel scowled at her but his narrowed eyes remained locked on Reno the entire time, studying the older redhead for what he was worth and hoping to find a hole in the other's defence, somewhere in there. "The stuff that is being given to the higher ups is different than what we're selling and what the other recruits are using. It's laced with something, not sure what, however I'm immune to it since I was a dust-baby."
Tifa looked at the ground as he spoke and guilt was written all over her features.
Reno laughed, surprising them both at the loud outburst as he suddenly stood from his stool. "So you protected her from it, but forgot to do the same for Roxas?"
"Roxas?" Tifa looked between the two. She knew of the small male, she remembered the angelic being and had heard his story over and over from different people. "What happened to him?"
"He's dead!" Reno growled low. "Nine months ago. Did you know that?" Tifa was shocked but Axel's eyes dropped.
"I found out two months ago, that's why I made the deal to get out," the younger redhead looked down. "A new inmate kept blabbering on and on how the book-store drug front closed when the owner died." His viridian eyes shot up to Reno as if blaming the older man.
"Deal? What deal?" Tifa turned to the younger redhead and that was when Reno understood that the woman was serious about the other man. She was in love with him even though it seemed to him like Axel did not return the feeling.
"He's working with me," Reno spat out and Tifa's eyes widened almost comically.
"What!? Wait... you're out! You quit when he went to prison!"
At this Axel's glare actually fell and surprise appeared on his features. "You quit?"
Reno growled low but nodded tersely. "For Roxas. Didn't want him to have any connection with these things ever again."
"How do you... how do you quit the Turks!?" Axel seemed exasperated and he walked to the small bed shoved in the corner of the room to sit down on it.
"Really hard?" Reno scoffed. "I know how to do shit, they didn't know about Roxas's death until the other day when Rude dropped by Deseré to offer me the job."
"The job," Axel scoffed, resting his elbows on spread knees and his head in his hands.
"Yea... wasn't told what I gotta do from the beginning, however my partner on the outside is gonna make a shish kebab of me if I kill you before we get this shit done."
Axel actually dared to smirk at Reno as the older redhead sat back down at the wooden chair he had been when Tifa was treating his knuckles.
"Who is it?"
"Vincent Valentine." Reno spoke with contempt as he took out his pack of cigarettes and placed one between his lips. He held it out to Tifa as the woman moved to sit beside Axel once more and she refused. He then held it out to Axel the other redhead slipped one out and straightened up, removing Tifa from his side in the process.
"I feel sorry for you already. That bastard's a legend around here with ruining everybody's lives."
Reno scoffed around the cigarette before he lit it then leaned forward and lit Axel's with comfortable ease. He put the silver Zippo away and nodded before taking a drag and pulling the cigarette away. "He succeeded in fucking up my life, though not as bad as you did."
"Fuck you!"
Reno smirked and turned his gaze away while turning his body to rest one arm over the backrest of the wooden chair. He rocked it lightly with one leg and the creaking of the wood was the only sound for a while.
"How did Roxas die?"
"Fuck you!" Reno kicked out and it was only the edge of the bed that kept his foot from destroying what deemed the other redhead a man.
Axel stared down at the foot resting between his legs and his eyes narrowed in a glare as they ran up that leg to the redhead where he was pushed on the back two legs of the chair. "I still can't believe he left me for a piece of shit like you."
Tifa fidgeted a moment and Reno understood that the topic may be uncomfortable for her. After all, here was sitting the man, whom she had said more than once was as straight as an arrow, whom had stolen her lover's previous male lover away.
"He left you 'cause you were feeding him fuckin' poison. And that's how he died. The dust he had taken was laced with something that destroyed his immune system."
"I didn't fuckin' give him any dust!" Axel stood up and kicked Reno's leg down so both legs of the chair clattered. Reno stood as well so he was glaring at Axel with the same hatred that he was receiving. "They took him from me, turned him into a dust-whore and he got addicted before I could do anything about it!"
"Before you could do anything, or before you came down from your high to realize he was gone?" Axel punched the older male for the retort and grinned when he felt it connect to the other's stomach. To his disappointment Reno did not attack back. Not in a physical sense anyway. "So, how come the shit doesn't affect you? Other than that you're a dust baby?"
"Fuck you!" Axel punched again however this time Reno grabbed his fist and cracked his knuckles in the process as he glared at the younger man.
"No. Fuck you. You screwed him over!"
"I couldn't do anything for him!" Axel kicked out and got his hurting hand released, but instead of continuing with his attack he moved back until he was within Tifa's reach and allowed for the woman to tug him back down to sit on the bed. "I had no fucking choice! I got him out as soon as I could and by that time he was already addicted! Took me a full year to try and wean him off the stuff without the higher-ups finding out! It was near impossible since they decided to promote me to head of the Midgar section!"
Reno growled and grabbed the chair again. He dragged it a little and slammed it back down once it was turned around. He straddled it and faced the two sitting on the bed, Tifa obviously comforting the hurting redhead who sat there with his head hung low.
"As soon as I found out he died, I knew they had nothing to hold against me anymore and decided to go all out. That's why I agreed with your boss on this deal."
"Is that what this deal of yours is about? Revenge?" Tifa asked softly but the accusation was clear in her voice.
Axel looked at her however as soon as their eyes met his own turned down to the hand she was resting on his knee. He took it between both of his and brought it up to his face to kiss the knuckles lightly. "It is... but from long before any of this happened."
"I heard about that," Reno called out and leaned back a little, holding onto the back of the chair for support as he stretched his upper body a little. "I know you're a dust-baby and your parents owned the bookstore you gave to Roxas. I also read the official records as to what happened to them – they were both stabbed and shot while in the store during a transaction with the man believed to be leader of this now."
"With the man that has been the leader of this now for over half a decade!" Axel growled low and his head turned up to stare at the older redhead. "If you don't want to work with me, fine – I don't give a shit. Just stay the fuck away from me."
"Oh no—" Reno laughed and shook his head. "No, no, no... you have this all wrong. You see... it's you helping me out with this. So I get to ruin your life as much as I fucking want to."
"Fuck you."
"No thank you," Reno grinned widely and looked at Tifa. The woman's body was still filled with tension however she remained close to the younger redhead. "So why don't you head out now," his eyes focused on Axel once more. "Tifa here and I have to have some adult talk."
"Don't treat me like a fucking kid."
"Oh... but you are. Now run along," he did not even bother to look at him as his eyes focused on Tifa. "This plan is only going to work if you help me out, and for this I need to ask you one very important thing: do you trust me?"
Axel scoffed and rose from the bed suddenly. He did not even say anything as he held out his hand and Tifa's arms wrapped on instinct around his arm.
"Yes."
The word startled them all and Reno was the first to recover with a slight grin. "Then ask Axel to leave. I have to talk to you about something," he looked at the younger redhead as he said this and smiled lightly. "You already have the main plan down all that's left now is to push it so it passes a little faster."
Tifa stood up and looked at Axel, all of her emotions and love spilling out towards the man however the fiery redhead ignored the look. He instead threw a glance at Reno, muttered something under his breath, and left the room. Once the door was closed behind him Reno dashed to it and flicked the lock. "Now," he turned to Tifa with narrowed eyes and stalked towards her with the frightening quality of a hunting cat. "Let's talk."
Axel stood outside the door trying to listen in as to what was happening. After a moment he felt like an idiot and stepped away. "Boss?" he turned to the man that regarded him and raised a pierced eyebrow. "Big-Boss-Man wants to talk to you," he held out the PHS to the redhead.
The man snapped the phone out of the other's hand and turned to walk down the hall as he lifted it to his ear. "Axel here."
"Axel? I thought I asked to speak to the boss?" an amused voice sounded on the other end.
"Gerald is dead."
"Ohh... and you deemed this unimportant enough not to contact me about it?"
"You said you were planning on offing with him anyway."
"So you are now in charge?"
"Just like old times, eh, pops?" Axel grinned, knowing that the expression could be heard over the phone and he did not need to sound dark and brooding at the moment.
"Hmm... just like old times. Careful not to get arrested again."
"Doubtful."
"And why are you so sure with yourself?"
"'Cause the asshole that got me last time is the one that off-ed Gerald, hoping to get me promoted."
Silence reigned for a long moment before the voice sounded again. "Explain. Now."
"He was a Turk when he arrested me, but before that he worked undercover with me here. He knows how things work and he has been discharged and is currently hunted by the Turks. Where better to hide than beside the man whose guts you despise?"
"And you're allowing this?"
"He has information I want and I can't have him going to other groups with information he gained from me in the past. I do admit, it was all my fault, however I have something here that will keep him in line."
"Hmm?"
"Tifa... they know each other from before she came here. She was apparently dating his best friend and no matter what he says, he's a softie." The man on the other line hummed once more.
"I would like to meet this... ex-Turk... not-so-friend of yours."
Axel grinned lightly and nodded to himself. "We're a bit busy here, gotta straighten up things 'cause of Gerald's death."
"Perfect! Then you can both come just in time for the annual meeting." Axel's features twisted in disgust; that made it sound like a corporate business meeting. "You did not attend before due to... various circumstances. We feel that you need to attend this year. It is in two months' time from now. Prepare and warn your not-so-friend of his manners," the voice was brisk and Axel knew the conversation was coming to a close. "You have two month to clean up our Midgar branch and get our sales up. A new shipment should be arriving through the Junon area in a week."
"Of course. I will be seeing you later, then." Axel closed the phone and tapped it lightly to his chin. After a moment he turned around, noticing he had only gone a few meters from the door and thought about the redhead trapped inside with his lover. He tapped the phone against his lips lightly as he thought of the older man. No matter what he did or said he was dead at the end of this.
He walked up to the door and tapped lightly. "Tifa, we have a new shipment coming in a week, get the kids ready when you have the time." He stepped away from the door and turned to walk away. When he heard a familiar click and clang he turned around to notice the beautiful woman stepping out of the room. Her expression was shell-shock and Axel had to wonder for a moment as to what Reno may have said to her, but he quickly disregarded the thought and looked her over. "Come now, we have to prepare for a busy next few weeks."
"Yes," she stumbled slightly but nodded. Looking over her shoulder the door opened a bit wider and Reno leaned against it, towering over the woman in close contact and a way that seemed so natural for them both. "I will talk to you later on this matter."
Reno nodded, his own expression grave. His mixed eyes, sparks of blue and silver in pools of green, glanced at Axel as the younger redhead pulled Tifa closer to him and turned to walk down the hall with her.
.tbc
Wow... few people are reading this but no one is reviewing... is it good? Anybody like the storyline or no? Is there a point for me to continue writing this?
Please read, review, and most of all: enjoy.
.sye
