AN: I like this chapter, mostly because it has Rude to the rescue! Rude is so cool, he's such a tank. Also I like exasperated Tseng, I think he probably spends a great deal of his time being exasperated when he's dealing with Reno. EDIT: I missed like half a chapter here so I re-uploaded it. Sorry. :D Anyway, enjoy and thank you for reading.
Reno heard someone talking within the room, the voice was deep and melodic and one he recognised. He slowly let go of his pent up breath and tried to force himself to relax before rounding the corner and stepping over Professor Farley's torn arm. He saw a tall figure crouching over another prone one, the light flashed from a seven foot sword gripped in one gloved hand. Reno watched blood drip steadily from the tip and had sudden, brutal flash backs to Junon Harbour before Sephiroth had gone mad. The utter destruction he had wrought on AVALANCHE's members, bloody walls, deep gouges in the walls, screams. He had had to help during the clean up, it had not been pretty. He blinked the memories away, not allowing his fear to freeze him. He stepped forward again, his foot crunching on broken glass.
Sephiroth looked up, eyes glowing in the dim light of the room. Slowly he rose, his sword sweeping through the air as it came to rest, point first against Reno's throat. "So they come, as ever, to disrupt my plans." He said softly, a smile playing about his lips.
"You're dead, yo." Reno heard himself say, wondering at how confident he sounded. He certainly didn't feel it with Masamune pressed against his neck.
Sephiroth chuckled, a deep sound that made Reno shudder. "I found a way to return with a little help from your Scientist and a special creature of my own invention." He gazed down at his free hand as if amazed to see it. "You found mother for me, I must thank you for that."
"Don' Thank me, yo. I aint done nothin'."
Sephiroth looked back up, smiling. "Oh you have done more than you could imagine, Turk. You ensured my little puppet was well taken care of during my absence."
"Your...Puppet?" Reno winced as the sword tip dug a little deeper into his flesh, he felt blood begin to trickle down his throat.
"Yes. Cloud has ever been an unruly slave but I think I have now mastered him." Sephiroth turned away, his sword moving from Reno and allowing him to raise his gun again, he took aim. "Shoot and I will remove your head from your shoulders before the bullet even leaves the barrel of your gun." He said softly and Reno froze again. He was certain Sephiroth wasn't even bragging. "You cannot kill me, Turk." Masamune flashed again, it seemed to sing as it swished through the air but, just as it touched Reno's neck once again Sephiroth stopped.
"D-Don't..." Cloud spoke in a rasping voice, his hand reached out and tangled in the hem of Sephiroth's coat. "Please."
"You want me to spare this creatures life?" Sephiroth mused, eyeing Reno with curiosity. "Why?"
Cloud looked up, resting on one arm as the other tightened in Sephiroth's coat. He met Reno's gaze with eyes like a cats. "He's been kind to me." He said slowly.
"Hmm...so you feel for this one?" Sephiroth said, he allowed his sword to fall so that its point touched the floor. "Very well then, I can grant you this one wish." He turned, Masamune fading into black smoke as he bent and lifted Cloud into his arms. Cloud's head fell back and he seemed to lose conciousness. He strode past Reno, not even glancing at him as if he was beneath his notice. He paused at the door. "I intend to burn this place to the ground so I would evacuate if I were you, Turk."
"I have a name." Reno said, his voice escaping him despite his terror.
Sephiroth turned his head and smirked. "I know, so did I but Hojo refused to use it. Why should I offer a courtesy to others that I myself was denied?"
Reno shrugged, one hand going to the cut on his neck. He withdrew it and hissed when he saw blood staining his palm. "Maybe because not everyone's like Hojo, yo. Where you gunna take him?" He asked, nodding towards Cloud's unconscious form.
"Home." Sephiroth said quietly. "Where he belongs."
Reno lifted his gun again and pointed it at the back of Sephiroth's head. "I'm sorry, I can' let you do that. I'm a Turk, I gotta do the job no matter what."
Sephiroth laughed softly. "Turks. You always were annoying." He said. "As I said, your bullets cannot harm me. I will simply kill you so why bother?"
"Because I...I can' make anymore mistakes. I can' sit back an' let another person die in front of me, yo. I did that too many times before." He pressed the trigger and the report nearly deafened him, Sephiroth's form seemed to shimmer briefly before he threw his head back and laughed.
"You always did amuse me, Reno of the Turks." He said before walking away. Reno lowered his gun, his arm numb, his eyes glued to the wall opposite the obliterated door. He saw the bullet holes and then, as Sephiroth's footsteps echoed away down the hall agony split his chest and he collapsed. Darkness swept over him, smothering his pain like a soft, soothing blanket.
XXX
Rude returned to find the mansion in flames, he looked around but saw no sign of Reno. Quickly he pulled out his phone and pressed the speed dial. It rang and rang but he got no answer. He put his phone away and ran towards the door, ducking the cracked lintel and diving into the flame filled entrance hall. He coughed and covered his mouth with one hand while he searched for the stairs through the smoke, his glasses offered him some protection. He ran forwards, up the stairs and into the room with the false door. It opened at his touch and he ran down the rickety wooden stairs, jumping some of them to speed his progress. The cellar was relatively free of fire so his progress was unimpeded. His feet hit the dirt floor and he ran on to the laboratory, he went inside and looked around at the devastation. His eyes spotted a brighter red in amongst the darker stains of blood.
"Reno." He gasped and moved forwards, dropping to one knee beside his partner. Reno was lying on his front, his gun inches from his outstretched arm. His face was hidden behind the fall of his hair which had somehow come undone from its tail. Gently Rude turned him over and gazed in horror at the large, bloody gash in his chest. Reno's head fell back over Rude's arm as it rested beneath his neck. Rude checked for a pulse and found it after a few heart stopping moments, it was weak but there. Without a sound he lifted Reno into his arms and carried him back to the stairs. Reno's face was drained of colour, his shirt a torn mess and stained red from the bloody wound in his chest. Rude rarely felt real fear but he certainly felt it now. Reno was dying and if he didn't get him help soon he would lose him. They had been partners for a long time, he couldn't lose him now, not after everything they had been through.
The flames were worse when he reached the room where the secret passage way was hidden, he bent low and ran as best he could. Smoke choked him, burning his lungs but he pressed on until he reached the landing. The stairs had collapsed. He looked down and swore to himself before adjusting Reno's weight so that he was dangling over his shoulder. He secured him with one arm and used the other to lift his weight over the bannister and jumped.
His feet hit the floor with a muffled thud, he almost fell as Reno's weight overbalanced him but forced himself to remain steady. He moved on, battling through the heat and smoke until finally he reached fresh air. As he dived through the door it collapsed behind him with a crash, he walked to the gates and breathed deeply before gently setting Reno down on the ground, he coughed a few times before managing to get his phone out of his pocket again.
"Rude?! Where are you? Did you find Reno? What's happening?" Elena's panicked voice answered after the first ring.
"I got him but he's injured. It's bad. Call Tseng, let him know what happened. We'll meet up by the chopper and get him back to Healin'."
"Yes...yes of course." Elena hung up and Rude returned his phone to his pocket before looking down at his friend. He was bleeding profusely but his face seemed oddly peaceful. Rude once again lifted him up and carried him, bride-style, through the now deserted town.
Elena was waiting for them, her face white as a sheet as she twisted her hands together in agitation. "Tseng's gathering some doctors, I told him Reno was-oh gods!" She covered her mouth with her hand as she saw Reno's state. "What happened?" She breathed.
"It was Sephiroth."
"S-Sephi-...really?!"
"Yeah. Come on, I'll explain on the way. Help me get him into the chopper and we can bandage him up until we get to Healin'."
XXX
Tseng clutched at the window frame, he felt off balance as he gazed in at the small team of doctors and surgeons working on Reno. The glass was sound proofed so they couldn't hear what was being said but he could see the blood and the heart monitor. He felt sick. He could feel Elena standing behind him, Rude at her side. They waited in impatient silence for any news on Reno's situation.
"Is...is he going to die?" Elena asked softly.
Tseng couldn't even look at her. "We cannot know." He forced himself to say.
"You survived Sephiroth's attack on you, perhaps he will as well." Rude suggested, his voice showing nothing of his emotions. "Reno has the luck of the Devil."
Tseng smiled and lowered his head, the expression was a bitter one. "Indeed. This is my fault, I'm sorry you were caught up in all this. I had no idea what a mess this would turn into, if only i'd known about Kadaj's intent before he went to Nibelheim, perhaps we could have-"
"No point in what if's, boss." Rude said gruffly.
"But I-"
"He's right, sir. We can't let ourselves break down because of this." Elena said, putting a tentative hand on his arm.
"What was this Kadaj? I wasn't around when you fought him." Rude asked.
"Kadaj is...was...a remnant of Sephiroth, he came to us searching for Jenova when we were in the Northern Cave, he almost killed us." Tseng finally looked away from the operation in progress and looked at his subordinates. Elena nodded, lowering her head in shame. "I had no idea that the reason he wanted Jenova was because he intended to become Sephiroth and I had no idea he would discover that we had sent it to Professor Farley. I got lax, I should not have been so careless...and now Reno is paying the price."
"I think that we equally share the blame in this, Tseng." Rufus' voice startled them into turning around, standing by the theatre door was their president.
"Sir, please, you shouldn't be up-"
"Tseng, I am not an invalid. The medicine is doing its job and I am not in much pain." Rufus smiled coolly. "At least I am much better off than Reno." His face fell and he turned to the door. "How is he?"
"They haven't told us anything yet, sir." Rude said softly.
"I see. Then I will wait with you. It is the least I can do." Rufus said nothing more as he took up his own vigil beside his Turks.
A tortuously long time later the doctor emerged, he removed his mask and looked at Rufus. "Well?" He demanded impatiently.
"He's alive, for now." The doctor said. "His condition is stable and that is more than we could have hoped for when you first brought him in."
Tseng, Elena and Rude relaxed but Rufus watched the doctor intently before speaking. "There's more." He said.
"I'm afraid that we discovered a dark mark on Reno's back, it resembles the Stigma."
Tseng tensed, hands clenching into fists and Elena gasped. Rude stood perfectly still. "How did he get it? He's not one for depressive thoughts." Rufus mused.
"Lately," Rude began hesitantly. "He began to have thoughts about..." He trailed off frowning down at his feet as he thought about how to phrase his words delicately. "About betraying the company." He said finally, having no other way of putting it. "Before Jenova was found I had to stop him from going to Tifa Lockheart and by association, the WRO with all of ShinRa's secrets. He was feeling guilty for everything he had done...no, for everything we have done. I think it was Cloud's state that did it to him. Reno had developed complicated feelings about him." Rude fell silent and glanced at Tseng and Rufus.
"Why didn't you tell me of this?" Tseng demanded. "If he was that bad he should have said something!"
"Now, now Tseng, we've all had those feelings at some time." Rufus said softly. "This isn't the end of the world, Reno is alive and we should be grateful for that."
"But sir, he could pose a serious danger to us." Tseng continued in a low voice.
"Oh, would you have me order you to kill him?" Rufus smirked.
"No-I-"
"Then there is no issue, Reno won't spill any secrets. He is safe and we must give him time to recover. Doctor?"
"Sir?"
"How bad is it?"
"It's only a small patch, we discovered it as we were preparing him for surgery. I don't think it would be causing him any pain yet."
"I see, then we still have plenty of time to find a cure." Rufus nodded to himself. "Sephiroth would know, this is, after all, his fault."
"Sir, we have no idea of Sephiroth's whereabouts after he took off with Cloud." Rude said, remembering seeing the figure of a man, clutching another in his arms as he leapt into the sky.
"That will be an issue but for now we will focus on Reno's recovery." Rufus said and turned away, leaning heavily against the wall. Tseng rushed to his side and reached for him but he was pushed away. "Go see to your men." He ordered, forcing Tseng to step away.
XXX
Reno came around slowly, the darkness eased back from his mind like a fog. His eyes flickered open, revealing a blurry light and strange white walls. He groaned heavily and suddenly heard a mutter and footsteps moving towards him.
"Reno?" Rude's face loomed over him and Reno blinked sluggishly.
"Yo, Rude man..." Reno's voice slurred and his vision wavered, he managed a weak grin which Rude returned. "Wha' happened...?"
"You were attacked by Sephiroth, mortally wounded and I rescued you and brought you back home."
"Home..." Reno tried to sit up but agony tore through his chest, forcing his vision to go grey. He lay back, one arm wrapped around his body. "Damn." He muttered. "How bad?"
"You were dying." Rude said bluntly.
"Ah...again..." Reno forced a chuckle. "But, you came back for me." He opened his eyes again and looked up at his partner. "Thanks, yo."
"Don't mention it." Rude replied and sat down on a chair by Reno's bed. "Tseng's losing his mind." He added as an after thought.
"Huh, really? Never thought he cared." Reno closed his eyes again and sighed. "So, I nearly kicked the proverbial bucket...Was the Boss weepin' over my dying body?"
"There weren't many tears, no. Elena cried a little."
"Well, tha's summit."
"Sephiroth cut you up pretty good and..." Rude trailed off and stared at the other side of the room where a window let in fresh air. "And the Doctors discovered the Stigma on you."
Reno chuckled weakly. "Yeah, I was kinda hopin' no one would notice, yo."
"You knew?" Rude's tone sharpened and his eyes flashed behind his glasses.
"Yeah man, I saw it three days ago." Reno once again tried to sit up but Rude pushed him roughly back again by the shoulder.
"You'll break your stitches." Rude said. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"
"Because..." Reno opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. "I didn't wanna worry anyone, yo. I though' we'd find a cure soon an' it'd be over. Why would I put that on you an' Tseng an' Elena?" Rude said nothing and glared out the window. "Hey, Partner?"
"Yes?"
"You heard anythin' from Cloud?" Reno asked tentatively.
"No. Nothing. All I know is that Sephiroth took him away, do you remember anything? Maybe he told you where he was going."
"No...he jus' said he was gunna take him home; 'where he belonged' whatever that means."
"Hm. That is odd."
"Rude?"
"Yes?"
"You got any water? My mouth feels like someone took a shit in it, yo."
Rude grunted and reached to the side table, he picked up a pitcher of water and a glass and poured some out and put a straw in it. Reno lifted himself awkwardly up onto one elbow and winced but took the straw into his mouth and took a long drink. When he was done he fell back into his pillow and turned his head away. "Thanks man...for everythin'."
"You're my partner." Rude replied as if that explained everything and, in a way, it did.
XXX
Reno was convalescing for a few weeks when he received a visit from Rufus himself, the president had seemed to avoid Reno but now he stood at the door and their eyes met across the room. Reno was able to sit up and walk about a bit with help but he was not capable of much more than that, the cut had been deep and the stitches were the only things from stopping his rib cage from being exposed. "Sir, what're you doin' here?" Reno asked, sitting up in bed and watching TV. He switched it off and gave his boss his full attention.
"I wished to pay you visit. I hear it is customary to bring a sick person some sort of gift but I couldn't think of what to give you."
Reno grinned. "Don' worry, yo. Jus' seeing you standin's enough for me."
"You always were very simplistic."
"It's one o' my better qualities."
Rufus snorted and moved further into the room, limping a little and wincing as he sat himself down in the chair by Reno's bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine, yo. Jus' bored. You know I hate bein' stuck in one place."
"I've had Rude and Elena out searching for any sign of Cloud." Rufus said quietly, eyeing Reno to gauge his reaction.
Reno lowered his head and stared at the remote as he toyed with it. "It's my fault, sir. I'm sorry. I let him get away." He confessed.
"Let him get away?" Rufus laughed. "You were half dead when Rude found you, your gun had recently been fired. You did all you could, isn't that all that matters?"
"I guess..."
"Sephiroth is a monster, I wouldn't expect any normal human being to do much against him."
"On'y Cloud could kill him again." Reno said and looked askance at his boss. "Ya'know, if we get him back and find a cure he could really be an asset, yo."
"I am aware of Cloud's strengths, but he would never willingly work with us."
"Not officially." Reno smirked. "I reckon I could convince him to lend us a hand when we need it, yo."
"It is an idea, but first we must deal with the latest threat. Sephiroth must be stopped."
"By who?" Reno asked, shaking his head. "Cloud's gone, yo. We don' know where he is."
"When you're feeling better, Reno, I want you to find him and bring him back to us." Rufus said, leaning forward and meeting Reno's gaze, causing his face to flush a little at their close proximity. "I suspect that you have formed a bond with him, if anyone can convince him to help us, its you."
"'Course, sir."
"Good. Now, rest up." Rufus stood again, obviously still in pain despite the fact that it didn't show on his face. He left Reno alone with nothing but his cologne hanging in the air behind him.
XXX
Reno lay awake as night descended, he waited until he was sure everyone would be in bed before sliding out of his own and moving to the wardrobe, he pulled out his uniform and put it on with difficulty as he was still impeded by his wound. Finally he picked up his weapons from the box he kept them in, loading both his pistols and hiding them in the holsters under his jacket, he picked up his EMR and smiled to himself as put that in its holder on his belt. Finally he stood up, brushed himself down and picked up a hair tie from the side table, he tied his hair back and put his goggles on before slipping out the door and into the corridor. The lodge was silent as he moved through the corridor, pausing every so often to listen. His feet were quiet on the floor, he ensured he didn't make a sound. When he reached the door that led outside he paused again, eyes closed as he listened for any sign of activity. Nothing. Finally he flicked the lock and stepped outside, he took deep breath of fresh air and sighed, a small crept across his face. He had been stuck indoors for too long, he hated being cooped up at the best of times, having spent most of his life on the move from one place to another. Being indoors made him feel slightly claustrophobic.
"So, you intend to sneak off?"
Tseng's cool voice made Reno tense, slowly he turned to find his boss standing behind him with his arms folded across his chest. His expression was unreadable. "Er...yeah...a little...maybe..."
"Have your injuries been healed?"
"Not exactly, yo. I'm feelin' better though." He smiled, hoping to ease Tseng's sterness.
"I want you to get back inside and go back to bed." Tseng ordered.
"But-"
"You cannot believe that you're going to be a match for Sephiroth, surely? Even on your best days you'd be massacred."
"I know sir I just...I need to do somethin'! I'm goin' insane!"
Tseng's lips twitched in what usually constituted a smile. "Reno, go back inside."
Reno pushed his hands into his pockets and sighed. "No." He said softly. "I'm off the clock, ya can't tell me what ta do." He turned away and began walking down the steps.
"Reno!" Tseng followed him, grabbing his arm and forcing him halt. "Listen to me, we don't even know where Sephiroth is! We need to plan and take our time in making our next move."
"I aint a kid, yo. I can look after myself. I'll find 'em and bring Cloud back home...his real home." Reno looked over the valley, the cool wind picked up his hair and whipped it around his face. "He belongs with Tifa, not in a lab, not with ShinRa...he has a family and friends...real family, yo." His eyes widened as he returned his gaze to his boss. "He's got what we used to have, till we threw it away."
"We didn't throw it away, circumstances demanded that we changed."
"Yeah, you killed Veld." Reno was unable to hide the bitterness that tainted his voice and Tseng shook his head.
"You know I didn't."
"I thought you did. I hated you, you know?" A flicker of a dangerous crossed Reno's face. "I was gunna kill ya if I got a chance but Rude stopped me. Rude said that there was somethin' more happenin' and then outta the blue Veld's somehow alive. I watched you kill 'im, I was so certain..." Tseng's face twisted a little but he schooled it again and became expressionless once more.
"I did what I had to do." He said firmly. "Veld lived and so did his daughter."
"Yeah, an' it was genius, yo. But like you did then, I gotta do what I gotta do. I'm sorry."
"Reno, you know I would be more than happy to let you go but not on your own and not injured as you are! Please, we nearly lost you once don't make us go through it again."
"Cloud don't know how lucky he is, yo. He's got family that care about him."
Tseng shifted awkwardly. "As do you." He said.
"I had family once. Before the Turks. Although I can barely remember what they looked like..." Reno sighed and lowered his head as he took a couple more steps away. "I'm sorry, Tseng, I just gotta do this."
"Reno, we're your family. What happened to your brother was-"
"No. Shut up." Reno tensed abruptly, refusing to look at Tseng. "Just...just shut up. Don' mention that again, yo."
"I'm sorry, please, come back inside. At least listen to me."
"No." Reno moved away, Tseng's eyes boring holes into his back.
Tseng sighed heavily and shook his head. "Reno." He whispered in exasperation before turning back to the door and going inside.
"I assume that means he didn't listen." Rufus said from where he sat on the leather sofa that adorned the entrance room. Tseng looked over at him and nodded. "I see. Then this does pose a problem. Reno will die if he goes up against Sephiroth again and this time we won't have the skills to bring him back." Rufus paused, watching Tseng intently through his single visible eye, then he smirked. "Send whoever you're going to send and get him back. None of us want him to die."
"Sir." Tseng smiled back and walked away.
Rufus laughed softly into the dim room, he had always enjoyed Reno's rebelliousness, even when it was directed at him. He was loyal to fault but on his days off, even sick days apparently, it would take the end of the world to get him to follow orders. Rufus had always let it slide, it was simply the way Reno worked; keeping his off days separate from his working hours was his way of dealing with things. Now Rufus had to put his foot down, even if it meant some form of punishment. He smirked into the darkness, wondering what kinds of punishment he could inflict on the Turk to make him regret his impulsiveness.
Tseng had just reached Elena's room when the familiar noise of a helicopter made the whole building shudder. "Reno!" he hissed to himself.
"Theft of a company helicopter, I think that will go on his permanent record." Rufus said in amusement as white light seared the hall way through the windows. Tseng winced and looked away until it had gone.
"Sir, I will reprimand him when we have returned him." Tseng said firmly.
"No. You can leave that to me. For now, concentrate on getting him back before he kills himself."
"Sir." Tseng looked at the president and noted his face, he seemed to be highly amused by the whole situation but there was truth in his tone when he mentioned punishing Reno. Tseng didn't like to imagine what that punishment would entail and so he knocked on Elena's door.