The motorbike's engine grumbled loudly as Reno slowed to a halt and swung his leg with difficulty over the seat. As he did so he could feel the old wounds pulling. The red colour seeping through the bandage on his shoulder indicated that the gunshot had reopened.

"Dammit," Reno cursed, pressing a semi crushed hand to the area and pulling it back bloody. He glanced around. The harsh light beaming down on the now busy streets told Reno that it must have been nearing midday. As he stood there taking in the scene, a small toddler stopped by him to stare in the annoying way kids do. Reno stared back, wondering if he had ever seen the boy before. Seconds went by, and then a rushed looking mother snapped the small boy up angrily, chiding the kid, telling him not to run off.

"I wanted to look at that man," the boy argued innocently, his face screwed up in dislike as his mother dragged him by the wrist away. Reno heard the mother's response.

"No, do you know what men like that do? They take little boys like you when you're asleep," the mother hissed in a stern tone.

"Like the boogie man?" the boy gasped, his eyes widening in horror.

"Yes, like the boogie man, but worse. That man is what you call a Turk."

Reno looked as the boy turned away from him, running to keep up with his mother's fast step. Did the whole of Midgar know that he was a Turk? Well he must have been on the television a lot, especially after the Bahamut SIN episode, though he had never until now realised how many people knew his face, or walked the other way when they saw him coming. He always seemed to be with Rude or another Turk member or he had just been blind drunk and so he had never taken the time to notice these small happenings take place. Was it remorse he was feeling at this moment? Or shame for inserting such raw fear into the likes of little children? He shook his head as if the thoughts were clouding his brain; he needed some more SSRI's but the logic in him pointed out that his last tablets were in his suit, his suit which was probably in Tifa's trash can by now. As if on cue, a headache formed, he didn't even have his sunglasses to block out the blinding sun. It was the summer season and therefore it got extremely hot, due to the sunlight reflecting off all the scrap metal that was being used for the renovation of Midgar.

Reno looked back at the bike. As much as he would've loved to take it with him, he guessed that Cloud would have some sort of tracking device hidden in the complicated confines of the engine. He left it there, on the side of the street. It was an extremely advanced vehicle compared to the pathetic excuses for motors out of the street and Reno hoped that someone would either trash it or even hotwire it. Certainly that little distraction would get Cloud off his back for at least a short while.

Patting the pocket stashed with Gil, Reno hailed a taxi without too much trouble and instructed the driver to the destination. The greasy looking man at the wheel shot him an odd look but didn't question his customer as the wad of cash was slapped into his chubby hands.

"Get there as fast as you can, yo," Reno muttered before leaning back into the car seat, taking in deep even breaths, the gun wound giving him more agro than before.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"That bloody Turk," Cloud spat as he and Tifa stood outside Seventh Heaven, "and I actually believed he could be trusted." The pair had witnessed the figure's swift departure on Fenrir, and, on investigating the premises, had found that Reno had disappeared.

"I don't understand it," Tifa stuttered, " he wasn't…I mean, he didn't…"

"He's still as untrustworthy as ever," Cloud interrupted angrily, turning to face Tifa's worried gaze. The woman in question looked betrayed. After all, only an hour ago she was defending Reno to Cloud, saying that she believed that they could trust him.

"There must be a reason for what he did," Tifa reasoned.

"Tifa, he got whatever he came for and then he legged it. Probably all part of one of Rufus' plans to get rid of us." Cloud looked as if he were explaining something incredibly simple to a child. Tifa's face-hardened.

"No Cloud! He was different than usual. I saw a side to him that I bet no one else has seen. It was as if he opened up to me. That's why I don't believe he was undercover."

"How close did you actually get to Reno, Tifa?" Cloud asked suspiciously, as if sensing her thoughts directly. Tifa appeared flustered now.

"Cloud, that really isn't the issue. What I'm trying to say is – "

"I think it is Tifa," Cloud pressed.

Tifa sighed, "I looked after him because he was hurt and that's it! Any decent person would do the same thing in my position."

"I'm sorry Tifa, it was wrong of me to assume –"

"As I said, that's not the issue here now," Tifa couldn't bear to look Cloud in the eyes.

After a pause, "He probably left because of me anyway. I didn't exactly give him the best welcome," Cloud muttered, though Tifa could tell he was still fuming.

"I'm going to find him and get my bike back," he stated.

"I'm coming too," Tifa suggested.

"No, you look after the bar and I'll go, my other motorcycle only has room for one anyway. I won't be long."

Tifa had never looked so uncomfortable, Cloud wondered as he left. He had promised not to purposefully harm the Turk, but Tifa still did not seem convinced. The blonde haired ex-SOLDIER thought it strange that Tifa (who had once hate Reno) was now worrying so much over his well-being. He swiftly started up his smaller bike, compared to Fenrir it was puny, it didn't suit Cloud's image at all. He chose not to think of that as he race away from Seventh Heaven, following the tracks Reno had so obviously left.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was eight o'clock in the evening when Rude left the ShinRa building. On a normal day he would join Reno for a drink, however there had been the slight problem that Reno had gone missing (assumed dead) a few days ago. With only a few threads of hearsay as to his whereabouts, Rude had taken it upon himself to stay later every night, searching databases for his friend. Tseng and Elena occasionally stood by and watched over him anxiously, and even though they offered to go out and help search for him after hours, there was a strong vibe which told Rude that they believed Reno had finally met his maker.

Refraining from rubbing his eyes due to lack of rest, Rude navigated his company car back towards his apartment. His sunglasses lay forgotten on the passenger seat showing the deep brown eyes slightly red from the restless hours spent trying to sleep.

By eight thirty he was pulling up outside his apartment. It was situated on the newer side of Midgar (the town they called Edge). The upside to this area was that it was nearer to ShinRa HQ and Tseng and Elena lived nearby. For some unfathomed reason Reno chose to reside where he grew up; the slums. Rude thought that it may have something to do with it being his habitat, the place where he felt more at home and so he didn't press it much, although Elena was always hinting at him to get a nicer pad in Edge.

Walking up the steps to his front door and forcing the key into the lock, Reno looked to his right. His window was wide open, the curtains bellowing out of it in the evening breeze. Rude froze. He had shut that window before he left for work that morning. Now more aware of his surroundings, Rude reached in his suit pocket for his tazer and very quietly pushed the front door open.

At first he could spot nothing out of place, other than the window. He closed it silently, recoiling at the splatters of blood on the windowsill.

"This situation is getting weirder," Rude thought, now noticing the trail of blood leading across the living room to his bathroom. He followed, careful not to step in the few drops of blood. The tension was building when Rude reached the room. He lent on the wall beside the open door breathing as quietly as he could. Then, with one deep breath he turned the corner to face whatever was in the room, lifting his tazer as he turned.

Apart from the medicine cabinet being opened and trashed and the blood that suspiciously stopped when it reached the sink there was nothing in there.

Rude turned back to the hallway, suddenly aware that he had left his back open to attack. He retreated back and spied his bedroom door, which was slightly ajar.

Placing a firm hand on the wooden door, he pushed it open and stumbled back a few steps at what he saw. He even blinked a few times to make sure he was correct.

Eventually, he ventured into the room, toward to the bed.

"Reno?" he murmured in disbelief.