They departed the next day. There were little plans to be made, Tseng had only held back because he was two members down. Now, with his personal team complete, he lead Rufus' SOLDIERs and his Turks to the doors of Cole's building. The heavy glass, bullet proof though it may have been, lay shattered everywhere, scraps of metal, desks and whatever else could be found were stacked in defence. The glint of wire warned the Turks not to advance, they'd taken some serious precautions.

"The only ones left are the clones and those who were pulled from cryogenic sleep. The civilians have all made their way into the refuge of the slums." Tseng announced. "We're going to blast in and take them by force."

"Understood." The men shouted. Reno was silent beside him. Someone prepared a launcher and the rocket obliterated their defences. Bullets rained out in the aftermath. Everyone took cover.

"They have more men left than we thought." Rude shot to Tseng over the roar. "What do you want to do?"

"Send another rocket in."

Reno grabbed his arm. "Tseng wait."

"What?"

"Cole used them too. It's not their fault."

Tseng's eyes were hard and unyielding. "It doesn't matter, our job is to protect Shinra's interests." He motioned to one of the Soldiers. They loaded the launcher again.

"Tseng-"

There was a hollow pop and the rocket was gone. Reno watched it speed through the air, the men inside ceased firing and tried to find cover. This was his opening.

"RENO!" Rude called his name, even made a grab for him, but he ran in the wake of that rocket as fast as he could. Then he ran into the heat of the explosion, jumped over broken furniture and landed in the centre of the shattered lobby. There were groans of pain, there was blood and bodies, but almost as one he heard the click of guns being trained on him.

"Remember me fellas?" He asked the room, slowly revolving on the spot, taking in every face. "I sure remember you."

"Director, what do we do?" Elena leaned over the barrels where they had taken cover, her gun trained on the entrance where Reno had disappeared.

"We haven't heard any shots. If we try to interfere, we could get him killed."

"Damn him." Rude was on the other side of Elena.

"It was his choice, now we just have to wait."

"Soon as you shoot me, they're going to send another rocket in here, then grenades, then they'll move in and pick off anyone who's left. They are going to kill every single one of you today unless you listen to me."

No one spoke. He knew they recognized him despite his dramatic physical improvement since his days in that cell. They just waited.

"I killed him, you know. I threw him off of a building. He deserved so much worse for all those things he did to me." He cast his gaze around the room. "But it wasn't you who did it to me. You never really got a choice. You woke up here, forgotten by one monster and found by another. Shinra controlled you first, and then Cole did. End it. Throw down your weapons and walk out those doors like men. I can't tell you want will happen next. But at least you will have finally made a choice of your own. Chose to live, whatever you have to deal with after, because that is what I have done."

"How?" Someone finally spoke. "How are you here like this?"

"Achilles," Reno answered, "I took the power Cole used on you, and tried to gain for himself. But it's gone now, I am human again."

"So it was all in vain."

"Yes."

"Why are you doing this? Why don't you hate us?"

"I didn't say I don't hate you. I honestly don't know how I feel about you lot. But I'm just trying to put an end to all this madness without spilling anymore blood."

Silence followed, all the men were looking to one another, trying to decide on their best option. Reno sighed.

"Look, I have something else I have to do here, so let me make this simple. Lay down your weapons and live, don't and die. Those are the only options here, so pick, but I can't waste my time here anymore."

He marched out of their circle, no one made a move to stop him as he headed for the elevator.

"This thing still work?" He asked the soldier closest. Stunned, the man just nodded. "Good," he hit the button and doors struggled open. Just before they shut he saw the first man set his gun on the ground.

"What's happening?" Elena whispered when they saw the first signs of movement. But her question was answered as a steady line of soldiers marched out with their hands held high.

"He got them to surrender." Rude said, shocked. Tseng was less impressed, and began shouting orders. The men were arrested and he grabbed the first one he found.

"Is the building clear?"

"Yes, we were the last ones."

"Then where is Reno?"

"He got in the elevator. I don't know what floor."

"I do." Rude said grimly behind Tseng. The Director glanced back at him.

"Let's go get him."

Reno was surprised the generators were still going, that the building had this much power. The white lobby was as pristine as ever, he'd only ever glanced it as the soldiers drug him down to the stairwell. He had gone to his cell first. It had be untouched since he left. The floor was still stained, still cold and filthy. The straps still hung there. But he was able to shut that door and walk away. Now though, as he moved steadily down the hall from the the elevator to that room, he felt the anxiety welling up. But he had to do this. He didn't know why, he just had to do it.

The door swung open and he stepped inside. It was all still there, as if waiting for him to come back. Cameras primed and ready to go, the lights were off but all still aimed at that one spot. He stood before it, the thing they'd torn him apart on. It was a table of sorts, but it swivelled for different purposes. It could be turned straight up and down, or lay flat. It just depended what pain Cole wanted to inflict that particular day. He turned away from it to the trolley that was always wheeled over so emphatically. The many instruments and tools used on him. As he stared at them now, knowing almost everyone had inflicted unbelievable pain on him, he found it hard to believe he was still alive, found it hard to believe he had actually endured all of that. As much as he could still feel it, hear it, it was like it wasn't real. And the fact that he no longer bore any of the scars made it even more difficult to believe.

He heard the footsteps in the hall.

"I'm sorry, Tseng," he didn't look up from the trolley. The three Turks entered slowly, not sure what state he would be in.

"You knowingly endangered yourself, Reno, that was unacceptable."

"I know. I betrayed your trust, and I really am sorry."

"What are you doing here?"

"I can't do it, Tseng, I can't say everything they need me to say."

"You agreed to try."

"I know." He finally turned to them. "Nora is right, I am hiding behind the secret. I don't want you to know everything that happened, but I..." He couldn't find the words to express what he needed, what he wanted. "This... I can't tell you about all of this." He said gesturing to the set up all around him.

He turned his back on them again and lay a hand on the table. "This is where it happened." Then he looked at the trolley. "This is what they used." He drug open a drawer and pulled out an object. "Electric shock." He dropped it to the ground and grabbed another one, "fingers." He dropped it to the ground as well and continued to pulled out instruments, naming off their uses and creating a pile. "Burned me. Cut me. Inserted it in me." It went on, they were all too stunned to make him stop until his shoulders began to shake and he started throwing the instruments, his words failing him. He finally toppled the whole trolley and none of them wanted to acknowledge the sheer number of instruments that spilled to the floor.

"FUCK!" Reno screamed, slamming his fist into the table. "Fuck that bastard!" He swung at the lights now. The equipment began crashing all around him, heavy lights smashing into a million tiny shards, the camera falling dangerously close to him.

"Reno." It was Tseng who reached him first, only because Rude had to catch a falling light before it toppled backwards into them. For a few moments Reno struggled against Tseng's hold but then he just gave up.

"Get me out." he managed, clinging to his boss' arm for support as his knees began to give.

Tseng kept him upright and got him out into the hallway. Back int he pristine whiteness, Reno pulled away from Tseng and fell to all fours. He thought he was going to be sick, but nothing happened, he was just shaking and sweating. His hands were pressed flat on the ground, slick with blood from where he'd wildly punched and hit things. He shut his eyes, he didn't want to cry, he didn't want to feel anything right now, he just wanted escape.

"Breathe, Reno." He heard Tseng instruct, kneeling next to him, a hand on his back. He became aware of his panting breaths and swallowed, trying to make it calm.

"I'm sorry." He said, face masked by his red hair, still staring down at the mess of his hands. "I'm so sorry."

"For what?"

"I don't know." Reno shook his head. He felt the pain building in his chest, nothing to do with his heart now, just sheer pain from the panic attack welling up in him. He sat back on his knees trying to find more air. They were all there, faces showing so many things. Horror at witnessing that room, those tools. Concern for their friend. Elena reached out and gripped his arm.

"Hey, Reno, you still with us?" he knew how crazed he must look, he knew how much his chest heaved in the effort to control his breaths. He nodded.

"Yeah, I'm still here." He looked to her, felt the tears he was fighting spill out. Not sobs, just slow streaks forming on his cheeks. "I thought about you." He said. "Everyday. All of you." Her hand slid to his and he gripped back tightly even through the pain and blood. "I was so afraid."

"Afraid?" Elena prompted and his eyes fell back on her. He nodded.

"Yeah," more tears came out. "He would tell me about the things he would do to you all when he got you. Especially you." He raised his other hand to stroke her hair. "Not for Achilles. Not for Rufus, but because he hated me."

He dropped his hand and turned to Rude. "And that's why he shot you. If I had just let him win, if I had stopped defying him he wouldn't have done it. I thought you were dead, Rude, because of me."

Rude's steady hand clamped over his shoulder. "No Reno, because of him, not because of you, never because of you."

"But why?" he clutched his face. "Why didn't I let it end? If I had just given in it would have stopped. And maybe I wouldn't be like this."

"Because you were so much better than him, Reno. Because you are stronger than even we knew." Tseng gently lowered Reno's hands from his face, blood now mixed with the steady trickle of tears. "Because you are who you are and you didn't let another man change that, not for anything."

Reno didn't say anything. He stared hard back at Tseng and just breathed. More water brimmed up and he bowed his head so the Director wouldn't see.

"You don't have to hide it from us." Tseng said steadily, knowing that Reno was using everything to stop the whole onslaught of sobs.

"I don't want to be like this." Reno said, fighting past the first hiccoughed sob, his hands clutching his gut and he hunched over. Elena reached over to lay a comforting hand on his back but he suddenly lurched to his feet and moved past them.

"Reno." Rude's hand on his shoulder stayed him. For a moment they stood like that, Rude refusing to let go, Reno refusing to turn around and face them. They could hear the sobs now, see how much his body shook, but he continued to fight it. "Reno," Rude said again, "it's us."

Bloodied hands covered his face and he broke down. Elena moved in front of him and slipped her arms around him. He couldn't speak anymore, it was all coming out at once and he clung back to her tightly, his face hidden in her shoulder. She watched the other two, and she felt her own eyes water up at the sound of absolute sorrow that wept out of Reno. But they were all there, the four of them together, bound by a fellowship deeper than blood, and despite the agonizing road ahead, they knew no nameless man could win over them.

3 months later

A large room. A long corridor. A path of red and a man dressed in a black and white waiting for him at the end. Countless faces. A white rain.

"Snap out of it!" Reno shook his partner's shoulders. "Rude, stay with me buddy. Not much longer now, mission is almost complete."

Rude looked in those steady green eyes he'd missed in the last months at his side. But today his partner was back with him, their first mission in so long was to be perhaps their most important.

"The Director says we are a go." Reno straightened Rude's collar and took hold of his arm.

"Wh-what?" The bald man stammered, staring at the door before them.

"And Elena says they're all ready on her end. We have to go now, if we're gonna get there on time."

"Reno..."

"Don't tell me you're going rogue on me, Rude."

"Would you please cut that out!" Rude finally came to himself and grabbed Reno's jacket. "This is not a mission! It's my wedding day!"

A broad smile spread over pale features and those green eyes lit up in that mischievous way. "Hey, what's the difference? You got a target, an objective, and your partner at your side. Sounds like a mission to me."

"Just stop talking, idiot, and tell me how I look."

"As bald as ever. Can't believe that's what Nora digs."

"Shut it. Let's go."

"Yes sir!" Reno pushed open the door and they stepped into the long hall, people lining the crimson walkway- Tseng, Rufus, and behind them a sea of black—every last Turk had showed up for this day. On the other side they spotted Dr. Smith, several other members of the medical staff and Shinra in general. Rude noted that Reno nodded to Tseng and the Director leaned to his lapel, whispering something.

"I told you, this is not a mission." Rude hissed, taking his spot at the front of the hall with Reno at his side. The red head just winked up at him.

"Hey, what can I say?" He shrugged. "Turks only know how to do things one way, and that's the right way." He clapped his partner on the back and on cue, the music started, the door opened once again, and Nora stepped out, her gorgeous brown skin illuminated by the white flowing gown draped over her stunning figure in true sophisticated beauty. Behind her, Elena carried her train in a long velvet-green gown that matched the bouquet in Nora's hands. The ceremony went perfectly, not a cue missed, not a hair out of place in true Turk form. When the vows were said, the promises made and the slim golden bands slid on fingers, Rude grabbed his wife close and gave her a deep kiss, her brown curls falling back as he dipped her low.

There was joy. Everyone clapped and shouted and they marched out, Rude with Nora, Reno swinging his arm through Elena's and following after the couple who were showered in rice.

They celebrated long into the night, even after the couple departed for their honeymoon and everyone waved them off. Reno danced with Elena. He even pulled Tseng off his chair and convinced him to give the dance floor a try. But eventually it had to end, people trickled away, Elena left exhausted and Tseng excused himself having had enough partying to last him until the next wedding. Reno slumped into a chair, glass of wine in hand, and looked across the table at one of the few people left in the hall.

"Yo Rufus. Have a good time?"

"Reno. Of course, I am happy for them."

The red head rolled his eyes and leaned over the table. "That's not what I meant." Rufus watched him carefully.

"Everyone hates me, Reno, I am here by token alone."

"Ah, so feeling sorry for yourself then." Reno drawled, the alcohol audible in his speech but it didn't seem to do anything to dull those brilliant eyes. "Guess I know what that's like."

"The eleven weeks you spent in recovery can hardly be called feeling sorry for yourself Reno. And if you don't understand that, you shouldn't be out here yet."

At first that piercing gaze challenged him, almost looked angered, but it relaxed with Reno's muscles and he slouched back in his seat, flinging his feet up onto the table and draining his glass.

"You would know, more than anyone, eh? No, I don't feel sorry for myself, and I didn't then. And neither did you, Rufus, and I appreciated that. I don't know that I can forgive you yet, but the help you gave me the last months...well it's a start. And whether you see it or not, the Turks are grateful too, it's just going to take time."

Rufus just nodded. Reno let his head fall back over the chair and stared at the ceiling. Candles and lights flickered all over the room, creating a spider works of shadows to dance above him even when the room was nearly empty. He shut his eyes, feeling the wine swirling in his head.

"Are you really okay now?" The voice was just beside him. He jolted, his chair tipping but the President stayed him. Green eyes reluctantly opened but met that steady gaze with no fear or repulsion anymore.

"Yeah. I mean...it will always be there, but I know how to deal with it now."

"Okay then."

"Okay then, what?" Rufus straightened Reno's chair for him and the Turk slid his legs off the table. He took hold of Rufus' arm to steady himself when he stood, the wine had hit him pretty hard.

"Okay then I'm ready to grant your request, Reno."

The shaking hand on his arm was joined by another and Reno held tight to Rufus' suit in order to maintain eye contact.

"You mean it?"

"Yes, Reno. Your first mission back in the field will be to rehabilitate Cole's men- train them for jobs here or prepare them for life outside, it's up to you, just make sure they find a place and there are none among them who would rise to Cole's place."

"Yes sir." Reno answered with a serious tone that managed to penetrate his drunkenness.

"Good. Then I think it's time you get to bed." He began to lead Reno from the hall, one of his personal security team taking over to guide Reno safely back to his quarters, but Rufus called after them only a few seconds later.

"Reno, there's one more thing." There was no hiding the solemn edge to the President's voice.

"What is it, Rufus?"

"Yesterday we recovered some files. I found out Cole's real name, would you like to know it?"

But almost at once the red head shook his head. "No Rufus. I don't. Charles Cole is dead. He left no legacy."

"Fair enough. I'll burn the file, no one but me will ever know."

"Thank you. One last secret I'll ask you to keep for me."

"That sounds like a good deal, Reno. Now go to bed."

"I think I will."

But when he was left in his dark room by the guard, his bed was the last place he wanted to be. Instead he slipped out into the dark and silent halls, tread down the carpeted corridor to the illuminated exit sign. He climbed the many steps between his floor and the helicopter landing pad. The starry night was muted by a haze of pollution as always, but he found the ledge without trouble, as he had many nights, unbeknownst to any friend or doctor who had been with him through his recovery.

This was his place, and he only shared it with one other being.

"It happened tonight."

He spoke to the pavement far below as he balanced on the edge. A dry wind pulled at his suit, but nothing would tear him from his perch unless he wanted it to.

"I didn't think it ever would. I kind of started to believe you, Cole. But you were wrong, after all. Tonight I felt happiness. I don't think I could even put it into words, but I felt it, without a doubt. I added a memory I want to keep. One more to hold up against the ones you gave me."

He took a long breath and smiled to the distant blacktop.

"And if I can feel happy, then that can only mean one thing. You are truly dead. You did not ruin me, I can be happy, I can laugh, I can live. I can be alive again, because even the nightmares of what you did to me can't take this feeling away. So this is good bye. No more nightly visits. No more anything, Charles Cole. Not even a name to remember you by. Because I am alive. And you, you sorry son of a bitch, you are dead. Truly, and forever."

He stepped back from the edge, staggering a bit from the remnants of his drinks. But the warmth of alcohol had nothing to do with the feeling of weightlessness about him. Because he knew it was true. The charcoal shadow that had stained his life for so long now had finally lifted. And in the dead of night he felt the sun breaking over him, he felt the dawn of a new day, one in which no nameless man could harm him.

He was free.

Thank you so much for sticking through this rough ride with me. I hope the end satisfies you, it did me.

Riza.