Disclaimer: I don't own Reno, the Turks, Midgar or its slums, only my OC.
Tiny A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I'll try to do some overtime and have a chapter or so in reserve, to keep this kind of thing from happening again. On a personal note, the wedding was a big success, and everyone reading this should have themselves a very happy, if belated, Christmas and New Year's day!
Reno's officially a Turk, and Cam finally unloads her big secret.
Reno was in a small café with Cam, finishing, as he'd promised, the biggest meal they'd ever eaten. His temporary PHS rang, and a quick glance told Reno it was Rude. "Hey, Rude, what's up?"
Rude's voice rumbled, "Congratulations, Reno. You got the job. You're a Turk now."
Reno let out a victorious whoop that made several patrons look at him as if he were a crazy man. Reno lowered his voice, "So now what?" Rude, who'd shook with silent laughter at Reno's victory cry, now said, "You need to come in at 8 o' clock for a briefing and orientation, then it's off to fill out the requisite paperwork."
Reno cackled maniacally, "Yes, yes, YES!! Check it out, I'm doing a little dance, unh-huh, unh-huh!" Rude snickered, "Reno, I can't see you. Stop scaring the innocent bystanders, wherever you are." Reno stopped his disorderly flailing, "Oh, right. So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" Rude assented, "Yes, tomorrow at eight. I'll meet you at the ShinRa Tower lobby. Good night, Reno." Reno, who was still grinning foolishly, agreed, "Good night indeed! See ya."
After he hung up, Reno looked at Cam. She was red in the face both out of embarrassment as well as from held in laughter. "I got the job, honey-girl!" Cam burst out laughing, "Yeah, I kinda figured it out. They're gonna kick us out of here, I know it."
Reno looked fearsomely around, "Yeah? I'd like to see them try! I'll kick their asses so fast they'll need-" Cam quickly said, "Here, try this!" and popped a bit of cake into his mouth to shut him up. He muttered, "Oh, hey, that's really good", his previous 'wrath' against the café's management forgotten.
After a mini shopping spree, in which Reno purchased presentable clothes for the next day, as well as a PHS for Cam, they were back in their hotel room. They settled down watching TV, lying on their stomachs on the bed.
Reno could tell something was stewing in Cam's mind, but knew she'd tell him sooner or later. They hadn't been intimate since the day before the cleanup. Reno had tried to start something the previous night, but the effort had proven unsuccessful; he stopped when she seemed preoccupied with something other than him.
Cam thought about telling him about her pregnancy then, but cut that idea out, thinking, "Best to let him settle at work first, and not worry about it." Reno stirred next to her, nudging her elbow with his. "Hey Cammy, once everything's cool with the job and all, let's get an apartment, and a job for you."
She jumped a bit at first, then gave him a strange smile, "Sure thing, hon."
The next morning, Reno woke up to get ready. Cam got up as well. "What are you doing up? Go back to bed!" Reno argued, but Cam shook her head, "Nah. Today I'm going apartment hunting. And job hunting. And stuff hunting, oh my God, I don't even have a tube of lip gloss!" Reno snickered, and a while later asked, "How do I look?" Cam winked at him, "Oooh, you look all pretty!" Reno frowned, "Pretty?!" Reno laughed when Cam amended quickly, "Pretty spectacular!" They went their separate ways out in the hotel lobby.
Cam went to a newsstand and bought a paper. She sat down in a small coffee shop and scanned the classifieds. Still no job, but there was an apartment in the Sector 6 slums that seemed like a good prospect, even if it was in the same sector with Don Corneo. Reno went to ShinRa Tower, meeting Rude in the lobby. Rude looked him over, and muttered "You'll get the Turk uniform later today. Let's go, Veld's waiting."
Veld gave him the necessary keycards and introduced him to the heads of Department and the President. Reno met everyone except Rufus, as Tseng explained "He left late last night, down to Junon. Miyuki's with him."
Then Veld took Reno to Hojo's laboratory, explaining as they went about the mandatory Mako treatment he would have to endure. Reno looked around uneasily; half-seen creatures growled and skittered in their cages. Hojo himself came out of what looked like a holding cell, holding out a mean-looking syringe. Reno suppressed a shudder, thinking, "If he tries to stick me with that I'll punch him in the throat."
Hojo greeted them, and put the syringe in a tray next to a chart labeled '01'. "What's this, Veld? A new Turk?" the scientist asked in an oily, distracted voice, eyes gleaming darkly. Veld answered, "Yes, Dr. Hojo, Reno's just joined us, and needs to fill out the requisite file for the Mako treatments."
The doctor sniffed, "The nurse can help you with the papers. Have him down here tomorrow morning." Veld spoke up, "Doctor, it would be best to do it during the weekend. That way he won't lose workdays." Hojo seemed annoyed, "Fine, fine, this weekend then." Reno gulped, feeling a click in his throat. He didn't like Veld's implied stating that the Mako would have him out of work for two days.
Hojo led Veld out of the laboratory, talking about the forms Reno needed to fill out. Reno began to follow them but stopped, hearing a small rustle and a sharp intake of breath. It had come from the holding cell Hojo had come out of, with that huge syringe.
"Shit, I'd need help getting up from something like that," Reno thought, stepping into the open cell. He skidded to a halt, facing Sephiroth. The General was shirtless and sitting on a cot, holding his head between his palms. His eyes were closed, he looked to be in pain.
Reno was momentarily terrified, remembering in a flash how Sephiroth had skewered him through the chest with Masamune. The he mentally shook himself, "I work here now, he can't touch me. Besides, he looks as harmless as a kitten . . . a huge, muscle-bound kitten . . . just what the hell was in that syringe that's got the big 'n mighty Sephiroth like this?"
Reno cleared his throat quietly, letting Sephiroth know he was there. The silver-haired man opened his eyes and looked at Reno, letting go of his head. "Are you hurt or something? You need help?" Reno asked, then frowned as Sephiroth merely said, "No, I'm alright. Go away, please."
The newest Turk shrugged, "Fine, have it your way" and turned to leave. He heard Sephiroth mutter something. "What was that?" Reno asked, to which Sephiroth replied, "I said you're probably having a thrill, seeing me like this." Reno tilted his head, "Well, you did run me through with that huge sword of yours, and took your sweet time before listening to Tseng."
Sephiroth smiled coldly at Reno, "I was just carrying out my orders. It's not SOLDIER's fault Veld won't trust us with details. Either way, you'll soon be where I am today. I've been taking these shots since I was a kid, and I still get sick." Reno scoffed, "Fuck you, man. You're just trying to make me scared."
Sephiroth gave a hint of a shrug, "If you think so." Veld called for Reno, and the redhead left, Sephiroth's voice quietly calling out, "See you around, Reno . . ."
Much later that afternoon, Veld dispatched Reno. Reno was starving, but decided to call Cam first. The young Costan looked at her surroundings, her new apartment. It was definitely a step down from what she'd grown used to in the Sector 3 slums, but she felt immense satisfaction that it had been her doing; no one had had to help her get the apartment. It was small, but she didn't need an awful lot of room. Still, it needed some major refurbishing. Her PHS rang, cutting through her musings.
She picked up quickly, cheerily saying, "Hey, Reno! Guess what? I found an apartment! It's not much to look at, but wait till I'm done!" Reno congratulated her, and asked, "How'd you find it? Where is it?" Cam replied, "In the classifieds. I already filled out the paperwork. It's below-Plate, sector 6."
Reno scowled, "Cam, that's-" but she cut him off, "I know, Corneo's turf. I'll stay out of his way, babe, I promise. Anyway, I'm staying at a small inn here, tonight. It'll make job hunting easier."
She didn't tell Reno, but she'd been discouraged along the course of the day, as jobs were hard to find. Everything seemed to point towards a job at the Honeybee Inn, where pretty girls were never turned away.
As much as she hated to admit it, she was just like Reno in a way, a product of her environment. Reno knew violence, and she knew sex.
Reno grumbled, "Nooo, you already said the apartment is unlivable, stay with me! What's wrong with it, anyway?" Cam replied "The bed's horrible, the fridge is almost broken, and the bathroom is hideous." Reno teased, "Eeww, you can't stay there, with the hideous bed, the horrible fridge, and the almost broken bathroom." Cam snickered, but firmly said, "I'm staying at an inn."
The freshly-minted Turk headed to the cafeteria, still talking, "Either way, could you please meet me at the hotel room this weekend? I'll need some company; it's the first Mako treatment I'll have to take." Cam didn't much trust ShinRa, what with the rumors that went on about scientific manipulation, but assured Reno, "I'll be there, Reno. Here, write down my new address."
He did, and hung up a minute later. He was surprised at how lonely he felt all of a sudden, and heaved a small sigh. Then he straightened up when he saw Rude in the cafeteria. Reno went over to the tall Turk, asking, "Whatcha doing? Eating here, or to go?" Rude glanced at him, "I got it to go, I was headed to my apartment."
Rude noticed how the young Turk seemed downcast, and suggested, "You want some company for dinner?" Reno nodded enthusiastically, "Does Materia come in pretty colors? Of course, man, I don't know anyone here." Still, Reno's respite from loneliness was short-lived. After dinner, Rude left to his apartment, and Reno to the now-empty hotel room.
The following day, Reno felt like the 'oomph' was taken out of his morning. For the first time in several days, his bed was empty. Cam wasn't there to nag at him for hogging the bathroom, or to 'ooh' and 'aah' appreciatively at his brand-new uniform. Reno hated having to wear a tie, though. "Have to talk to Veld about that . . ." he mused, trying to get his hair to behave. It didn't want to.
Still, it was his first day as an official Turk, and he intended to make Veld look good, not to mention the guys.
Tseng had taken the morning to show Reno around the Turk quarters, showing him the Turk lounge and the living quarters, where Turks could live if they so chose. Then Tseng took Reno to the training room, telling him about combat training. Reno was a bit apprehensive, thinking, "I don't have any training at all! This is gonna suck . . ."
The Turk field leader recognized signs of stress in his new associate, and reassured him, "While Turks are required to pass a series of strenuous physical exams on a semi-annual basis, the training is designed to evaluate each one's unique style, and work from there to any other areas you're not good at. Don't worry, you'll do fine."
After a short sparring session with another Turk, a trainer cheered him by asking, "You're a very good street fighter! Any weapon in particular you like to use?"
Reno nodded, "I can shoot just fine, but if it were up to me, I'd always use stuff like a nightstick, or a crowbar or something." The trainer looked at Tseng a little apprehensively. Tseng shrugged.
The trainer gave a small cough and suddenly perked up, "I remember! We do have a weapon that's seems to fit your description, but so far it's proven a bit unpopular among Turks. Most of them avoid a close-up, direct confrontation in favor of long-distance weapons, like guns."
Reno scoffed, "Pansies." Tseng gave him a quick glance, instantly shutting the redhead up. The trainer went to a locker room and came out fairly quickly. In his hands he held an unremarkable-looking metal rod with the ShinRa logo on it.
Reno groused, "C'mon, man, don't be so literal!" The trainer handed him the weapon, simply saying, "Just try it out, will you? Press that button on the side." Reno did, and immediately the tip of the weapon exploded in crackling arcs of white-blue electricity.
Reno was so startled he almost dropped the weapon, shouting, "Whoa! What the hell! This is cool, how much is this thing packing?" The trainer took in Reno's delighted expression and knew the Electromagnetic Rod had found its owner.
"It's adjustable, through a small knob on the bottom. It ranges from a tiny current such as massage therapists use, to taser strength, to full out death by electrocution." The trainer gave a bit more explanation on the EMR, but Reno turned it off and held it tight to his chest, "Mine! I want it!"
Once more, it was early evening when Veld finally dispatched Reno. The older man did so, looking slightly miffed at something Tseng whispered to his ear. Rude had already left, and Reno thought about the lonely night ahead. He didn't know the Sector, and going barhopping by himself wasn't really an option. Still, he went into a seedy-looking bar right next to ShinRa Tower, looking to get a few drinks.
"What does she mean she doesn't know where he is?" Veld asked Tseng, making the young man look uncomfortable, "Exactly that, sir, I'm afraid. She says they came in from Junon nearly an hour ago, and he dispatched her, claiming he was already in ShinRa Tower and thus didn't warrant the protection of a Turk escort."
Veld grumbled, "Since when is Miyuki this obedient . . .? Go home, Tseng. Tomorrow's your day off. I'll see what I can do, as quietly as possible. No one needs to know Miyuki lost Rufus ShinRa."
Reno was halfway through his third drink when a handsome young man ordered a drink next to him. The youth looked about Reno's age, and seemed slightly depressed. Reno, made through his years in TBF into a social creature, lightly asked, "Tough day?"
The young man nodded and looked at Reno, eyes widening in recognition of Reno's uniform. He looked so surprised for a moment Reno laughed, "Relax, man, I wasn't sent out for you." The young man gave a brief laugh, looking at Reno strangely. "Um, yeah, it was kind of a hard day for me. How about you?"
Reno shrugged, swirling his drink, "I just started working as a Turk." The youth seemed curious, "How've you liked it so far?" Reno finished his drink, "It's been good, lots of paperwork, though, can't say I saw that coming. And you're officially the first actual person I know in this sector that isn't work-related. What's your name?"
The young man offered his hand, a guilty look flitting over his eyes, "My name's Seifer."
Reno looked at his new drinking buddy. He was a good-looking young man, with dark blonde hair and brown eyes. He looked vaguely familiar to Reno, but he couldn't place him. Either way, Reno meant to have a good time, and by the end of the night, him and Seifer did their best to run the bar out of liquor.
The next morning, Reno woke up spread-eagled on the floor of Reno's hotel room, using an unknown girl as a pillow. He looked around for Seifer, and found him in a similar position, but with two girl. Reno didn't know them either. The redhead muttered, "Lucky pretty boy . . ." as he headed to the bathroom to pee and wash his face.
On top of the toilet sat a whiskey bottle. Reno shrugged, muttering, "Hair of the dog . . ." and took a healthy swig. When finished in the bathroom, Reno dressed in his now woefully crumpled uniform. He dressed sloppily, not tucking in (or even completely buttoning) his shirt. He also seemed to have lost his tie.
He left the bathroom only to come face to face with a decidedly queasy-looking Seifer. Reno commiserated and handed him the whiskey bottle, then did a double take. 'He could have sworn Seifer's eyes had been dark brown last night, but they were dark blue now. He had an eerie resemblance to- "Nah" thought Reno.
The young man groaned appreciatively and took a swig to rival Reno's before heading to the bathroom as well. A few minutes later, both young men stood side by side, surveying the damage they'd done to the room.
There were countless bottles of liquor, mostly empty. The curtain had been torn down, and one of the girls seemed to have fashioned herself a toga with it, one of three girls whose names they couldn't remember and didn't really want to face just yet.
"Let's get the fuck outta here," Reno mumbled, and Seifer agreed, "Yeah, let's go." They put on their shoes and stepped out into the hallway, making their way downstairs. Reno noticed tat Seifer kept looking around anxiously, almost, but shrugged it off. Still, Seifer really did look familiar. They got out of the elevator and stepped into the biggest task force Reno had ever seen.
They seemed surprised to see him and Seifer, who groaned miserably. One of the men grabbed a bullhorn, and looking only at Reno, instructed, "State your terms! We're waiting for a negotiator, but President ShinRa wants you to know you'll get whatever you want!"
"What the fuck!" Reno exclaimed, wondering why they were treating him as a terrorist, as Seifer told him, "Oh, shit! Listen, Reno, put your hands up, and don't move a muscle." He saw Seifer sigh, walking towards the men, and realized, "Not terrorist, but a fucking kidnapper," as the bullhorn guy asked, "Are you alright, Vice-President ShinRa?"
Seifer called out, "It's OK, I'm fine! This is all a misunderstanding." Reno was still mouthing to himself he words "Vice-President Rufus ShinRa" when several MPs tackled him to the ground.
Tseng was enjoying his day off. He'd slept in to the ridiculously leisurely hour of 9:13, and was still in his pajama bottoms, sipping tea with milk. He turned on the news, to see what was going on in the fair city of Midgar this lovely morning. 5 minutes later the milk tea was cooling on top of the TV, as Tseng pelted into his room to put on his uniform, calling Veld.
What could've been a publicity nightmare was quickly and neatly disarmed by both the President and Vice-President ShinRa, who pulled together a press conference and made it all seem as an "Aw-shucks-the-errors-of youth" kind of thing. Reno had gained a type of notoriety for having spent a night out in town with Rufus ShinRa.
The fact that Rufus was actually a year younger than Reno wasn't even mentioned.
Reno felt queasy throughout the whole ordeal, and he wasn't allowed to talk, not even when reporters addressed questions directly at him. When the conference ended and the two ShinRas smiled and waved, Reno heard the President mutter at his son, "I don't care if you're my son, Rufus, next stunt you pull like this-" Rufus replied in an irritated voice, "relax, old man. I've just put this Company on the common folks' level." Neither of them stopped smiling (or even waving) while thus growling at each other.
That was only the beginning. As soon as Reno stepped off the podium, he was reprimanded harshly by Tseng, who seemed livid, then instructed to go to an empty office nearby. There, Veld reprimanded him as well, albeit less harshly than Tseng.
"Reno, you could've been shot. The Vice-President could've been hurt. The media would've taken this Company apart." Veld said in a grave tone, Reno feeling guilty and frustrated. "But sir, he gave me an alias, he looked and acted different. I didn't know." Reno defended himself.
Veld sighed, "He's done this before, Reno. He gets bored easily when everyone knows him. The Vice-President is still young, and not yet resigned to his status as one of the world's most famous faces."
He looked grimly at Reno now, "I'm not going to fire you for two reasons. One, I know you're much better than this. And two, even if I wanted to, I can't. The Vice-President has notified me that he's personally endorsing you to stay in our employment. Sloppy uniform and all, says it shows a more relaxed side of the Company. Regardless of this, Reno, next time something like this happens, you may find that sometimes Turks forgo personal endorsements."
Reno left the office, only to come face to face with Tseng. He looked at the Wutaian Turk apprehensively when Tseng coldly told him to go into yet another empty office. Reno did so quietly, thinking, "Ah, fuck, who is it now?"
Rufus ShinRa waited for him in that last office. He looked more like himself, having lost the tinted contact lenses and combed his hair back in the usual manner. Still, he felt guilty. Tseng had just been in, admonishing him for his behavior.
The young man motioned at Reno to close and lock the door. Reno did, then turned around, growling, "Rufus ShinRa!? The fucking Vice-President of the Company! Man, what the fuck!? Or, should I say, what the fuck, sir."
Rufus blinked in surprise. Needless to say, this was the first time in his life the young man found himself addressed thus. Still, he tried to make things a bit better, "Look, Reno, I'm sorry about his whole mess. I wanted to just have some fun, with someone without any social or political agenda."
Reno shouted, "What the hell are you-", but Rufus cut him off hotly, "No asskissers, Reno! I was surprised you didn't know me, being a Turk and all. I took advantage. It was . . ." he frowned, having never truly apologized to anyone before, "-it was wrong of me. I'm sorry you had to go through this, but I'm not sorry about last night itself."
Reno scoffed, "Well, shit, of course you don't! You're the President's little boy, nothing's ever gonna happen to you! Never mind me, the fucking underling who's been chewed on by everyone today, all because you wanted to party." He began turning away, then turned back around, "You know, next time you wanna have fun, have the decency to call off the manhunt before they pin someone else for terrorism and kidnapping, sir!"
With that, Reno spun around and left, slamming the door behind him.
Rufus gaped at the closed door, mouth actually hanging open. He was shocked. Nothing even remotely like this had ever happened. "The crazy bastard just told me off!" he thought dazedly, "He gave me a piece of his mind and walked out on me!" He sank back down in his chair and began to laugh.
An hour or so later, Reno got to Cam's new apartment. Noting his grim and surly demeanor, she innocently asked, "What is it, hon? How was your day?" He gave her a wilting look, but she simply stared back, asking "What?" Reno scowled, "You really don't know? C'mon, Cam, it was all over the fuckin' TV!" Cam shouted back, "I don't have one!"
Reno saw his friend wasn't teasing. He calmed down and told her everything. Cam chortled gleefully, "Fuckin' A, Reno! First week as a Turk and you went on a drunken orgy with Rufus ShinRa!" Reno snickered as well, then looked astonished, "Shit yeah! And then I told him off for tricking me! You shoulda seen him! He looked about to pass out or something!"
For the remainder of the day, Reno helped Cam fix her apartment, but not before modeling his uniformed look, receiving the much-sought "oohs" and "aahs". As they worked making her apartment livable, Cam told him about thinking of working in the Honeybee Inn, and Reno told her all about his first week, and about the Mako treatment he'd have to endure the next day.
It had been moved up, in part to punish him (or so Reno thought), and in part to take advantage of the three day suspension Tseng had given him. Cam promised she'd be there to take care of him.
Early evening the next day, Rude helped Reno into his hotel room. This was against his better judgment. People who endured Mako treatments usually staid in the laboratory, getting monitored by Hojo. Still, Reno had pled and insisted on Rude bringing him here, persisting that he had a friend who'd come over to take care of him.
Rude placed Reno on the bed, the redhead shuddering uncontrollably as the Mako burned its way through his body. Reno curled on his side, retching and groaning miserably. Rude remembered his own first treatment with a shudder, then looked at his friend, forcibly reminded of a dear cousin of his, who'd died of a mysterious stomach disease. Near the end, he'd been as Reno was now; pale and wretchedly in pain. He walked out of the room, leaving the door unlocked as Reno specified before the treatment.
Downstairs, Cam waited for the Turk to go away. She'd ducked into the hotel's gift shop, shivering slightly. She was still afraid of Turks, never mind if Reno was one himself. Once she saw him go away, she went up.
Cam gasped at the sight of him, "Reno! Oh my God, honey, what did they do to you?" She sat on the bed and pulled him so his head was on her lap, soothing him when the muscle or stomach spasms got too bad, talking softly to him when he seemed to regain some consciousness.
It was very early the following morning when Reno was conscious enough to look around. His muscles ached from the involuntary spasming, and he noticed Cam, snoring softly, sitting up in bed. Reno had been sleeping on her legs. "Man, I was out of it. I don't even remember Cam being here . . ." he thought, struggling to sit up.
Cam woke up, "What's the matter, hon, feeling better?" She helped him sit up, grimacing as her calves and legs were overcome with the tingling sensation of needles and pins. Reno noticed her sitting perfectly still. He smirked and jiggled her foot with his own. Cam squealed, "Ow-ow-ow! Reno, you shitty bastard, after I took care of you!"
Reno kissed her cheek, "I'm sorry." The he lay back down, giving her a smug look, "You do know you fell for it, right? That this was all just my master plan to have you back here? You're like the world's hottest nurse. You'll have to feed me and give me a sponge bath. Yay!"
Cam snickered, "Oh, is that right?" Reno nodded, then sobered up, "But seriously, Cam, thanks for being here." She squeezed his hand, "Don't mention it, Reno."
It was the day before Reno was scheduled to work again. He'd fully recovered from the Mako treatment, and seemed enthusiastic about returning to work. Cam, however, was a nervous mess. She'd decided to tell Reno about the baby. They were in her apartment, as Reno had accompanied her home.
"So, um, Reno," she began, "I, uh, got a call back from the Honeybee. I start out there next week." Reno spoke up, "That's cool, they know you're a kickass dancer-" Cam interrupted, "I won't be dancing, Reno. At least not for a year." Reno frowned, "How come? I mean, the manager knows you, even tried to give you a better offer last year." Cam shook her head, "No-I mean, yeah, they know me, but . . . Reno, I'm pregnant."
Reno gaped at her, "You're pregnant?" Cam nodded. Reno took a sharp breath, "It's me, isn't it?"
Now came the hard part, the part Cam didn't want to perform, but felt like she had to. Her baby couldn't be compromised because Reno was a Turk.
"I-I'm not sure, Reno."
A/N: Let there be angst! I said they weren't ready for this baby just yet, and that Cam wanted the baby for the wrong reasons, and they're both going about it the wrong way.
But for a change of topic, how about that drunken binge Reno and Rufus had? I have no idea where that came from! The false name he gave Reno, BTW, is one of the big villains in Final Fantasy 8, who I just think is so similar to Rufus it's creepy.
And I had intended to make the Turks Mako free, but seeing just how they fought in Advent Children, it seemed like they had some more 'oomph' to them than the other characters (I mean, Spider-Reno? Rude withstanding a friggin' traffic sign on the head? And remember how Tseng and Elena were supposedly close to death, but that same day they're in Edge rescuing Rufus?) And Mako looks like it hurts, in the game it put Cloud into a coma, and in DoC it was used to preserve corpses, so it seems like really powerful stuff.
And yeah, Miyuki also got to get a terrific chewing out by Tseng and Veld for 'losing' Rufus.
And yet again, Read and Review!