The plot moves forward! I think I might need to replay the game... I keep losing track reading the walkthroughs.
Chapter 35: Junon Circus Freakshow
While the Turks were in Midgar, packing and making last-minute arrangements for the trip, there were plans being hatched in Junon.
"Our target is Rufus Shinra," said one of the men bent over the table. "Kidnap him, ransom for a few bil, we're free men, rich and clear."
"Are you sure the security's thin?"
"There are no SOLDIER 1st Class on the roster, so yep," he answered. "And I know the damn Turks won't be coming. This job'll be so easy a baby can do it."
"Hang on a sec," said one of the men hidden in the shadows. "What's your incentive? You don't want a gil, and you seem to know a bit too much about the schedule. Who the fuck are you?"
"Rufus Shinra fired me seven years ago, because I cheated on my wife with his secretary. Lost everything in a settlement. That kid needs to learn the grown-ups can play dirty." The man smiled; his front tooth was missing, the gap giving him a sinister look. "I worked as their system engineer. It's no big job to get into their system. I want that kid humiliated on his big day, that's all."
The would-be kidnappers shrugged. The reason seemed good enough, and one less person to divvy up the ransom with, more for them.
"Welcome to Junon International Airport. Passengers please have the requested travel documents ready for inspection. The airport is now on security code B. Thank you…"
The chemical stench of a cleaner, about forty kinds of plastics, ten kinds of steel alloys, fifty food booths, and three million people hit Reno's nose, and he nearly gagged, even with his spray. Arien was standing next to him, sunglasses on her nose, looking every bit a happy-go-lucky tourist, searching through the little passport case around her neck for her ID. As a high-level security clearance employee of the Shinra Company, they were allowed to be armed on flights - which was a pretty shitty idea, but Reno wasn't the one to say anything - and to prove that no, they weren't AVALANCHE terrorists, they needed their Shinra IDs stating their clearance.
"Visitors with health issues, please present themselves to the Medical Officer. We hope you enjoy your stay in Junon."
"This fucking line," Reno muttered, "is taking fucking forever." He was holding onto Arien's duffel bag as she looked for her card.
"Well, we had to travel economy."
"This is shit." He glared at the mother behind them, who gave a dirty look at the redhead and then clamped her hands over the small child's ears. "And someone threw up here."
"That's nice to know… ah ha!" She finally found it. "I thought I'd lost it."
Reno shoved the duffel bag into her hands as he began to pull out his own. Arien had hooked his duffel around her own foot, and she looked like any other normal woman on a holiday with her boyfriend, from her pink blazer to her black tank top, all the way to the hem of her jeans. No one would notice the double holster under her arm. Reno was similarly dressed in a leather jacket; unable to conceal his baton in his sleeve, he had hooked it under his arm, and his pistol was tucked into his belt. They had some trouble coming up with what passed off as normal outfits, until Reno pointed out he hadn't actually gone outside Midgar for leisure in several years. They ended up just putting on whatever, but were sorely reminded that they needed to have a little more social life.
"Would passengers please have the appropriate travel documents ready for inspection…"
"Next!" came the haughty call, and Reno went ahead of her. The booth was soundproof to ensure security, and from the way he leaned in, she could tell he was trying to conceal his identification. The last thing they needed was some media hound noticing there were Turks in Junon. Surprise was their element, and there would be no point in entering this harbour town incognito if they raised an uproar.
Thankfully, Arien's turn came soon enough, and she walked to the little booth where the inspector was waiting. "Name?" He asked, his tone clearly bored.
"Arien DeVir," she replied as she presented her passport and her ID card.
"Purpose for visit?"
"Business." The man slid her card into the reader and glanced at the screen, then froze.
"Miss DeVir! I beg your pardon, I really do, I wasn't aware…"
"Can I have my things back, please, if there aren't any problems?" She asked as the man hastily nodded and stuck a barcode sticker onto her passport. She understood the man's fear but it was a little over the top in her opinion. It wasn't as if she'd whip her pistol out and empty the magazine into the passers-by.
Although if Rufus ordered it, she'd do it, she amended. So maybe he was right to be scared of her.
"Please take Exit B," he said, his tone almost fearful. "And please present the barcode to the officer in charge. Have a wonderful stay, and again, I apologise for…"
Arien waved it off and joined the redhead, who was waiting for her beyond the gates. "Did they fawn over and offer their firstborns to you too?" He asked as she joined him.
"No, but he apologised like he summoned a bahamut on me by accident. Then told me to take Exit B…" She waved her barcoded passport at the man with a scanner, who scanned the barcode, looked at the display, then nodded for her to go. Someone else, similarly equipped, was doing the same to Reno. "I wonder why Tseng paired us up. Wouldn't it be better for you and Rude to be together?"
"Yeah, but what's more likely, a guy and a gal travelling together or two guys? During Rufus' party period?"
"You have a point."
Getting their luggage turned out to be much faster than they had expected, probably because the security had sought to do them a favour by not placing their luggage on the carousel but rather have them brought directly by the exit to the luggage area. They got their things and then they were out of the terminal. Arien hailed a taxi as Reno felt his phone buzz.
"Yo. The hottest man alive here."
"Senior Agent!" came the high-pitched voice. Reno glanced at Arien, who was asking who it was with her eyes, and mouthed "It's Elena". Then Rude must have taken the phone, for the voice suddenly got deeper. He flung the boot open and threw his luggage in, then Arien's. She was already inside.
"We're here. Your rooms are directly above ours," Rude said shortly.
Reno slammed the boot shut.
"Gotcha. Whose room is Blondie supposed to be in?" Tseng and Rufus were checking into a completely different hotel, but ostensibly the president was supposed to be staying in one of the suites. Reno still didn't know if it was supposed to be Rude/Elena's, or his.
"Yours. The hotel staff thinks we're his retainers."
"Oh goodie. Because we so aren't," he replied snidely as he flung open the door. "All-right. We're gonna get there in about an hour. I'll give you a call when we get there." He hang up, then sank into the seat. "So far, nothing."
"We've only been in Junon for ten minutes."
"And dash my hopes, would you?" He groaned.
The taxi ride to the hotel was without incident, but the Turks tensed as they entered. The suite was large enough for the four to settle in, which was something Elena pointed out when they came in. "Maybe we should all stay in one suite," Arien said as she sat down on a bed; Elena and Rude were checking the other room for bugs. "Use downstairs as a decoy."
"That's actually not a bad idea," Reno agreed as he checked the room for bugs.
"Okay, then. Elena and I'll take one room, you two in the other."
"Hey hey hey! Hang on a sec, why does it… watch out!"
There was a sudden noise of shotguns being fired. The two Turks threw themselves to the ground; Arien rolled behind the counter, pulling on the slide as she rolled. Reno crawled to where she was as he heard the door open. Shit. Someone had shot out the locking mechanism. Reno yanked out his Jericho, pulling the slide with his teeth as his left hand pressed the button. He saw the remnant light of flashes and then splinters were raining on their heads, as well as repetitive rap sounds.
"God-damn. They have automatics. This ain't funny. That'll turn us into swiss cheese. Arien!"
"Yep?" said the woman on stretched onto the floor next to him, her two pistols held in her hands. "Guess Tseng was right."
"Damn it, I really wish he wasn't. Are they attacking the next room too?"
"Ye-er-yes," she hissed back amidst the sounds of bullets drilling into the walls. They heard glass shattering along with the shells falling.
"Well, shit."
"Give anyone alive extra holes in their asses!" one of the shooters was laughing. "Make sure you keep the boy prez alive, though!"
"Huh, so they're after Rufus."
"Who else would they be after?"
"Check the place. I heard voices," said who appeared to be the leader. "I only like dead people, boys! So let's make 'em."
"Death sign number one," Reno whispered. "Ready?" He saw Arien nod. He knocked the butt of his EMR into Arien's Sig for luck, then jumped out.
The men had no idea what had hit them. For one thing, the barrage next door was still going on, and for another, all they saw was a flash of red before Reno leapt into the air, his EMR flashing blue as he brought it crashing down. He released the charge, locking a man in place, then pulled the trigger of the pistol in his right hand. The others tried to react, but then the woman was flying out from behind the counter, the barrels flashing as it discharged the bullets. They began pulling their own triggers, but the woman rolled away as the redheaded man leapt over the broken chair.
"What the hell do they think they're doing? Even if Rufus's here, he'll be bloody swiss cheese by now!" Arien cried as Reno spun on his heel and his baton made a solid contact with the exposed back of another man. He fell onto the floor, convulsing. A stench of burned fabric was starting to fill the room.
"Beats me! Oi!" He launched into a somersault kick, driving his foot into the man's head. "I'll sew your asshole shut and open a new one in your brain! Rude!"
"Busy!" came the low shout from next door. "Can't help!"
"Well shit." Reno casually pulled the trigger. "So the Director's on a rendezvous while we're in a shoot-out. Figures."
"Stop getting in our way!" The leader cried as he emptied the magazine in the general direction of the redhead. "I'm sick of dealing with you bastards!"
"Who's we?" Arien whispered as she squeezed the trigger, but nobody heard. Reno was yelling obscenities back as he shot at him with his Jericho.
"Like I care, you country shithead! Then get out!" He shouted.
"Like I can, you redheaded motherfucker!"
"Shut the fuck up, you gobsmacked git!" He leapt off the back of the smashed-up chair, bringing down his charged EMR into another man's head while Arien ran to the other side of the room, diving into a roll as she released the magazine of her Glock and slamming in another from her belt. Reno slid behind a man, using him as a shield as he slid his Jericho into his belt. He grabbed the man's automatic and began shooting, yanking the now-dead man into a small doorway that led into Rude and Elena's. The door was closed, and Arien was on the other side of the room, still shooting. Reno whipped out the pistol from the man's belt and threw it at her, which she caught in an overhand as she jumped. Her finger slid into the trigger and she pulled as she landed on her hand. She rolled again, getting to where Reno was just in time. The room was suddenly filled with silence.
"If civilians hear the noise, we're screwed," she hissed breathlessly.
"No worries. The suites're soundproofed. Insert obvious reason here." He threw away the automatic, now out of ammunition, then pressed his ear into the door.
"How're they doing?" She hissed as she felt around the dead body Reno had discarded for weapons.
"They're still going at it." He picked up a broken shard of glass, using it to reflect the interior. "I think we're clear." He crawled out on all fours, his left hand still clutching the baton. He gingerly stood up. "Wow. Look at this freakshow."
"Hm?"
"They even have a flamethrower." He kicked one of the men. "And an automatic rifle. And a rotary gun. Sheesh."
"Well, I think Rude and Elena's done," Arien said cheerfully. "Let's go see them." She dusted herself off; powder of glass fell from her in silvery dust. "Hey, I think this one's alive."
"Let's keep him. Not sure if Rude left anyone alive, and we might need to ask questions."
"You god-damn motherfucker!" yelled the injured man, bleeding on the floor. "If you think I'll talk-"
"You'll have to. The redhead over there? He might find a new way to crucify you that'd impress Peter." She blew on the smoking nozzle.
"You're… kidding!"
"Sorry, but with us, all sorts of violent jokes turn out to be real." Reno shot the man in the knee, then opened the door that led to the next room. "Hey, coming?"
"Hang on a sec!" the man cried in his agony. "Who the fuck are you?!"
Reno stopped; Arien was already going through the door. He gave his Cheshire smile that chilled the man to the bone. "You attacked us without knowing who we are? Amateurs, tsk tsk," he tutted. "We're the Turks." The door slammed behind him and the room fell into a dim darkness. It was five in the afternoon, and it was clear to the men dying on the floor that for the members of the Investigation Sector, this was as routine as going to the drycleaner's. The leader lay, slowly dying, realising that he had really messed with the wrong people, and the main conspirator - who was waiting at the seedy bar with good news - had been wrong to assume that Rufus Shinra would not bring the Turks. Damn black-jackets were the experts in covert operations; they did dirty shit better than anyone else, and would know every trick in the book. To try to kidnap from under their noses was pure stupidity, and he silently cursed the fired Shinra employee for underestimating. This mistake was going to cost his life.