A/N: Again, Victor has been alluded to before with plenty of foreshadowing, and the "lady in Junon" is Anya - who you've seen some from. For anyone interested in my headcanons and a little more backstory, go to my (dot com) blog and add /post/139550442987 to get more detail.


Reno hadn't gotten much of a formal education until he came into the Turks, Veld making sure all his operatives had a solid understanding of some fundamental things. Fortunately, he was plenty smart and caught on to things quickly. He hadn't gotten to third in command by being slow and sloppy, no matter what his appearance suggested. His partner, on the other hand, had come over from Costa del Sol and spent a couple years at the Junon Academy learning a lot of helpful things. Reno's personal favorite skills of Rude's were watching him hand someone their ass with hand-to-hand and how good he was with demolitions. You wouldn't think big hands like his would be so good with delicate work, but Rude was full of surprises like that.

They made a damn fine pair, the only solid partnership to be pretty much official - Reno and Rude was as much a given as Veld and Vincent had once been, and if being compared to a pretty legendary pair wasn't a thrill, nothing was. Especially knowing that was why they were being sent below the Plate to meet up with somebody the Director said would be a priceless ally. On the low down, he'd implied the man was Old Guard, and that was mind blowing. Pretty much everybody from green rookies up heard about Veld's partner, a legend even after death, and of course the Director was scary good. The lady in charge of managing all their stuff in Junon was too; he hadn't even attended there and knew about Anya Torvik. Rumor was that she had the nickname of Shiva's daughter once, and he didn't think it was just because she'd come from the Nibel Mountain range.

They were armed even more than usual, not really out of concern for the person they were meeting so much as nobody had been able to confirm that AVALANCHE had actually left Midgar. Getting killed by those crazies was not on Reno's to-do list. Now, killing one of them? That'd be alright. Except the boss' daughter, they'd have to find a way to bring her in, obviously.

"Got eyes," Rude said quietly, walking along at Reno's side like a bastion of calm. It was a good look on him, especially since most people couldn't call his bluff with those shades on.

Right now, Reno could tell he shared that same mix of nerves and exhilaration at the job they had. He could feel eyes on them, too, in a different way than the rest of the people in the Slums who gave anybody in a Turk's suit wide berth and tried not to call attention to themselves. This was a gaze of intent, and Reno smirked a bit as he looked up and over to the place they were supposed to be meeting their contact. Sure enough, there was a guy leaning in the doorway, casual as you please in a black suit that could have been Turk issue. The shirt under it was a sort of stormy blue-gray that made it pass off as something else, but knowing what they did, it had to be deliberate.

He didn't falter at all, watching them approach and even giving them a once-over before offering a little smile of his own. Pushing off the door frame with his shoulder, he gestured to the building behind him. "Coffee?"

"Hyped enough, thanks." Reno offered a hand, pleased at the strength of the grip. Calluses suggested the guy used guns, which wasn't a surprise. "But inside is good. Sit down, have a chat."

"That was my thought." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Reno, hm?"

"Yessir." Reno gave him a lazy grin, nodding to his partner. "That's Rude."

Rude offered a hand as well, the faintest smile quirking his lips at the smirk received. "No comment?"

"You're a Costa boy, I figured it's short for something long that Midgar boys would just trip all over." The man shrugged, shaking his hand before turning to get the door and lead them inside. "You seem too quiet for it to be for attitude."

"Oh he's sassy like nobody's business, I swear," Reno said, glancing around the place. It didn't have a lived-in vibe, definitely a front for business instead of taking people back to wherever he actually stayed. Which was smart, but meant there was less to go off of for building a mental profile for the guy. "Gotta say, the Slums are good for a lot of things, but not a place I'd wanna stay if I had a choice."

"It's not a long term arrangement, if that's what you're fishing for." He made his way across the room to a kitchenette, getting himself a cup of coffee and doctoring it with a little milk before heading back to the table. "Sit down, if you like. This might take a bit."

Reno pulled out a chair for himself, sitting down at an angle that would let him up quick if he had to. He was pretty sure he wasn't imagining the quick smile of approval from the guy. "So, scuttlebutt says you're the boss' friend from way back, huh?"

"I'd love to hear you explain where you could hear scuttlebutt about history from then, I really would." Still, there was an appreciative smile there even as he called Reno out. "Not that it isn't true, but the people who'd remember me aren't all that Turk friendly last I checked."

"Now you've got me curious," Reno said. "Can't leave it at that. Who are you?"

"I think we're being called 'old guard' these days, the first set of us before Veld made Director," he said, nodding when Rude made a sound of agreement. "Fair enough, then. My name is Victor Rowan, and I was the fifth drafted into the fold, followed by Vincent Valentine and Veld himself."

Reno whistled softly. "Yeah, that's old school alright. How'd you go off the grid like this? Can't picture the President was ever okay with a Turk just up an' quittin' the job."

"He was distracted with Sephiroth being born," Victor said. "I wiped myself from the system, he didn't know me enough to remember or care. Given he hadn't looked into Vincent's death at all, writing me off was no big deal; he'd been the Director's SIC, I was just the quiet guy who worked computers."

"Uh huh… that why you left, because of him ignoring Valentine's death?" Reno asked.

"That, and what I found out Gast was up to with the Jenova Project." Victor shook his head. "Nasty business, kept it very hush hush. And it's blown up in their faces now from what I've gotten intel on."

"What tipped you off? The mass desertion of SOLDIER, Genesis attacking, his clones, or the mutations?" Reno asked.

"All pretty valid clues, I'd say. But I didn't actually start digging until there was a fuss about Angeal Hewley coming back," Victor said. "His fan club made a pretty big deal out of it, so I got to looking around the system. Veld's always been a very organized man, and he runs the department the same way; high standards keep you all in business, after all. The last thing he wants is a repeat of what happened to his partner."

"Somehow, I don't think hearing his organizational skills are what let you find things hacking in is actually good news," Reno said. "Sure, you seem on our side. But that could have been anyone else finding the paths in, too."

"I have a significant advantage, don't you worry." Victor smiled a bit, a hint of amusement in the expression. "Besides, I keep an eye out for your best interests. It wasn't Veld who secured the system during the Junon attack."

Reno stared at him a moment, running over the implications of that statement even as he hid his shock and unease under an easy half smile. "You have access to the Director's codes."

"I found a way to get the same result," he corrected. "And the Science Department may have added a lot of impressive encryptions, but it still would have been bad if AVALANCHE got into the system here. Blocking the normal accesses from Junon was necessary, even if it meant slowing everything down a bit."

"Good point." Reno tilted his head, considering what he'd been told and what he could guess from body language. "Veld wants to trust you."

"It's mutual," Victor said. "It's been quite a while since we've been around each other. A lot has happened, not all of it good. The company's a mess right now, one he's expected to clean up but not being given a whole lot of help to do so. There was a time when Rupert Shinra was a leader who listened to the people who worked for him, acknowledged that they had specialties he didn't and trusted them to do their jobs. But it seems to me that's changed, and with all the sacrifices Veld's made 'for the good of the company' I can't blame him for having issues with being treated like he's disposable."

"That something else you've dug up?" Reno asked. "I've seen the President get harsh, and he's definitely come down hard on anyone he sees as going against him, but I hadn't heard anything against the Director or our department."

"You heard something that makes you think he's not willing to write you all off if he gets it into his head that you're not marching well enough to the beat of his drum?" He countered, perfectly calm even though his expression was grim. "He wrote off a commander of the department without a word and had the director before Veld executed. So you tell me, just how much would you suggest the Turks trust him?"

Reno was silent, not sure how much was safe to say. The guy made a good point, especially if what he said about the last director was true.

"That kind of talk would get us on his hit list," Rude spoke up, deep voice quiet. "And we'd count for starting it."

"Yeah." Reno tapped his foot lightly. "Cause and effect, you go against the company, the company wipes you out. It's always been that way, least as long as I've been here. It's harsh, sure, but simple enough."

"Good system, until you have to ask yourself if there's lines you won't cross," Victor agreed, shrugging. "I drew a line, so did most of the old crew. Maybe you'll never have to reach that point. I hope for your sake you don't. It's not a good place to be."

"Yeah." Reno frowned, leaning his chair back a bit. "So tell me this, if you drew a line, why're you comin' back? The company hasn't changed, sounds like you think it's got worse. What's in it for you now?"

"I didn't say I was coming back to the company, let alone for it," Victor said. "You know the mantra 'Turks take care of their own' - I'm pretty sure Veld would have passed that on, it was a big deal."

"So you're comin' in to help Veld, however he needs you," Reno said; the thought didn't rest easy on his mind, and he wasn't sure why. "Because Turks take care of their own, and apparently you consider yourself enough of one that it applies still?"

"That's not the whole phrase," Victor said. "The name 'Turks' is actually a shift off of a possessive; the first Director of the Department of Administration and Research was Alexandra Turk. At the time, we were something of a cousin department with what's now Public Safety, split to specialize. So when someone talked about us, instead of using that whole long title, people took to saying we were Turk's team. Over time, that became the Turks, which you still use whether or not you know about the last Director. Alex had a lot to prove, she wasn't a woman like people considered women back then, she wore suits, didn't want anything to do with 'settling down' and refused to give an inch to anyone. Especially those who thought she should just because she was a woman.

"And we were proud to work with her. Hell, Anya left Security to join up with Alex, staying on as her second until she found someone to pass it to. And I think she was the first one to say it," he said, gaze distant as he thought back. "Turk's take care of their own, because they don't trust anyone else to do it. That is still true, at least from our generation."

Reno frowned, bouncing his leg lightly. "Alright, yeah. That still fits, I guess. This stuff goin' down is bigger than just us, though. There's not much choice."

"There's always a choice, Reno, it's just a matter of whether or not it's one you're willing to make," Victor said. "From what I've heard, Veld's made his choice. I don't know if he'll ask you to follow him or not, but that's your choice, too."

"So you know about AVALANCHE." It was a vague statement, but from his expression, Reno could tell Victor knew exactly what he meant. "Fair enough, you pretty much said it already. You comin' in personally, or workin' things out with the Director long distance?"

"Long distance, for now. I don't think he'll be terribly surprised." Victor shrugged. "He's not the only one with people to take care of."

"Family?" Rude asked.

Victor nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. "Young, too. I'm not about to walk into the cross hairs when I can be even more efficient in the shadows, and be around for them while I'm at it."

Rude nodded slightly. "Got it."

Reno glanced up at his partner with a small smile; figured Rude would, the guy had about a hundred people he could call kin in Costa del Sol and the islands around it, a half dozen or so who were siblings. "Can't blame you, yo. Guess that's where I stand too, 'cept the Turks are the family that took me in."

"It still counts." Victor shrugged. "Maybe moreso than your average family, because they didn't have to be."

"Yeah." Reno bounced his leg a bit more, frowning. There was a lot to wade through, but his gut said Victor was sincere. And Veld trusted him, even after all this time, even knowing what he was capable of, which said a hell of a lot. "Okay, man, we get where you're comin' from. What'd you want us down here for?"

"I wanted an intel swap, planned to hand over some tech I've worked on for your director, and start a rapport going because I have a feeling we're going to be working together in the future," Victor said. "I wanted to see what level he was keeping his full time operatives at, too. Word is that you two are the team these days."

"Word's good, 'cause we are." Reno arched a brow, balancing his chair on the back legs. "Who said?"

"Veld and Anya, for most credible, but you're also the only team that's seen together more than apart or with others," Victor said. "Straight logic from there."

"No need t' mess with somethin' that works this good, right Rude?" Reno glanced at his partner, smirking at his nod. "Nice t' hear people say so though. What's your verdict?"

"I like what I see, which is particularly impressive because honestly I'm not a people person," Victor said. "I can put some charm on if I need to, but it's not my idea of a good time. The kids are an exception, as were my friends in the Turks for the most part."

"So stayin' in the shadows is actually a good endgame for you, huh?" Reno said. "Convenient."

"I'd like it, but we'll see where I'm needed; we don't always get what we want."

"Ain't that the truth?" Reno shook his head, dropping his chair back down. "So we're on the level now. What've you got for us? Figure the tech has t' be pretty cool, since that's what you do."

"What I like to do best, certainly." Victor rose from his seat, heading to the kitchenette and getting the breadbox. Setting the loaf in it aside, he came back with the box and set it upside down on the table to get the bottom off and pull out a thin box.

"Oh hey now, that's clever, yo." Reno tilted his head, admiring the unexpected compartment. "I like that."

"Anything can be repurposed if you think hard enough," Victor said, opening the box to reveal a variety of small drives and a couple camera cards. "The drives all have information that I've gathered on AVALANCHE, some supportive anti-ShinRa gangs that are gaining ground down here, and some assorted things Veld will want to know about a few interesting things I ran across that got buried in the weight of history. The film backs up my claims for multiple things in the files, as well as a few things I don't know what to make of that may or may not be useful."

"Never hurts t' have extras, far as I'm concerned," Reno said, eyeing the package thoughtfully as he boxed it back up. "Sounds good, though."

"That's not everything." Victor reached into his jacket, pulling out a stick drive that had a grid mark on the front. "Veld's going to need this to make use of any of that, and he's the only one who's going to know what to do with it."

Reno snorted, shaking his head as he accepted the drive. "Well, easy t' see you trust the Director above everybody else. That's still mostly good news. Curious about how you made a biometric lock for a guy you haven't seen in decades. That's what that is, isn't it?"

"Close enough. I can wing most things on principle." Victor shrugged. "So long as you're on his side too, we don't have a problem. It's not personal, I just don't know you yet, and I have a gut feeling that he's about to change things up."

"So until you see which side we end up on, we're variables," Reno said, nodding slowly. "Alright, I can respect that. We'll get this to the boss. Any messages?"

Victor thought about it, gaze growing distant a moment. "Yeah. You can't take a bullet back."

Reno arched a brow, glancing at his partner. There was a faint frown there, thoughtful, so they'd have to discuss that one later. "We'll tell him. I'm sure he'll be in touch."

"I'm sure he will," Victor agreed, rising. "It was a pleasure, gentlemen."

"Yeah, for us too." Reno shook his hand with a little smile. "You have fun keepin' outta sight."

"Oh I'm having a ball," Victor said dryly, smirking back.

Rude shook his hand as well, frown still there. "Your kids… they okay?"

Victor arched a brow, openly surprised by the question before his smirk gentled to a genuine smile. "Yeah, they are now."

Rude nodded, adjusting his sunglasses in one of the few nervous tells Reno knew him to have. "Good."

Victor nodded. "It is. Thanks."

After a beat of silence, Rude headed for the door so Reno gave the Guardsman a quick salute and followed his partner.