Before Crisis 2: The Crisis
CHAPTER 40 – DOWNTIME
January 8th [ ν ] - εγλ 0008, 6:20 PM
So this is what it's like to live in exile...
For most of the day, Tseng's elbow was on the sofa arm, his head leaning lazily against his right palm. His team's base of operations was located in Kalm, in the basement of a rundown corner store owned by one of Veld's old acquaintances. He'd been watching the news closely, eager to learn about Shinra's next plan but they hadn't made a single update since the failed execution. Reeve hadn't reported anything back to him, either.
Should I pay Elmyra a visit?
There was no one else here except Veld, who was on the computer doing god-knows-what. The rest of his team were either out on the field or taking the day off somewhere else. Freyla and Ruluf were back in Shinra Mansion investigating Holy and the White Materia. Maur and Balto had returned to the Forgotten City with scuba gear, believing that the White Materia was somewhere at the bottom of the pond. And Knife and Chaku, two of the four Turks Tseng had yet to reunite with, were in Cosmo Canyon to speak with the elders about the current state of the Planet.
As for Tseng himself, his doctor had recommended him to take the day off and rest. He didn't think he needed it but at the same time, he was far from a full recovery. Nonetheless, choosing to spend the day with Veld had been a huge mistake. Granted, Kalm was a quiet town with only a few shops, but Tseng hadn't expected to be this bored out of his mind. He'd already told Veld of his interest to continue working with him, but at this very moment, he couldn't wait to return to Shinra.
He was just about to fall asleep when he heard his mentor speak.
"Juget is returning to us. She said she wants to fight Weapon..."
Abruptly interrupted, Tseng took his time to process this information. Juget, in his opinion, was the toughest Turk to ever step foot on the battlefield. A former mercenary, she specialized in martial arts and rivaled Maur in overall strength and hand-to-hand combat. Above all, she was known to always put business first and was well liked among her comrades. Tseng looked forward to reconnecting with her.
"Hmm..." he murmured, "So now everyone's returned except for..."
"Legend," said Veld.
"Heh, of course."
Legend was his preferred name, but he had many nicknames. An expert bomber, he had been called the Grim Reaper, Death God of the Battlefield, or simply, the Legendary Turk. Now he was the most skilled in combat by far, and Tseng had wondered if he alone had what it took to take on Weapon. But Legend was also known for his lax work ethic, and at one point he had been forced to leave the Turks and placed under house arrest for a year. After that, it took another full year to convince him to return, so it came as no surprise to Tseng that he had been living his own exiled life with no plans to come back.
"He's probably enjoying what he believes is the last days of his life..."
Tseng smiled at Veld's comment but said nothing, and went back to his lazy posture. He closed his eyes, clearly showing his disinterest in the conversation.
"Not going to Elmyra's?" Veld spoke again.
He sat up again and slowly shook his head. "After what the Turks did to her and Marlene... I'm probably the last person she wants to see."
A confused look appeared on his mentor's face. "Are you sure about that?"
"God knows."
"But you did say she appreciated you keeping Aerith safe for all those years."
Pausing briefly, Tseng let out a heavy sigh. "That is true, yes."
"And you were one of Aerith's... closest-"
"You know what, maybe I will," he conceded. "Maybe... just in case Reeve hadn't had the chance to do what I requested him to do."
To tell her I'm sorry.
Back in Junon headquarters, Reno's gaze immediately fell upon Elena as he entered the infirmary. Rude closed the door behind him before joining the two doctors at her bedside.
"Elena?"
The defeated rookie was lying motionless on the bed, her face turned away slightly. Her eyes flickered when she heard his voice, a delayed reaction and nothing else. She had no energy to speak as her colleagues noted the bruises on her forehead and the bandages around her left ankle.
Reno turned to one of the doctors. "What happened?"
"Hojo's specimen."
"Hojo, huh..."
"Right. He used his specimen to help him escape prison and cause destruction."
Rude noticed the badge on the doctor's coat and identified him as Dr. Kilmister. The other doctor was nameless. "Any casualties?"
"Yes," Kilmister nodded. "Though not as many as yesterday."
Reno knelt down to Elena. "How bad is the injury?"
"Aside from all the bruises, she has a sprained ankle, and perhaps a concussion," said the other doctor. "Was unconscious for quite some time before you got here."
"She's fortunate that our SOLDIERs came just in time to save her," added Kilmister. "The monsters were defeated easily after that."
"Hmm..." Rude scratched his chin. "So she was fighting them alone?"
"That... I'm not sure."
Reno turned to his partner and sighed. "She wasn't being careful..."
He responded with a sigh of his own. Kilmister checked on Elena during the brief silence, placing a special helmet over her head for a concussion diagnosis. The other doctor pulled out a Full Cure materia from the medical kit.
"I guess our next task is to find Hojo..." murmured Reno. "I wonder what his mission is?"
Rude shrugged. "Maybe he went back to Costa del Sol?"
"He's got bad intentions, that's for sure," Kilmister turned to them with arms crossed. "I mean, he's even injected Jenova cells into his own body. He may not look like much physically, but he's a very dangerous man, I tell you."
Reno's eyes squinted at the doctor suspiciously. "And how would you know this?"
"I've worked for Hojo as a lab assistant. I know what he's capable of."
"Huh. So you work for Shinra Science?"
"Used to. I abandoned my position as a full-time Shinra employee years ago. My main work is in Kalm where I own a hospital."
"I see..." Reno's voice faltered and he looked down at Elena. Unsure if she was still conscious, he placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered, "You're going to be fine."
"..."
He turned to Rude and saw him dialing his PHS. "Who're you calling?"
The skinhead waved dismissively as he brought the device to his ear. The redhead suspected that he was calling Reeve... only for Heidegger's voice to come out seconds later.
"Yes?"
"Sir."
"Rude?"
"Yes sir. We're in Junon now. What's going on with Hojo?"
"No clue. We've lost sight of that son of a bitch, and Rufus is blaming me for it."
Rude didn't know how to respond to that, and for a moment he thought about not saying anything at all. "Sir, you can count on us to track him down..."
The executive paused for a second before replying, "No. Didn't I give you other orders?"
"...You did?"
"What are you doing in Junon?"
"...Elena."
More silence from Heidegger, and then, "Psh... she's the least of our concerns right now. And so is Hojo. Return to Midgar, will ya?"
Rude slammed his PHS shut as the call came to a sudden end. He took a glimpse at Elena before looking up at Reno, his head shaking in anger.
"He wants us in Midgar."
"Was that Heidegger, Head of Public Safety?" interrupted Kilmister.
"That's none of your business."
"Right, sorry."
The Turks ignored his apology and made way for the exit. At the doorway, Reno turned back and nodded to the doctors. "Take good care of her."
A/N: Chaku = Nunchaku. Kilmister is a character introduced in OtWtaS: Case of Shinra.