Guest: God... Eden being 3rd class, that feels like ages ago! In fact, it is, haha. She was so immature and naive. Yeah, she's grown so much! Thanks for noticing :D And thanks for reading and reviewing of course!
Chapter 234
Over the next two weeks, I focused on finding out exactly where Corneo's new hideout was. Finding him before Shinra did was crucial in my opinion, since I doubted very much they'd share the info with me if they did. I'd be left out, and I simply couldn't accept that. Since Ollie had taken a step back for the time being, I worked alone, with a little help from Charly of course. After a week of finding nothing and Charly's stubborn refusal to ask the Turks for news, I moodily made my way over there to ask them in person. I was well aware of the schemes Charly was trying to pull off, and goddammit it was working.
Since Charly had been allowed to make office inside the new Shinra building, I came around here a lot, though I tried my best to avoid the Turks, which proved to be difficult since Tseng had offered him space on their turf.
My mind wandered to Reno all the time, making me feel sadder by each passing day. I really needed to do something about all this. I needed to at least talk to him. Was there absolutely no hope for us? Why not? We were no longer enemies, we'd become good friends, even. If the Deepground assault hadn't happened, we would even have slept together. Rufus didn't have to know. We could keep it hush hush.
I passed by the office he and Rude shared together, noticing the door was standing wide open. Each other time I'd passed it, I'd kept my eyes averted, afraid I'd be tempted to go see him if I even so much as looked at the door. This time, I needed something, and any excuse was fine to finally see him again.
I knocked on the door frame before appearing in the doorway. My stomach almost came up through my mouth when I saw the beautiful blond perched on the corner of his very messy desk. She wore a black trousers, – Turk issue – a white blouse and black fitting jacket. All Turk standard uniform, but it should be illegal to wear something so fitted. Her big blue eyes turned my way, as did Reno's, who sat casually leaning back in his chair, his hands folded behind his head as if he were completely clueless. I narrowed my eyes when I noticed the top button of her blouse was undone. She knew she was attractive, oh, yes, she knew. Alarm bells went off in my head, my heart skipped at least seven beats and my palms started to sweat.
Compared to her, I felt like a nobody. She wore heavy make up, I simply used a little eye-liner and mascara. Her long perfect legs ended in the highest heels I had ever seen. My fitted black jeans suddenly felt like a garbage bag on me. At least my hair was as pretty as hers, right? Were her boobs bigger than mine? Why did she have to move that way? Why was she sitting so close to him? Her long legs were folded, one over the other, causing her rack to push forward.
"Foxy!" Reno exclaimed happily when he noticed me. "Missed me? This is Jack, the new recruit I told ya about." Yeah, she was female, alright.
"Nice to meet you," I forced myself to say, and I already knew this was going to be war.
One look at her and I knew that she knew it too. A challenging smirk appeared on her perfect lips, unknown to Reno. The fact she thought me worth the challenge, boosted my ego.
"Nice to meet you too," she replied in a silky voice. "Wish I could say Reno has told me so much about you, but, he hasn't."
Reno frowned at her. "Sure I told ya about Foxy, Jack. Do you even listen to a word I say?"
"I'm glued to your lips, Sir." She smiled at him coyly. "I just pick out the relevant things." Right, I wasn't relevant.
I cleared my throat. "I was just on my way to see Charly and I wondered if you had already had lunch. If not, maybe we could grab something together?" It wasn't entirely true, but it didn't matter. Asking him to join me was pushing his boundaries enough as it was. A part of me hoped that he'd missed me the way I'd missed him, even if it had only been little over a week since we last saw each other.
He wanted to open his mouth to reply, but Jack beat him to it.
"Oh, unfortunately I already ordered something for us. I just need to go pick it up. Sorry." Her smirk widened, making me want to rip it off of her perfect doll-face. She had no idea who she was messing with.
"Dang it," Reno chimed. "Maybe next time, Foxy, yeah?"
"Sure," I replied. The word came out all calm and collected, but inside my heart was doing a little dance. He hadn't rejected me, which was more than I could have hoped for. "Next time." I moved to leave, but his voice stopped me.
"Hey," he said. "Let's grab some coffee together then while Jack picks up lunch." He winked at me and got up from the chair, leaving it to spin around just for fun. "Hold on." He doubled back and snatched something from his top drawer before joining me.
Jack was looking very defeated for a moment, but she hopped off the desk gracefully and followed us out. "I really think we should finish up in here. With all the work left to do–"
"Let the man take a break," I cut her off. "He's working hard enough as it is. Let's go." I took him by the hand and dragged him away from her. Yeah, sure she would want to finish up in there. The implication was enough to make me hurl.
"Whoa, slow down, babe," Reno said with a loud chuckle as I continued to force him down the hall, as far away from Jack as possible.
I enjoyed the fact she heard him call me babe. Bitch. When I looked back over his shoulder, I saw her peeking around the corner to watch us go. Her eyes narrowed at me, challenging me again. I let go of Reno and he stepped in beside me.
"What's up?" he asked me, sensing something was wrong.
"Nothing's up," I growled. "I just want coffee very bad."
"Right," he chortled, while he greeted people we passed in the halls. When we reached the coffee machine, he placed a cup underneath the tap and pressed the button, before leaning into it with his shoulder and facing me. "What do you think of Jack? She's really smart, works hard. I think she's a good addition."
I raised my eyebrows at him, wondering if he were really that blind, or if he were playing dumb for my sake.
"What? You don't like her?" he asked in wonder. "Maybe you need to get to know her a little better. You and Elena didn't work out at first, either. You and everyone didn't work out at first, actually."
"Couldn't really say," I replied dryly, ignoring his jest. "Though you were right, she's female, alright." How the hell was she only eighteen?
He grinned again. "Yeah, true that."
I rolled my eyes and snatched the coffee out of his hand.
"Hey!" he complained. "That was mine. Anyway, she takes good care of me."
"I bet she does." I wondered how long it would be until she really started taking care of him. I shuddered at the thought. I would flay her, alive and kicking.
He grinned nervously, and rubbed the back of his neck. The more he did that, the more adorable I thought it became. What was he thinking this time? "I uh… I got ya somethin'." He stuck his hand down his pocket and retrieved a small square box. A slight blush rose to his cheeks as he presented it to me.
My eyes traveled to his, thinking it a very dangerous thing for a guy to hand a girl a coated box this size. "You're not about to fall to one knee, are you?" The words left my lips before I could help myself, and I knew I wouldn't even be bothered if he did.
His cheeks flushed an even deeper shade of pink. "Wha –? No! Geez! Just – just take the damn thing, will ya?"
A chuckle escaped me when I took it from his hand. He looked away in embarrassment, avoiding my eyes. Of course I knew there was no ring inside the box, there probably wasn't even anything exciting in there, but I couldn't help but melt at the fact he'd gotten me a gift. Though, obviously, he was breaking his own rules again.
I shoved the coffee back into his hand to open the gift. When I did, my mouth almost fell open in astonishment. Inside the box, glowing green with mystical power, was a ball of materia. My very first ball of materia. I stared at it, at a loss for words, which was something that didn't happen to me all that often.
"I wanted you to be safe out there..." he mumbled softly while I stared at the gift in my palm. How sweet was he? The very gesture made me feel special. I'd never seen him do something like this for anyone else, and he'd better not. "If you wanna get better, I'm more than willing to – So..." he offered hesitantly. "Do you like it?"
"I –" I looked at him again, noticing the expectancy in his beautiful eyes, shadowed by uncertainty. It reminded me of that evening he had offered to teach me how to use materia. He'd been so concerned for me. "I love it." Relief visibly washed over him and he let out a breath he probably didn't know he had been holding. Had he been this nervous about it? Maybe in the past, I would have scolded him, thinking he didn't have faith in me or underestimated me, but I wasn't that girl anymore. I would never doubt him again. "I don't know what to say."
"Your face says it all, really." He shot me an impish smile before looking at me knowingly over the brim of the Styrofoam cup, blowing into my coffee to cool it down. Then he took a sip, conferring it to 'our' coffee. "Glad you like it."
"I more than like it, Reno." I snapped the box shut, wanting to reach out to him, to touch him. I longed to press myself tightly into his form and feel his arms wrap around me. Maybe now was the time to get that out in the open. "There was something I wanted to talk to you about, come to think of it."
"What's that, babe?"
"Reno!" A shout suddenly echoed down the hallway. "I got your lunch!" I grit my teeth when I saw Jack coming up the stairs, holding up a bag. She took him by the wrist in passing and yanked him along with her. "Come on, before it gets cold!"
He only just had time to thrust the cup into my hand before he was swept from the spot. "Next time, Foxy!" he called over his shoulder at me.
I huffed and shot daggers at her back, hating her with all I had.
Now I still didn't know anything, and that had been the entire reason I came here in the first place. Feeling a little lost between angry and ecstatic, I made my way over to Charly's office.
He'd done nicely for himself, especially for an old guy who had a grudge against Shinra. Before, he'd wanted to burn them to the ground, and now he was holding hands with them. The thought melted my heart.
I walked in without knocking, and he didn't even look up from his file when I slammed the door behind me and slumped down into the seat with a frustrated sigh.
"See ya've met Jack," he simply commented, making me growl in displeasure. "So ya gots sum competition. So wha'?" Competition? As if I was in need of any competition. It was difficult enough as it was. Charly let out a dirty little laugh and I shot him a foul look. "C'mon, lass, ya be takin' tha' puppy serious? Wha's he gonna be doin' wit' a kid like tha'?"
I grumbled something inaudible, making him laugh even harder. "I don't want to go back and ask them, Charles, can't you just tell me if they found something?" I needed some time to digest the appearance of Jack, and I didn't want to show up at Reno's door again like some desperate stalker, even though the thought of them spending time alone together set me on edge.
With a final sadistic chuckle, Charly rolled his chair back and opened a drawer behind him. "No, them don' find nothin' yet. But I did." Immediately, I sat up in my chair. He had my full attention as he pulled out a file. "This premises –" With a flick, he threw the file onto the table, and it slid all the way over to me. When I opened it, my eyes fell on a sky photo of a large mansion surrounded by fencing and hedges. "It be catchin' my attention." The property was massive, large enough to home at least five families. Much larger than his previous accommodations. Which meant even more room for keeping girls against their will.
"Where is this?" I asked him as I looked up at him in question.
"Incra." There was a name I hadn't heard in a while. It was the small town I'd first met Charly years ago. An old fashioned place with a few shops, some houses, a church, and apparently, a massive mansion. It was located at the very edge of the town by the looks of it, hidden from the outside world by its surroundings.
I let out a low whistle, knowing this was a long way to travel on nothing more than a hunch. Then again, it was Charly. His hunches were never far off. "What makes you think we'll find him there?"
"Shinra always be tinkin' them be knowin' everythin', but them don' knows 'bou' this place. It be perfect fo' scum like Corneo. Off da radar, middle o' nowhere, wha' mo' coulds he be wantin'?" It made sense when he said it, but if I went over there and Corneo wasn't, I'd waste almost two days on a wild goose chase. "Tha' damn pirate still be at home wit Eva?" Without waiting for my answer, he grumbled something about ungrateful punks. "It be da best I coulds find, Eden, da choice be yours."
With a massive sigh, I stood up from my chair, ready to hit the road again. "It's better than nothing, Charly, thanks. But please keep your ears open for anything the Turks find. I don't want them going to the party without inviting me."
Five minutes later, I was on my way to Junon, where I was to meet with Jebb. He was such a reliable guy; always available, never late. All he required was to get paid, no questions, no worries.
I'd already felt my phone vibrate against my thigh twice, but it wasn't until the third time it happened that I decided it might be important enough to answer. It turned out to be Ollie. Worried that something had happened between him and Eva, I quickly answered.
"Charly called," he said right away. "Don't leave without me, I'm on my way to Junon right now." I wanted to ask him whether Eva was okay with that, but he was in too much of a hurry. "Eva!" he shouted way too close to the phone. "I'm taking the Strawberry or I'll be late!" Then he returned to me. "You really thought you could go without me, huh? The hell is wrong with you? We're a team you and I. Wait for me." He hung up and left me staring at the phone in my hand. Then a smile spread on my face. I really wasn't alone after all.
Once we'd met up in Junon – with Ollie being a few minutes late as he came racing into the harbor with more speed than was advisable – we wasted no time taking off. I'd asked Jebb if he could get us something to eat while he waited for me to arrive, and he agreed, on condition that it was my treat, of course.
Incra was a long flight, and taking some provisions wasn't a bad idea, especially with Ollie on board. Instead of falling asleep right away, like I had expected him to, he sat down beside me and told me about Eva.
"We're on trial right now," he explained with a little sadness. "I told her I won't stop doing my thing, and she's going to try and see if she can deal with it. Had to promise her I'd call every so often though." He shrugged and leaned back in his seat. "I'm fine with it if that means I get to do what I love. I haven't yet decided if I wanna keep doing this or join the Turks. It would be so much fun, but… It wouldn't be the same without you. Can't you consider joining with me?" I snorted sarcastically, giving him all the answer he needed, but he wasn't ready to give up. "I know you're worried about working with Reno, but I think it might be a good thing for the two of you. You can bond a little more, if you know what I mean." He wiggled his eyebrows at me playfully, and I was reminded of the time Yuffie had shaved one of them off and how upset Ollie had been about that. It made me realize that we'd been friends for a long time, and I couldn't imagine getting separated from him. Still, joining the Turks was a little too much to ask. I'd spent too long trying to get away from Shinra, not to mention I wanted to be as far away from Rufus as physically possible.
"Don't worry," I smiled and flung an arm around his shoulders. "We won't lose sight of each other no matter which way we go. Even with that one eye of yours."
We talked a little while after that, though he hadn't been apart long enough to have much to talk about. After a few minutes we settled into our seats, and it wasn't long before Ollie's soft snores made me smile.
"Ain't this the same godforsaken place I dropped your ass off the first time we met?" Jebb asked as he descended the helicopter right outside Incra.
"Yup," I replied, thinking back on that time. It had been Ollie and myself back then as well; it had been the day I introduced Ollie to Charly. Charly's jokes about Ollie's eye drifted to the surface of my memories, and it warmed me inside. I was so lucky to have such good friends. They were crazy, the lot of them, but they were all unique in their own way. For a long time I had sought solitude, keeping my distance from them to prevent getting hurt, but it had only made me grow more bitter. Only lately had I begun to understand that I was the one hurting myself by keeping my distance. However much I preferred being alone, I also needed people around me. The times we'd shared while taking on Deepground had proved that much to me. I'd promised myself a change, and I'd promised myself happiness. I'd start doing things differently from now on.
After Jebb had landed the chopper and Ollie and I entered the small settlement, it gave me exactly the same vibe it had last time; as if time had stood still. Zack had still been alive the first time I came here, which was eight years ago, and yet it hadn't changed at all. The stores still looked abandoned, and the place that Charly had once inhabited was dark and empty, the shop sign swinging in the wind with a loud squeaking sound.
"People still live here?" Ollie asked as he crinkled his nose. "Geez."
I couldn't agree with him more. How did these people have fun? Other than at the local bar, which seemed to be packed with the entire town at the moment. Dusk wasn't far away, and we had to hurry if we had any hope of seeing anything before it got dark.
And there it was, right at the end of town, at the last intersection. We halted at the corner of the church, which was located right across from the large mansion. The gates in the front were closed, and the fencing obscured the building from view. There was a drive-way leading up to the large house, but there was no way of knowing what the place looked like inside those large fences. But I wanted to know, it was why we'd come here.
Swiftly, I hurried across the street and positioned myself beside the gate, trying to get a glimpse of the premises. The first thing I noticed were guards. Lots of them. At least eight on the front side of the mansion, rifles in hand. This in itself would be a dead giveaway, but then my eyes fell on a familiar face standing near the door to the mansion. He was talking to another guard; Mr Lee. Corneo's accomplice.
I couldn't believe how easy this was. In fact, I was so used to things going wrong with me that I was shocked that we'd already achieved what we came here for.
In front of the house was a large fountain, behind which stood a large black car. It had apparently been waiting for Mr Lee, because he finished his conversation and got in the car. The guards made room as the car pulled around the fountain and headed for the gates. I hurried back over to Ollie, and dragged him away with me towards the church's other corner, safe from Mr Lee's line of sight. He probably had no idea who we were, but the two of us being found hanging around outside the premises would raise caution, and we could be in serious trouble.
Ollie didn't protest, but followed after me almost blindly. We huddled together around the corner and watched the gates open to let the car out. It sped off with a large cloud of dust, and the gates closed behind him again.
"I can't believe how easy that was," Ollie whispered, echoing my own thoughts and sounding absolutely awestruck. "This a dream?"
Easy or not, we'd found the bastard, and he was done for.
