Chapter Two
"How did you beat him? What happened Karri, tell me!" the questions burst from Cindy's mouth
almost the second they shut the door and begun the walk to the store. Karri shook her head
and sighed, "It was weird, I knew I couldn't beat him and so did he. I swept his feet out
from under him and he started to use the old dirt trick, but he dropped it for some reason
and just... talked..." Cindy looked oddly confused, "Why would a Turk do that?"
"I don't know," Karri replied, "But the weirdest part was his eyes. Like he was playing
with me or something..."
"Weird," Cindy looked thoughtful, "I'm just glad you're okay... Are you going to tell your
mom what happened?" she asked, as they turned the corner of the store and went inside.
"No, she wouldn't care anyway. She'll probably just yell at me for it. I think I'll crash
at your place a few days." Karri replied, grabbing a bag of chips and a drink. "Our floor
is always open!" Cindy laughed, her favorite line, "Should I get a pizza too?
They're only five gil, we have twenty." Karri nodded, "Sure, why not? We'll end up spending
half the day here anyway. Its inevitable..." Cindy laughed, "We do spend too much time here,
huh? Hey Shelly!" she called out to the woman behind the counter, "One supreme!"
"Coming right up girls," Shelly replied. A few hours latter the girls were sitting at the
tables near the store window, only a few slices of pizza were left, when a familiar face walked
into the store. "Oh shat...Karri we have company," Cindy whispered, sliding down in her seat.
Too late. Reno strolled over to the girls, smirking. Karri stood up wearily, hoping that this
wouldn't lead to a fight, "You again." "Yeah," Reno laughed, sliding down in a seat between
the girls seats. "Don't worry," he said, grinning up at Karri, "I'm off duty." Karri sat down
hesitantly, "Why, why are you..."
"Following you?" Reno finished for her, and leaned across the table, "Easy.
We need new recruits and you're on this list. Turks will stop at nothing to get the job done...
I know..." a hint of bitterness passed through his voice, "I'm trying to keep you from getting
hurt or worse, for refusing..." "Like hell!" Cindy muttered, standing, "Lets get away from this
ass, Kar." She said, walking out the door without looking back. Karri followed, but was
stopped at the door. "Karri," Reno rested a hand on her shoulder, "If you walk out of here,
you'll be hunted down just like I was." "They took you by force?" came Karri's startled reply.
"When I was thirteen, three years of training, then when you turn twenty-one you can quit, or
become a permanent member. Tseng, they took him from the street's too..." the red headed boy
trailed off, dropping his hand to his side. Karri shook her head, "What about Cindy?
Why do you want me?" She fought back the tears that burned her eyes. Reno's eyes softened,
"We have a record of every fight you've been in or avoided, and how.
You and your friend, you're quite a team..." he replied. Cindy made her way back into the
store, puzzled, "Karri! Are you coming?" "You'll have everything you need... no more abusive
mother..." Reno hurried on. Karri found herself staring into his eyes, he really wanted her
to join, why? She shook her head, "No, not without Cindy, without my sister." "That's right,
you take one you get the other. Lets go, Kar." Cindy pulled her toward the door. Reno watched
them leave, "You take one you get the other..." the words echoed through his head.
Of course, that was impossible, until Cindy turned thirteen. Two years, he didn't want to wait
that long to see Karri again. There was something about that girl. He slumped back into his
seat at the table and stared absently at the cold slices of pizza. Maybe Tseng would let him
take over in keeping tabs on them.
"How did you beat him? What happened Karri, tell me!" the questions burst from Cindy's mouth
almost the second they shut the door and begun the walk to the store. Karri shook her head
and sighed, "It was weird, I knew I couldn't beat him and so did he. I swept his feet out
from under him and he started to use the old dirt trick, but he dropped it for some reason
and just... talked..." Cindy looked oddly confused, "Why would a Turk do that?"
"I don't know," Karri replied, "But the weirdest part was his eyes. Like he was playing
with me or something..."
"Weird," Cindy looked thoughtful, "I'm just glad you're okay... Are you going to tell your
mom what happened?" she asked, as they turned the corner of the store and went inside.
"No, she wouldn't care anyway. She'll probably just yell at me for it. I think I'll crash
at your place a few days." Karri replied, grabbing a bag of chips and a drink. "Our floor
is always open!" Cindy laughed, her favorite line, "Should I get a pizza too?
They're only five gil, we have twenty." Karri nodded, "Sure, why not? We'll end up spending
half the day here anyway. Its inevitable..." Cindy laughed, "We do spend too much time here,
huh? Hey Shelly!" she called out to the woman behind the counter, "One supreme!"
"Coming right up girls," Shelly replied. A few hours latter the girls were sitting at the
tables near the store window, only a few slices of pizza were left, when a familiar face walked
into the store. "Oh shat...Karri we have company," Cindy whispered, sliding down in her seat.
Too late. Reno strolled over to the girls, smirking. Karri stood up wearily, hoping that this
wouldn't lead to a fight, "You again." "Yeah," Reno laughed, sliding down in a seat between
the girls seats. "Don't worry," he said, grinning up at Karri, "I'm off duty." Karri sat down
hesitantly, "Why, why are you..."
"Following you?" Reno finished for her, and leaned across the table, "Easy.
We need new recruits and you're on this list. Turks will stop at nothing to get the job done...
I know..." a hint of bitterness passed through his voice, "I'm trying to keep you from getting
hurt or worse, for refusing..." "Like hell!" Cindy muttered, standing, "Lets get away from this
ass, Kar." She said, walking out the door without looking back. Karri followed, but was
stopped at the door. "Karri," Reno rested a hand on her shoulder, "If you walk out of here,
you'll be hunted down just like I was." "They took you by force?" came Karri's startled reply.
"When I was thirteen, three years of training, then when you turn twenty-one you can quit, or
become a permanent member. Tseng, they took him from the street's too..." the red headed boy
trailed off, dropping his hand to his side. Karri shook her head, "What about Cindy?
Why do you want me?" She fought back the tears that burned her eyes. Reno's eyes softened,
"We have a record of every fight you've been in or avoided, and how.
You and your friend, you're quite a team..." he replied. Cindy made her way back into the
store, puzzled, "Karri! Are you coming?" "You'll have everything you need... no more abusive
mother..." Reno hurried on. Karri found herself staring into his eyes, he really wanted her
to join, why? She shook her head, "No, not without Cindy, without my sister." "That's right,
you take one you get the other. Lets go, Kar." Cindy pulled her toward the door. Reno watched
them leave, "You take one you get the other..." the words echoed through his head.
Of course, that was impossible, until Cindy turned thirteen. Two years, he didn't want to wait
that long to see Karri again. There was something about that girl. He slumped back into his
seat at the table and stared absently at the cold slices of pizza. Maybe Tseng would let him
take over in keeping tabs on them.