Okay, a quick answer to your questions:
Yep, Shake and the others are part of the council, but no... don't worry not every one in the council wants Yuffie dead. ^_^
Vincent, hmmm. All good things come to those who wait! And we all know what a honey Reno is, even if he's such an ass! Will Alec die a slow, horrible and painful death? Or do we just keep him alive to torture? Stay tuned!
Thank you once again for all your comments!
Didn't own them then, don't own them now...
Playing With Fire
Chapter 9
"That's not a rumor." Rude commented as Reeve stopped the tape.
"The rumors that have been going around was that the elders, the senior members of the council doesn't want Yuffie to be given any legal powers over Wutai, until she's married to a... suitable man. As I've said, the people love Yuffie, what she says, they do. The council have a heavy influence over Lord Godo, and have always played a deeper role in the past..."
"And with Yuffie, they know that their influence is over." Rude finished, and Reeve nodded.
"Yuffie told me that the decision of the elders after the war was to completely give itself to anyone that can provide a lifeline to Wutai. When Yuffie turned fifteen, she started questioning the decisions of the elders, which her father ignored. She also told me that she suggested a team be sent out to retrieve materia to rebuild the city..."
"And the elders disagreed."
Reeve nodded at Elena. "So, Yuffie left... and we all know where that went. When she came back after meteor, she became more... vocal and more visible. I suppose the elders didn't think too much of it, until she let me in. Like I said, not a lot of people were too happy to see me, but she made a bargain of some sort with Lord Godo, and Shinra started supplying materials for Wutai, along with the solar panels that we're still trying to perfect."
"I don't get it, this place was a dump when we were last here, and now... look at it! Why would they want to kill Yuffie if she's doing such a good job?"
Reno smirked at Elena's question. "Because the little princess isn't doing what they want. You know how stubborn she is, if they can't influence Yuffie, then those old bastards know that they're finished."
"How do we know that the assassins are hired by the elders?"
Reeve looked at Rude and shrugged. "From the rumors that have been flying around, I'd say so, think about it. They can take Yuffie's legal power away, but they can never take her influence away. They may have disregarded her as just a child back then, but now... they see her as a threat to their own power."
The four stayed silent. "For all we know, this plot isn't from the elders. All I know is, there's going to be an assassination on that day."
"What are we going to do?" Elena asked and Reno raised one eyebrow.
"We," He said with an emphasis "Don't have to do anything. Let the her friends take care of it."
"Reno, will it kill you to do a good deed once in a while?" Reeve asked softly as he stared at Reno. "You've been here longer than AVALANCHE, you've been around with Yuffie. The people are bound to trust you more than the others because they think you're her fiancé. Cloud and the others don't have enough time to look around..."
Reno stayed silent as he looked at the wall behind Reeve. "Are we going to tell Yuffie?"
"Talk to Cloud and the others first. She's got enough on her plate with Kitani, that and we don't have proof on who wants her dead."
"So let me get this straight, Godo has this council as his advisors, and within the council, you have these so-called elders. Correct?"
Reeve nodded at Reno's question.
Reno extended his hands, asking for the tape recorder, which Reeve handed in. "I'm doing this because you asked me to. I'm going to call in a favor when the time comes. Rude and Elena, go back to the villa. There's something I need to do." He gave the tape recorder to Rude and walked away.
Blessed with a photographic memory not many knew he possessed, he walked through the army barracks of Wutai, ignoring the looks he was being given by the soldiers. A predatory gleam shone in his eyes when he saw who he was looking for.
Captain Katsu Tasheki turned to see a red headed man walking towards his way. "Can I help you?" He asked, not bothering to mask his dislike for the man. How Lady Yuffie ever found this slob attractive, he would never know.
"Morning, Captain!" Reno greeted with a salute. "How's the security going along for the festival?"
Captain Tasheki stiffened as he glared at Reno. "That, sir, is extremely confidential."
"I see... well, it's just Yuffie never told me about this whole ceremony crap..."
"I would advice you with your language, sir. That 'crap' of a ceremony is to celebrate Lady Yuffie's birthday and to welcome her into Wutaian politics." He snapped at Reno as he cleaned his blade.
"My bad... she never told me anything about this ceremony. How long is that going to be? Or is that information confidential as well?"
"The ceremony will take about an hour, and the celebrations would follow. It will start at sunset. Is that information good enough, sir?"
Reno smirked at the captain's attitude. "No need to be polite, just 'cause I'm going to marry your Lady Yuffie, you can be completely frank with me. I promise I won't tell her when I see her tonight," He said in a whisper, winking at the man.
Captain Tasheki stood up. "You sir, are the most vile man I have ever met. I would hope that she regains her senses enough not to marry you!"
Reno gave another mock salute as the man walked away. He looked around and smirked at the other soldiers before walking back to his villa, satisfied with what he has learnt.
He walked through the streets of Wutai, looking at the buildings. The assassin could be using a gun, a knife, any form of attack. For all he knew it could be from the food that Yuffie was going to eat. Reeve was right, there was too much ground to cover. His days in Wutai as the fiancé of Lady Kisaragi have been fun, to say the least. Teasing Yuffie had been a blast, and pissing Kitani was the cream of the crop. He allowed his mind to drift to the days he had spent with her, and actually found it... nice.
He was treated like a king, even though he knew about the whispers behind his back. Of course a lot of people would be unhappy if a girl like Yuffie was engaged to man like him. There was no future for a couple with that much difference in their lives. Yuffie's time with AVALANCHE was over, and the way she talked about Wutai would probably mean she'd never leave, unless an incident like meteor presents itself again. Everyone was preparing for the festival, and he wondered briefly if the assassin was here, pretending to be excited when he, or she would be attempting an assassination. He shook his head. /Stupid, to try that with AVALANCHE around, plus the Turks, they won't even have a prayer./
His thoughts were cut off when he saw Yuffie, walking alone towards the palace. She's not the brat she presents herself to be. He had seen it every time she was with the people of Wutai. She was honestly concerned for their welfare. His eyes narrowed as he saw Alec Kitani walking behind Yuffie.
Yuffie walked slowly, not really in the mood to go home, but she didn't have any choice. Tifa was coming soon, and she wanted everything arranged for her friend, and prayed for the hundredth time that she won't mind Elena sleeping so close by. She sensed another person following her, and pretended not to notice and continued walking.
The person behind her increased their speed, and she wasn't surprised when she felt someone touch her arm. She shrugged the hand away and turned around. "Alec."
"I heard about the argument with your father, are you alright?"
"Yes, I am. Thanks for your concern, but I really need to go home."
Alec walked in front of her, clearly having more to say. "You know that I've received your father's blessing for our engagement. I brought a piece of property in the west of Wutai. That is where the new reactor would be. I can finally support you,"
Yuffie blinked, not really understanding the meaning of his words. "What?"
"There's a piece of land that is now Kitani property. That way, the reactor isn't in Wutai territory," He explained sounding pleased. "With the money I get, I can give you anything!"
"Alec, how many times do I have to tell you that I'm not going to let any activator in or near Wutai, or anywhere else for that matter?"
"Those reactors will generate more power than those stupid solar panels can!"
Yuffie glared at Alec. "Those reactors pollute the planet! Those stupid solar panels have helped Wutai a whole lot."
"It's a slow progress, the reactors can increase the ability of Wutai to prosper!"
"Those reactors are going to kill the planet, how many times do I have to say that? And I will not let the death of the planet be the price to pay for Wutai's speedy prosperity!" Yuffie snapped as she started walking, only to be blocked by Alec. "Please, I'm tired. Get out of my way, or heaven help me, I am going to hit you."
Alec gave a smile as he went on a stance. "If I beat you, you will join me for dinner."
"You're kidding me," Yuffie replied flatly, not really in the mood. Alec remained silent, and Yuffie was about to accept his challenge when a familiar voice spoke out.
"Now you see, I find many things wrong with your challenge."
Alec and Yuffie turned around to see Reno, tapping the nightstick on his leg. "First, challenging a woman for a date? Are you that hopeless?" He walked closer, and Alec's eyes narrowed at each step. "Then, you forgot about me. I don't like being forgotten."
Yuffie could only stare at Reno. There was something different about him, yet all familiar still. This was the Reno she fought against so many times before. Reno's expression had that mocking challenge, but his eyes were more calculating than ever. "I can handle him, Reno."
"I'm sure you can, sugar. But I'd really rather be the one to kick this bastard's ass." He replied smoothly, his attention focused on Alec.
"I have her father's approval. Without Lord Godo's approval, you can never have Yuffie." Alec retorted as Reno smirked.
"I hate to break this up to you, buddy. But I already have Yuffie."
Alec's jealousy reached breaking point as he launched an attack at Reno. The Turk's only response was a feral smile, as he tossed his nightstick to Yuffie and fought Alec bare handed. Yuffie could barely believe her eyes as Alec and Reno exchanged blows and kicks, though it was clearly obvious that Reno was the better fighter.
"Stop it, both of you!" Yuffie cried out, looking around hoping that no one was around to see what was happening. Alec sneered as he landed a blow on Reno's jaw.
"This is normal for you, isn't it Mikagi? Attacking people, I bet it's easy... like a push of a button."
The message behind his taunt did not escape Yuffie and Reno. "Easier than orchestrating the murder of your father, wouldn't you say, Kitani?"
Alec stiffened, and Reno took this chance to deliver a roundhouse kick, that sent Alec on the ground. He looked up at Reno, face seething with anger. Reno looked at Yuffie, who was looking at Alec with what seemed to be a mixture of pity and disgust. He walked over to her and grabbed his nightstick from her hands. "I'm taking you home."
Alec Kitani watched as Reno walked away with Yuffie, and punched his fist to the ground. "I never loose, Mikagi." He muttered as he stood up. "I never loose."
Yuffie walked with Reno, her mind reeling from what she heard. "He killed his own father?"
Reno nodded as they entered the palace ground. "You and Reeve can be completely stupid and naive at the same time. If you had him checked out earlier, you would know so much now."
"Well, what else do you know?"
"That information is classified." Reno replied. "I did that on my own time, you want the information, you got to pay for it."
Yuffie rolled her eyes as she led Reno towards her room. When she reached her door, Reno opened the door and gave Yuffie space to walk in. When she did, Reno just looked at her, and she just stared back.
"What?"
"Where will you be before the ceremony?"
"Here. I'll be escorted by the Royal Guards to the piazza. Oh, as my special guest, you have seating allocations. The three of you will be seated along with Cloud and the others. Please behave."
Reno smiled at Yuffie, and like many times before, she could only blush and feel her knees turn to jelly. "Of course I will." He winked before closing the door. A few seconds later he opened it again and peeked in. "Do I get a good-bye kiss?"
The ninja grinned and decided to play along, and blew a kiss to Reno. The Turk gave a husky laugh and closed the door again. Yuffie could still feel the warmth on her cheeks when she sat down on her bed. Thoughts about what she learned about Alec were forgotten as her mind concentrated on a certain red head. /I need to get him out of my head./
She closed her eyes and let her body rest, her mind drifting from Reno, and a certain black haired man.
Back in the AVALANCHE villa, Cloud looked warily at the Turks, accompanied by Reeve, and Cait Sith. Somehow, there was something weird about seeing the two together, even if Reeve's mechanical wonder was deactivated.
"This better be good." Barret shot a dark look at Reeve, who just nodded as Rude handed the tape to Cloud.
"I wanted to test Cait Sith's independence mode when I came across that," He said. Cloud just looked at Reeve. "Play it."
Their reaction was expected. Tifa looked horrified, and Red almost snarled. Cid and Barret let it loose with their curses, demanding to know who the mystery voices belonged to. Cloud remained silent as he rewinded and played the tape again, and listened to it for the second time. He looked at Reeve. "Do you know who these people are?"
He shook his head, and raked his hands over his hair in pure frustration. "No. Cait was already out of power, luckily they didn't notice him. My employees just retrieved him and gave him to me. When I checked out his data... I got that."
"Why would they want to do it in public though? And at the festival. There's going to be too many people. Wouldn't it be easier to try and kill her in private?"
Reno shook his head. "They want an audience."
"We should tell Yuffie about this, her father should know!"
"I don't think so." Reno said as he sat down. "We don't know who exactly ordered the assassination. For all we know, her old man is on it too."
Tifa glared at Reno. "That's stupid! She may have problems with her father but he's not going to have her killed! Her father would never hurt her!"
"He was angry enough to hit her." Reno countered, voice smooth and calculated. "This is politics. Shit happens."
"But her own father?"
"I've seen it happen." Reno replied, looking away from Tifa who still wouldn't believe that Godo was part of the plan.
"And you would know that," Barret sneered at Reno who glared back.
"More than you think."
Reeve cleared his throat. "Listen, we don't know anything! We don't know who is behind this, or if they'll actually go through with it!"
"The ceremony starts at sunset. Yuffie will be escorted from the palace to the piazza. Anything can happen. Like Reeve said, we don't know anything. The assassin could be a servant, a friend. It could take place anywhere, but I'm betting that they'll want to put in a show. The other problem that we have is we don't know what they'll use to try and kill Yuffie."
Cloud looked at Reno suspiciously. "Why do you care?"
"Simple. Without Yuffie, Reeve here is finished. I have my own motives."
"As always," Cloud muttered as he played the tape again. "We should tell Yuffie to cancel the festival."
"Bad idea, Spike."
"Who asked you?" Cloud asked Reno who shrugged and took out a cigarette.
"Yuffie would want to know 'why' we want the whole thing cancelled, two, it can alert the people who want her dead. We have to give those bastards what they want.""
Barret stood up angrily. "You sayin' we use the kid as bait?"
"Yes."
Reno's response caused a hostile reaction and Cid and Barret lunged for him. He avoided the two and took out his nightstick, and prepared to fight until Rude spoke out.
"If we don't draw them out on that day, we would never know who is behind that assassination attempt. We may get the people on the tape, but that won't guarantee that they'll say anything. They can deny it, we have no hard proof."
Cid and Barret remained standing when Elena looked at Cloud. "Can you play that again? I could've sworn I heard one of the voices from before."
Cloud rewinded the tape again, and played it for Elena while Tifa walked to the balcony, not wanting to hear more. "You recognize the voice?"
"I'm not certain... but it sounds like... like the Captain of the Royal Guards." She replied then shook her head. "No... it can't be."
"Why not?" Cloud asked, getting interested at a possible lead.
"Because, the way Yuffie talks about him... he's like a second father to her. She told me that it was the Captain that she spent a lot of time with when she was younger and that..."
Reno snorted. "Think like a Turk, Elena. You've been hanging around Yuffie too long."
Elena opened her mouth, before closing it again, her face red with anger and embarrassment. "If her dear daddy Godo is a suspect, why couldn't this guy be? You heard him speak before, you recognized the voice..."
"You knew the first time, didn't you?" Elena interrupted staring at Reno disbelievingly.
"Of course!"
"Then why the hell didn't you say something?" Cloud yelled at Reno who just shrugged.
"Can we get to the more important things?"
Everyone turned to look at Red, who leaped up at stood on the table. "I may not agree with what Reno has proposed, but we have no option. The ceremony is in two days. We won't have enough time to look around and gather enough evidence. Like Rude mentioned, even if we find those people on the tape, they can deny that it was them. What we can do is plan a way on how we can gather as much information that we can, and make sure that Yuffie is safe."
"I think we should tell Yuffie." Elena commented.
"I agree with her," Tifa said softly as she walked back in. "She needs to be aware of this."
Cloud tapped his fingers on the table and looked around him before answering. "No."
"What?" Both females asked in shock and anger, and both were hushed at the look Cloud gave them.
"If Yuffie finds out, she'll look for these people herself, and probably endanger herself more. She'll only get her self in trouble. Do you honestly think that she'll just sit around and let us do all the work?"
Tifa remained silent as Cloud looked at Elena. "You said so yourself that she has a close relationship with this Captain. How do you think she'll feel when she hears this?"
Elena didn't say anything but sank down on the sofa. "Fine."
"Like I said, these people plotted to assassinate Yuffie at the festival because they want an audience." Reno said again as he took out a map from his jacket and tossed it to Cloud. "That's the whole of Wutai."
Red jumped back down as Cloud spread the map on the table, and all of them gathered around it. He looked again at Reno. "How do I know that we can trust you?"
"You don't. All you need to know is I'm doing this because Reeve asked me to. That, and Yuffie hasn't paid my full fee yet."
Cloud's eyes narrowed as he glared at Reno, who just smiled back. "Admit it, Strife. You need the Turks. If you don't just say the word and we'll just walk away."
"Please, we need to work together. We don't have enough time. Do it for Yuffie."
Reeve pleaded. "I owe Yuffie."
AVALANCHE looked reluctantly at each other. "Fine. We work together. This time, no secrets. What you find out, we need to know if we're going to make this work. Agree?"
Reno nodded and extended a hand. "You have our word."
Cloud looked at Reno's extended hand and took it with his own. The two formalizing the agreement. As the meeting went on, Elena couldn't help but wonder that not once, throughout the meeting did Reno refer to Yuffie as pest, or brat.
Yep, Shake and the others are part of the council, but no... don't worry not every one in the council wants Yuffie dead. ^_^
Vincent, hmmm. All good things come to those who wait! And we all know what a honey Reno is, even if he's such an ass! Will Alec die a slow, horrible and painful death? Or do we just keep him alive to torture? Stay tuned!
Thank you once again for all your comments!
Didn't own them then, don't own them now...
Playing With Fire
Chapter 9
"That's not a rumor." Rude commented as Reeve stopped the tape.
"The rumors that have been going around was that the elders, the senior members of the council doesn't want Yuffie to be given any legal powers over Wutai, until she's married to a... suitable man. As I've said, the people love Yuffie, what she says, they do. The council have a heavy influence over Lord Godo, and have always played a deeper role in the past..."
"And with Yuffie, they know that their influence is over." Rude finished, and Reeve nodded.
"Yuffie told me that the decision of the elders after the war was to completely give itself to anyone that can provide a lifeline to Wutai. When Yuffie turned fifteen, she started questioning the decisions of the elders, which her father ignored. She also told me that she suggested a team be sent out to retrieve materia to rebuild the city..."
"And the elders disagreed."
Reeve nodded at Elena. "So, Yuffie left... and we all know where that went. When she came back after meteor, she became more... vocal and more visible. I suppose the elders didn't think too much of it, until she let me in. Like I said, not a lot of people were too happy to see me, but she made a bargain of some sort with Lord Godo, and Shinra started supplying materials for Wutai, along with the solar panels that we're still trying to perfect."
"I don't get it, this place was a dump when we were last here, and now... look at it! Why would they want to kill Yuffie if she's doing such a good job?"
Reno smirked at Elena's question. "Because the little princess isn't doing what they want. You know how stubborn she is, if they can't influence Yuffie, then those old bastards know that they're finished."
"How do we know that the assassins are hired by the elders?"
Reeve looked at Rude and shrugged. "From the rumors that have been flying around, I'd say so, think about it. They can take Yuffie's legal power away, but they can never take her influence away. They may have disregarded her as just a child back then, but now... they see her as a threat to their own power."
The four stayed silent. "For all we know, this plot isn't from the elders. All I know is, there's going to be an assassination on that day."
"What are we going to do?" Elena asked and Reno raised one eyebrow.
"We," He said with an emphasis "Don't have to do anything. Let the her friends take care of it."
"Reno, will it kill you to do a good deed once in a while?" Reeve asked softly as he stared at Reno. "You've been here longer than AVALANCHE, you've been around with Yuffie. The people are bound to trust you more than the others because they think you're her fiancé. Cloud and the others don't have enough time to look around..."
Reno stayed silent as he looked at the wall behind Reeve. "Are we going to tell Yuffie?"
"Talk to Cloud and the others first. She's got enough on her plate with Kitani, that and we don't have proof on who wants her dead."
"So let me get this straight, Godo has this council as his advisors, and within the council, you have these so-called elders. Correct?"
Reeve nodded at Reno's question.
Reno extended his hands, asking for the tape recorder, which Reeve handed in. "I'm doing this because you asked me to. I'm going to call in a favor when the time comes. Rude and Elena, go back to the villa. There's something I need to do." He gave the tape recorder to Rude and walked away.
Blessed with a photographic memory not many knew he possessed, he walked through the army barracks of Wutai, ignoring the looks he was being given by the soldiers. A predatory gleam shone in his eyes when he saw who he was looking for.
Captain Katsu Tasheki turned to see a red headed man walking towards his way. "Can I help you?" He asked, not bothering to mask his dislike for the man. How Lady Yuffie ever found this slob attractive, he would never know.
"Morning, Captain!" Reno greeted with a salute. "How's the security going along for the festival?"
Captain Tasheki stiffened as he glared at Reno. "That, sir, is extremely confidential."
"I see... well, it's just Yuffie never told me about this whole ceremony crap..."
"I would advice you with your language, sir. That 'crap' of a ceremony is to celebrate Lady Yuffie's birthday and to welcome her into Wutaian politics." He snapped at Reno as he cleaned his blade.
"My bad... she never told me anything about this ceremony. How long is that going to be? Or is that information confidential as well?"
"The ceremony will take about an hour, and the celebrations would follow. It will start at sunset. Is that information good enough, sir?"
Reno smirked at the captain's attitude. "No need to be polite, just 'cause I'm going to marry your Lady Yuffie, you can be completely frank with me. I promise I won't tell her when I see her tonight," He said in a whisper, winking at the man.
Captain Tasheki stood up. "You sir, are the most vile man I have ever met. I would hope that she regains her senses enough not to marry you!"
Reno gave another mock salute as the man walked away. He looked around and smirked at the other soldiers before walking back to his villa, satisfied with what he has learnt.
He walked through the streets of Wutai, looking at the buildings. The assassin could be using a gun, a knife, any form of attack. For all he knew it could be from the food that Yuffie was going to eat. Reeve was right, there was too much ground to cover. His days in Wutai as the fiancé of Lady Kisaragi have been fun, to say the least. Teasing Yuffie had been a blast, and pissing Kitani was the cream of the crop. He allowed his mind to drift to the days he had spent with her, and actually found it... nice.
He was treated like a king, even though he knew about the whispers behind his back. Of course a lot of people would be unhappy if a girl like Yuffie was engaged to man like him. There was no future for a couple with that much difference in their lives. Yuffie's time with AVALANCHE was over, and the way she talked about Wutai would probably mean she'd never leave, unless an incident like meteor presents itself again. Everyone was preparing for the festival, and he wondered briefly if the assassin was here, pretending to be excited when he, or she would be attempting an assassination. He shook his head. /Stupid, to try that with AVALANCHE around, plus the Turks, they won't even have a prayer./
His thoughts were cut off when he saw Yuffie, walking alone towards the palace. She's not the brat she presents herself to be. He had seen it every time she was with the people of Wutai. She was honestly concerned for their welfare. His eyes narrowed as he saw Alec Kitani walking behind Yuffie.
Yuffie walked slowly, not really in the mood to go home, but she didn't have any choice. Tifa was coming soon, and she wanted everything arranged for her friend, and prayed for the hundredth time that she won't mind Elena sleeping so close by. She sensed another person following her, and pretended not to notice and continued walking.
The person behind her increased their speed, and she wasn't surprised when she felt someone touch her arm. She shrugged the hand away and turned around. "Alec."
"I heard about the argument with your father, are you alright?"
"Yes, I am. Thanks for your concern, but I really need to go home."
Alec walked in front of her, clearly having more to say. "You know that I've received your father's blessing for our engagement. I brought a piece of property in the west of Wutai. That is where the new reactor would be. I can finally support you,"
Yuffie blinked, not really understanding the meaning of his words. "What?"
"There's a piece of land that is now Kitani property. That way, the reactor isn't in Wutai territory," He explained sounding pleased. "With the money I get, I can give you anything!"
"Alec, how many times do I have to tell you that I'm not going to let any activator in or near Wutai, or anywhere else for that matter?"
"Those reactors will generate more power than those stupid solar panels can!"
Yuffie glared at Alec. "Those reactors pollute the planet! Those stupid solar panels have helped Wutai a whole lot."
"It's a slow progress, the reactors can increase the ability of Wutai to prosper!"
"Those reactors are going to kill the planet, how many times do I have to say that? And I will not let the death of the planet be the price to pay for Wutai's speedy prosperity!" Yuffie snapped as she started walking, only to be blocked by Alec. "Please, I'm tired. Get out of my way, or heaven help me, I am going to hit you."
Alec gave a smile as he went on a stance. "If I beat you, you will join me for dinner."
"You're kidding me," Yuffie replied flatly, not really in the mood. Alec remained silent, and Yuffie was about to accept his challenge when a familiar voice spoke out.
"Now you see, I find many things wrong with your challenge."
Alec and Yuffie turned around to see Reno, tapping the nightstick on his leg. "First, challenging a woman for a date? Are you that hopeless?" He walked closer, and Alec's eyes narrowed at each step. "Then, you forgot about me. I don't like being forgotten."
Yuffie could only stare at Reno. There was something different about him, yet all familiar still. This was the Reno she fought against so many times before. Reno's expression had that mocking challenge, but his eyes were more calculating than ever. "I can handle him, Reno."
"I'm sure you can, sugar. But I'd really rather be the one to kick this bastard's ass." He replied smoothly, his attention focused on Alec.
"I have her father's approval. Without Lord Godo's approval, you can never have Yuffie." Alec retorted as Reno smirked.
"I hate to break this up to you, buddy. But I already have Yuffie."
Alec's jealousy reached breaking point as he launched an attack at Reno. The Turk's only response was a feral smile, as he tossed his nightstick to Yuffie and fought Alec bare handed. Yuffie could barely believe her eyes as Alec and Reno exchanged blows and kicks, though it was clearly obvious that Reno was the better fighter.
"Stop it, both of you!" Yuffie cried out, looking around hoping that no one was around to see what was happening. Alec sneered as he landed a blow on Reno's jaw.
"This is normal for you, isn't it Mikagi? Attacking people, I bet it's easy... like a push of a button."
The message behind his taunt did not escape Yuffie and Reno. "Easier than orchestrating the murder of your father, wouldn't you say, Kitani?"
Alec stiffened, and Reno took this chance to deliver a roundhouse kick, that sent Alec on the ground. He looked up at Reno, face seething with anger. Reno looked at Yuffie, who was looking at Alec with what seemed to be a mixture of pity and disgust. He walked over to her and grabbed his nightstick from her hands. "I'm taking you home."
Alec Kitani watched as Reno walked away with Yuffie, and punched his fist to the ground. "I never loose, Mikagi." He muttered as he stood up. "I never loose."
Yuffie walked with Reno, her mind reeling from what she heard. "He killed his own father?"
Reno nodded as they entered the palace ground. "You and Reeve can be completely stupid and naive at the same time. If you had him checked out earlier, you would know so much now."
"Well, what else do you know?"
"That information is classified." Reno replied. "I did that on my own time, you want the information, you got to pay for it."
Yuffie rolled her eyes as she led Reno towards her room. When she reached her door, Reno opened the door and gave Yuffie space to walk in. When she did, Reno just looked at her, and she just stared back.
"What?"
"Where will you be before the ceremony?"
"Here. I'll be escorted by the Royal Guards to the piazza. Oh, as my special guest, you have seating allocations. The three of you will be seated along with Cloud and the others. Please behave."
Reno smiled at Yuffie, and like many times before, she could only blush and feel her knees turn to jelly. "Of course I will." He winked before closing the door. A few seconds later he opened it again and peeked in. "Do I get a good-bye kiss?"
The ninja grinned and decided to play along, and blew a kiss to Reno. The Turk gave a husky laugh and closed the door again. Yuffie could still feel the warmth on her cheeks when she sat down on her bed. Thoughts about what she learned about Alec were forgotten as her mind concentrated on a certain red head. /I need to get him out of my head./
She closed her eyes and let her body rest, her mind drifting from Reno, and a certain black haired man.
Back in the AVALANCHE villa, Cloud looked warily at the Turks, accompanied by Reeve, and Cait Sith. Somehow, there was something weird about seeing the two together, even if Reeve's mechanical wonder was deactivated.
"This better be good." Barret shot a dark look at Reeve, who just nodded as Rude handed the tape to Cloud.
"I wanted to test Cait Sith's independence mode when I came across that," He said. Cloud just looked at Reeve. "Play it."
Their reaction was expected. Tifa looked horrified, and Red almost snarled. Cid and Barret let it loose with their curses, demanding to know who the mystery voices belonged to. Cloud remained silent as he rewinded and played the tape again, and listened to it for the second time. He looked at Reeve. "Do you know who these people are?"
He shook his head, and raked his hands over his hair in pure frustration. "No. Cait was already out of power, luckily they didn't notice him. My employees just retrieved him and gave him to me. When I checked out his data... I got that."
"Why would they want to do it in public though? And at the festival. There's going to be too many people. Wouldn't it be easier to try and kill her in private?"
Reno shook his head. "They want an audience."
"We should tell Yuffie about this, her father should know!"
"I don't think so." Reno said as he sat down. "We don't know who exactly ordered the assassination. For all we know, her old man is on it too."
Tifa glared at Reno. "That's stupid! She may have problems with her father but he's not going to have her killed! Her father would never hurt her!"
"He was angry enough to hit her." Reno countered, voice smooth and calculated. "This is politics. Shit happens."
"But her own father?"
"I've seen it happen." Reno replied, looking away from Tifa who still wouldn't believe that Godo was part of the plan.
"And you would know that," Barret sneered at Reno who glared back.
"More than you think."
Reeve cleared his throat. "Listen, we don't know anything! We don't know who is behind this, or if they'll actually go through with it!"
"The ceremony starts at sunset. Yuffie will be escorted from the palace to the piazza. Anything can happen. Like Reeve said, we don't know anything. The assassin could be a servant, a friend. It could take place anywhere, but I'm betting that they'll want to put in a show. The other problem that we have is we don't know what they'll use to try and kill Yuffie."
Cloud looked at Reno suspiciously. "Why do you care?"
"Simple. Without Yuffie, Reeve here is finished. I have my own motives."
"As always," Cloud muttered as he played the tape again. "We should tell Yuffie to cancel the festival."
"Bad idea, Spike."
"Who asked you?" Cloud asked Reno who shrugged and took out a cigarette.
"Yuffie would want to know 'why' we want the whole thing cancelled, two, it can alert the people who want her dead. We have to give those bastards what they want.""
Barret stood up angrily. "You sayin' we use the kid as bait?"
"Yes."
Reno's response caused a hostile reaction and Cid and Barret lunged for him. He avoided the two and took out his nightstick, and prepared to fight until Rude spoke out.
"If we don't draw them out on that day, we would never know who is behind that assassination attempt. We may get the people on the tape, but that won't guarantee that they'll say anything. They can deny it, we have no hard proof."
Cid and Barret remained standing when Elena looked at Cloud. "Can you play that again? I could've sworn I heard one of the voices from before."
Cloud rewinded the tape again, and played it for Elena while Tifa walked to the balcony, not wanting to hear more. "You recognize the voice?"
"I'm not certain... but it sounds like... like the Captain of the Royal Guards." She replied then shook her head. "No... it can't be."
"Why not?" Cloud asked, getting interested at a possible lead.
"Because, the way Yuffie talks about him... he's like a second father to her. She told me that it was the Captain that she spent a lot of time with when she was younger and that..."
Reno snorted. "Think like a Turk, Elena. You've been hanging around Yuffie too long."
Elena opened her mouth, before closing it again, her face red with anger and embarrassment. "If her dear daddy Godo is a suspect, why couldn't this guy be? You heard him speak before, you recognized the voice..."
"You knew the first time, didn't you?" Elena interrupted staring at Reno disbelievingly.
"Of course!"
"Then why the hell didn't you say something?" Cloud yelled at Reno who just shrugged.
"Can we get to the more important things?"
Everyone turned to look at Red, who leaped up at stood on the table. "I may not agree with what Reno has proposed, but we have no option. The ceremony is in two days. We won't have enough time to look around and gather enough evidence. Like Rude mentioned, even if we find those people on the tape, they can deny that it was them. What we can do is plan a way on how we can gather as much information that we can, and make sure that Yuffie is safe."
"I think we should tell Yuffie." Elena commented.
"I agree with her," Tifa said softly as she walked back in. "She needs to be aware of this."
Cloud tapped his fingers on the table and looked around him before answering. "No."
"What?" Both females asked in shock and anger, and both were hushed at the look Cloud gave them.
"If Yuffie finds out, she'll look for these people herself, and probably endanger herself more. She'll only get her self in trouble. Do you honestly think that she'll just sit around and let us do all the work?"
Tifa remained silent as Cloud looked at Elena. "You said so yourself that she has a close relationship with this Captain. How do you think she'll feel when she hears this?"
Elena didn't say anything but sank down on the sofa. "Fine."
"Like I said, these people plotted to assassinate Yuffie at the festival because they want an audience." Reno said again as he took out a map from his jacket and tossed it to Cloud. "That's the whole of Wutai."
Red jumped back down as Cloud spread the map on the table, and all of them gathered around it. He looked again at Reno. "How do I know that we can trust you?"
"You don't. All you need to know is I'm doing this because Reeve asked me to. That, and Yuffie hasn't paid my full fee yet."
Cloud's eyes narrowed as he glared at Reno, who just smiled back. "Admit it, Strife. You need the Turks. If you don't just say the word and we'll just walk away."
"Please, we need to work together. We don't have enough time. Do it for Yuffie."
Reeve pleaded. "I owe Yuffie."
AVALANCHE looked reluctantly at each other. "Fine. We work together. This time, no secrets. What you find out, we need to know if we're going to make this work. Agree?"
Reno nodded and extended a hand. "You have our word."
Cloud looked at Reno's extended hand and took it with his own. The two formalizing the agreement. As the meeting went on, Elena couldn't help but wonder that not once, throughout the meeting did Reno refer to Yuffie as pest, or brat.