Chapter One: Standard Operating Procedure
The blond woman picked a box marked 'Ramen Noodles' off of the shelf. She turned it over to read the vitamin and nutrition content. 'It's strange,' she thought to herself, 'I'm not really reading this, but I can recite everything on it.' It was true; she had done this at least a hundred times before. Why had she always gone for the ramen noodles? It seemed ritualistic but, then again, she had never really considered it. A ringing bell jolted her out of her thoughts. A new customer had entered the store. So, including her, the clerk, and the old woman plus the newcomer, that made four people, which meant three suspects. She analyzed the opportunities. 'Let's see,' she thought, 'clerk: not likely. Why would he hit other stores and murder the occupants? Old woman: possible but still unlikely. Now for the newcomer.Hmm.' What she saw intrigued her. Young man, early twenties, raggedy clothes, could easily conceal a weapon. She thought she had her man, but she had to make sure. She watched the young man move throughout the store, never focusing on anything in particular. Then she saw it. The boy moved briskly down one aisle and nonchalantly shoved a can of food into his pocket. The woman's eyes widened. 'I've got you now, you heartless bastard!' she almost yelled out. Her boss would be so proud. She maneuvered herself so that she was close to the door as the boy moved hurriedly to escape. As he reached the door, the muzzle of her pistol came to rest against his temple. "Flinch and you die." she said as menacingly as she could. Both the old woman and the clerk looked up from what they were doing to observe the commotion. "We know who you are," she continued, "now let's see the gun." She proceeded to throw aside the man's overcoat. She was surprised not to find a weapon of any kind. "Hey! What's the deal?" She looked up into the boy's eyes and saw, not a killer, but a boy hungry for food, innocent. She heard the click of a gun to the side of her and instinctively dove behind a row of shelves. A spray of bullets tore through where she had just stood - tore through the innocent boy she'd had cornered. Most of the bullets proceeded on unhindered through the glass door of the shop, throwing shards everywhere. She couldn't spare a moment to mourn the civilian, however, as she returned fire in the general direction of the assailant - the old woman. The offending bullets kept coming, however, so she judged that she had missed. She heard the bullets stop and then the clamor of retreating footsteps. Quickly, she aimed over the shelf at the pursuit and fired off three quick shots. The first went wide into the wall, the second, into the ceiling, and the third took out a chunk of the wall near the woman's head. Then the old woman was out the back door. The ceiling near where her second shot landed gave a yelp and caved in. She trained her pistol at this possible new threat when she saw a body sitting on top of the rubble. She blushed heavily when she saw who it was, though. A disheveled looking man glowered at the woman. They both wore similar blue suits with white button-down shirts, though the man's looked as if it hadn't been washed in some time. "Beautiful, Elena!" he yelled, "That was damn beautiful! You nearly killed me, you idiot!" He reached his hand into his breast pocket and pulled out a strange rod the length of a man's shoulder to his wrist and looked as if contemplating whether to use it on his apparent comrade. "Come on, Reno," Elena said apologetically, "it was just an accident. Don't get all antsy." She was backing away slowly. "Antsy?! Antsy?! I'll show you antsy, you b-" Reno began but was cut off when a particularly large man stepped through the vacant doorway. "Stop it, you two." His tone was not scolding, merely an indifferent declaration. Reno and Elena both looked to the newcomer. He was tall. Extremely tall. And he was bald. Though it was night in Midgar, this man wore sunglasses. Neither Reno nor Elena could remember a time when they'd seen the man without the dark lenses over his eyes. "C'mon, Rude, lemme give her one good whack! She deserves it. Picking out the wrong suspect and...Hey! The suspect!" Reno swiftly turned towards the back door. "Wait, Reno," Rude interjected before the man could run after the suspect. "Take care of this citizen," he gestured towards the shopkeeper, "then join us outside." He walked out the door and gestured for Elena to follow him. A grin splayed across his face, Reno walked to the clerk.
* * * * *
Rude and Elena both heard a jolt and a yelp, as if a small animal strayed to close to an exposed wire. Reno exited the building shortly afterwards. "Clerk no bother us," Reno said robotically. They stood in an alley, their backs to the door of the shop. There were three paths radiating out from where they stood. "Well, this worked out conveniently," Reno said, annoyed. Rude took two paces forward and nodded for Reno to take the left path and Elena the right. Without another word, they all proceeded along their separate roads.
* * * * * *
Elena moved much like a programmed automaton. She had her pistol out and was moving at a brisk jog down the alley. She'd run a good distance when she thought she saw something. A vaguely human form, swaddled in rags, hugging close to the wall behind a dumpster. 'Deciding to hide instead of run, huh?' Elena grinned. She'd finally bring in a felon! Finally she would prove herself to - 'Stop it, Elena!' she scolded herself, 'You've got a job to do.' Slowly, she made her way to the dumpster and began to creep around. Before she rounded the final corner of the bin, she took a deep breath. Then, with her courage mounted, she leaped around the edge. "Don't move!"
* * * * *
Rude walked with measured steps down the alley straight ahead of the shop. He didn't have his pistol drawn. He rarely did. He knew when he needed it and when he didn't. This was one of those missions that the suspect was to be brought in alive. These kinds of missions had been gaining in frequency as of late for their group. The Turks were suited to almost any task, but all of them, especially Reno, were quite fond of their assassination missions. They performed so well on those. And now they were being asked to bring in criminals alive? Rude didn't bother assuming an answer for his own question. He didn't care. He was Turk. It was his job. He heard a slight noise to his right and turned that way, ready for anything that might come at him. It wasn't the felon, however. It was only a stray street.
* * * * *
Cat. Reno moved like a cat, darting in and out of the shadows, sometimes moving across the wall itself. This was the part he most enjoyed - the chase. He still hated the fact that he couldn't kill the pursuit once he caught up, but at this point it didn't matter. They always ran. And Reno always chased. He had his gun in a loose grip in his left hand while his electric rod he held firmly in his right. A simple weapon it was, though it was marvelous to Reno. It had the ability to deliver anything from the mildest jolt to a heart stopping shock. Reno relished the fact that he had a weapon he could control. He had three settings for it, settings that he himself had named - annoy, hurt, and kill. There were none of those words actually on the rod, merely a dial to measure the strength of the shock. But Reno had all but memorized its' settings. His weapon was so like him, he thought, that it deserved no less. He saw a shadowy form in the darkness up ahead. It seemed to be going away from him. "Run away from Reno of the Turks, will you? Ha!" he said in victory as he ran all the more faster. The distant figure hesitated then turned towards the pursuing man and fired off a round of bullets.
* * * * *
Elena heard the shots and turned her head to look back where she had come from. She realized her mistake almost the same time she performed it. Luckily, this wasn't the criminal they pursued, but merely a street bum. He gave her a swift kick to the shin and ran drunkenly off away from her. She winced as she aimed her gun at the fleeing target but then thought, 'Why bother.' Favoring her leg, she ran back to the intersection of the alleys.
* * * * *
Rude stopped when he heard the shots, turned on his heel, and began to walk back at the same pace. He sighed, 'Reno's direction,' he thought, 'figures.' He reached the three-pronged intersection just as Elena was beginning to run down Reno's alley. "Elena." he half-yelled. She heard him and made a not-so-gracious stop, almost sliding into a trash can. "Hmm?" she questioned the tall man. "Go down the alley and help Reno. Remember, alive." Rude ordered. She nodded. "What about you?" she asked before running off. Rude merely looked up, "I have an idea." Elena merely gave a questioning gaze before sprinting down the alley. She knew better than to try to figure out either Reno or Rude. But she wouldn't mind getting to know - Another gunshot interrupted her thoughts. She ran on.
* * * * *
Reno continued to spring up the steps of the fire escape, sometimes three at a time. After firing at him, the suspect had leapt onto a fire escape stretching the height of the building it was attached to. In this case, it was ten or eleven stories. Many would question Reno's sanity if they saw him rushing up the steps at full speed, perhaps thinking he wanted to die. But he knew better. The woman or whoever it might be was running in desperation, firing at intervals, shooting straight down. Many of the bullets would not likely penetrate. Those that did would, most likely, be inaccurate. If they weren't, that didn't matter either. He'd been shot before. No big deal. Reno kept firing one or two shots at irregular intervals just to keep the pursuit cautious as he continued to climb ever higher.
* * * * *
Elena reached the fire escape and craned her neck to look up. The suspect was already on the seventh landing and Reno wasn't far behind. She knew her duty. Biting back a curse, she began to climb.
* * * * *
The man's clip was dry again. He quickly discarded it and slammed in another. He then swiveled his Uzi down towards the relentless pursuit. He fired off a few shots before continuing. And the fiery haired man was still coming. 'Dammit,' he thought, 'I figured I'd attract attention soon enough, but not this.' Though the man was in above average physical shape, he was panting from his climb. He reached the eleventh landing and spared a glance down. The unknown assailant was still two or three landings down. 'Good, all I gotta do is get to the roof. Just please let me get to the roof.' he thought as he reached the last landing. He placed his hand over the lip of the building edge and turned his head to get a better shot at the pursuit. After firing off a few more precious rounds, he turned to the rooftop. and met a solid right jab with his face.
* * * * *
Rude felt cartilage and bone snap under the punch. Not only had he had time to prepare his attack, the man had practically run into it. He did not relent, slamming his knee up into the gut of the man. The huge but quick man then pulled the smaller over the lip of the roof. No sense in letting his quarry fall over the side. For a moment, Rude let up and the man oriented himself. He aimed his gun at Rude, but the Turk kicked it out wide and followed with a snap kick to the sternum, all with the same foot. To his credit, the man then hit rude with a sloppy right cross. Just as Rude was about to counter, however, the man completed his move by continuing his spin and kicking Rude's legs out from beneath him. 'So he's still got some tricks,' Rude thought as he hit the pavement and rolled. 'Gotta stay close; he's still got that gun.'
* * * * *
Spitting up blood and what he thought was a tooth, the man stepped back to attempt a shot at the dangerous tall man. But the Turk managed to wade in close, preventing a shot. Instead, the man swung his gun in a horizontal arc forcing the bald man to duck. Predictably. He brought his knee up into what had to be the tall man's face. He felt something break under the assault and hopped back to see what it was. Rude stood and let his snapped glasses fall to the pavement of the roof. Few had ever seen the man's eyes. Fewer still had lived afterwards. The man holding the gun now understood why, and he suddenly felt tiny and insignificant. He snapped out of it when realized that he had a shot at the man. He triumphantly raised his gun. No way that the Turk could dodge in time. A searing pain shot through the man's back, and he knew only blackness.
* * * * *
Rude nodded his thanks to Reno, who looked away respectfully as his companion found another pair of glasses in his suit. He turned around after a few seconds to see Rude no worse off from the fight. Both the suspect's back and Reno's rod still smoked, but he didn't care about that anymore. The chase was over, so it was now time to engage in the post-chase ritual: a drinking binge. "I hope that wasn't set on kill." Rude said, toeing the body. "Nah," Reno stretched, "he didn't annoy me bad enough to disobey an order. Lucky for him." Elena hopped over the lip of the building then. "Hey, Rude, check it out, the blonde's late again." Reno smirked. The 'blond' in question smiled bitterly at the flame haired Turk and walked over to her comrades. "So why did he come up here anyway?" she asked. Rude pointed back behind him and didn't offer any further explanation. Reno twisted so he could see around the man. "Looks like he had some kind of glider set up over there. So that's how he always escaped. No wonder we couldn't track him before. Oh well, no worrying now." Whistling, Reno nonchalantly began to wander over to the glider. Rude held out an outstretched palm and shook his head. "What?! I'm just gonna make sure he doesn't have any accomplices or anything." Reno held out his hands innocently. The bald man slowly put his arm down, as if deciding whether or not to trust his friend. When the arm finally dropped, Reno danced over to the contraption like a school-boy. "Brat." Elena spat. Her tone then softened, "So what we do with him?" she gestured toward the comatose man. "Take him to Tseng, I guess. C'mon, let's get going." he said hoisting the body over one shoulder. They both turned back to the fire escape when they heard a small explosion and a scream that quickly distanced itself from them.
* * * * *
"How the hell was I supposed to know what button made it take off." Reno said indignantly when they found him tangled in a mass of garbage and glider fifteen minutes later. Elena was suppressing a giggle and Rude was his usual stoic self. Reno stood, brushed himself off, then said triumphantly, "We're off to the bar, then?" he asked eagerly, all but forgetting about the unfortunate glider incident. "We've still gotta drop off the package, dimwit," Elena reminded him, slapping the body on Rude's shoulder. "Alright," Reno pouted like a spoiled child, "but after he's in the drunk tank or wherever they put him, I'm goin' to work on my own drunk tank. I'm thinkin' of puttin' it right about here," Reno patted his stomach. Elena just sighed and walked off. Rude looked questioningly at Reno, then both departed after her in silence.
* * * * *
They stood in front of ShinRa headquarters, Reno kicking the door, the body lying next to him, Elena slapping her head with her hands, and Rude standing by as only Rude could. "Who the hell knew that ShinRa closed after midnight?" Reno muttered, kicking the door ever harder. It was an exaggeration of course. ShinRa Inc. closed to the general public at 10:00 PM Midgar Standard Time. Afterwards, all employees had to use their keycards to gain entry even to the lobby. As luck would have it (as it usually did with regards to the Turks), all three members had forgotten or misplaced their keycards. "I'm sure Rufus takes kindly to your gradual destruction of his building," Elena said sarcastically. Reno turned and offered her a bitter smile. "I've got an idea." Then, as if he was proud of his epiphany, Reno kicked off both of his shoes. Rude hung his head and Elena merely laughed. "Boy, if the stink of Reno's feet doesn't get someone to come out, even I'll be surprised," she laughed again, "Hell, it'll be the most successful siege in the history of warfare." With this, she doubled over in laughter, neither knowing nor caring if anyone else found it funny. No one did. "Just watch," Reno said triumphantly. Picking up one shoe, he carefully took aim and threw it at a second story window. He made sure it was one that had light in it. The shoe bounced off with more grace than Reno himself could likely manage and fell back to the concrete. No one came to the window. "Wise guy, eh?" Reno picked up his other shoe and hurled it at the same window. Just before it reached, however, a man opened the window and abruptly caught it. "Thank the planet," Reno said exasperated, "look, you gotta let us in. We need to punch out for the evening." Totally ignoring Reno, the man shook the shoe as if scolding the Turk, "I'm sick of you kids and your pranks!" he yelled none too kindly, "I'm keeping this to teach you a lesson." With that, he closed the window. Reno stood with mouth agape. Rude merely nodded as if this was something like the reaction he expected. Elena fell to her knees, laughing so hard that tears streamed down her face. This had turned out better than she ever could have hoped. "Oh, that's it," Reno said, "you can throw whatever kind of murderer, thief or kidnapper at me, but now you've delayed my boozin' time." Reno walked over to his previously dropped shoe and picked it up with all the dignity he could manage in his socks. He walked back to his position under the window, wound up his arm greatly, and heaved the shoe with all his might toward the window, as if it were some great evil he was wont to exterminate. The shoe flew right the glass.
* * * * *
Twenty minutes later, they were inside, after being escorted in by security. The employee had promptly called the guard and they went down to 'scare' the offending children. What they found instead was a shoeless and extremely agitated man holding a nightstick, a blond woman out of breath from laughing, another tall man who had all the features of a lively statue, and what appeared to be a corpse. The old man still would not return Reno's shoes until it was proven that he was indeed Reno of the Turks. Though he did hand over the flying footwear, the employee still gave Reno what he called 'a severe talking- to.' It took Rude and three guards to keep Reno from shocking the man.
* * * * *
"Yes. Yes. I understand. Thank you." the man put the phone down gently on the receiver and turned in his chair to face the room's other occupants.
Around the man's office were the three Turks, spaced at uneven intervals and in uneven positions. Rude sat expertly in a chair in front of him. Elena reclined on a couch, though the man thought he read some tension in her features. And Reno, the still shoeless Reno, lay across a table too small to accommodate a man of his size. His feet dangled over one end, while his head hung over the other. They were allowed this convenience for a number of reasons. Number one: they had just gone through with a mission that wasn't easy for them. Number two: they were Turks. Number three: Tseng was in a good mood; as far as good moods go with Tseng anyway. Tseng was a shrewd man, calculating but not cold. His dark and handsome features attracted many a woman who were in turn driven away by the man's work ethic. For there was none in ShinRa who worked harder than did the leader of the Turks. He rarely joined his subordinates in the field. He had plenty to do otherwise, and they were quite capable besides. He had worked for President Shinra, then for his son, Rufus, for over ten years and had been away from Midgar only seven times. It was widely whispered that Tseng had a small bed and kitchenette installed in his very office. Few ever got close enough to the man to verify anything like this, and his own Turks had certainly never seen anything to suggest it, yet still the rumors permeated. Tseng was not bothered by this, however. He didn't love his job. He just had his job. When no other reason could be offered, each Turk would say the same. "It is my job." The leader of the Turks was a handsome man. His most prominent features included his piercing brown eyes that seemed to suck the truth from a person without giving up any luster of their own, his mid-back length black hair, and a small jewel inset in the middle of his forehead. One acquainted with Tseng knew never to ask much, if anything, about the man, yet even those unfamiliar with him would have to struggle to bring themselves to ask about the jewel. Some type of aura surrounded it. A feeling of dread permeated all who looked upon it. There was nothing magical about it, but all were curious and anxious about it. Tseng folded one hand over another and looked to each of them in turn. "I'm glad that your mission, as always, turned out to be a success. Before you ask, no, I do not know why ShinRa wanted the target alive. Perhaps Heidegger wants to have him executed personally." "Heidegger?" Elena said suspiciously. Heidegger was a rotund man that was, oddly enough, head of ShinRa security and a genius in the art of warfare. It had been part of his strategy that had finally won the war in Wutai some years back. The man himself, however, was unforgiving. Incredibly egotistical, he allowed for no errors on the part of his soldiers. It was known by all that he wished greatly for the Turks' destruction, but even the President himself would have to go far in accomplishing that task. "Why would he even bother?" "Are you kidding? The fat man would love to have a new toy. 'Specially one as lively as he was. Took quite a bit of jolts to put him down." Reno said casually. "I know not what his plans are; I only know that they do not involve us." Tseng let a small grin tug at his features, "Unfortunately for you all, I have something that does concern us," he said, holding up a manila folder, "In but a few hours, you three are heading off for Junon." "Junon?!?!!?" Reno all but screamed, "Do you realize what kind of bars they have there? Nothing! That place is the military capital of the military. There's nothin' to do there!" "Well, if it's any consolation, you won't be staying there long." At this, Reno's ears perked up and he fell silent. "It seems that there's been some strange happenings in the wilderness outside the city. I'd tell you more but you're officially off duty," Tseng stood and clasped his hands behind his back, "I trust that I'll see you all here bright and early tomorrow." Each Turk, Reno included, leapt to their feat and saluted smartly. Tseng let them hold the pose for a moment then dismissed them. From down the hall, Reno's whoops of joy at finally being able to drink sailed back into his office. Tseng barely heard them as he continued his report.
* * * * *
None of the Turks bothered to change their clothes as they headed out to their normal dive. Rude always went to relax, to feel that he belonged. He was with the common man in a bar, yet he was above the common man in the Turks. He enjoyed the brief conversations with Reno they sometimes had. Though he would never admit it, Reno had an interesting view of life that Rude found refreshing. He was one of Rude's only friends, perhaps his only friend, but Rude never felt the obligation to talk. Elena sometimes joined 'the boys' as she called them, claiming she had to be there to keep them in line. Secretly, she enjoyed being around her comrades where, like Rude, she felt like she belonged. Though she'd also like to be with Tseng, her ideal night would be sharing a meal with all her friends and coworkers, even Reno. Reno, on the other hand, was going out to drink for the sole purpose of going out to drink. He was the embodiment of irresponsibility, drinking, smoking, not to mention getting shot at. It didn't matter though. He would be around until his time is up. And then when his time was up, he would continue the cycle in hell. The three friends came to their usual spot, just beneath the plate of Midgar. It had the feel of a low-class bar with low-class drinks. The Turks relished this. They loved to be able to blend into a crowd and, though it was usually filled with smoke, this bar allowed them to do so. They walked in and took a seat at their usual table. After ordering their drinks, Reno put his head down on the scarred table and stroked it lovingly, "Well, old girl, we probably won't see you for a while. Don't worry, though, we'll be back. We're going off to a faraway place called Junon. Can you say that? Jun-on?" "Rude, will you please shoot me?" Elena said, half-gagging. The bald man offered up a rare grin and opened his jacket to reveal an empty gun holster. 'Oh well,' she thought, 'not like he needs it. His fists can kill a man quicker.' She turned her attention back to the fiery-haired man, and, sure enough, Reno was still hugging and whispering to the table. The blond woman received her beer bottle without a glass and, before opening it, knocked Reno over the head with it. Reno sat up, rubbing the newly-formed lump and was about to curse at Elena, but she managed to twist off the beer cap first. The release of pressure took its' course and Reno promptly had a face full of suds. Elena began to giggle and Reno leapt over the table at her. They began to run throughout the bar, not causing any real damage and entertaining at the same time. Rude sat back. He might not express his love to his favorite table, but he would miss this place.
The blond woman picked a box marked 'Ramen Noodles' off of the shelf. She turned it over to read the vitamin and nutrition content. 'It's strange,' she thought to herself, 'I'm not really reading this, but I can recite everything on it.' It was true; she had done this at least a hundred times before. Why had she always gone for the ramen noodles? It seemed ritualistic but, then again, she had never really considered it. A ringing bell jolted her out of her thoughts. A new customer had entered the store. So, including her, the clerk, and the old woman plus the newcomer, that made four people, which meant three suspects. She analyzed the opportunities. 'Let's see,' she thought, 'clerk: not likely. Why would he hit other stores and murder the occupants? Old woman: possible but still unlikely. Now for the newcomer.Hmm.' What she saw intrigued her. Young man, early twenties, raggedy clothes, could easily conceal a weapon. She thought she had her man, but she had to make sure. She watched the young man move throughout the store, never focusing on anything in particular. Then she saw it. The boy moved briskly down one aisle and nonchalantly shoved a can of food into his pocket. The woman's eyes widened. 'I've got you now, you heartless bastard!' she almost yelled out. Her boss would be so proud. She maneuvered herself so that she was close to the door as the boy moved hurriedly to escape. As he reached the door, the muzzle of her pistol came to rest against his temple. "Flinch and you die." she said as menacingly as she could. Both the old woman and the clerk looked up from what they were doing to observe the commotion. "We know who you are," she continued, "now let's see the gun." She proceeded to throw aside the man's overcoat. She was surprised not to find a weapon of any kind. "Hey! What's the deal?" She looked up into the boy's eyes and saw, not a killer, but a boy hungry for food, innocent. She heard the click of a gun to the side of her and instinctively dove behind a row of shelves. A spray of bullets tore through where she had just stood - tore through the innocent boy she'd had cornered. Most of the bullets proceeded on unhindered through the glass door of the shop, throwing shards everywhere. She couldn't spare a moment to mourn the civilian, however, as she returned fire in the general direction of the assailant - the old woman. The offending bullets kept coming, however, so she judged that she had missed. She heard the bullets stop and then the clamor of retreating footsteps. Quickly, she aimed over the shelf at the pursuit and fired off three quick shots. The first went wide into the wall, the second, into the ceiling, and the third took out a chunk of the wall near the woman's head. Then the old woman was out the back door. The ceiling near where her second shot landed gave a yelp and caved in. She trained her pistol at this possible new threat when she saw a body sitting on top of the rubble. She blushed heavily when she saw who it was, though. A disheveled looking man glowered at the woman. They both wore similar blue suits with white button-down shirts, though the man's looked as if it hadn't been washed in some time. "Beautiful, Elena!" he yelled, "That was damn beautiful! You nearly killed me, you idiot!" He reached his hand into his breast pocket and pulled out a strange rod the length of a man's shoulder to his wrist and looked as if contemplating whether to use it on his apparent comrade. "Come on, Reno," Elena said apologetically, "it was just an accident. Don't get all antsy." She was backing away slowly. "Antsy?! Antsy?! I'll show you antsy, you b-" Reno began but was cut off when a particularly large man stepped through the vacant doorway. "Stop it, you two." His tone was not scolding, merely an indifferent declaration. Reno and Elena both looked to the newcomer. He was tall. Extremely tall. And he was bald. Though it was night in Midgar, this man wore sunglasses. Neither Reno nor Elena could remember a time when they'd seen the man without the dark lenses over his eyes. "C'mon, Rude, lemme give her one good whack! She deserves it. Picking out the wrong suspect and...Hey! The suspect!" Reno swiftly turned towards the back door. "Wait, Reno," Rude interjected before the man could run after the suspect. "Take care of this citizen," he gestured towards the shopkeeper, "then join us outside." He walked out the door and gestured for Elena to follow him. A grin splayed across his face, Reno walked to the clerk.
* * * * *
Rude and Elena both heard a jolt and a yelp, as if a small animal strayed to close to an exposed wire. Reno exited the building shortly afterwards. "Clerk no bother us," Reno said robotically. They stood in an alley, their backs to the door of the shop. There were three paths radiating out from where they stood. "Well, this worked out conveniently," Reno said, annoyed. Rude took two paces forward and nodded for Reno to take the left path and Elena the right. Without another word, they all proceeded along their separate roads.
* * * * * *
Elena moved much like a programmed automaton. She had her pistol out and was moving at a brisk jog down the alley. She'd run a good distance when she thought she saw something. A vaguely human form, swaddled in rags, hugging close to the wall behind a dumpster. 'Deciding to hide instead of run, huh?' Elena grinned. She'd finally bring in a felon! Finally she would prove herself to - 'Stop it, Elena!' she scolded herself, 'You've got a job to do.' Slowly, she made her way to the dumpster and began to creep around. Before she rounded the final corner of the bin, she took a deep breath. Then, with her courage mounted, she leaped around the edge. "Don't move!"
* * * * *
Rude walked with measured steps down the alley straight ahead of the shop. He didn't have his pistol drawn. He rarely did. He knew when he needed it and when he didn't. This was one of those missions that the suspect was to be brought in alive. These kinds of missions had been gaining in frequency as of late for their group. The Turks were suited to almost any task, but all of them, especially Reno, were quite fond of their assassination missions. They performed so well on those. And now they were being asked to bring in criminals alive? Rude didn't bother assuming an answer for his own question. He didn't care. He was Turk. It was his job. He heard a slight noise to his right and turned that way, ready for anything that might come at him. It wasn't the felon, however. It was only a stray street.
* * * * *
Cat. Reno moved like a cat, darting in and out of the shadows, sometimes moving across the wall itself. This was the part he most enjoyed - the chase. He still hated the fact that he couldn't kill the pursuit once he caught up, but at this point it didn't matter. They always ran. And Reno always chased. He had his gun in a loose grip in his left hand while his electric rod he held firmly in his right. A simple weapon it was, though it was marvelous to Reno. It had the ability to deliver anything from the mildest jolt to a heart stopping shock. Reno relished the fact that he had a weapon he could control. He had three settings for it, settings that he himself had named - annoy, hurt, and kill. There were none of those words actually on the rod, merely a dial to measure the strength of the shock. But Reno had all but memorized its' settings. His weapon was so like him, he thought, that it deserved no less. He saw a shadowy form in the darkness up ahead. It seemed to be going away from him. "Run away from Reno of the Turks, will you? Ha!" he said in victory as he ran all the more faster. The distant figure hesitated then turned towards the pursuing man and fired off a round of bullets.
* * * * *
Elena heard the shots and turned her head to look back where she had come from. She realized her mistake almost the same time she performed it. Luckily, this wasn't the criminal they pursued, but merely a street bum. He gave her a swift kick to the shin and ran drunkenly off away from her. She winced as she aimed her gun at the fleeing target but then thought, 'Why bother.' Favoring her leg, she ran back to the intersection of the alleys.
* * * * *
Rude stopped when he heard the shots, turned on his heel, and began to walk back at the same pace. He sighed, 'Reno's direction,' he thought, 'figures.' He reached the three-pronged intersection just as Elena was beginning to run down Reno's alley. "Elena." he half-yelled. She heard him and made a not-so-gracious stop, almost sliding into a trash can. "Hmm?" she questioned the tall man. "Go down the alley and help Reno. Remember, alive." Rude ordered. She nodded. "What about you?" she asked before running off. Rude merely looked up, "I have an idea." Elena merely gave a questioning gaze before sprinting down the alley. She knew better than to try to figure out either Reno or Rude. But she wouldn't mind getting to know - Another gunshot interrupted her thoughts. She ran on.
* * * * *
Reno continued to spring up the steps of the fire escape, sometimes three at a time. After firing at him, the suspect had leapt onto a fire escape stretching the height of the building it was attached to. In this case, it was ten or eleven stories. Many would question Reno's sanity if they saw him rushing up the steps at full speed, perhaps thinking he wanted to die. But he knew better. The woman or whoever it might be was running in desperation, firing at intervals, shooting straight down. Many of the bullets would not likely penetrate. Those that did would, most likely, be inaccurate. If they weren't, that didn't matter either. He'd been shot before. No big deal. Reno kept firing one or two shots at irregular intervals just to keep the pursuit cautious as he continued to climb ever higher.
* * * * *
Elena reached the fire escape and craned her neck to look up. The suspect was already on the seventh landing and Reno wasn't far behind. She knew her duty. Biting back a curse, she began to climb.
* * * * *
The man's clip was dry again. He quickly discarded it and slammed in another. He then swiveled his Uzi down towards the relentless pursuit. He fired off a few shots before continuing. And the fiery haired man was still coming. 'Dammit,' he thought, 'I figured I'd attract attention soon enough, but not this.' Though the man was in above average physical shape, he was panting from his climb. He reached the eleventh landing and spared a glance down. The unknown assailant was still two or three landings down. 'Good, all I gotta do is get to the roof. Just please let me get to the roof.' he thought as he reached the last landing. He placed his hand over the lip of the building edge and turned his head to get a better shot at the pursuit. After firing off a few more precious rounds, he turned to the rooftop. and met a solid right jab with his face.
* * * * *
Rude felt cartilage and bone snap under the punch. Not only had he had time to prepare his attack, the man had practically run into it. He did not relent, slamming his knee up into the gut of the man. The huge but quick man then pulled the smaller over the lip of the roof. No sense in letting his quarry fall over the side. For a moment, Rude let up and the man oriented himself. He aimed his gun at Rude, but the Turk kicked it out wide and followed with a snap kick to the sternum, all with the same foot. To his credit, the man then hit rude with a sloppy right cross. Just as Rude was about to counter, however, the man completed his move by continuing his spin and kicking Rude's legs out from beneath him. 'So he's still got some tricks,' Rude thought as he hit the pavement and rolled. 'Gotta stay close; he's still got that gun.'
* * * * *
Spitting up blood and what he thought was a tooth, the man stepped back to attempt a shot at the dangerous tall man. But the Turk managed to wade in close, preventing a shot. Instead, the man swung his gun in a horizontal arc forcing the bald man to duck. Predictably. He brought his knee up into what had to be the tall man's face. He felt something break under the assault and hopped back to see what it was. Rude stood and let his snapped glasses fall to the pavement of the roof. Few had ever seen the man's eyes. Fewer still had lived afterwards. The man holding the gun now understood why, and he suddenly felt tiny and insignificant. He snapped out of it when realized that he had a shot at the man. He triumphantly raised his gun. No way that the Turk could dodge in time. A searing pain shot through the man's back, and he knew only blackness.
* * * * *
Rude nodded his thanks to Reno, who looked away respectfully as his companion found another pair of glasses in his suit. He turned around after a few seconds to see Rude no worse off from the fight. Both the suspect's back and Reno's rod still smoked, but he didn't care about that anymore. The chase was over, so it was now time to engage in the post-chase ritual: a drinking binge. "I hope that wasn't set on kill." Rude said, toeing the body. "Nah," Reno stretched, "he didn't annoy me bad enough to disobey an order. Lucky for him." Elena hopped over the lip of the building then. "Hey, Rude, check it out, the blonde's late again." Reno smirked. The 'blond' in question smiled bitterly at the flame haired Turk and walked over to her comrades. "So why did he come up here anyway?" she asked. Rude pointed back behind him and didn't offer any further explanation. Reno twisted so he could see around the man. "Looks like he had some kind of glider set up over there. So that's how he always escaped. No wonder we couldn't track him before. Oh well, no worrying now." Whistling, Reno nonchalantly began to wander over to the glider. Rude held out an outstretched palm and shook his head. "What?! I'm just gonna make sure he doesn't have any accomplices or anything." Reno held out his hands innocently. The bald man slowly put his arm down, as if deciding whether or not to trust his friend. When the arm finally dropped, Reno danced over to the contraption like a school-boy. "Brat." Elena spat. Her tone then softened, "So what we do with him?" she gestured toward the comatose man. "Take him to Tseng, I guess. C'mon, let's get going." he said hoisting the body over one shoulder. They both turned back to the fire escape when they heard a small explosion and a scream that quickly distanced itself from them.
* * * * *
"How the hell was I supposed to know what button made it take off." Reno said indignantly when they found him tangled in a mass of garbage and glider fifteen minutes later. Elena was suppressing a giggle and Rude was his usual stoic self. Reno stood, brushed himself off, then said triumphantly, "We're off to the bar, then?" he asked eagerly, all but forgetting about the unfortunate glider incident. "We've still gotta drop off the package, dimwit," Elena reminded him, slapping the body on Rude's shoulder. "Alright," Reno pouted like a spoiled child, "but after he's in the drunk tank or wherever they put him, I'm goin' to work on my own drunk tank. I'm thinkin' of puttin' it right about here," Reno patted his stomach. Elena just sighed and walked off. Rude looked questioningly at Reno, then both departed after her in silence.
* * * * *
They stood in front of ShinRa headquarters, Reno kicking the door, the body lying next to him, Elena slapping her head with her hands, and Rude standing by as only Rude could. "Who the hell knew that ShinRa closed after midnight?" Reno muttered, kicking the door ever harder. It was an exaggeration of course. ShinRa Inc. closed to the general public at 10:00 PM Midgar Standard Time. Afterwards, all employees had to use their keycards to gain entry even to the lobby. As luck would have it (as it usually did with regards to the Turks), all three members had forgotten or misplaced their keycards. "I'm sure Rufus takes kindly to your gradual destruction of his building," Elena said sarcastically. Reno turned and offered her a bitter smile. "I've got an idea." Then, as if he was proud of his epiphany, Reno kicked off both of his shoes. Rude hung his head and Elena merely laughed. "Boy, if the stink of Reno's feet doesn't get someone to come out, even I'll be surprised," she laughed again, "Hell, it'll be the most successful siege in the history of warfare." With this, she doubled over in laughter, neither knowing nor caring if anyone else found it funny. No one did. "Just watch," Reno said triumphantly. Picking up one shoe, he carefully took aim and threw it at a second story window. He made sure it was one that had light in it. The shoe bounced off with more grace than Reno himself could likely manage and fell back to the concrete. No one came to the window. "Wise guy, eh?" Reno picked up his other shoe and hurled it at the same window. Just before it reached, however, a man opened the window and abruptly caught it. "Thank the planet," Reno said exasperated, "look, you gotta let us in. We need to punch out for the evening." Totally ignoring Reno, the man shook the shoe as if scolding the Turk, "I'm sick of you kids and your pranks!" he yelled none too kindly, "I'm keeping this to teach you a lesson." With that, he closed the window. Reno stood with mouth agape. Rude merely nodded as if this was something like the reaction he expected. Elena fell to her knees, laughing so hard that tears streamed down her face. This had turned out better than she ever could have hoped. "Oh, that's it," Reno said, "you can throw whatever kind of murderer, thief or kidnapper at me, but now you've delayed my boozin' time." Reno walked over to his previously dropped shoe and picked it up with all the dignity he could manage in his socks. He walked back to his position under the window, wound up his arm greatly, and heaved the shoe with all his might toward the window, as if it were some great evil he was wont to exterminate. The shoe flew right the glass.
* * * * *
Twenty minutes later, they were inside, after being escorted in by security. The employee had promptly called the guard and they went down to 'scare' the offending children. What they found instead was a shoeless and extremely agitated man holding a nightstick, a blond woman out of breath from laughing, another tall man who had all the features of a lively statue, and what appeared to be a corpse. The old man still would not return Reno's shoes until it was proven that he was indeed Reno of the Turks. Though he did hand over the flying footwear, the employee still gave Reno what he called 'a severe talking- to.' It took Rude and three guards to keep Reno from shocking the man.
* * * * *
"Yes. Yes. I understand. Thank you." the man put the phone down gently on the receiver and turned in his chair to face the room's other occupants.
Around the man's office were the three Turks, spaced at uneven intervals and in uneven positions. Rude sat expertly in a chair in front of him. Elena reclined on a couch, though the man thought he read some tension in her features. And Reno, the still shoeless Reno, lay across a table too small to accommodate a man of his size. His feet dangled over one end, while his head hung over the other. They were allowed this convenience for a number of reasons. Number one: they had just gone through with a mission that wasn't easy for them. Number two: they were Turks. Number three: Tseng was in a good mood; as far as good moods go with Tseng anyway. Tseng was a shrewd man, calculating but not cold. His dark and handsome features attracted many a woman who were in turn driven away by the man's work ethic. For there was none in ShinRa who worked harder than did the leader of the Turks. He rarely joined his subordinates in the field. He had plenty to do otherwise, and they were quite capable besides. He had worked for President Shinra, then for his son, Rufus, for over ten years and had been away from Midgar only seven times. It was widely whispered that Tseng had a small bed and kitchenette installed in his very office. Few ever got close enough to the man to verify anything like this, and his own Turks had certainly never seen anything to suggest it, yet still the rumors permeated. Tseng was not bothered by this, however. He didn't love his job. He just had his job. When no other reason could be offered, each Turk would say the same. "It is my job." The leader of the Turks was a handsome man. His most prominent features included his piercing brown eyes that seemed to suck the truth from a person without giving up any luster of their own, his mid-back length black hair, and a small jewel inset in the middle of his forehead. One acquainted with Tseng knew never to ask much, if anything, about the man, yet even those unfamiliar with him would have to struggle to bring themselves to ask about the jewel. Some type of aura surrounded it. A feeling of dread permeated all who looked upon it. There was nothing magical about it, but all were curious and anxious about it. Tseng folded one hand over another and looked to each of them in turn. "I'm glad that your mission, as always, turned out to be a success. Before you ask, no, I do not know why ShinRa wanted the target alive. Perhaps Heidegger wants to have him executed personally." "Heidegger?" Elena said suspiciously. Heidegger was a rotund man that was, oddly enough, head of ShinRa security and a genius in the art of warfare. It had been part of his strategy that had finally won the war in Wutai some years back. The man himself, however, was unforgiving. Incredibly egotistical, he allowed for no errors on the part of his soldiers. It was known by all that he wished greatly for the Turks' destruction, but even the President himself would have to go far in accomplishing that task. "Why would he even bother?" "Are you kidding? The fat man would love to have a new toy. 'Specially one as lively as he was. Took quite a bit of jolts to put him down." Reno said casually. "I know not what his plans are; I only know that they do not involve us." Tseng let a small grin tug at his features, "Unfortunately for you all, I have something that does concern us," he said, holding up a manila folder, "In but a few hours, you three are heading off for Junon." "Junon?!?!!?" Reno all but screamed, "Do you realize what kind of bars they have there? Nothing! That place is the military capital of the military. There's nothin' to do there!" "Well, if it's any consolation, you won't be staying there long." At this, Reno's ears perked up and he fell silent. "It seems that there's been some strange happenings in the wilderness outside the city. I'd tell you more but you're officially off duty," Tseng stood and clasped his hands behind his back, "I trust that I'll see you all here bright and early tomorrow." Each Turk, Reno included, leapt to their feat and saluted smartly. Tseng let them hold the pose for a moment then dismissed them. From down the hall, Reno's whoops of joy at finally being able to drink sailed back into his office. Tseng barely heard them as he continued his report.
* * * * *
None of the Turks bothered to change their clothes as they headed out to their normal dive. Rude always went to relax, to feel that he belonged. He was with the common man in a bar, yet he was above the common man in the Turks. He enjoyed the brief conversations with Reno they sometimes had. Though he would never admit it, Reno had an interesting view of life that Rude found refreshing. He was one of Rude's only friends, perhaps his only friend, but Rude never felt the obligation to talk. Elena sometimes joined 'the boys' as she called them, claiming she had to be there to keep them in line. Secretly, she enjoyed being around her comrades where, like Rude, she felt like she belonged. Though she'd also like to be with Tseng, her ideal night would be sharing a meal with all her friends and coworkers, even Reno. Reno, on the other hand, was going out to drink for the sole purpose of going out to drink. He was the embodiment of irresponsibility, drinking, smoking, not to mention getting shot at. It didn't matter though. He would be around until his time is up. And then when his time was up, he would continue the cycle in hell. The three friends came to their usual spot, just beneath the plate of Midgar. It had the feel of a low-class bar with low-class drinks. The Turks relished this. They loved to be able to blend into a crowd and, though it was usually filled with smoke, this bar allowed them to do so. They walked in and took a seat at their usual table. After ordering their drinks, Reno put his head down on the scarred table and stroked it lovingly, "Well, old girl, we probably won't see you for a while. Don't worry, though, we'll be back. We're going off to a faraway place called Junon. Can you say that? Jun-on?" "Rude, will you please shoot me?" Elena said, half-gagging. The bald man offered up a rare grin and opened his jacket to reveal an empty gun holster. 'Oh well,' she thought, 'not like he needs it. His fists can kill a man quicker.' She turned her attention back to the fiery-haired man, and, sure enough, Reno was still hugging and whispering to the table. The blond woman received her beer bottle without a glass and, before opening it, knocked Reno over the head with it. Reno sat up, rubbing the newly-formed lump and was about to curse at Elena, but she managed to twist off the beer cap first. The release of pressure took its' course and Reno promptly had a face full of suds. Elena began to giggle and Reno leapt over the table at her. They began to run throughout the bar, not causing any real damage and entertaining at the same time. Rude sat back. He might not express his love to his favorite table, but he would miss this place.