Jade, Wine, and Turk training
By Kimetara
Multi-part
Disclaimer: Don't own FFVII.
AN: Anticlimax?
Chapter 25: Escape?
Tifa froze – the man holding the weapon looked vaguely familiar...
"Come," he stated clearly, although his tone stayed soft.
"Uhh..." she licked her lips nervously. Sure, she had been prepared for something like this, but...it was different, actually having it happen. And sure, she had gotten somewhat used to her life being threatened, but it wasn't something you ever really adjusted to. "...who're you?" she asked, thankful her voice didn't quiver as she slid out of bed, even if she had spoken slightly faster than normal.
The man didn't answer; he only watched her shrewdly with almond-shaped eyes as she made her way across the room. When she was almost in reached of him, he stepped back, obviously keeping careful observation of any signs of impending attack.
Attack was the last thing on Tifa's mind. To use martial arts against a gun – especially when being watched so carefully by an experienced gun user – was crazy. Instead, she decided to try a different maneuver.
Slowly, slowly as they moved ahead on the deck, she inched closer and closer to the side of the ship.
"Don't bother trying to dive off," the Wutain's toneless voice cut the air. "The fall to the water will kill you."
Tifa almost jumped at the sudden breaking of silence, but quickly hid her startled reaction. Instead, she ignored the man's comment, and deciding that since he'd already found out what she was doing, simply walked over to the railing of the ship. Simone followed her at a leisurely pace, confident she had enough intelligence not to leap into the ocean.
So you can imagine his surprise when Tifa grabbed the railing and flipped over.
"SHIT!" he cussed, rushing to the railing. His eyes rapidly scanned the water, and seeing no trace of her, cursed some more...before he noticed a flicker of movement below him.
Simone stared, agape, watching Tifa release the lowest bar of the railing and slide into an open window. When the last of her hair, black and glimmering in the moonlight, disappeared from his sight, the Wutain SOLDIER leaned back, smiling and shaking his head, disbelief and a reluctant admiration etched over his face.
~~~~~
Tifa landed softly in the cargo room, a smirk not unlike Reno's on her face. She hadn't been doing just nothing on her long explorations...
Creeping as silently as humanly possible, the brunette fighter left the room to enter the ship's winding corridors.
~~~~~
"Isa!" Simone's voice rang through the cabin. "Isa, there's been a complication."
"What?" she asked warily, her hand automatically going to the hilt of her sword.
"Lockheart's loose somewhere on this ship."
Isa blinked. "What?! Simone, how could you let her get away?!"
Simone grinned ruefully. "I underestimated her. My mistake."
The female SOLDIER groaned. She didn't doubt they could find the girl, but it'd take a while, and be a huge headache at that. "Simone..." she gritted her teeth.
He raised his hands defensively. "Just use that radar thing. It's supposed to target body heat, right?"
Isa snarled for a moment longer, then nodded, still irritated. "Fine. Gather the crew on the north side of the ship. I'll go get the tool."
~~~~~
Reno strode into the bar of Costa del Sol, ignoring the skimpily clad women who "accidentally" kept brushing against him.
"Guinness," he ordered curtly at the counter. The bartender look up, a lazy grin on his face.
"Sure." He slowly tried his hands on the towel, then strolled over to the wine rack. Reno rolled his eyes. It was one of the worst things about Costa del Sol – everybody was so freakin slow. He guessed the heat must've fried their brains.
"Hey man, you look familiar," the bartender spoke amiably as he pulled the bottle down. "You come here before?"
"Once," Reno answered tersely. He didn't like where the conversation was heading.
"I knew it!" The bartender stood in front of Reno, still handling the bottle. "Just give me a second...hmm..." he mused out loud.
"Look, just give me my drink, alright?" Reno snapped.
"Wait wait." The man cocked his head and studied the redhead. "Yes...ah hah! You're- !" Abruptly, the bartender froze, staring at Reno with wide eyes.
Reno growled, reached over the counter, and snatched the bottle from the man. The bartender immediately began backing away, his mouth opening and closing.
"You're...Turk..." he finally managed to get out.
"Very good. Shall I give you a prize for that?"
"No!" the bartender seemed terrified. The other people in the bar had started looking over, any sort of strong emotion rare in the placid Costa del Sol. "I don't want anything from you!"
Reno noticed all the attention turning to him. "Then you won't mind me keeping my gil," he responded smoothly, then left.
Walking out the bar, he caught sight of Jason leaning against the truck. *Huh. Wonder what's eating him.*
Jason leaned against the truck at the dock, tapping his foot impatiently.
"Where are they?" he murmured, his eyes scanning the horizon. He barely noticed when Reno strolled out of the bar, a bottle of some sort of liquor in his hand.
"Any sign of `em?" the Turk asked nonchalantly, before taking a drink from his bottle.
"If there were, do you think I'd be standing here?"
"Well I don't know, would you?"
"What are you trying to say? That I'm an idiot?!" Jason snapped.
Reno raised his hands in mock terror.
"Sheesh, just asking. Don't need to go getting snippy."
Jason knew he was right, but simply glared, before returning his gaze to the ocean.
It was a result of living under Hojo...that underlying fear was always there. He couldn't help but worry.
Reno watched the blond SOLDIER, before making a suggestion. "Why don't we go take the trailer for a spin? Make sure it works and all."
Jason almost snapped again, before he realized what Reno was doing. "Yeah...it might take my mind off where they are..." he muttered, stepping into the driver's seat of the trailer.
"That's the plan," Reno grinned cheekily, then began to enter the passenger's side. "Whoa!" he yelped as Jason unexpectedly turned on the motor and pressed the gas. Reno, still holding onto the door handle, stumbled and would have fallen if Jason hadn't just as abruptly stopped.
"Heh...you're lucky these things don't go that fast," Jason snickered. Reno glared, but he couldn't help a smile of mirrored amusement.
"Yeah yeah...let's just go before you completely lose it," Reno retorted unwisely, considering he had yet to enter the through the door.
"HEY!"
Jason slid his gaze to the disgruntled Reno, still annoyed with having to run to catch up to the trailer. Deciding it wasn't a good time to mention his sunglasses were crooked, the blond SOLDIER returned to paying attention to his driving.
*I wonder where Isa and Simone are?*
*They have to be fine...there's no way Hojo could have gotten them...I would have felt it too.*
*What if he's made some new device?* Jason shook his head. Hojo couldn't possibly create that...not without the information on Mako...
Jason frowned. What was going to happen when he handed AVALANCHE over to Hojo? Would they just suffer more? And he'd be dragging the entire world into it...
But what else could he do? If he refused, the entire SOLDIER population would suffer. That thing Hojo used wasn't precise; it caused pain in any SOLDIER within range. And besides, all that would happen is that he would be killed, and another SOLDIER would simply take his place.
*That bastard...*
"Hey." Reno's voice broke his thoughts. "What's that up ahead?"
Jason glanced over at Reno suspiciously, sure the redhead was just pulling a trick to get back at him. But since he was the driver anyway...
He subtly peered through the window, pretending his only concern was driving. However, all his attention focused when he caught sight of a gold chocobo.
*What's a gold chocobo doing here?* So close to civilization? It must have a rider. Jason felt his blood run cold. Did...Hojo...?
AN: Chapter 25! Woohoo! =) And this fic isn't going to be ending any time soon...
BTW, I hope nobody was too disappointed in the revealing of the gun...? Ah well, R&R please!