-x- Chapter 2 -x-
"That was weird," Bayley muttered silently to herself before speaking louder to her companion. "Didn't that voice seem familiar, Ki?"
"Mm." Kiera agreed, nodding her head as they walked down the corridor from their hotel room. The sun was setting and the lights in the hallways provided little illumination, although there were little gems embedded in the walls reflecting the low light, making them appear as stars twinkling in the night.
Bayley hesitated, not used to the shoes she was wearing. She knelt down to adjust the straps, wobbled and fell onto her bottom. "Ah!" She exclaimed and her initially shocked face quickly converted to an amused one. "Sorry, I'm just ah- a bit clumsy," she laughed but then proceeded to fiddle with her shoes. I wonder who that person was, do you suppose it wa-
"I wonder who that person was?" Kiera mused out loud as she watched her friend fix her shoes. She glanced down at her own, black boots to check if they were in need of adjustment.
Is there an echo in here? Weird. Bayley straightened up now that she was confident that her sandals were fixed. "Weird, I was just thinking that too."
The women resumed their pace and footsteps reappeared behind them, but this time there seemed to be more of them. Bayley narrowed her expressive brown eyes, still wondering where she had heard the voice before.
"Watch out!" Kiera yelled blatantly, grabbing Bayley's tanned arm before she walked face first into the wall beside the elevator.
Eyes coming into focus, Bayley glanced about herself, realizing what had almost happened. "Whoa, okay," she mumbled reassuringly to herself, as if to prove that she was indeed there.
The door on the elevator whooshed open, revealing the interior. The usual ding sounded and the girls casually stepped inside. The hard metal floor was a massive change from the soft, lush carpet of the rest of the hotel.
"Ah, hey wait for us!" A different, yet familiar, voice called out as the owner and her companion came around the corner. The former was a gorgeous blonde wearing a white, silk mini-dress and white lace-up boots. The latter was a tall, dark skinned man who wore a fancy, however plain, black suit and a pair of sunglasses over his eyes.
Bayley and Kiera suppressed gasps, most certainly looking like chocobos caught in headlights. The older girl snapped into action almost at once and mashed the open button.
"Oh.Bahamut," Bayley moaned uneasily as the two latecomers, Elena and Rude of the Turks, stepped in. Almost instantly the scent of a distinctly sweet and fruity perfume rose to the noses of those already inside. The smell would have been all right in small doses, Bayley assumed, but as is, it was next to nauseating. Her nose immediately scrunched slightly, an unconscious reaction to anything it didn't like.
Looking concerned, Elena put a hand adorned with bright red nail polish to her slender hip. "Whoa, is she alright?"
"Uh.yea. She's just a bit nervous I guess," Kiera spoke calmly, keeping her cool, but she too was nervous. In fact, she could feel the little beads of sweat appearing on her forehead and the perfume wasn't making her feel any better.
Bayley nodded her head respectfully and mumbled a meek, "Hi." She couldn't look up to face the two Turks, so she found herself content to just stare at the floor. She felt her stomach turn as the perfume started to become more and more unbearable.
"I'm Kiera Tangaard, the reporter sharing the evening with you three," Kiera smiled, also bowing her head politely. She plastered a fake smile on her face, attempting to hide her disgust at the perfume.
Bayley brushed a lock of deep purple out of her eyes and looked upwards, a faint pink glow on her cheeks, a reminiscent of her blushing fit. "I'm Bayley. I'm coming with Kiera."
"It's a pleasure. As you must know, I'm Elena and this is Rude," Elena held out her hand and shook each of the girls' respectively. Rude only nodded his head, remaining silent. "He doesn't talk much."
"." The tall man agreed, staying true to Elena's aforementioned statement. He remained stoic as ever, standing apart -or rather as apart as he could be in an elevator- from the three girls, watching them quietly.
The elevator's chime rang out, signaling the arrival at the lobby floor. The odd group made their way out of the elevator when Elena stopped abruptly. "Do you think we should wait for him?"
"I suppose so," Rude replied, his voice still on the quiet side. He stopped walking as well and turned to face the blonde.
Bayley coughed quietly, attempting to draw attention to herself. "If you don't mind me asking, who is he ?"
Elena started to laugh pleasantly, "Reno, of course!"
"Oh." The young girl felt her face redden and heat up. Instantly, she dropped her head and stared at the floor. Oh man, if I'm gonna act like this when he's around. She groaned inwardly, letting out a quiet sigh to the others.
Kiera looked longingly at the waiting couches on the far side of the lobby. Elena caught her line of sight and agreed out loud, "Let's go sit down and wait. Okay?"
Complying with Elena's suggestion, the group meandered over to the midnight blue, lavish couches to await Reno's arrival. Bayley and Kiera took one couch while the two Turks shared the opposing couch. The former sat rather shyly, not accustomed to being in the presence of such celebrities, lest they find her strange or annoying. Casually, the young reporter leaned back brushing her beautiful hair out of her face.
"So, what's taking him so long?" Kiera asked of Reno, wondering where he was; why wasn't she looking at him right now?
Elena rolled her eyes, "I'm no sure why he's being so slow ! All I did was send him back to get changed; he looked so messy!"
The two other girls burst out laughing at this comment, although it was very much anticipated. Elena joined in and reluctantly Rude did as well.
Suddenly, a rather cynical voice appeared above the joyful group. "What are you two retards laughing about?" It asked in an almost annoyed tone of voice.
"A-ah Reno!" Elena exclaimed. "Hi! We were just talking about you!"
That was probably the wrong thing to say. Kiera chuckled to herself, staying silent.
Bayley sat silently, nearly shaking with nervousness, three words kept repeating in her head, oh my Shiva, oh my Shiva.
"Oh were you, really," Reno smirked, "who are these two kids?"
Kiera smiled cheerily, showing off her perfectly white teeth. "Hey! I'm no kid.I'm Kiera Tangaard, the reporter-"
"Yah, yah spending the night with us, I know," Reno cut off the young girl. In quick response, Elena playfully pushed him..
"I'm Bayley.comin' with Kiera," the youngest girl introduced herself, trying to take hold of her shaking. She looked up, a gentle smile played on her lips, it was struggled at first, but completely genuine.
Reno shifted his weight and flicked a stray strand of shocking red hair out of his face. "Well, now that the introductions have been done, can we go eat?"
Elena rolled her eyes and stood up, motioning for the girls to join her. Rude followed her example, stood up and walked to Reno in silence.
"Does he ever talk?" Kiera asked quietly to Elena, an obvious joke- like timbre in her voice. The latter started to attempt to suppress a laugh, but failed.
Breaking her own silence, Bayley also let out a small laugh, she looked up and caught the eyes of Kiera who gave her a strange look. The latter slowed down, reaching Bayley's pace. "What's wrong? Why are you so quiet all of the sudden?" Kiera asked with genuine care.
"Uh. Guess I'm just a bit shy with y'know Reno being around and all," Bayley muttered and Kiera put her arm around her friend's shoulders consolingly.
"Cheer up kiddo, he's nothing you should be scared of," Elena had dropped back and heard their short conversation. Not being able to keep her mouth shut, she had added her two cents.
Bayley smiled at the friendliness of the two girls comforting her. "Thanks guys, I'll try and be more like myself!" She exclaimed, her face lighting up.
"Good!" Both Kiera and Elena exclaimed simultaneously. The three girls noticed their slacking speed and hurried up to catch up with Reno and Rude.
The men hadn't even noticed the girls' disappearance. Reno was too busy grumbling about one thing or another, and Rude was simply ignoring him. The women finally caught up, and Reno asked out loud, "Where are we goin' for dinner anyways?"
"The Choco Jockey Bar and Grill," Elena answered mechanically to which Bayley gave a small laugh and scratched the back of her head. Smiling, Kiera playfully shoved her nearly embarrassed friend.
Bayley calmed herself, put on a straight face and looked up at Elena. "Bar?" She asked while a playful smile danced upon her lips.
"Um, yeah," Elena replied her words rather drawn out. She held a confused look on her face and her head was cocked to the side. Bayley and Kiera both looked at each other and started to laugh. "Wh-what? I think I missed something," The older women declared dejectedly.
Bayley motioned for Elena to lean over a bit and put her mouth right near the older girl's ear. "I'm only 16," she whispered, stifling a chuckle.
"WHAT!?" Elena shrieked, nearly tripping over her own feet. She then lowered her voice to a whisper, "I thought you were at least 19."
The teen smiled, she was often mistaken for being older than she was, but never mistaken for 19. "Thanks, I guess," she giggled. Her face became a quiet red and she glanced down, to hide her discomfiture.
Without warning, the men in front halted and Bayley, who had been looking down did not notice. She walked straight into Reno and upon realizing this; she leapt back, lost her balance and fell onto her butt. Immediately, her face returned to the deep red colour of moments beforehand and she muttered a quiet apology.
"Learn how to walk, kid," Reno chastised angrily, turning around to face the fallen girl. Upon noticing her embarrassment and upset face, he rolled his eyes and held out his hand. Bemused, she cocked her head, wondering what he wanted. "Are you stupid?" He asked loudly and grabbed her hand. She let out a small squeak and allowed him to help her up.
The blushing girl averted her gaze downwards and again mumbled a small apology. "S-sorry Mr. Reno.sir."
Reno merely shrugged, turned around and continued walking. Elena and Kiera patted their friend's back comfortingly while Rude continued on with the other man.
"Are you okay?" Kiera asked while fixing Bayley's hair gently; it had become rather disheveled in the accident. Bayley nodded slowly and attempted to flush the redness and heat from her face. "It's alright, sweetie," she continued softly, "stuff like this happens to everyone."
Elena nodded and mustered a smile. "Don't worry, okay? We're gonna have a good night; don't let Reno's asshole attitude bother you okay?"
"Thanks again guys.I-I just don't know what's coming over me. I can't figure out why I'm being so painfully shy!" Bayley exclaimed, taking hold of herself. She straightened out her dress and rubbed underneath her eyes, removing the smudged eyeliner.
The older girls smiled and the younger of the two happened to catch a glance of Reno and Rude about half a block away from them already. "Uhm, guys can we save this for later? Those assholes didn't wait for us, so we gotta go catch up."
"Hurry up!" Reno yelled forcefully, waving his arms. "Stupid girls, they're so slow," Reno muttered to Rude, his companion shrugged and leaned against the wall on an item shop.
The girls hurriedly rushed to the men's side. "Sorry," the three muttered within seconds of each other.
"Yah, yah, whatever, let's go eat," Reno retorted and started to walk away. Rude followed quickly, attempting to speak with his friend.
Rude caught up quite easily as his 6'1" form could move faster than his friend's 5'11". He placed a hand upon Reno's shoulder to slow him down. "Why must you be such a jerk all the time?"
"A-ah, what do you mean?" Reno was caught off guard by this question and it showed in the wavering of his voice.
Rude only glared, unseen though, as his eyes were indeed still covered by his sunglasses. "You know perfectly well what I mean. Even I could tell that, that girl was about to cry when you yelled at her."
"That's her problem then, not mine. She's a little crybaby," Reno insisted, not even bothering to look at his companion.
Raising his arm again, the taller man clamped his hand upon the redhead's shoulder, forcing him to stop and turn around. "This is exactly what I mean. You're nothing but a selfish, egotistical little bastard."
"At least I have some social skills. I don't just say, '.' to every fucking thing said to me," Reno snarled angrily; he felt his face beginning to heat up.
Rude merely looked past him, replying with the usual, "." so accustomed to himself.
"Oh don't do this to me Rude, just say something, you got me all pissed off and have nothing to show for it! Gods, you're a fucking asshole," the angry Reno flamed, his wrists shaking.
Although the angry men didn't know at the time, the girls had finally caught up, but had been listening to at least half of the conversation. Angrily, Elena stepped up to them, her hands on her hips and the usual, 'you are so stupid' look on her face.
"How could you two be so insensitive towards each other? For Shiva's sake, you two are supposed to be best friends! Best friends don't call each other names and yell at each other! You two are the most immature jerks I have ever seen, I've never seen you act so desperately, Rude! What is going on? Reno, did you do this? ." Elena screamed, her eyes flaring and her mouth going a mile a minute.
Reno looked at Rude; his face was calm and cool. "Is she still talking?" He asked, somewhat annoyed. His companion nodded; it appeared Elena hadn't even noticed they weren't listening and was just talking to hear her own voice.
"Elena. Shut up," Both Reno and Rude interjected, cutting her rant short. She looked at them, dumbfounded.
Reno shrugged, "You talk too much."
Dejected, Elena glanced up at them once more with near-tearful eyes before turning away and rejoining Bayley and Kiera. "T-they always do this to me! I'm just trying to help." She moaned sadly.
"S'alright, 'El," Kiera gently reassured, "they're men, what do you expect?" The upset woman smiled and uttered a small laugh, sounding more like a hiccup than anything.
"Would you hurry up already?" Reno shouted, agitated. He let out a huff and stood, facing the girls, his arms crossed. "I'm hungry!"
Whispering amongst themselves incoherently, the girls ambled towards Reno and Rude. As they came close, the men started to walk as well, with them.
"How much further is it, Elena?" Bayley asked. She winced, her feet were throbbing and her legs were sore. She was frightened that with the low light of the street lamps, she'd be sure to injure herself in the next few minutes.
Blue orbs glanced up to the oncoming street sign and then focused onto Bayley. "About 5 minutes," Elena answered, her little heels clicking on the pavement of the sidewalk.
"Alrighty!" Bayley exclaimed happily. Her stomach growled somewhat loudly and she winced, but laughed it off with the other girls.
The odd group continued their procession towards their goal with the occasional burst of chatter from the girls. When they arrived at the entrance, Elena looked up and grimaced. She looked skeptically at Reno, her eyebrows raised.
"Honestly, Reno, you actually wanted to come to this dump?" She asked doubtfully. She let out an exasperated sigh and looked at the other girls.
Reno shrugged, jamming his hands into his pockets. "Cheap beer," he announced, giving a small smile.
"What are we ever to do with you? Next time, remind me not to let you do any kind of planning again!" Elena exclaimed, thoroughly peeved. "I refuse to eat here! There's a nice restaurant down the street a bit more, it's at the top of an office building."
Glancing at her hesitantly, the cynical man responded slyly. "Booze?"
"We're not going out to get drunk, Reno . We're going to have a good time okay?" Elena's voice dropped down to nearly a snarl by the end of her sentence. The man in question merely rolled his eyes; a sign of his tentative agreement.
With that minor disagreement, the group set off again, continuing down the street. As they neared the tall office building, they caught sight of the revolving restaurant on the topmost floor. The outside of it was reflecting the starlight, giving it an eerie, yet beautiful, glow.
"Shall we?" Elena invited, smiling happily. Due to the building being across the street, she looked both ways and started to, followed by her companions, Reno, Bayley, Kiera and then Rude taking up the behind.
They arrived at the double, glass, sliding doors and peered inside, attempting to figure out how to open them. Reno, however, was not amongst them; he was busy looking for the opening mechanism. He found the button, pushed it and the doors slid open in an instant.
"Thanks, Reno," they each muttered as they stepped one by one into the all-glass building before them. The group proceeded down the stairs to the high-speed elevator, which would bring them to the restaurant. Bayley who had arrived first, pressed the button and nearly immediately, the doors opened and a chime resonated. They filed inside and pressed the button marked, 'Restaurant."
Instantly, the elevator began to climb upwards, slowly gaining speed. After they cleared the lobby, the whole of Midgar was laid out before them as they looked through the glass walls.
"Whoa," Bayley gasped, stepping backwards into Kiera. "This is cool, but kinda scary at the same time!"
Kiera nodded and smiled, patting her younger friend's shoulder reassuringly. "Yea, Midgar's beautiful at night!" She gushed, her face lit up with joy. "I'm excited."
"I'm hungry," Reno stated impatiently. "What's taking so long?"
Elena glanced at him, a bothered look upon her face. "What are you talking about? This elevator is at least 2 times the speed of any other in Midgar, save for the new ShinRa HQ."
"That's nice," he replied, and before anyone could retort his comment, the elevator slid to a stop and the doors opened. "Finally."
Rolling her eyes, Elena stepped off the elevator, followed by the girls, then the remainder of the group. A smartly dressed maître d' approached them, asking them how many were to be seated.
"5, please," was the response, courtesy of Elena. The maître d' nodded and escorted them to a table beside the window. Indeed, as Kiera had stated beforehand, Midgar was very beautiful by night. Lights of all sizes and colour dappled the city and beyond. The Aeris River, formed by the destruction of the archaic Midgar and named by Reeve after the last Cetra, mirrored the sky, shimmering with the star and moonlight.
They sat; Kiera, Bayley and Elena on one side, Reno and Rude sat facing Bayley and Kiera on the other. Three red candles adorned the white clad table, floating in water. It almost gave a romantic feel, despite the 3:2 of women to men. All three of them looked absolutely ravishing in the candlelight, even the men, as well, looked good.
"Would you like anything to drink?" A female waiter asked in a pleasant voice as she arrived at their table. Her dark hair was pulled into a messy bun of wavy hair with a few small strands dangling in front.
The group all nodded at once, Reno being the first to speak up. "Sake," he ordered and grabbed hastily at the menu set in front of him.
"What he said," Rude requested passively, also picking up his menu.
Elena furrowed her brow, not being able to decide what to order. "Um, I'll just have a water for now please," she decided; it would be better to wait and think it over first.
"Um, oh I don't know. Is sake good? I'll take a sake!" Kiera announced, grinning happily. I hope this stuff is good.never had it before.
Bayley sighed; she'd never been to a fancy restaurant before. The closest she'd been to was a small café near her old home in Costa del Sol. Therefore; her knowledge on food, and even drinks, was limited. "I really don't know." she muttered, looking to each of her companions respectively.
"Get her.a shot of tequila, Cactuar, please," Reno interrupted swiftly. He hadn't taken into account the young girl's age, most likely because he was not informed of it. The girl in question let out a small gasp and shook her head, a worried look upon her face.
The waitress cocked her head, "well what is she having, then?"
"Just get her sake please," Elena spoke icily as she glared daggers at Reno. Her small fists were clenching and unclenching, nails nearly breaking the skin. She would, had she been sitting closer to him, have slapped Reno quite squarely across his face. Evidently seeing the look in her face, Rude took care of her wishes for her: he smacked Reno roughly on his red haired head.
Wincing, Reno glared upwards at his friend. "Yeesh, what was that for? I didn't do anything this time!" He very nearly shouted.
Elena continued her glare until it was interrupted by the waitress' return. She had placed a glass of cold water in front of the angry woman and proceeded to hand out the remaining glasses of sake. "T-thanks," she muttered, surprised.
"Would you like to order now?" The waitress asked, ready to grab the pad of paper to write down their selections.
Elena shook her head, no. "I'm not quite ready yet, a few more minutes please?" She requested while the various people around her nodded their heads in unison.
"Alright," the waitress complied as she began to walk away, back towards the kitchen.
Bayley ran a couple fingers through her hair and gazed around. "Hey, I was wondering. What made you guys famous all of a sudden? Last I heard, everyone was still frightened to death of you, or at least, they hated you." She asked again, as Kiera hadn't answered before.
"Well, after Meteor came and started to attack, we helped evacuate the city," Elena started; she realized neither Reno nor Rude would want to explain. "Thankfully there weren't too many casualties and after the destruction of Meteor, we helped Reeve come to office in ShinRa and help in the rebuilding of Midgar. Since there was no more need for Turks, Reeve made us his personal bodyguards, as well as kind of a secret police."
The other two Turks nodded in agreement as she spoke. "Then of course, with my looks, we became really popula-" Reno stopped abruptly when Elena's familiar glower came to her face, her azure eyes seemed to be aflame. "Psh, you're just jealous," he smirked, trying to further her anger.
Kiera and Bayley looked at each other uneasily, hoping he wasn't really as egotistical as he was acting. Rude caught their eyes and gave them a reassuring smile. The girls smiled back and figured that Rude meant Reno was only in one of those moods, where he just had to show off.
"Um, so what do-" Kiera started, trying to think of something to talk about.
Strangely, before the girl could finish, a small rumble seemed to begin. Each just tossed it off as a figment of their imagination until it became larger and more pronounced. Reno's empty glass of sake trembled off the edge of the table, shattering on the ground. Only then, did they realize that something was coming, something big.
"What in Bahamut's name is going on?" Kiera shrieked, quickly grabbing hold of Bayley's arm. "I'm scared," she whimpered softly, trembling.
Reno chanced a glance out the window, and what he saw was not at all what was expected. A giant, dragon-like face was staring in with beady yellow eyes. Deep blue scales coated the being, and it seemed to be standing in the water of the River Aeris.
"Le-Leviathan?" He stammered, falling backwards out of his chair. "What the hell is it doing here!?"
Elena was already backing away from the gargantuan face, pulling Rude and the two girls with her. "Umm, Reno.let's get out of here," she mumbled, terrified, her voice shaking.
"Agreed," Reno readily accepted and hopped back onto his feet. He stumbled towards the rest of the group; hand on his nightstick.
They made their way towards the elevator, the only means of going down to ground level. At the exact moment they reached the doors, the giant brute of a snake decided to attack. A giant stream of water came crashing through the middle of the elevator shaft, from the summon's gaping mouth. The rotating restaurant and top portion of the building came crashing down into the river. Thankfully it had traveled such a far distance from the impact of the attack that it had not fallen onto the inhabited city.
Trapped. The airtight windows of the restaurant were in no way going to let the patrons free. Thankfully, water had not seeped in yet, or the electrical fuses in the shaft would have fried everyone. But how to get out? They all wondered in turn, and before long, Elena had an idea.
"Reno, you still have that Bahamut summon materia?" She asked strongly, convinced her idea would prove useful.
The man in question pulled out his nightstick and examined the small gems placed in the slots of the handle. "Y.yes, I do. What for?" He asked, confused.
"Give it to me," she commanded. Not having any reason not to, he handed it to her and she promptly held it in front of her. "Bahamut, come help us escape this mess!" She yelled loudly, invoking the magical attributes of the materia.
Merely moments after the woman summoned the King of Dragons, he appeared outside the glass of the building. He peered inside questioningly, confused as to what he was ordered to do.
"Get us out of here you big, dumb dragon!" She shrieked, jumping up and down. Upon realizing that she had indeed just insulted the most powerful god, she promptly apologized.
The colossal being only rolled his eyes and slashed open the glass. Water poured in strongly, soon filling the entire thing. He placed his tail inside, motioning for everyone to grab hold. Grasping his scales, the entire of the restaurant's customers and staff became immune to the electricity swimming throughout the water. The dragon's scales proved impervious to the elements, thus creating a stronger aura of defense for the giant god.
He flapped his large, bat-like and yet scaled, wings, and swam remarkably fast to the surface of the water so as to not drown his baggage. He swung his tail up, out of the water, allowing the people to breath. Once out, they climbed from his tail to his back, with the Turks and their two companions upon his head.
"To Midgar, please, Bahamut," Elena instructed loudly. "We must let these poor people go back to their homes. Us, however, it was no doubt that something summoned Leviathan for us."
The dragon merely complied and swam his way back to the shores to the river. He beached himself and allowed the wet, disgruntled and generally frightened people off. They all wandered off, some quickly, some slowly, but the dragon didn't stay long. He began to walk upon the bottom of the lake, as it was still rather shallow.
"What are we to do?" Kiera asked, shivering and dripping with water. "Do you actually think someone sent that beast to attack us ? Or rather, you guys?"
Bayley moved closer to her friend, also shivering. She huddled up against her, trying to stay warm. "I.I'm scared."
"II think so, I mean, the big ugly brute looked right into our window and I could swear, its beady eyes looked like they were laughing at me, especially when I fell backwards," Reno contributed, sneering at the fact that he, the 'Great Reno,' had been clumsy and had fallen.
Rude stayed silent throughout the conversation, taking account of everything that was being said. "It is cold," he stated suddenly.
" You're cold! Look at us!" Elena yelled, angrily, but she stopped herself. "I mean, look at the way the girls are dressed."
Rude rolled his eyes, unseen, and replied, "I was concerned for you three, not myself."
"Oh." Elena looked downwards, slightly embarrassed. "Sorry."
Bahamut suddenly grunted; they were nearing the opposite shore. "What are we to do now, mistress?" The beast spoke with a fairly gruff voice, almost like a growl or bark.
"Y-you.can talk!?" The 'mistress' squealed after a moment's hesitation, allowing for shock. "A-ah, um."
The dragon laughed quietly to himself, "of course I can, we all can. And by we, I mean your summons, your so-called 'gods.'"
"Oh.my." Elena nearly fainted, still in shock. The other four people weren't much help either; all were still stunned.
Reno was the first to speak up. "Well, the closest town is Kalm, but if whatever was after us, decides to look for us, that's gonna be the first place they'll look," he stated, his usual air of confidence evidently left with the air in the sunken restaurant.
"This is true," Kiera agreed solemnly. She let out another shiver and moved closer to the youngest girl. "Are we going to stay with Bahamut or continue without him?"
Elena shrugged, "I doubt we need him to stay with us, the monsters around here aren't exactly god-like."
The great King lowered his head, allowing the riders to jump off. He bid them farewell before spreading his wings and disappearing into the night sky, beyond the mountain ranges.
"Isn't there a small chocobos ranch a bit farther than Kalm?" Bayley questioned, holding herself tightly.
Running his fingers through his hair, Reno looked on. "Yes, but it would take us all night to reach there, wouldn't it? Why don't we just stay in Kalm tonight and figure out what to do tomorrow morning?"
"What if something's after us? Leviathan wouldn't just randomly destroy a huge building!" Elena fought back, although she too was tired, she didn't want to risk anything.
The redhead scoffed at her fearful tone. "It wouldn't be anything we can't handle; I have my nightstick, Rude's got his fists, and you have your materia and grenades. I'm sure these two girls could hold their own as well."
"I-I'm not so sure about that." Bayley sighed quietly, feeling weak and vulnerable.
Elena took two steps forward and turned around. "Well we better get going anyways. We can figure out where we're going as we walk so we don't waste time."
"Good plan," the brunette cheerily spoke, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Shall we?" She started walking as well, speedily catching up to the blonde.
Following the older girls' example, the other three dashed to catch up, but slowed down upon reaching their gait. Still wet, the group of five was extremely cold and the night winds weren't proving helpful.
"I can't take it anymore! I'm going to drop dead of hypothermia any moment!" Bayley suddenly screamed, her entire body numbing from the cold. Her ankles gave out and she fell forward onto her hands and knees. "These cursed shoes will be the death of me if the freezing air doesn't get to me first!" She wailed, curling up on her side in a fetal position.
A silence occurred; even the winds seemed to die down before it was broken by unchecked laughter from all. Kiera nearly toppled over herself from laughing so hard, practically knocking Elena over in the process. Even Rude emitted a small chuckle at the young girl's helplessness.
"What's so funny.?" She asked, a shifty glare was set upon her face. Of course, she didn't look very menacing while curled up in the grass, but at least she tried.
Shaking her head, still laughing Kiera extended her hand. "You're a strange one, Bayley." She helped her up and ruffled her hair. "You can manage walking to Kalm, it's only about.what?"
"Half an hour's walk," Elena finished for the other woman. "So get up lazy kid, and start walkin'!"
Grumbling, Bayley tore off the painful shoes and started walking barefoot, the sandals in her hands. She was soon followed by the two women and behind them, the men walked.
After much whining, complaining and general grievance, they arrived at the outskirts of the sleepy town of Kalm. It was late, no lights were on anywhere inside of the town. They continued onwards until they reached the inn; the lights were off, as well.
Reno began to open the door, but Elena stopped him. "What! Why knock? No one is in there, we'll just go in and pay him on the way out tomorrow." With that suggestion, she brushed her off and opened the door. He walked inside followed by his companions and found the innkeeper asleep at his desk.
"Let's just leave him the money right here with a note, or something," Elena suggested tiredly.
Reno shrugged, "Do whatever you want I'm going to bed."
"Wait, how many beds are there upstairs?" The blonde asked tentatively. "Some of us may have to share beds."
Again, Reno shrugged and continued up the stairs. The youngest one trudged groggily up the stairs after him. After a moment's thought, Elena decided to pay the next morning and her, Kiera and Rude also made their way up.
As they each arrived at the top floor, the group saw two double beds, meaning that one would have to sleep on the couch or floor. Bayley and Reno had already claimed their separate beds; the former had removed the damp dress and changed into a bathrobe from the linen closet and was fast asleep. The latter's wrinkled shirt and jacket was strewn on the ground lazily.
"I am not sharing a bed with Reno!" Elena growled, her voice was as quiet as possible, but still shrill. Rude merely shrugged and approached the couch, hesitantly sitting down. "Why can't he sleep on the couch?"
Kiera frowned, "Because he got he got here before we did." She rolled her eyes and hurriedly changed into another bathrobe before lying down beside Bayley, her tired eyes aching to close.
"Damnit! That horny bastard might." Elena started before receiving a strange look from Rude.
He smirked, "I doubt you'll have to worry, Elena."
"What's that supposed to mean!?" She shrieked, obviously angered.
Lying down, he took off his black jacket and hung it on the back of a chair. "Shh, they're sleeping," he responded, a grin still played on his lips.
She scowled, hating to lose battles against him. Though it was inevitable; he always found some way to win, either by staying silent, or by topic change. Once his mind was set on finishing the argument, it was over, no matter what the other person said.
"But where am I going to sleep?" She wondered to herself silently. "Surely not the floor.with Reno? Of course not! Umm." She paused, thinking. "Rude." she whispered quietly.
He looked up at her quizzically.
"Can I um." she started, but faltered off when she couldn't think of what to say. He spared her the embarrassment and nodded. He sat up, allowing her ample room to get comfortable.
She settled down, slouched in the far corner, head against the backing of the couch. Rude couldn't help but smile at her delicate form, tenderly breathing with sleep. He leaned back, watching her for a bit longer before falling asleep himself.
~ ~ ~
Will Rude and Elena get it on in the night? Do Reno and Rude have a little secret? Who is out to get our heroes?! Tune in next.chapter.to find out!
Mwahaha, I finally finished this. I had the hugest writer's block for the longest time, I'm sorry! CC me please! :D
"That was weird," Bayley muttered silently to herself before speaking louder to her companion. "Didn't that voice seem familiar, Ki?"
"Mm." Kiera agreed, nodding her head as they walked down the corridor from their hotel room. The sun was setting and the lights in the hallways provided little illumination, although there were little gems embedded in the walls reflecting the low light, making them appear as stars twinkling in the night.
Bayley hesitated, not used to the shoes she was wearing. She knelt down to adjust the straps, wobbled and fell onto her bottom. "Ah!" She exclaimed and her initially shocked face quickly converted to an amused one. "Sorry, I'm just ah- a bit clumsy," she laughed but then proceeded to fiddle with her shoes. I wonder who that person was, do you suppose it wa-
"I wonder who that person was?" Kiera mused out loud as she watched her friend fix her shoes. She glanced down at her own, black boots to check if they were in need of adjustment.
Is there an echo in here? Weird. Bayley straightened up now that she was confident that her sandals were fixed. "Weird, I was just thinking that too."
The women resumed their pace and footsteps reappeared behind them, but this time there seemed to be more of them. Bayley narrowed her expressive brown eyes, still wondering where she had heard the voice before.
"Watch out!" Kiera yelled blatantly, grabbing Bayley's tanned arm before she walked face first into the wall beside the elevator.
Eyes coming into focus, Bayley glanced about herself, realizing what had almost happened. "Whoa, okay," she mumbled reassuringly to herself, as if to prove that she was indeed there.
The door on the elevator whooshed open, revealing the interior. The usual ding sounded and the girls casually stepped inside. The hard metal floor was a massive change from the soft, lush carpet of the rest of the hotel.
"Ah, hey wait for us!" A different, yet familiar, voice called out as the owner and her companion came around the corner. The former was a gorgeous blonde wearing a white, silk mini-dress and white lace-up boots. The latter was a tall, dark skinned man who wore a fancy, however plain, black suit and a pair of sunglasses over his eyes.
Bayley and Kiera suppressed gasps, most certainly looking like chocobos caught in headlights. The older girl snapped into action almost at once and mashed the open button.
"Oh.Bahamut," Bayley moaned uneasily as the two latecomers, Elena and Rude of the Turks, stepped in. Almost instantly the scent of a distinctly sweet and fruity perfume rose to the noses of those already inside. The smell would have been all right in small doses, Bayley assumed, but as is, it was next to nauseating. Her nose immediately scrunched slightly, an unconscious reaction to anything it didn't like.
Looking concerned, Elena put a hand adorned with bright red nail polish to her slender hip. "Whoa, is she alright?"
"Uh.yea. She's just a bit nervous I guess," Kiera spoke calmly, keeping her cool, but she too was nervous. In fact, she could feel the little beads of sweat appearing on her forehead and the perfume wasn't making her feel any better.
Bayley nodded her head respectfully and mumbled a meek, "Hi." She couldn't look up to face the two Turks, so she found herself content to just stare at the floor. She felt her stomach turn as the perfume started to become more and more unbearable.
"I'm Kiera Tangaard, the reporter sharing the evening with you three," Kiera smiled, also bowing her head politely. She plastered a fake smile on her face, attempting to hide her disgust at the perfume.
Bayley brushed a lock of deep purple out of her eyes and looked upwards, a faint pink glow on her cheeks, a reminiscent of her blushing fit. "I'm Bayley. I'm coming with Kiera."
"It's a pleasure. As you must know, I'm Elena and this is Rude," Elena held out her hand and shook each of the girls' respectively. Rude only nodded his head, remaining silent. "He doesn't talk much."
"." The tall man agreed, staying true to Elena's aforementioned statement. He remained stoic as ever, standing apart -or rather as apart as he could be in an elevator- from the three girls, watching them quietly.
The elevator's chime rang out, signaling the arrival at the lobby floor. The odd group made their way out of the elevator when Elena stopped abruptly. "Do you think we should wait for him?"
"I suppose so," Rude replied, his voice still on the quiet side. He stopped walking as well and turned to face the blonde.
Bayley coughed quietly, attempting to draw attention to herself. "If you don't mind me asking, who is he ?"
Elena started to laugh pleasantly, "Reno, of course!"
"Oh." The young girl felt her face redden and heat up. Instantly, she dropped her head and stared at the floor. Oh man, if I'm gonna act like this when he's around. She groaned inwardly, letting out a quiet sigh to the others.
Kiera looked longingly at the waiting couches on the far side of the lobby. Elena caught her line of sight and agreed out loud, "Let's go sit down and wait. Okay?"
Complying with Elena's suggestion, the group meandered over to the midnight blue, lavish couches to await Reno's arrival. Bayley and Kiera took one couch while the two Turks shared the opposing couch. The former sat rather shyly, not accustomed to being in the presence of such celebrities, lest they find her strange or annoying. Casually, the young reporter leaned back brushing her beautiful hair out of her face.
"So, what's taking him so long?" Kiera asked of Reno, wondering where he was; why wasn't she looking at him right now?
Elena rolled her eyes, "I'm no sure why he's being so slow ! All I did was send him back to get changed; he looked so messy!"
The two other girls burst out laughing at this comment, although it was very much anticipated. Elena joined in and reluctantly Rude did as well.
Suddenly, a rather cynical voice appeared above the joyful group. "What are you two retards laughing about?" It asked in an almost annoyed tone of voice.
"A-ah Reno!" Elena exclaimed. "Hi! We were just talking about you!"
That was probably the wrong thing to say. Kiera chuckled to herself, staying silent.
Bayley sat silently, nearly shaking with nervousness, three words kept repeating in her head, oh my Shiva, oh my Shiva.
"Oh were you, really," Reno smirked, "who are these two kids?"
Kiera smiled cheerily, showing off her perfectly white teeth. "Hey! I'm no kid.I'm Kiera Tangaard, the reporter-"
"Yah, yah spending the night with us, I know," Reno cut off the young girl. In quick response, Elena playfully pushed him..
"I'm Bayley.comin' with Kiera," the youngest girl introduced herself, trying to take hold of her shaking. She looked up, a gentle smile played on her lips, it was struggled at first, but completely genuine.
Reno shifted his weight and flicked a stray strand of shocking red hair out of his face. "Well, now that the introductions have been done, can we go eat?"
Elena rolled her eyes and stood up, motioning for the girls to join her. Rude followed her example, stood up and walked to Reno in silence.
"Does he ever talk?" Kiera asked quietly to Elena, an obvious joke- like timbre in her voice. The latter started to attempt to suppress a laugh, but failed.
Breaking her own silence, Bayley also let out a small laugh, she looked up and caught the eyes of Kiera who gave her a strange look. The latter slowed down, reaching Bayley's pace. "What's wrong? Why are you so quiet all of the sudden?" Kiera asked with genuine care.
"Uh. Guess I'm just a bit shy with y'know Reno being around and all," Bayley muttered and Kiera put her arm around her friend's shoulders consolingly.
"Cheer up kiddo, he's nothing you should be scared of," Elena had dropped back and heard their short conversation. Not being able to keep her mouth shut, she had added her two cents.
Bayley smiled at the friendliness of the two girls comforting her. "Thanks guys, I'll try and be more like myself!" She exclaimed, her face lighting up.
"Good!" Both Kiera and Elena exclaimed simultaneously. The three girls noticed their slacking speed and hurried up to catch up with Reno and Rude.
The men hadn't even noticed the girls' disappearance. Reno was too busy grumbling about one thing or another, and Rude was simply ignoring him. The women finally caught up, and Reno asked out loud, "Where are we goin' for dinner anyways?"
"The Choco Jockey Bar and Grill," Elena answered mechanically to which Bayley gave a small laugh and scratched the back of her head. Smiling, Kiera playfully shoved her nearly embarrassed friend.
Bayley calmed herself, put on a straight face and looked up at Elena. "Bar?" She asked while a playful smile danced upon her lips.
"Um, yeah," Elena replied her words rather drawn out. She held a confused look on her face and her head was cocked to the side. Bayley and Kiera both looked at each other and started to laugh. "Wh-what? I think I missed something," The older women declared dejectedly.
Bayley motioned for Elena to lean over a bit and put her mouth right near the older girl's ear. "I'm only 16," she whispered, stifling a chuckle.
"WHAT!?" Elena shrieked, nearly tripping over her own feet. She then lowered her voice to a whisper, "I thought you were at least 19."
The teen smiled, she was often mistaken for being older than she was, but never mistaken for 19. "Thanks, I guess," she giggled. Her face became a quiet red and she glanced down, to hide her discomfiture.
Without warning, the men in front halted and Bayley, who had been looking down did not notice. She walked straight into Reno and upon realizing this; she leapt back, lost her balance and fell onto her butt. Immediately, her face returned to the deep red colour of moments beforehand and she muttered a quiet apology.
"Learn how to walk, kid," Reno chastised angrily, turning around to face the fallen girl. Upon noticing her embarrassment and upset face, he rolled his eyes and held out his hand. Bemused, she cocked her head, wondering what he wanted. "Are you stupid?" He asked loudly and grabbed her hand. She let out a small squeak and allowed him to help her up.
The blushing girl averted her gaze downwards and again mumbled a small apology. "S-sorry Mr. Reno.sir."
Reno merely shrugged, turned around and continued walking. Elena and Kiera patted their friend's back comfortingly while Rude continued on with the other man.
"Are you okay?" Kiera asked while fixing Bayley's hair gently; it had become rather disheveled in the accident. Bayley nodded slowly and attempted to flush the redness and heat from her face. "It's alright, sweetie," she continued softly, "stuff like this happens to everyone."
Elena nodded and mustered a smile. "Don't worry, okay? We're gonna have a good night; don't let Reno's asshole attitude bother you okay?"
"Thanks again guys.I-I just don't know what's coming over me. I can't figure out why I'm being so painfully shy!" Bayley exclaimed, taking hold of herself. She straightened out her dress and rubbed underneath her eyes, removing the smudged eyeliner.
The older girls smiled and the younger of the two happened to catch a glance of Reno and Rude about half a block away from them already. "Uhm, guys can we save this for later? Those assholes didn't wait for us, so we gotta go catch up."
"Hurry up!" Reno yelled forcefully, waving his arms. "Stupid girls, they're so slow," Reno muttered to Rude, his companion shrugged and leaned against the wall on an item shop.
The girls hurriedly rushed to the men's side. "Sorry," the three muttered within seconds of each other.
"Yah, yah, whatever, let's go eat," Reno retorted and started to walk away. Rude followed quickly, attempting to speak with his friend.
Rude caught up quite easily as his 6'1" form could move faster than his friend's 5'11". He placed a hand upon Reno's shoulder to slow him down. "Why must you be such a jerk all the time?"
"A-ah, what do you mean?" Reno was caught off guard by this question and it showed in the wavering of his voice.
Rude only glared, unseen though, as his eyes were indeed still covered by his sunglasses. "You know perfectly well what I mean. Even I could tell that, that girl was about to cry when you yelled at her."
"That's her problem then, not mine. She's a little crybaby," Reno insisted, not even bothering to look at his companion.
Raising his arm again, the taller man clamped his hand upon the redhead's shoulder, forcing him to stop and turn around. "This is exactly what I mean. You're nothing but a selfish, egotistical little bastard."
"At least I have some social skills. I don't just say, '.' to every fucking thing said to me," Reno snarled angrily; he felt his face beginning to heat up.
Rude merely looked past him, replying with the usual, "." so accustomed to himself.
"Oh don't do this to me Rude, just say something, you got me all pissed off and have nothing to show for it! Gods, you're a fucking asshole," the angry Reno flamed, his wrists shaking.
Although the angry men didn't know at the time, the girls had finally caught up, but had been listening to at least half of the conversation. Angrily, Elena stepped up to them, her hands on her hips and the usual, 'you are so stupid' look on her face.
"How could you two be so insensitive towards each other? For Shiva's sake, you two are supposed to be best friends! Best friends don't call each other names and yell at each other! You two are the most immature jerks I have ever seen, I've never seen you act so desperately, Rude! What is going on? Reno, did you do this? ." Elena screamed, her eyes flaring and her mouth going a mile a minute.
Reno looked at Rude; his face was calm and cool. "Is she still talking?" He asked, somewhat annoyed. His companion nodded; it appeared Elena hadn't even noticed they weren't listening and was just talking to hear her own voice.
"Elena. Shut up," Both Reno and Rude interjected, cutting her rant short. She looked at them, dumbfounded.
Reno shrugged, "You talk too much."
Dejected, Elena glanced up at them once more with near-tearful eyes before turning away and rejoining Bayley and Kiera. "T-they always do this to me! I'm just trying to help." She moaned sadly.
"S'alright, 'El," Kiera gently reassured, "they're men, what do you expect?" The upset woman smiled and uttered a small laugh, sounding more like a hiccup than anything.
"Would you hurry up already?" Reno shouted, agitated. He let out a huff and stood, facing the girls, his arms crossed. "I'm hungry!"
Whispering amongst themselves incoherently, the girls ambled towards Reno and Rude. As they came close, the men started to walk as well, with them.
"How much further is it, Elena?" Bayley asked. She winced, her feet were throbbing and her legs were sore. She was frightened that with the low light of the street lamps, she'd be sure to injure herself in the next few minutes.
Blue orbs glanced up to the oncoming street sign and then focused onto Bayley. "About 5 minutes," Elena answered, her little heels clicking on the pavement of the sidewalk.
"Alrighty!" Bayley exclaimed happily. Her stomach growled somewhat loudly and she winced, but laughed it off with the other girls.
The odd group continued their procession towards their goal with the occasional burst of chatter from the girls. When they arrived at the entrance, Elena looked up and grimaced. She looked skeptically at Reno, her eyebrows raised.
"Honestly, Reno, you actually wanted to come to this dump?" She asked doubtfully. She let out an exasperated sigh and looked at the other girls.
Reno shrugged, jamming his hands into his pockets. "Cheap beer," he announced, giving a small smile.
"What are we ever to do with you? Next time, remind me not to let you do any kind of planning again!" Elena exclaimed, thoroughly peeved. "I refuse to eat here! There's a nice restaurant down the street a bit more, it's at the top of an office building."
Glancing at her hesitantly, the cynical man responded slyly. "Booze?"
"We're not going out to get drunk, Reno . We're going to have a good time okay?" Elena's voice dropped down to nearly a snarl by the end of her sentence. The man in question merely rolled his eyes; a sign of his tentative agreement.
With that minor disagreement, the group set off again, continuing down the street. As they neared the tall office building, they caught sight of the revolving restaurant on the topmost floor. The outside of it was reflecting the starlight, giving it an eerie, yet beautiful, glow.
"Shall we?" Elena invited, smiling happily. Due to the building being across the street, she looked both ways and started to, followed by her companions, Reno, Bayley, Kiera and then Rude taking up the behind.
They arrived at the double, glass, sliding doors and peered inside, attempting to figure out how to open them. Reno, however, was not amongst them; he was busy looking for the opening mechanism. He found the button, pushed it and the doors slid open in an instant.
"Thanks, Reno," they each muttered as they stepped one by one into the all-glass building before them. The group proceeded down the stairs to the high-speed elevator, which would bring them to the restaurant. Bayley who had arrived first, pressed the button and nearly immediately, the doors opened and a chime resonated. They filed inside and pressed the button marked, 'Restaurant."
Instantly, the elevator began to climb upwards, slowly gaining speed. After they cleared the lobby, the whole of Midgar was laid out before them as they looked through the glass walls.
"Whoa," Bayley gasped, stepping backwards into Kiera. "This is cool, but kinda scary at the same time!"
Kiera nodded and smiled, patting her younger friend's shoulder reassuringly. "Yea, Midgar's beautiful at night!" She gushed, her face lit up with joy. "I'm excited."
"I'm hungry," Reno stated impatiently. "What's taking so long?"
Elena glanced at him, a bothered look upon her face. "What are you talking about? This elevator is at least 2 times the speed of any other in Midgar, save for the new ShinRa HQ."
"That's nice," he replied, and before anyone could retort his comment, the elevator slid to a stop and the doors opened. "Finally."
Rolling her eyes, Elena stepped off the elevator, followed by the girls, then the remainder of the group. A smartly dressed maître d' approached them, asking them how many were to be seated.
"5, please," was the response, courtesy of Elena. The maître d' nodded and escorted them to a table beside the window. Indeed, as Kiera had stated beforehand, Midgar was very beautiful by night. Lights of all sizes and colour dappled the city and beyond. The Aeris River, formed by the destruction of the archaic Midgar and named by Reeve after the last Cetra, mirrored the sky, shimmering with the star and moonlight.
They sat; Kiera, Bayley and Elena on one side, Reno and Rude sat facing Bayley and Kiera on the other. Three red candles adorned the white clad table, floating in water. It almost gave a romantic feel, despite the 3:2 of women to men. All three of them looked absolutely ravishing in the candlelight, even the men, as well, looked good.
"Would you like anything to drink?" A female waiter asked in a pleasant voice as she arrived at their table. Her dark hair was pulled into a messy bun of wavy hair with a few small strands dangling in front.
The group all nodded at once, Reno being the first to speak up. "Sake," he ordered and grabbed hastily at the menu set in front of him.
"What he said," Rude requested passively, also picking up his menu.
Elena furrowed her brow, not being able to decide what to order. "Um, I'll just have a water for now please," she decided; it would be better to wait and think it over first.
"Um, oh I don't know. Is sake good? I'll take a sake!" Kiera announced, grinning happily. I hope this stuff is good.never had it before.
Bayley sighed; she'd never been to a fancy restaurant before. The closest she'd been to was a small café near her old home in Costa del Sol. Therefore; her knowledge on food, and even drinks, was limited. "I really don't know." she muttered, looking to each of her companions respectively.
"Get her.a shot of tequila, Cactuar, please," Reno interrupted swiftly. He hadn't taken into account the young girl's age, most likely because he was not informed of it. The girl in question let out a small gasp and shook her head, a worried look upon her face.
The waitress cocked her head, "well what is she having, then?"
"Just get her sake please," Elena spoke icily as she glared daggers at Reno. Her small fists were clenching and unclenching, nails nearly breaking the skin. She would, had she been sitting closer to him, have slapped Reno quite squarely across his face. Evidently seeing the look in her face, Rude took care of her wishes for her: he smacked Reno roughly on his red haired head.
Wincing, Reno glared upwards at his friend. "Yeesh, what was that for? I didn't do anything this time!" He very nearly shouted.
Elena continued her glare until it was interrupted by the waitress' return. She had placed a glass of cold water in front of the angry woman and proceeded to hand out the remaining glasses of sake. "T-thanks," she muttered, surprised.
"Would you like to order now?" The waitress asked, ready to grab the pad of paper to write down their selections.
Elena shook her head, no. "I'm not quite ready yet, a few more minutes please?" She requested while the various people around her nodded their heads in unison.
"Alright," the waitress complied as she began to walk away, back towards the kitchen.
Bayley ran a couple fingers through her hair and gazed around. "Hey, I was wondering. What made you guys famous all of a sudden? Last I heard, everyone was still frightened to death of you, or at least, they hated you." She asked again, as Kiera hadn't answered before.
"Well, after Meteor came and started to attack, we helped evacuate the city," Elena started; she realized neither Reno nor Rude would want to explain. "Thankfully there weren't too many casualties and after the destruction of Meteor, we helped Reeve come to office in ShinRa and help in the rebuilding of Midgar. Since there was no more need for Turks, Reeve made us his personal bodyguards, as well as kind of a secret police."
The other two Turks nodded in agreement as she spoke. "Then of course, with my looks, we became really popula-" Reno stopped abruptly when Elena's familiar glower came to her face, her azure eyes seemed to be aflame. "Psh, you're just jealous," he smirked, trying to further her anger.
Kiera and Bayley looked at each other uneasily, hoping he wasn't really as egotistical as he was acting. Rude caught their eyes and gave them a reassuring smile. The girls smiled back and figured that Rude meant Reno was only in one of those moods, where he just had to show off.
"Um, so what do-" Kiera started, trying to think of something to talk about.
Strangely, before the girl could finish, a small rumble seemed to begin. Each just tossed it off as a figment of their imagination until it became larger and more pronounced. Reno's empty glass of sake trembled off the edge of the table, shattering on the ground. Only then, did they realize that something was coming, something big.
"What in Bahamut's name is going on?" Kiera shrieked, quickly grabbing hold of Bayley's arm. "I'm scared," she whimpered softly, trembling.
Reno chanced a glance out the window, and what he saw was not at all what was expected. A giant, dragon-like face was staring in with beady yellow eyes. Deep blue scales coated the being, and it seemed to be standing in the water of the River Aeris.
"Le-Leviathan?" He stammered, falling backwards out of his chair. "What the hell is it doing here!?"
Elena was already backing away from the gargantuan face, pulling Rude and the two girls with her. "Umm, Reno.let's get out of here," she mumbled, terrified, her voice shaking.
"Agreed," Reno readily accepted and hopped back onto his feet. He stumbled towards the rest of the group; hand on his nightstick.
They made their way towards the elevator, the only means of going down to ground level. At the exact moment they reached the doors, the giant brute of a snake decided to attack. A giant stream of water came crashing through the middle of the elevator shaft, from the summon's gaping mouth. The rotating restaurant and top portion of the building came crashing down into the river. Thankfully it had traveled such a far distance from the impact of the attack that it had not fallen onto the inhabited city.
Trapped. The airtight windows of the restaurant were in no way going to let the patrons free. Thankfully, water had not seeped in yet, or the electrical fuses in the shaft would have fried everyone. But how to get out? They all wondered in turn, and before long, Elena had an idea.
"Reno, you still have that Bahamut summon materia?" She asked strongly, convinced her idea would prove useful.
The man in question pulled out his nightstick and examined the small gems placed in the slots of the handle. "Y.yes, I do. What for?" He asked, confused.
"Give it to me," she commanded. Not having any reason not to, he handed it to her and she promptly held it in front of her. "Bahamut, come help us escape this mess!" She yelled loudly, invoking the magical attributes of the materia.
Merely moments after the woman summoned the King of Dragons, he appeared outside the glass of the building. He peered inside questioningly, confused as to what he was ordered to do.
"Get us out of here you big, dumb dragon!" She shrieked, jumping up and down. Upon realizing that she had indeed just insulted the most powerful god, she promptly apologized.
The colossal being only rolled his eyes and slashed open the glass. Water poured in strongly, soon filling the entire thing. He placed his tail inside, motioning for everyone to grab hold. Grasping his scales, the entire of the restaurant's customers and staff became immune to the electricity swimming throughout the water. The dragon's scales proved impervious to the elements, thus creating a stronger aura of defense for the giant god.
He flapped his large, bat-like and yet scaled, wings, and swam remarkably fast to the surface of the water so as to not drown his baggage. He swung his tail up, out of the water, allowing the people to breath. Once out, they climbed from his tail to his back, with the Turks and their two companions upon his head.
"To Midgar, please, Bahamut," Elena instructed loudly. "We must let these poor people go back to their homes. Us, however, it was no doubt that something summoned Leviathan for us."
The dragon merely complied and swam his way back to the shores to the river. He beached himself and allowed the wet, disgruntled and generally frightened people off. They all wandered off, some quickly, some slowly, but the dragon didn't stay long. He began to walk upon the bottom of the lake, as it was still rather shallow.
"What are we to do?" Kiera asked, shivering and dripping with water. "Do you actually think someone sent that beast to attack us ? Or rather, you guys?"
Bayley moved closer to her friend, also shivering. She huddled up against her, trying to stay warm. "I.I'm scared."
"II think so, I mean, the big ugly brute looked right into our window and I could swear, its beady eyes looked like they were laughing at me, especially when I fell backwards," Reno contributed, sneering at the fact that he, the 'Great Reno,' had been clumsy and had fallen.
Rude stayed silent throughout the conversation, taking account of everything that was being said. "It is cold," he stated suddenly.
" You're cold! Look at us!" Elena yelled, angrily, but she stopped herself. "I mean, look at the way the girls are dressed."
Rude rolled his eyes, unseen, and replied, "I was concerned for you three, not myself."
"Oh." Elena looked downwards, slightly embarrassed. "Sorry."
Bahamut suddenly grunted; they were nearing the opposite shore. "What are we to do now, mistress?" The beast spoke with a fairly gruff voice, almost like a growl or bark.
"Y-you.can talk!?" The 'mistress' squealed after a moment's hesitation, allowing for shock. "A-ah, um."
The dragon laughed quietly to himself, "of course I can, we all can. And by we, I mean your summons, your so-called 'gods.'"
"Oh.my." Elena nearly fainted, still in shock. The other four people weren't much help either; all were still stunned.
Reno was the first to speak up. "Well, the closest town is Kalm, but if whatever was after us, decides to look for us, that's gonna be the first place they'll look," he stated, his usual air of confidence evidently left with the air in the sunken restaurant.
"This is true," Kiera agreed solemnly. She let out another shiver and moved closer to the youngest girl. "Are we going to stay with Bahamut or continue without him?"
Elena shrugged, "I doubt we need him to stay with us, the monsters around here aren't exactly god-like."
The great King lowered his head, allowing the riders to jump off. He bid them farewell before spreading his wings and disappearing into the night sky, beyond the mountain ranges.
"Isn't there a small chocobos ranch a bit farther than Kalm?" Bayley questioned, holding herself tightly.
Running his fingers through his hair, Reno looked on. "Yes, but it would take us all night to reach there, wouldn't it? Why don't we just stay in Kalm tonight and figure out what to do tomorrow morning?"
"What if something's after us? Leviathan wouldn't just randomly destroy a huge building!" Elena fought back, although she too was tired, she didn't want to risk anything.
The redhead scoffed at her fearful tone. "It wouldn't be anything we can't handle; I have my nightstick, Rude's got his fists, and you have your materia and grenades. I'm sure these two girls could hold their own as well."
"I-I'm not so sure about that." Bayley sighed quietly, feeling weak and vulnerable.
Elena took two steps forward and turned around. "Well we better get going anyways. We can figure out where we're going as we walk so we don't waste time."
"Good plan," the brunette cheerily spoke, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Shall we?" She started walking as well, speedily catching up to the blonde.
Following the older girls' example, the other three dashed to catch up, but slowed down upon reaching their gait. Still wet, the group of five was extremely cold and the night winds weren't proving helpful.
"I can't take it anymore! I'm going to drop dead of hypothermia any moment!" Bayley suddenly screamed, her entire body numbing from the cold. Her ankles gave out and she fell forward onto her hands and knees. "These cursed shoes will be the death of me if the freezing air doesn't get to me first!" She wailed, curling up on her side in a fetal position.
A silence occurred; even the winds seemed to die down before it was broken by unchecked laughter from all. Kiera nearly toppled over herself from laughing so hard, practically knocking Elena over in the process. Even Rude emitted a small chuckle at the young girl's helplessness.
"What's so funny.?" She asked, a shifty glare was set upon her face. Of course, she didn't look very menacing while curled up in the grass, but at least she tried.
Shaking her head, still laughing Kiera extended her hand. "You're a strange one, Bayley." She helped her up and ruffled her hair. "You can manage walking to Kalm, it's only about.what?"
"Half an hour's walk," Elena finished for the other woman. "So get up lazy kid, and start walkin'!"
Grumbling, Bayley tore off the painful shoes and started walking barefoot, the sandals in her hands. She was soon followed by the two women and behind them, the men walked.
After much whining, complaining and general grievance, they arrived at the outskirts of the sleepy town of Kalm. It was late, no lights were on anywhere inside of the town. They continued onwards until they reached the inn; the lights were off, as well.
Reno began to open the door, but Elena stopped him. "What! Why knock? No one is in there, we'll just go in and pay him on the way out tomorrow." With that suggestion, she brushed her off and opened the door. He walked inside followed by his companions and found the innkeeper asleep at his desk.
"Let's just leave him the money right here with a note, or something," Elena suggested tiredly.
Reno shrugged, "Do whatever you want I'm going to bed."
"Wait, how many beds are there upstairs?" The blonde asked tentatively. "Some of us may have to share beds."
Again, Reno shrugged and continued up the stairs. The youngest one trudged groggily up the stairs after him. After a moment's thought, Elena decided to pay the next morning and her, Kiera and Rude also made their way up.
As they each arrived at the top floor, the group saw two double beds, meaning that one would have to sleep on the couch or floor. Bayley and Reno had already claimed their separate beds; the former had removed the damp dress and changed into a bathrobe from the linen closet and was fast asleep. The latter's wrinkled shirt and jacket was strewn on the ground lazily.
"I am not sharing a bed with Reno!" Elena growled, her voice was as quiet as possible, but still shrill. Rude merely shrugged and approached the couch, hesitantly sitting down. "Why can't he sleep on the couch?"
Kiera frowned, "Because he got he got here before we did." She rolled her eyes and hurriedly changed into another bathrobe before lying down beside Bayley, her tired eyes aching to close.
"Damnit! That horny bastard might." Elena started before receiving a strange look from Rude.
He smirked, "I doubt you'll have to worry, Elena."
"What's that supposed to mean!?" She shrieked, obviously angered.
Lying down, he took off his black jacket and hung it on the back of a chair. "Shh, they're sleeping," he responded, a grin still played on his lips.
She scowled, hating to lose battles against him. Though it was inevitable; he always found some way to win, either by staying silent, or by topic change. Once his mind was set on finishing the argument, it was over, no matter what the other person said.
"But where am I going to sleep?" She wondered to herself silently. "Surely not the floor.with Reno? Of course not! Umm." She paused, thinking. "Rude." she whispered quietly.
He looked up at her quizzically.
"Can I um." she started, but faltered off when she couldn't think of what to say. He spared her the embarrassment and nodded. He sat up, allowing her ample room to get comfortable.
She settled down, slouched in the far corner, head against the backing of the couch. Rude couldn't help but smile at her delicate form, tenderly breathing with sleep. He leaned back, watching her for a bit longer before falling asleep himself.
~ ~ ~
Will Rude and Elena get it on in the night? Do Reno and Rude have a little secret? Who is out to get our heroes?! Tune in next.chapter.to find out!
Mwahaha, I finally finished this. I had the hugest writer's block for the longest time, I'm sorry! CC me please! :D