Chapter 7
He wasn't quite sure what it was that woke him up first. The sound of someone pounding on his door could quite possibly have done it, although the damnable phone was another good suspect. From where he was on the couch, Reno groaned and rolled over to try to hide from the world just another few minutes, though hours would be preferable. The throbbing in his head was starting to take on the same rhythm as the horrible sadist at the door, however, so with some muffled swearing, Reno forced himself up.
He noticed, thanks to an insistent pain at the back of his head, that sunlight was once again attempting to come in through his curtains. Interesting. Either he'd slept only a few hours, or he'd been out for nearly 24. Judging by the fact that he could walk without too much trouble, he was willing to bet it was the latter.
Angrily, he made his way to the door before quickly unlatching it and turning the lock. He pushed it open a little warily, and was rewarded with a beam of warm golden sunlight. Hoping like hell his eyes weren't really burning the way they felt they were, Reno peered around the door at whoever had gotten him up. Whoever it was should probably be fearing for their lives around this point, he was certain.
A girl looked up at him defiantly from his doorstep. Ignoring the warning signs of imminent soberness from his brain, he tried to focus on her. He realized vaguely that she lived about two blocks down. He'd known her older sister pretty well until she was arrested during a prostitution bust and thrown in jail for contracting out minors. The kid glaring at him now was quite a bit younger, maybe fourteen or so.
She had a bright yellow dress on that looked like something out of a slightly demented children's coloring book, and her sandy brown hair was drawn up into two matching ponytails. However, she also wore heavy black makeup that outlined her eyes and lips, and she looked distinctly unimpressed. Reno shook his head in an attempt to clear it a little.
"What the hell do you want?"
The girl continued to glare at him, before holding up a blue and yellow manically happy box that he'd failed to notice.
"Buy cookies. 'M raising money for my fucking youth group. Buy cookies."
Reno shook his head again, not quite believing his luck.
"I don't want any co-"
"I said BUY COOKIES!"
Reno finally registered that if he didn't get inside soon, it was entirely possible that he'd simply turn to dust. The girl, who was almost a foot shorter than him, didn't break her stare for a moment. Reno knew when it was easier to just give in.
"Fine. Fuck. Here's some money. Just give me the damn cookies already."
The girl took the proffered gil before counting it carefully. Pocketing all of the change as well, she handed him the box with an incredibly false, bright smile. Reno took them with an evil glare of his own before a thought occurred to him.
"Hey, kid…" She looked up, the look of solemn hatred back. "What time is it, anyway?"
She took a second to consult her watch before a smile crept up on her black and white face again. This one was, if possible, even less pleasant.
"Why, mister, it's almost eight o'clock."
Reno tried to restrain the immediate urge to kill, or at least cause severe harm.
"I hate you so much," were his last words before he slammed the door shut. He didn't see the girl smile brightly again before skipping down the steps toward some other unsuspecting neighbour's house.
Inside, Reno welcomed the return of the darkness. Even with the damnable sheer curtains it was still a drastic improvement. He sighed, and tossed the cookies onto a nearby table before heading for the nearest sink. He needed a drink like hell, and he'd discovered early on that the best way to regain mostly-consciousness was some cold water and not more alcohol. As a devoted drinker, Reno had a fair alcohol tolerance, and he could shake off even the worst hangover with a little time and quiet. Unfortunately, this morning the world seemed determined to give him neither.
In the bathroom he poured himself a glass of water and drank it quickly. The papery feeling that was his throat didn't disappear, but it subsided a little. Turning on the water as cold as possible, he cupped his hands underneath and splashed water all over his face. The icy water seemed to bring him back to life a little.
Returning to the main room, he felt a little better, and slouched back onto the couch and closed his eyes. That helped too, and he just let himself sit in the dark. Remembering something though, he opened his eyes again and grabbed the box of cookies off the table. Breaking the seal easily, he opened the box and pulled out a cookie. Chocolate, huh? He ate it with some small measure of satisfaction, deciding that for a box of ten gil cookies, he'd better enjoy them.
The first ring of the phone caught him off guard. He'd forgotten that it had been ringing before as well. People didn't call him at his place often; for jobs he had a secure line that was looked after by a friend and occasional partner at one of the local dives. Speaking of, until this was over it'd be a good idea to drop by and let it be known that he wasn't going to be available for a while. Anyway, the phone was making his headache come back. He picked up the receiver hurriedly.
"Hello?"
"He's regained consciousness. You should get here."
Reno blinked.
"What? Valentine?"
Yes, although the voice was distorted by the line, it was undoubtedly Vincent Valentine. And that must mean that the boy was awake. Reno sat a little straighter.
"He's awake now? Then I hope you don't mind if I don't waste any time in swinging by."
"No. I advise you hurry."
The sound of a decisive click from the other end followed by an irritating beeping told Reno that the conversation was over. Apparently Valentine was being his usual communicative self. Well, it didn't really matter. What did matter was the fact that the kid was awake, and that he might have answers. That changed his morning a little.
Standing up quickly, he ignored the protest his head made and moved quickly towards the room he generally called bedroom to change and get ready. His jacket needed some generous repair work, as well as the rest of what he'd been wearing though he cared far less about those. He owned some other pants and some other shirts. He'd have to do without the jacket today though, and that bothered him a little.
True, he was in a hurry, and he wanted to get to Valentine's as fast as possible, but he had a little time to spare. It was always better to make the waiting party worry a little; it gave him some extra time to think. Besides, it was going to take a while to get the damned shirt off anyway, with his arm the way it was. Besides, that was Valentine's fault anyway, so there was no way he could be held responsible for being late because of it. He smiled a little, and felt somewhat better.
He was showered, dressed, and out the door by a quarter to nine, moving down the steps and out of the complex as fast as he could without betraying his injury or his still-present headache. It was a Turk's job to make sure that even the closest watcher never knows that you're in anything but top, killer form. To betray a weakness was tantamount to suicide, so even now he never let his guard slip.
Everything was sunny around him, and the illegitimate minerals in the concrete sidewalks glittered under the dazzling sunlight. There were several ways he could take to reach Valentine's, though his feet seemed to prefer to take his usual route. At least if he took that way, it would keep him out of the open quite so much. He was currently living in the area being called Sector 4, although officially its name was East Makai. It had amused Reno to no end to discover how the population had reverted to calling the place by its old names. He would dearly love to be the one to tell the new Jiyuu president up in Mikomi, Sector 1, all about it.
Valentine lived in Sector 6 – Anei urban district – but that presented few challenges to one who knew all the darker shortcuts. His usual haunts lay that way anyway, so it mattered little to him. Where anyone else would fear going through the dark ways, to Reno it was just common business.
He took the first left he came to, feeling contradictorily better as the shadows closed around him. He knew all these roads very well, and he could trace the back alleys of the city probably as well if not better than the architect who had laid them out. This way, if you took it far enough south, led towards the center of the city which divided the four quarters and the eight 'districts'. After that, it was possible to double back east and head down to Sector 6 while bypassing almost all of the fifth. The east quarter was the biggest of the four, encompassing Sectors 4, 5 and 6 while the west quarter was only made up of Sector 1.
Reno walked softly, feeling at home here in the obscure almost-tunnels. His EMR was concealed in a trick pocket, just in case, and he had a pocket knife near to hand as well. He didn't expect trouble, but that was hardly a factor in the overall equation. There was hardly an equation at all.
The road wound past several doors that Reno easily identified, noting two in particular with a smile of familiarity. It was highly unlikely that anyone would be about these parts at this time of the morning, but Reno did not mind in the slightest. The quiet of these streets during the day was one of the things he loved best, and this was not the first time he'd walked this way during daylight hours. Other narrow streets, equally unlighted and invisible branched off in all directions, but he kept his original course.
He'd checked the drawer where he kept his guns before leaving, almost as an after thought. The concealed compartment had opened normally, sliding open when he pressed against the top of the drawer. Inside everything had seemed to be in order at first glance, but his Turk training had made him look closer. He'd pulled out the gold and red packet that stayed permanently, carefully hidden at the back. Inside had been three perfect bullets, gold striped and all. Two empty spots.
Reno turned the pocket knife over in his hand almost without thinking about it. He'd considered taking the remaining three bullets with him to ensure their safety, but he doubted it would do much good to have them on him. They were probably equally safe where they were. Whoever had taken them had known exactly where to find them, and had presumably taken two and only two for a reason. He doubted they'd return. Before putting the package back, he'd carefully fitted the bullet Valentine had given him back into the case, though it was warped and fractured from impact. He would not forget the other empty space.
He was coming to the end of this particular road now, and looked around quickly before picking his next move. It never hurt to be cautious. But there was no hint or sense of danger of any kind at the moment, so he rounded the corner and headed down the road that appeared to parallel the one he'd just come from. It was impossible to know from just looking that it shot off down and southwards. This suited Reno fine. The only ones who knew about it were the ones who had to, and it was always better that way.
This way it probably took just over half an hour to reach his destination, where as going right through Sector 5 would easily double that time. Although he had no problem keeping Valentine in a little suspense, he didn't want to lose this chance either. He suspected the former-AVALANCHE member would not look too kindly on having to wait.
Thirty feet or so down the road, it took a sudden turn. Reno just kept walking. Tall, dirty buildings stretched upwards casting their shadows across each other to obscure all passers by below. Whoever had designed this place had been a realist, of that Reno was certain. He thanked them, whoever they were, and let it go at that.
The road widened a little up here, but it was just because of the particular architecture of one of the local clubs that lined the way. He'd been here many times, often frequenting said club if business so dictated or if the urge hit him. He knew about the flare in the road, but for some reason something just felt wrong. Reno wasn't sure why, and he took another step forward cautiously.
Suddenly, cold adrenaline hit him and he dropped instantly. He was just in time to see an arrow scream through the air where his throat had been only a second before. He wasted no time, and let out a low growl before moving forward as fast as he was able. Still staying low, he darted towards one of the dumpsters against the brick wall. He heard a snap as another arrow whistled past, cracking dangerously against the wall only inches away. He knew that sound. A crossbow. Interesting.
He crouched low behind the obstruction and held his breath, listening. There was only silence, but ever so faintly he was pretty sure he could hear movement… Yes, that was definitely feet. And from the sound of them there was more than one attacker, possibly three or four although the others were more distant. What in hells were they doing here now? Well, time for questions later. For right now he had to deal with the three, whoever they might be. He hoped like hell they were just common thugs, but everything felt wrong here. He reached for the EMR, moving quickly.
The silver weapon felt right in his hand, and he silently flicked it out. He had always loved the way it crackled to life with electricity, every bit as quiet as he was, and just as deadly. A quick, grim smile flashed by, and Reno counted to five before ducking out once again.
The only way to beat someone with a fast, long distance weapon was to be even faster. He snaked forward, dodging and running with as much speed as he had. While he had always loved sniping he knew how to fight melee with the best of them. He did not fear close combat, even if he was outnumbered. So Reno didn't stop until the figure of the shooter loomed into sight, frantically trying to fit another arrow into the bow. With a last burst of speed, he collided with the man, taking him over and down with him.
The crossbow, small and efficient though it was, went skittering across the pavement. With practiced efficiency, Reno flipped the man over, taking only an instant to register his appearance. The EMR snapped down, colliding with the man's collarbone and sending several thousand volts of pure electricity coursing through his body. Reno used his elbow to drive the man into the pavement, not letting go for even a second until all resistance had disappeared entirely. By then, the sound of footsteps pounding of the pavement was drumming in his ears, and he could feel it coursing through his veins.
He pulled away, moving up and back just enough to get a good look at his new assailants. There were two more heading straight for him. One was average sized, while the other was larger than either of his two companions. Both looked oddly young, though also strangely determined. He didn't think either could have been more than twenty or so. The smaller of the two carried a long bit of wire wrapped around his fists and stretched between his two hands. The other had a lead pipe, and was advancing fast.
Reno didn't wait for them to come to him. He moved forward again, stepping almost casually over the motionless body in front of him. He only paused to duck when the first swing of the heavy pipe came straight towards his head. He hit the ground again before rolling forward, coming up behind the larger man. He jerked his arm in a backward swing that sent the man toppling away and forward. Reno then turned to the third assailant, fire burning in his eyes.
The young man seemed to hesitate for a moment before backing away ever so slightly. It almost succeeded in distracting Reno long enough for the other one to turn again, swinging the pipe in an upward arc sure to do major damage. He heard it only just in time.
He moved enough to only be caught a glancing blow to the shoulder, causing him to spin. He tried to balance it out but overcompensated, reeling towards the pipe-bearer too much for comfort. In response, he lashed out his foot into the man's stomach which saw him quickly doubled over from the short, sharp pain. Reno tried to move back for the crippling blow. He wanted at least one of them alive for questioning, so he sent another sharp kick the man's way. Unfortunately, that was what they had been hoping for. In a flash, two large hands were gripping Reno's foot as the man straightened, grinning. Instantly, the garroting cord was over his head and going for his throat.
Reno reacted as fast as he could, sending both hands upward just in time to get in between the cable and his windpipe. The man behind him grunted in frustration, and Reno strained against the cord to test the strength of the one using it. He could do nothing to stop the fist that collided with his stomach, though. He lost his breath for a second, but no more. Turk training took over, and Reno reacted to the situation before personal injury could even register. Channels had been burned into him for his thoughts to follow instinctively, and they would never disappear.
Reno pushed against the man still gripping his foot, and feeling enough resistance he used it to smash his other foot up into the man's jaw. He staggered, let go, fell. Next move was a risk, but Reno was certain he could pull it off. Using the full force he possessed, he pushed back against the cord, ignoring the way it cut into his fingers. The man behind him, surprised, let it slip just the few requisite quarters of an inch.
In a moment, Reno had spun to face the man, his hands free, and had sent a levelling blow into his opponent's nose before he had a chance to re-tighten his cord. Grabbing his hand as he fell, Reno wrenched the cable away from the man as he toppled to the ground. His head hit the ground with a resounding crack, and he was unconscious before Reno even had to hit him again. A quick survey of the other man told Reno that he too was out. With a nod of approval at a job well done, Reno turned to his first concern before taking stock.
The crossbow. He'd seen others like it before, he was certain. Bending down to pick it up from where it had fallen, he noted the snapped string and the make of the weapon. Oh yes, he'd seen these before. It was a Shinra general issue, model 3029 with custom mounting. Strange. The things, like all Shinra weaponry, were supposed to be nearly impossible to get your hands on these days. Everything designed by Shinra's genius weapon's master, Scarlett, had been a deadly killing machine. They were also completely banned under Midgar's new laws, and with a dedication no one had suspected, Reeve had tracked them down and destroyed them one by one. Very interesting indeed.
Next, he inspected the man he'd hit with the EMR. Dead, predictably. Very few people survived an encounter with Reno's favourite death dealer. A quick look over confirmed that he, like the other two, was around nineteen or twenty years of age. Well, that left only the remaining attackers to question. Not a problem. Two was more than enough.
He bent down next to the one who'd had the cord, and noticed with a frown that there were no signs of breathing. A quick check revealed no pulse. He hadn't hit his head that hard, had he? A sudden horrible suspicion took hold, and Reno darted back over to the large man to discover that he too had no life signs. Damn it. A quick, somewhat frantic search of the two of them turned up no clues, but the hint of a familiar smell filled in the details Reno was missing. Slow acting poison. Wonderful.
So, whoever they were, they hadn't been after his wallet. What the hell kind of job would call for the killer's suicide? They'd have to be insane to accept. To top it all off he had no more clue except for this broken crossbow as to what had just happened. A dark nagging feeling told him that things were not looking good.
When Vincent opened the door and found Reno on his doorstep, he did not look impressed. His dark red eyes said it for him as he opened the door wider to usher the ex-Turk inside. Reno found this humorous, although he was wary. He knew Vincent would notice the dust all over his clothes and the tear in his newly donned shirt. He was starting to wonder if the whole purpose of whatever was happening wasn't just to force him to buy a new wardrobe.
With some theatrics, he tossed the crossbow onto the small coffee table near Vincent's front door and watched the gunman with amused speculation. Vincent just studied the weapon from a distance, no hint of his thoughts crossing his face at all. He moved his eyes to meet Reno's.
Reno smiled lazily.
"I brought you some cookies too, though I suspect they're a little crushed by now."
Vincent just stared at him coldly. Reno's smile faded just a little, and he nodded hastily towards the crossbow.
"I'm sure you noticed it's a Shinra make, though not one of the best. I'd like to know where the guy got it from, but unfortunately he decided to up and die on me before I could ask."
Vincent nodded slowly, still impassive.
"It can wait until later. The boy is more important right now."
He walked down the hallway to a door on his right across from the staircase. He opened and held it open for Reno to enter first.
The room was large and much like the one he'd been in upstairs, though lacking the bookshelves. On the couch at one end of the room facing a television set, Reno could just see bright white hair. He nodded quietly to Vincent before walking inside.
"Howdy."
The kid, startled, spun around. He looked the same as Reno remembered though now that his eyes were open his appearance was even more shocking. Dark, almost black eyes watched him as he approached, although there was no fear there. Reno smiled and nodded.
"Nice to meet you when you're awake." The kid smiled too.
"Hi, I guess. This is a little weird, I'm sorry." He laughed and scratched the back of his head. Although he looked fairly young, his demeanour seemed to indicate he was older. Reno's smile widened and he crouched down next to the couch where the boy was sitting under a small mountain of blankets.
"Heh. Don't worry about it. I'm Reno. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too." The boy held out his hand, still smiling. "I'm Deth."
Raising an eyebrow, Reno took his hand and shook it.
"Deth?"
"Yeah, 'fraid so. My mom wanted to call me Devon and my dad wanted Seth, so they compromised." He made a face and Reno laughed.
"Ouch. It would have been better if they'd called you Sevon." They both grinned, and the kid watched Reno appraisingly.
"So Vincent tells me you were there when he found me."
"Yeah… I guess you could say that."
"I was kinda hoping you could tell me why I fell off the top of a highway and ended up in this guy's house."
"I was sort of hoping you could tell me the same thing."
Vincent appeared around the side of the couch, his usual bandana missing. His dark hair fell across his shoulders, and he looked stiffer than usual. He sought Deth's eyes with his own.
"Is there anything you require?"
"Umm…" The boy grinned sheepishly. "I wouldn't mind a glass of lemonade…" Vincent nodded promptly and disappeared again. Deth looked back at Reno who was smiling almost evilly now.
"Valentine doing room service, eh? I like it."
"To tell you the truth… so do I." The two grinned conspiratorially for a moment.
"So… if neither of us knows what the hell is going on, maybe you could tell me a little about yourself to help us figure it out faster, huh?" Reno prompted.
Deth pulled a blanket around his shoulders, and seemed to think.
"There really isn't that much interesting to tell. Like I said, my name's Deth and I just turned fourteen two weeks ago. Let's see… I'm from Costa Del Sol, and I'm an only child. My mom and dad and me've been living there since Meteor, and before we lived in Rocket Town. The last thing I remember is going down to the beach with my dad and walking towards the water. Then, next thing I know, I'm waking up here." He shook his head. "It doesn't make any sense."
"No, it doesn't," Reno agreed. "But you're a smart kid and I like to think I've got a few brain cells so I bet we can figure it out between the two of us."
The boy nodded.
"I don't see how stealing kids and dropping them off roads helps anybody, but from what Vincent's been not-telling me, I think it's pretty bad."
"Hey…" Reno turned serious. "Are you okay here? I'm not exactly best friends with Valentine, so I don't know that much about him."
"No, don't worry. He's quiet, but he's really nice. I don't really get him, but it's okay. He gets me lemonade so he can't be all that bad."
"No, I guess not. Anyway, if there's anything you need, just let me know. It seems Valentine knows my number, but I'll give you a copy just in case."
"Thanks."
"No problem. Anyways, I think nurse-maid Vincent should be back in a minute and then we can discuss what to do about everything." A thought occurred to him. "Hey, until then, want a cookie?"
"What kind?"
"Chocolate."
"Well that's a dumb question then."
"Yeah, I thought as much myself. Sorry if they're a little broken."
Reno located the box of cookies before tossing it to Deth who caught them easily. He opened the box and pulled out half a chocolate cookie with a grin before passing the box back to Reno to take one. And that was how Vincent found them when he returned with the glass of lemonade.