Chapter 13
The second Reno stepped out of the house and into the open air again, he knew he'd made a mistake.
The wind whistled through the eaves of the small house, and he realized instantly that it was the only sound to be heard. The steady trickle of passersby seemed to have dried up entirely, and although the ever-present hum of city life was there, it was so distant as to be almost absent entirely. No doors opened, no children laughed, no birds cried overhead. It was the far side of uncanny, and Reno had never really believed in coincidence.
He saw them then, coming down the street, and unafraid he stood and watched.
They came in clumps of two and threes, hands in pockets, talking to one another as though nothing at all was wrong. They smiled and they laughed, but everything else about them gave them away. Their postures, their studied inattention, and the occasional careful glance in his direction sent warning signals flashing through his head. There were about twelve of them, men and women, all in the age bracket of eighteen to twenty five or so. Reno remembered the group that had attacked him back in the Midgar back alley, and the warning lights went up a notch.
The realization that they were all around the house and the street hit him belatedly, and Reno cursed himself for letting it happen. How he had managed to not notice the telltale silence, even while preoccupied inside, eluded him. This was not good at all. If this was the same group that had seen to Elena and Rude's sudden disappearance, they were good, whatever else they may be.
Reno scanned the street, looking for a way out. He suddenly wished, to his bitter amusement, that he hadn't mentally sent all those horrible deaths to Valentine after all. No, that was going too far. He was a Turk. He needed no one's help, no matter the situation. They would not be able to get him, because he would not let them. He would fight if it was necessary, and then he would get on with finding out what the hell was going on here. He remembered dispassionately the note back inside the house, and he knew he would not let this end here, not until he had answers.
They were getting closer, and he still hadn't moved. Several of them had dropped all pretenses now, and were heading directly for the house. Three of them, a teenage boy with spiked hair, a girl with a pierced nose and black hair, and a tall man in a business suit were closest. The strange way they closed ranks rang profoundly wrong somewhere in the back of Reno's head. He had worked with the best military strategists on the Planet, and he knew what reality was. You couldn't force people like this to fight for you, because they didn't believe in causes. Maybe a few would, sure, but unless money was what they were fighting for there was little chance of success.
The strange burning, believing look in their eyes made Reno very suddenly, and very completely, afraid.
Quickly, he took the steps down away from the house, hands still in his pockets before turning his back on the approaching crowd. There were more of them spread out all around, he had no doubt, but he wouldn't be caught by surprise. Walking quickly, head down, he let his feet trace their way down the pavement and back towards the market where there would be more cover and more crowds. Up ahead, a thin file of people appeared from around the corner, stretching across the road and blocking the way. It was getting late in the day, and the sinking sun, still behind clouds, did little to help the situation.
Reno suddenly felt very cold, and very out in the open. The white, uniform houses loomed high on either side of him, but they barely registered except as places to hide. The thrill of adrenaline hitting his blood stream reminded him sharply of the 'good old days', and he felt more alone then ever, standing there.
Moving slowly forwards still, Reno moved his left hand slowly out of his pocket. If he could just get his gun, he might be able to make an opening, and make a run for it. If he could just get back to the apartment building, he'd be at the advantage… Still, he doubted that whoever they were, they'd come completely unarmed. While they'd shown no inclination to just up and kill him yet, it was unlikely they'd remain passive for long if he showed the gun. Still, no help for it.
In the space of a second, Reno dropped to the road, the gun whipping out of its hiding place, dully black and dangerous in the non-light. No time for hesitation. He used the kneeling position to lunge forward, pulling the trigger as he shot up and towards the roadblock. He saw one fall, took careful aim, saw the second go down at the crack of the gun. The next instant, he felt a cold wind brush his cheek as something went flying by at a speed only a metal bullet can achieve. He stopped, then, as behind him, in front of him, and all around him he heard the sound of several dozen guns being loaded in almost perfect unison. Although never one to be afraid, Reno believed right then that it was the most blood-chilling thing he'd ever heard.
The next moment, it was the sound of pounding footsteps that rang through the quiet street, although it took a millisecond too long for Reno to register it. Before anyone had time to react, Reno heard as something hit the curb, and then felt whatever – or whoever – hit him at high speed. He went careening into the grass at the side of the road, and heard the sound of many people now starting to run. He reacted instantaneously, not thinking, pulling himself up only to find that whoever had hit him was still holding his arm tightly. He looked over to see who it was, opened his mouth to say something, and was promptly cut off as he was dragged forward between two houses and into the deep shadows where nothing could be seen at all.
"Hey, Vincent?"
Vincent looked up from the table where he was sitting, flipping through an old pile of documents that he'd left untouched thirty or so years ago when he'd last been here.
"…Yes?"
Deth fidgeted in his chair, looking out the large window into the streets below.
"Reno seemed pretty angry when he left. You think it's safe to just let him go? I mean, he didn't exactly tell me, or anything, but we're not really very safe here, are we?"
Vincent returned to staring at the sheaf of papers, turning a page carefully before scanning the new page.
"As safe as anywhere."
"That's informative."
"Until there is no choice, you are safer not knowing. When we are done here, we will be taking you home, where you will return to your life as it was before. There must be no more risks."
Deth's face was unreadable as he stared out at the gray buildings across the way. His dark eyes reflected nothing as he wondered what life would be like after all of this. He had a lot of questions, and he doubted anything could ever be the same until he knew at least some of the answers. He looked up again.
"You still didn't answer my question about Reno. Will he be okay?"
Vincent sighed quietly, putting down the papers once more, closing another window to the past. It was just one more place he did not need to be looking right now.
"I do not know how long we have before our time here runs out, but he is a Turk and is no less dangerous than he ever was."
Deth blinked, letting this sink in.
"Turk…"
He showed no reaction except the slightest surprise. Mentally, Deth took the new information and searched for somewhere to make it fit into the world he'd been given post-Meteor where AVALANCHE were heroes and Shinra had never been anything but pure evil. He did not find it, and gave up.
Turk.
Deth went back to staring out the window, his face just as blank as Vincent's.
From their hiding place, Reno and his new companion gazed breathlessly around the corner, trusting to a low overhang and a long metal trash bin to hide them.
Trying to keep silent, Reno took slow, deep breaths. If their position was discovered now, chances were it would all be over. It was a small miracle they'd made it this far. A parallel street from Rude and Elena's had been reached easily enough through the houses, but they'd been pursued quickly. By sheer luck a connecting crescent had given them access to the back roads leading into the market, and they'd been ducking and hiding since. Reno's original plan to head for the populated streets had given out when he'd realized that the ones following him could be anyone and everyone in the crowd.
He looked over at the person beside him. Neither of them had yet to speak, and sucking in a last deep breath, Reno caught her eye.
"Didn't think I'd be seeing you again quite this soon."
Yolei's dark eyes flashed, and she pulled her hair back away from her face in a practiced, sweeping motion. She was breathing fast too, but seemed no more tired than Reno, and certainly not out of the running yet. She flashed him a brief smile.
"Hi to you too, Reno."
"Oren."
"Right, Oren. I forgot."
"I don't suppose you're going to explain any of this to me?"
"'Fraid not, no."
"Look, there are whole lot of people out there trying to kill me right now. I think I deserve at least something of an explanation."
Yolei took a deep breath again, and leaned back against the brick wall. The shadows hid them, and they kept their voices low.
"There's not much I can tell you. If I say too much, you'll be in far more danger than you are right now. I'm your ally for now, believe that much, if nothing else."
Reno's blue eyes flashed dangerously, and one hand went to the small piece of paper still in his pocket.
"And earlier? You were following me."
"I was. I won't deny it."
"You must be pretty damn good at it if I didn't notice."
"Thanks. Coming from you, I'll take that as a complement."
"But what about this address, about Elena and Rude? I'd have known if you were lying."
"Not even the best can catch everyone all the time, Reno. But no, I wasn't lying. I was careful not to, if you must know. El' and I really were friends. I just wish she'd trusted me when I told her I could help."
Reno's thoughts ran back to Rude's note, again and again.
"I don't know if they had reason to trust you. I certainly don't. But even if they did trust you, especially if they trusted you, they wouldn't have wanted you involved."
"You found something at the house, then? If you did, I'm impressed. We searched the place from top to bottom, but didn't find a thing."
"You had to be me, I'm afraid."
"I don't doubt it."
"Look, what is this all about? I need to find them. Yolei, or whatever your real name is, if you're anything you say you are, you'll help me."
Her dark eyes softened a little, although she made no movement.
"My name is Yolei, and I am helping you. Look, this is all I can tell you." She leaned forward, and Reno copied the motion, bringing their faces close together. "It started as something underground, but it's spreading further every day. No one knows who started it, or when, but sometime in the last year and a half a hunt began, and they aren't stopping."
"A hunt?"
"For Shinra."
Reno felt a chill move down his spine.
"Shinra's dead."
"That's why none of this makes sense! If it were only those who had reason to profit from Shinra's resurrection, I could understand it, but it's more than that. Much more. Recently, they've started targeting everyone who has ever been touched by Shinra, and all those around them. After El' and Rude… disappeared, I've had to go invisible or risk becoming a target myself."
She took a deep breath, and Reno watched her, analyzing what she'd said and trying to weigh what she hadn't.
"I still don't understand anything. What's your role in it all? How far has it gotten? What happened to Rude and Elena?"
"I told you that I can't tell you any more. Only… only that it hasn't reached the west yet. You are traveling with Valentine, I know, and though I don't understand how, now a boy as well. I wish I had time to ask you… But I don't. Look, tell Valentine to contact Reeve. Things in Midgar are going to get very ugly very soon, and Jiyuu is going to be the first thing under fire. Valentine should watch himself too, he'll be a target any time now too, if he's not already, and I don't want to have to deal with a dead AVALANCHE member. Understand?"
"No!"
"Good. Look, I'll draw attention while you make a run for the place you're staying. You'll be safe there, at least for a little while. You've got to leave as soon as you possibly can."
"Where am I supposed to go then, hm? Tell me that."
Yolei looked around, tense and ready to run at the first sign of danger.
"If you don't know, nobody does. Only one person managed to escape from their last raid, and he was just a kid. Rude let himself be taken down to make sure he got away, and that means a lot. That he made it to you in Midgar was my last hope."
Reno remembered. Merdan shot, dying on the ground while a crowd watched. Dying in the chair while Reno asked questions and the last of the kid's life slipped away. Dead, and gone from his life while the shadow was left behind.
Reno said nothing, and remembered the boy's last words. He'd intended to go to Mideel from the beginning anyway, but had figured it was safer to take the long way there. Well, at least he knew now. Yolei watched him carefully.
"You know, then? Is he safe?"
"He's dead. But he reached me first."
"I'm sorry."
Reno shot Yolei a quick glance, her words triggering a reaction he did not like.
"Don't expect me to tell you anything; you're smarter than that."
"No, don't tell me. What I don't know I can't tell."
Reno nodded, his eyes sharp and unfeeling.
"If you can give me two minutes, I can make it."
Yolei laughed, quietly, and her smile was the same as it had been on the street, before.
"You really are the best, aren't you? Two minutes? I think I can handle that. I'll buy you as much time as I can. One last thing though."
"What?"
And then she leaned forward and kissed Reno, quickly, pulling him towards her, before drawing back just as quickly. She laughed again, seeing his face.
"I gave you that address hoping to get you away before they decided to make their move. Still, it would have been fun to see if you turned up." She stood up slowly, scanning a last time before moving forward towards the main alley entrance. Her eyes met his, and she was wearing a grin that resembled his almost frighteningly. "Can't promise I'll wait for you, or even that I'll survive the next few weeks, but someday I hope I'll see you again."
"Don't die."
She quirked an eyebrow up, her smile not leaving even knowing she was going right into the middle of danger.
"Aww, do you love me too, Reno?"
"No. Next time I see you you're going to tell me everything you know, and then I'll kill you myself."
She laughed again, softly now, and she gestured in the other direction. Reno turned away, gun at the ready, and prepared to move as fast as he was able.
"It was nice meeting you, Reno. Now run, and don't look back."
With silence and cold stealth, he did, disappearing into the darkness.
A/N – Well, I was hoping soon would actually be soon, but unfortunately school calls. Ick. I really hate that. I've still got a history essay to write too. Well, I'm glad I got this finished, and it's my present to you guys in the busiest month of my life. :p I like Yolei because I never intended to write her, and she just kinda showed up. She explains a lot though, really. Although I won't be explaining what any time soon. Mwahahahah. As a note, you won't be seeing Vincent's building or Yolei again for a long time, but don't forget about them. They'll be coming back.