Smoke and Shattered Mirrors,
By Ealinesse
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Final Fantasy, just the plot to this story, and a couple of painfully annoying original characters. And a rusty truck that, apparently, Reno and Yuffie don't want any more… Woohoo.
Summary: A stakeout doesn't go as planned, and the two people least happy about it are the same two who have to drop everything and work together to keep themselves alive… and sane.
Warnings: Language, (Kiwi Spelling), More Language.
Category: Action/Adventure, Bad Humour, Angst, Reno and Yuffie being prats… Nothing too unusual, really.
Chapter Six...
There is nothing like a nice, hot, relaxing bath to help wash away all the aches, pains and worries one may have. Of course, if one is also covered in a rather unhealthy coating of filth, then that exact relaxing property has the unnerving tendency of going right out the window.
And that was exactly what was happening to her right this minute.
Yuffie watched in disdain as the large volume of tub water she had filled became nothing but a disgusting, ugly brown mass. Looking down at her body that she could now barely see through the muck, she wondered where it had all come from. She knew she had been filthy, and the look in the mirror had only seconded that, but was it actually humanly possible for her, slim as she was, to be that…. grubby? If her father saw her like this he would have had a fit!
Reveling in the comforting warmth for a moment longer, but becoming more grossed out by the second as the tub water only became darker, Yuffie reluctantly got to her feet, ignoring the protesting throb of her ankle as it demanded that she sit back immediately. Watching in a kind of morbid fascination the grime-coloured droplets of water that flowed off her skin and into the bath, she made up her mind for sure. Reaching in and pulling out the plug before her mind could stop her, she watched the water level drop for a second, before turning on the shower to full blast.
She had been unsuccessfully wiping at her dirty skin for a few minutes before she caught sight of the small basket by the sink. Stepping out quickly to avoid any onsetting chill, Yuffie grabbed the entire case of complimentary toiletries, and her shuriken, and then jumped back into the shower and began hastily tearing away at the miniature packets eagerly. It was going to take a lot of those tiny parcels to even get close to doing the job, but damn it, she was going to be clean if it was the last thing she did!
It was just the same as it had always been, but this time his role was again minimized. This time he was nothing but a spectator in the event that he had inadvertently set into motion. He could do nothing but watch as the blade flickered out - once, twice - as a trickle of blood ran down the pale cheeks to drip solemnly onto the dusty warehouse floor. Though it was soon not alone.
He could hear his yell, as he always could, over everything in the room, and time squealed to a stop. He could see the grin; that cold, callous look that had always been there, but had warped somehow, and become something completely different to the one he had used to know. And he could see those eyes. Those clear, unwavering, trusting eyes looking back at him from the steely confine that was his cage. Staring at him. Foolishly trusting him, even as the blood flowed, and the light inside them flickered and died.
And the yell became a scream.
Something was telling him this wasn't real; something entirely intangible and so out of place that he should have been able to put his finger on it immediately. And yet, he couldn't. It wasn't the way that time seemed to slow down, nor the eerie way in which the very air seemed to waver and ripple before his eyes – that in itself told him it was a dream. Though a twisted one at that.
What kind of dream took something from your past and replayed and looped it over and over and over again until it warped and became someone else in the real person's place? What kind of dream held you in the spot, unable to do anything, frozen, unable to help the one person who needed it?
What kind of dream played on your weaknesses? What kind of dream played on your fears? Your hates? Your mistakes…
… Like a nightmare, isn't it?
Reno tried again to lift his feet, though unsuccessfully. His body was stiff as a board, all his limbs except his arms immobile, and even those moved too slow to be of any use. He was rooted to the spot, standing not ten metres away from the scene, and yet he felt as if he were watching something through soundproof glass, hopeless to stop it, and hopeless to help. Like a live feed, only delayed, as if on the other side of the world… as it may as well have been.
And all through it, as it played over and over, he saw the laugh, the grin. The eyes.
He closed his eyes and bit his lip to silence the noise, feeling blood trickle into his mouth he was biting that hard, but knowing the pain was nothing compared to that…
And then came the other screams. Not his, he would never… But…
He opened his eyes, willing himself to wake up, not wanting to see the body put in the box again. Not wanting to see Donovan with the key. To see that grin warp again into something of smug victory at his defeat.
But it was too late.
The screaming suddenly became more muffled, the lid closed. The truck started and began to drive away, out of the doors of the dark warehouse, and out of sight. And suddenly he could move again, though no matter how fast his drugged body could take him, it wasn't fast enough.
And again Donovan's voice came, as it always did.
You have six hours. After that… well, I'm sure you don't need to be told…
… Partner…
And no matter what he did, the key that Donovan had promised him wouldn't be found. He was a prisoner again. And he was responsible. And he had lost.
His own trust had betrayed him, and all he could do was think of his own twin scars in shame. The dream rolled on.
Skin so clean she felt it would sparkle.
Yuffie held out her arms in front of her, finally satisfied, and eyed the freshly scrubbed, spotless skin proudly through the spray of the shower. If that wasn't clean, then she didn't know what was. She turned off shower nozzle and winced, realizing that the water had cooled a great deal since she'd hopped in. Not to mention the amount of soap she'd used. She looked down at the selection of various wrappers collected around the plug and shrugged. It had probably been greedy, but it wasn't her fault. She was only female, after all.
Stepping out onto the bath mat whilst toweling her hair, Yuffie leaned over the counter and wiped at the mirror with her free hand, pleased with what she saw. So there had been a human being under all that muck. Now if that cut on her face, her blisters to end all blisters, and sore ankle would go away then she'd be almost happy. As it was, all she had left for clothes were scraps piled in a corner. Hell, her socks were the only item she had in good condition, and she didn't care what Reno would say, she wasn't only wearing those.
Eyeing the objects in question with disdain, Yuffie quickly realized something she'd failed to think through properly. Her clothes. What was she supposed to wear now? Scowling at her lack of foresight, Yuffie began to scavenge around the small room, looking through the various cupboards and draws for anything remotely resembling clothes. She was not going to wear those filthy things again.
One, five, even ten minutes of scouring and re-scouring revealed nothing more than the tiny hotel 'complimentary' towels. Curling her lip derisively, Yuffie glowered at the offending clothes in the corner a final time, before securing the towel around her as well as she could, covering as much surface area as the rather limited sheet would allow her, and heading out into the bedroom. There had been a robe in one of the cupboards somewhere, she was sure. That would have to do until she found more clothes, at least.
She was about four steps out of the bathroom when two very odd things struck her. The first was that the room was silent. The second was that Reno… was… well… equally silent. This was far from the derogatory comment she had been expecting.
Yuffie turned to the figure on the bed, extremely self-conscious of her rather limited attire, and warily stepped over to him, paying particular attention to the closed eyes, and fists clenching whole handfuls of bedcover in white knuckled grips. His face was still slightly pale, and he looked like he was asleep, but perhaps that wasn't the case. Was he playing a trick on her, or was there something truly up with him? Looking down at her towel, she took a moment to tuck it around her more securely, then inched toward the bed.
"… Reno?"
The Turk's only answer was to tighten his jaw and clasp the bunched sheets further. Closer now, she could see the deep scowl on his face, the way his eyebrows drew together in an expression not far from hatred. Was it pain?
She crouched next to the bed and reached out a hesitant arm, letting it hover over the still figure for a moment before bringing her hand down onto his shoulder. She shook it lightly, and received no answer. Yuffie frowned, unsure whether to trust the fact that he was really asleep. So she did the only thing she could think of: she shook him harder.
Perhaps it hadn't been the smartest thing to do, and she hadn't thought it through a lot. But the fact remained that she should have realized the reaction this would have; she should know, she'd seen Cid try to shake Cloud awake once, only to see him thrown across the other side of the room before she could so much as blink. She supposed the principal was the same. And she was stupid to have done it.
Perhaps that was why she found herself suddenly propelled across the room and slammed against the wall, her hands held taught above her with just one of his. Before she could so much as draw breath, a gun was placed under her jaw and she was staring into the icy Mako depths of Reno's eyes, both so familiar and so different at the same time.
If she had thought he'd been unfeeling before, then that was nothing compared to now.
"… Reno?" she asked, her voice sounding painfully weak to her own ears. "What are you-"
"Where?"
Yuffie shivered at the voice. Of all the tones he'd ever used on her, this was not one of them. "What are-"
"Where is Ashley!"
"Reno, I don't-" Her voice was cut off as the gun pressed to her throat dug in harder, cutting off her air.
"Where have you put Ashley, you bastard!"
But she couldn't talk, could barely breathe, let alone answer. She shook her head, captivated and held paralyzed at the same time by the look of desperation seeping into those eyes. It was so uniquely human, and something she would never have expected to see from him, but it was there nonetheless. And right now it was all focused on her.
Yuffie forced herself to keep her gaze level, and remained perfectly still, all the while aware of the towel wrapped around her threatening to fall if she did so much as draw a deep breath. She knew what this was; after all, it was only after both Tifa and her had subdued Cloud with some powerful Stop and Manipulate materia, that they could pry his hands away from Cid's neck. Whatever nightmare she had woken him up from, he was caught up in it, and he wasn't seeing anything but the horrors within. She desperately needed her materia, or her shuriken, but right now she didn't have anything like that to help her, and he had a bloody gun to her neck.
She opened her mouth again, drew a quick breath, then began to speak, though the gun was pressed tighter. "Reno, it's me… Yuffie. What are you-"
"I'm asking the questions here! I'll give you one more chance, and that's it, so listen carefully before I blow your chances right out the window! Where. Is. Ashley!"
"Reno, Turkey," she tried, but there was no recognition in those eyes. And simply because her brain seemed frozen, she muttered, "fuck," under her breath in nervousness. "Fuck, fuck, fuck…" She needed a solution, or something, because she was beginning to get the idea of who Reno was 'talking to', and she knew that being on the receiving end of this vendetta was not going to be healthy for either of them.
So she didn't answer his question, and held herself still, waiting for the opportunity to present itself, if it ever did. She had no idea how long they'd been standing there, him seemingly habitually trailing the gun coyly along her throat and up behind her ear, but when he leaned into her, actually took a step and squared his shoulders, she knew this was it. If she didn't do something now, then it was going to be too late, one way or the other.
Holding her breath and hoping for the best, Yuffie jerked away with all the strength and speed that she could muster, finding herself with only one option. Not bothering to think of all the colourful names Reno was going to call her when he was properly awake, Yuffie lifted her knee and kicked out with all her weight, aiming directly for the vulnerable spot that had opened up between his legs. Feeling the satisfaction of the connection, she was rewarded with a piercing yell before he fell to his knees, wheezing heavily in pain and clutching his crotch in silent agony.
Before he could get back up Yuffie darted forward, holding the towel with one hand, and grabbing the forgotten gun off the floor beside Reno with the other. That done, she took a wary step back, holding the gun out with hands that were way too steady for the situation, keeping her eyes trained on the man on the ground.
It was a long moment before anything happened, but when Reno looked up at her through flaming red bangs from the floor, she knew then that he'd come back to himself; the cold glare that had made her shudder was gone, and she would never have thought it before, but she was glad to see at least a glimpse of the normal Reno returning. But the eyes that looked up at her were confused, nonetheless.
"What the… Donovon? Ashley… they were…." Reno wheezed out, holding his side with a white knuckled grip.
Yuffie shook her head. "No."
"It was just a-"
"Dream."
Reno straightened, fell back into a crouch, and then forced himself back up onto the bed with a grunt of pain. He was still slightly hunched over, but it looked like he was recovering from the low blow. He snorted ruefully. "Some dream. I could have sworn-"
"That the gun was aimed at your mate Donovan, and not me?"
Reno's eyes, which had been wandering the room, snapped back up to her. In a flash he caught sight of the gun in her hand, and Yuffie thought he must have been fairly out of it for him to have not noticed that straight away. She watched as he felt for the gun, and came up dry.
"That's… mine?"
"What do you think?" Yuffie's eyes flicked over to where she'd been slammed into the wall, and she was vaguely surprised to see a rather solid dint in it from where her back had impacted with the thin wood. She winced. That was going to be sore in the morning.
"I tried to shoot you."
"Yes."
"And so you kicked me in the nuts…?"
There was no sense in denying it. She shrugged, wincing. "… Yes."
Reno rubbed a weary hand over his face. "… Fuck. I'm losing it. Where's a goddamned cigarette when you need one…"
Though the words had been muffled by his hand, Yuffie heard the words Reno had muttered, but came across with the distinct feeling that she hadn't been supposed to. There was an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds where she seemed to struggle with ideas for civil conversation, but she was saved by the bell when Reno made the effort for her.
"So… can I have it back?"
"Your gun?"
"No. My fucking lollypop."
Yuffie squared her gaze with Reno's and raised a delicate eyebrow.
"Yes, brat. My gun. Please."
Lifting the weapon in her hand and clicking the safety back on, Yuffie stared at the weapon appraisingly for a second before holding it out. "Sure you're not going to try and blow my head off again?"
"Trust me, I've had plenty of chances before now. If I was going to shoot you, you'd be dead already."
That certainly didn't make her feel any better, but still relieved to have recognition back in those eyes, she handed the weapon back, watching with careful attention as Reno re-holstered the gun, leaving the safety on. She nodded in satisfaction and lifted a hand up to rub her neck, feeling a slight bump from the pressure with which the weapon had on her throat. She winced. That was also going to be sore in the morning.
"There. Much better."
"You could say that." Yuffie lowered her eyes to the ground, twirling her toe on the plush carpet. She had completed three whole figure-eights before there came a short cough. She looked up, only to find Reno not looking directly at her… but instead at the towel that had somehow remained intact through the whole scuffle. Realising that she'd somehow completely forgotten about her rather limited attire, Yuffie blushed a deep crimson, hurried over to the wardrobe with one once-more cautious hand holding up the towel, and threw open the sliding door, her eyes falling with relief upon the fluffy white dressing gowns hanging inside.
"Oh thank Leviathan…"
There came a snort. "First of all, I don't think Leviathan had anything to do with you walking out here in a skimpy towel. And secondly, is that a hand towel you're wearing…"
Yuffie refused to turn around. Instead, trying to hide the blush from the arrogant Turk no doubt eyeing her with the utmost amusement on the bed, she yanked the robe from the hanger and pulled it on over top of the towel as quickly as she could. Tying it up with jerky, annoyed movements that were really only attempts to expel her own embarrassment, she bit her lip to hold back any smart comments on the tip of her tongue…
Never mind that she had none.
Done, she took a deep breath and turned around, trying her best to ignore the leer being aimed at her. When that didn't work, she shot out one of her iciest glares. "You're an asshole, do you know that?"
The smirk didn't waver. "It's one of the better names I've been called, yes." Yuffie felt the blush return as the eyes that had only seconds ago raked her body, did so again just as suggestively as before.
"Jerk!" She tied another knot on the dressing gown's drawstring.
"Brat."
She curtseyed, and reached into the robe and unfolded the towel, letting it drop to the ground. And just because, she emphatically poked out her tongue. "You won't be so happy when you go to have a shower."
Reno's eyes turned cold, and Yuffie realized that she must have touched upon a sensitive subject. "Why."
Tugging once again on the convenient drawstring, she let a small leer of her own creep onto her face. "Let's just say that their supplies are what you'd call… inadequate."
"Inadequate?"
"… You betcha. Extremely insufficient."
The Turk's eyes narrowed. "What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything but have a shower."
At the reply, Reno stood, and Yuffie watched as he made his way over to the bathroom with cautious steps. Just before the door, he turned back to face her and scowled, realization dawning upon his face.
"You used all the hot water, didn't you?"
Yuffie raised an eyebrow. "Nearly. But that's not what I'm talking about."
"Then what…?"
"You'll see."
But Reno didn't reply, merely threw a dirty look at her and went into the bathroom and closed the door. She waited for the lock to slide closed; it didn't, but she heard the water begin to run. She scowled. Trust him to have such confidence in himself.
With a sigh she closed the distance to the bed and fell back onto the covers, reveling in the soft comfort of the yielding mattress. She closed her eyes, letting out a breath to relax herself, though it just didn't seem to work. Here they were, on the run from Leviathan-only-knew how many men, and they were lounging about in the Honeymoon suite of a hotel. This was, perhaps, the oddest thing she had ever done in such a situation, and the craziest.
But no matter what she couldn't seem to shake the feeling of dread that was beginning to settle in the pit of her stomach. If this Donovan guy had the ability to make one of the coldest, most ruthless men she knew have nightmares enough to influence even their awakening, then just what were they up against?
Holding out a hand to test the water, Reno frowned. It was still warm. And if that were the case, then what was she hinting at?
Doing his best to ignore his scunge-ridden reflection in the rapidly fogging mirror, Reno stepped into the spray of warm water with a shrug. Whatever the hell she had been going on about, he hadn't found it necessary. Her attempt to annoy him had gone astray…
Now if only he could find the soap…
Okay, so now she was more bored than terrified. And she was sick of this dressing gown… she wasn't sure why, but oh Leviathan did it itch!
Bending her back at what would normally have been an impossible angle, Yuffie lifted an arm under her and tried to reach the latest irritating spot with little success. This was getting frustrating, and remembering what Reno had said earlier about the town being a major forestry resource, she allowed herself the brief, though somewhat insane, luxury that the bloody robe had thousands of microscopic wood chips inside.
Yeah. Right.
With a low growl of frustration she leapt to her feet and looked around the room with wild eyes. If she didn't get out of this gown soon she was going to scratch and scratch until there was nothing left! Spotting what she thought would do, Yuffie sped over to a doorhandle and crouched against it, finally reaching the itchy area with the somewhat unorthodox method. Smiling in satisfaction, she trundled her way back over to the bed and flopped back down onto it. That was much better.
Well, at least it was until another, much-harder-to-reach itch developed.
That was the final straw. She didn't care that she was wearing only a dressing gown, she was going out to find something else to wear. It would kill time, her boredom, and be efficient too. That way she could get whatever other supplies that they needed before they had to leave again. After all, this was them she was talking about… who knew what lay just around the corner?
Yuffie got up and walked over to the door or the small bathroom, realizing that she had yet to hear any murderous screams from Reno about all the soap she'd used. It took little progressive thought for her to realize that it would be better for him to find that out after she'd left, than while she was still here. She knocked a small rhythm on the door, and was rewarded with a startled yell. She grinned. So she was right in assuming that he had guessed she wouldn't disturb one very naked Turk while he was in the shower.
"… What?" came the muffled voice from behind the wall a few seconds later.
"I'm going out," she replied. "I'm not staying in this dressing gown any longer than I have to… it itches!"
"… It what?"
"It itches!"
"… Not up to the standard you're used to, princess? I doubt you'll find any better in this town," was the next mocking reply.
Yuffie screwed up her fists. "Shut up, Turk."
There was a snort, but no further reply. No comment about the soap. Yuffie raised an eyebrow and leaned against the door. "You want anything while I'm gone?"
"You said you're getting clothes?"
"For me, yes."
"Well get me some while you're at it, mine are a little shredded to pieces for some odd reason."
Yuffie smirked. "Says the man who tried to shoot me a short while ago."
"… You're still alive, aren't you?"
"Through no fault of your own."
The only sound that answered was the steady stream of water on the other side of the wall. Yuffie winced. She hadn't intended to let that slip out. "So you want clothes?"
"That's what I said."
"And you'll need a Cure Materia, as well, then."
"How about a million dollars while you're at it? Oh, and a pony!"
Yuffie blinked. "What are you implying, Reno?"
"I don't think you realize that these people, simpleton hicks that they are, are still going to realize that something is up when a stranger comes into town and holds the hotel clerk up with a Wutaian weapon just to get a room. Did I mention the part where you plan to walk around town in a dressing gown? What about the matter of payment? In case you haven't noticed, the reason we held up poor ol' Rob is because we have no cash, but a measly thirty Gil in coins!"
Yuffie gritted her teeth at the sardonic tone in Reno's voice. "Are you quite done?"
"Not if you're not. How do you plan on getting all these things if you're going to buy them?"
Yuffie sighed and banged her head lightly against the door. "You know, Turk, for someone who has spent a lot of his life living in the scum of society, you'd think you'd have some idea about alternate means of acquiring what you need."
"You mean stealing."
"Something like that, yes."
The sound of laughter rang out behind the door. "Why am I not surprised?"
"… Because I've managed to steal stuff off you before?"
"No comment. But wouldn't it be better to wait for me?"
"What, and have two randoms walking around in dressing gowns? No way, you'd just slow me down, and you've only just got into the shower. I am not sticking around waiting for you in this… stupid… thing!"
Reno snorted. "Fine. Just don't get yourself caught, shot, or killed. I have the feeling I'd get blamed if a random hick ripped out a shotgun on you."
"Probably," Yuffie smirked. "But I won't get caught."
"All right, then. Be back in an hour and a half. If I hear alarms, voices, or gunshots, I'm hauling ass."
Yuffie shook her head at the sheer amusement in the voice. "You'd leave me behind?"
"It is mighty tempting, I must admit."
"Pfft, fine. I'll leave you to your shower."
"Good."
Yuffie pushed herself off the door and retrieved her shuriken from where she'd put it on the side table, then headed toward the exit. "Just don't use all the soap!" she retorted as she left.
The somewhat belated yell of fury that reverberated through the walls and into the corridor she was occupying, she decided, was well worth the crazy look from Rob as she hurried passed.
Well this was certainly just great. The shower was going cold, and so far no more than a third of the dirt had been scrubbed off because someone, who would be but a nameless carcass when he'd finished with her, had used all of the damned soap. Well, all of it except for the solemn sliver of the stuff that had been left by the drain, and a fat lot of use that had been for the time it had lasted. Never mind the dirt in his hair, or the fact that his wound was still dirty. Although soap would do little good for everything that had been done to that in the passed couple of days…
As he scrubbed away at the offending muck, Reno allowed his thoughts to wander to Rude and Elena. He had no evidence that they'd been caught by Donovan, and though some of their equipment had been left behind, he had no idea where they were. The locaters they'd each been given were only use to those of them who were actually in Junon, the idea behind this being supposed motivation for them to get to their safehouse as soon as possible. The GPS on which the locaters were based were little use until then, where, once safe, a comrade could find the location of the other, and track or assist them, if need be. Apparently this was easier for everyone – mainly the higher-ups, Reno surmised. But it was certainly not making it easier on his nerves.
As time moved on, and they neared closer and closer to Junon, Reno found himself growing more… anxious? He shook his head in silent rebuttal. No, this time he was worried; could allow himself to be worried. These were his partners. What if he got to the safehouse and they simply weren't there? What then? He refused to think of it. They would be there.
Donovan wouldn't win again.
Reno clenched his hands into fists for a second until even the short nails on his hands dug small half-moons into the palms of his hands. He didn't like the direction his thoughts were heading in, and at this rate he was going to end up thinking of the dream, something he couldn't afford. He had already been acting strange for the past two days – the last thing he needed was another reason to snap. Perhaps it was best to not think at all; not to worry about Elena, or Rude…
Or Yuffie.
… Had it been right to let her go out alone? It sounded like Yuffie had convinced the others to turn back after they'd found her and only her in the woods, but it still didn't mean that he didn't have scouts here too, or Donovan himself. If she got caught, or worse, how would he know? How would he…
"Goddamn it, I'm acting like Elena!" Reno's fist shot out and hit the shower door with all the force he could manage in the short distance, and too late did he realise that the surface he was aiming for was glass. Thin, cheap glass.
With the high-pitched jingling that could only be that of shattering glass, Reno felt his hand hit, then plough straight-on through the falling shards. Small flares of pain broke out down his arm, and he gasped, jerking his hand back and tilting his body backward so the small remains wouldn't cut him. The eerie tinkle continued for a few seconds more as the final cascades of glass landed on the ground, shimmering as they scattered across the tiled floor for a moment before all fell still.
Reno let out a breath, holding himself motionless for a few seconds as what he'd done caught up to him, as did a faint resonating sting in his hand. With a halfhearted sigh he shrugged, grabbed the towel he'd acquired earlier and wrapped it around his waist, grateful that he'd placed it up high out of reach of the glass. Carefully he picked his way out of the room, avoiding any glass he could see, and swiping up whatever clothing that looked salvageable, though the accursed boots were about it.
With a disgruntled curse Reno walked over to the bed and flopped back down onto it, closing his eyes; the bloody water had been getting cold anyway.
This was the most fun she'd had since she'd stolen all that materia from Cloud and company. With an impish grin, Yuffie leapt out of yet another window, consequently another unsuspecting shop, and looked down at the accumulated pile in her hands. The first thing to get had been clothes, and though the range of stuff hadn't been that good, she'd just swiped the first reasonably acceptable thing she'd seen; some trackies, a singlet top, and some - thankfully - warm, comfortable boots. Upon second thought she'd also added a zip-up sports hoodie to the mix; it had been freezing outside, and though she didn't usually feel the cold that much, she wasn't going to try and push her limits... again.
Reno, on the other hand, had been much harder to buy for, but when she'd found it... Yuffie looked down at the bundle tucked under her arm and smirked. A shirt, pants and jacket much like he was used to, all for free. She hoped it was what he wanted, and had also nabbed a long coat in case the suit jacket wasn't warm enough. Like he'd appreciate her concern.
Next to come had been the materia, as well as the food. Initially, she'd gone in just to find a Cure, but seconds later decided to grab a Heal, and a few antidotes. If there was one thing she'd learned while with Reno, then it was to expect the unexpected. As she'd leapt out of the window, a food store had caught her eye, and now...
Well, her and Reno were never going to be hungry again.
Now all she needed was a bag to put it all in. Readjusting all her newly acquire belongings, Yuffie hugged the walls of the buildings, staying in the shadows as best she could. No one had seen her yet; hell, she hadn't even seen anybody out, but then going by what Reno had said no one would be out this late here anyway. Looking around, she spotted a small shop hidden behind one of the others that she hadn't noticed before. There was one small sign, and a few small windows she could squeeze into if need be, so she decided to go and check it out. Crossing the street in silence, she slid back into the inky shadows and approached the small building.
Pressing herself against the wall Yuffie levelled herself onto her tippy-toes and peered into the window, noting that the case was the same; the lights were off, and she was pretty sure nobody was home. Fiddling with the rather primitive lock on the windows with her shuriken, she did the same as she had with all the others, and lifted herself inside, leaving the items she'd acquired outside to deal with when she'd found what she'd needed; there was little point in hindering whatever progress she'd made, not to mention to run the risk of getting herself caught.
Lowering herself into the tiny shop, she allowed her eyes to adjust for the suddenly moonless scene, then took a quick look around, realising she'd just stepped into yet another grocery shop. She muttered a muffled curse at her wasted effort, then realised that they were bound to store bags or shopping baskets somewhere. After a quick search she realised she was in luck and let out a tiny crow of triumph at her find. Hauling the oversized bag off the shelf and over her shoulder, she was about to leave when she caught sight of the cigarette rack in the corner. Reno had said he'd wanted one, hadn't he?
Walking quickly across to the shelf storing the various packets, Yuffie found herself overwhelmed with choice. Not being a smoker herself, she found it hard to understand that people could actually choose the flavour or brand that would in the end give them lung cancer, but with a shrug she swiped a few. Reno could decide which ones he wanted when she got back. Stuffing her hands into her regretfully small pockets, Yuffie took a final look around, not finding anything else that she wanted within the store. Turning on her heel with a little skip, Yuffie began to walk over to the window again when a noise from behind her made her freeze.
She stood utterly still for a few seconds, but the noise didn't come again. Convincing herself that she was just getting herself creeped out by Reno's warnings, she walked over to the window again and chucked the things she'd commandeered outside. When the reassuring thunk of them hitting the ground followed a moment later, Yuffie stepped up to the table just under the window and reached through with a small grunt...
"What was that?"
... and realised instantly this time, that this time the noise was very real.
Yuffie's eyes widened as she squirmed hurriedly outside and landed with a dull thud on the ground. Muffling a groan and sitting up, she packed all the things quietly into the bag, and froze when the voices spoke again.
"Did you hear that?"
"Was someone in here?"
As silently as she could, Yuffie turned and faced the side window of the building she'd just climbed out of and levered herself to her feet, bag in hand. Ready to bolt, she was stopped from doing so as a light turned on inside the shop she'd just been inside, and she winced, realising that the window she'd climbed out of had been left open...
And it opened inward.
Shit! she thought, quickly scouting out a fast exit. Where did those voices come from? There wasn't even a door in the shop for another room! Finding some suitable shadows, she was about to sneak away...
"Well find out what it was! The last thing we want is to be caught in here by a theif!"
... until she heard that last voice.
Yuffie felt her breath hitch in her throat, and her heart begin to pound heavily in her chest. Was that who she thought it was? Did she dare peek into that window and see? But before she could even stop herself, her hands were curling around the small windowsill outside, and she was peering up again into the window - and then ducking again as the sight confirmed it. She felt her blood run cold as morbid realization became dead-straight fact, and even though she'd only seen him for a second in that alleyway in Midgar, and knew the strange impossibility that it was, she knew who it was...
... That same taunting, cold voice, and those eyes she'd seen for but a split second as she'd knocked him out... Like Reno's...
And he was here. And they'd thought they were safe! How foolish...
Yuffie felt her thoughts racing. What should she do? Run? Find Reno? Or would it be best to stay and find out how much this Donovan knew? And just as she thought of this, the event of Reno's dream came back to her, and she found herself staying rooted to the spot, out of sight, regardless. She wanted to know what was going on, and Reno certainly wasn't telling her. Perhaps if she moved away a little then she could get some information. She always had been good at remaining hidden, and she'd fooled this man by hiding in the shadows once before.
So she did just that, ducking back into the deepest, darkest shadow she could find that would still allow her to hear, bag still in hand. And as the voices filtered out, she found herself wishing she hadn't. Perhaps getting as far away as she could would have been a much better idea...
"Any sign of him here?"
"None, sir."
"Nothing at all."
"And you've checked the whole town?"
There was a short silence.
"Jackson? Maxwell? I asked you two a question, and I expect an answer!" Was that the cock of a gun she heard? Somehow she didn't find it too hard to believe...
"We've checked nearly all of it. There's a couple of buildings left, but no one seems to have seen any sign of them..."
"And your searches have agreed with that?"
"Yes. We've found no sign of him or the girl so far."
Again, a short pause that was uncomfortable even to her ears.
"Well what are you waiting for! Dobson and Vaughan haven't found anything back in Midgar, and they've scoured the place faster than you've searched this town! The shop owner in this place didn't know anything, and now it's time to move on! So get out there and search before I blow a hole in your heads! Reno is to be found, and preferably taken alive. But if not... then it is just one more hassle I don't need. Now go! And check out that noise while you're at it!"
The corresponding sound accompanying Donovan's talk was a small scuffle and the sound of the front door to the building opening. Cold dread pooled in the bottom of her gut, turning into solid, churning concrete as she realised for the second time in the passed five minutes that she should have ran while she still had the chance. Footsteps began to echo along the outside, heading straight for her. She paled, slipping back into the shadows, but inadvertently knowing she'd cornered herself. There was nowhere to go... and if she was noticed, then who was going to warn Reno? He may be just an arrogant Turk, but he was right about some things. She should have listened - though like she was ever going to tell him that!
Now that she ran the likeliness of getting caught under these tables that were oh-so unfair, she knew that she was so screwed...
Author's Notes: Well, for some reason or another (procrastination on school work) I've managed to get this chapter out a lot sooner than the other one. Not sure why, but I must say, although there is still a fair bit of time between the last update, I'm rather proud of myself. Now all I have to do is get the next few chapters out and I'll be sweet, what d'you all think?
Tijuana Pirate: Well it didn't quite take me so long this time, so what did you say this time when the author alert came? Something along the lines of 'OMG, two in a month?!' I've had a lull in homework... well, not really - more like a lot of very-far-away-due-dates - so it's allowing me to write a little bit more. Hope you liked!
magnum opus: Wow... hello! Yeah, I'm writing a sequel... shakes head ... lookout world, I'm on fire. Lol! Hopefully the next one will be out just as soon as this one. You see, there may be a sequel, but the chapters seem to be very, uh... infrequent. winces
The Burning Misery: 'Bonnie The Amazing Pouting Ninja Girl'? Oh nice, and very fitting! She does seem to do a fair bit of it, doesn't she? But then again, when stuck with Reno, who seems to enjoy all kinds of verbal torture, who wouldn't?
Eternal Wanderer: Well this chapter is a lot quicker in the update, so are you still going to have to re-read Word of Mouth? Perhaps if I keep updating so fast you mightn't have to... On another note, yes, the character development is coming very shortly, and as for their feelings for each other... well, just tell me what you think when I come to that part in the story? And yeah, I think this fandom is horrible for getting reviews... nodnod
Anonymous #151564: Update away!
motoko: Lol... yeah, the honeymoon scene was just too tempting to resist. Reno and Yuffie in that situation = very amusing. Hope you enjoyed it!