Reno Drannor and Yuffie Kisaragi: Reno Spiegel
Elena Sayler, Emmerson Reeve, and Scarlet Reeve: Chocobo Goddess
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Chapter 4
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Reno awoke to see that night had fallen quite some time ago, and that everyone around him was asleep as well. He didn't remember drifting off, but he rolled off the bench and crawled forward, shoving his head into the cab. He couldn't remember who was driving. "How long we been out here, chief?"
Cloud's eyes almost lit the cab. "Little over four hours." Reno could see the light of his eyes dart to the dash and back up to the road. "Two more at best to get to Kalm."
Reno's gut clenched and he felt like punching him for a moment, but he sighed and gave it up. What good would it do, anyway...? He looked around the cab, then reached forward and tapped the gas gauge, which looked close to being empty from his angle. "When're we gonna feed our "borrowed" transport, then?"
The blond looked confused, checked the gauge again and then looked in the rearview at Reno. "Did that about thirty minutes ago." Cloud responded. The red head didn't look very good, he looked, well, solemn. "Are you alright Reno?"
The redhead rubbed his eyes. Apparently, the gauge went both ways at an angle, one side with a little white line. It looked close to full. Deciding he had nothing to lose, he went with the conversation. "Yeah, fine. Just...well, you know what I mean, right?"
"Kalm home for you?" Cloud asked, not really wanting to have anything in common with Reno, particularly an emotion. Then he may actually get some respect for the loud mouth.
Reno rolled his eyes. His feelings were much of the mutual. If he started to like the guy, it would throw the balance off. Besides, it was a last remaining comfort for him. He then realized his voice was low, trying to let everyone else sleep. "No, numb-nuts. The Jascoes and the whole Kisaragi bit. That wouldn't gnaw at you a bit?"
Cloud shrugged. "It bothers me too, but worrying about it won't change shit." He then added. "What's your damn deal with me anyway?"
This gave Reno pause. In all truth, he had no idea, but saying that would only open himself to attack. He just grunted, the true sign that there was something he just didn't feel like answering. "I don't exactly hate you, Strife, but we're a long ways from calling each other friends, don't you agree?
Again, Cloud looked up at the red head through the mirror. "Really? I wouldn't mind. If Yuffie loves you there must be something that I am missing. But I am not going to go out of my way winning you over, and fighting is a bit childish dont'cha think? I know I have been through more then enough shit in my life. I would think the same about you." The blond looked for a radio station for a moment, then gave up. Their antenna was somewhere in the streets of Junon.
A whole childhood passed by Reno's blinking eyes, one he'd rather forget, just like ShinRa had. When his police records had gone up in flames, he'd almost started sobbing with joy. "Yeah, well she only has good things to say about you, so I'd assume every man has his better side." He smirked at the blonde in the same mirror, and almost laughed. "And fighting's an instinct. Leave it alone."
For some reason, to that Cloud snorted. "If you say so Reno." Getting the feeling that Reno and he had more in common then either of them wanted to admit. "We can agree that we want her safe then right?"
He scoffed as if it were the most obvious question. "Do you even have to ask that?" He took his own glance in the mirror, at the smallest frame among them. "Damn right we can," he muttered.
Cloud thought for a long while. Then he looked back up. "Reno, what do you know about that Penderfaust guy?" As much as he tried not to, he snarled the name
It was then that the former Turk noticed the passenger seat was unoccupied, everyone having scrambled in the back during the café mess, and he climbed up. The view was nicer from up there, anyway. "Panderfaust...he's not one to screw with, of course. I think the mention that he was affiliated with Hojo was enough to make that known. From what I hear, the old guy entrusted all his secrets in him just in case he kicked the bucket before he could complete the projects. So let's just say he's a well-informed apprentice-gone-wrong. And with him at the hands of the Jascoes..." He left the statement open. Imagination could do the rest.
Cloud began steering with his knees, He rolled up his sleeve of the long sleeved hoodie he had on, even in the warmest weather, cloud never wore a teeshirt. He always wore long sleeves. Reno frowned at that, he had never gotten close enough to really see much of Strife's arms aside from their skin tone when they were fighting. Now, Reno could see why the other man took to wearing long sleeves. . outlining every muscle in his arm was a surgical line. Staple dots marked up the side of his arm.
Reno looked over, but kept his face straight. No smiling, no frowning. No disrespect. And definitely no questions. It was obvious Cloud knew much more of Panderfaust and Hojo than records could tell anyone. He nodded slowly and looked straight out the window. Time to change the subject, but just a bit. "Well, Strife, it's like a reunion coming up in Kalm...any idea what's gonna happen there?"
"Just be ready for anything Reno. I mean it." Cloud responded and pulled his sleeve back down. "First? We get Tifa to keep Barret from killing you and Reeve. That is after I get her to calm down. She should be pretty easy to talk to. But the pillar deal is a sore topic..."
"And deservedly so." Reno questioned his use of the word, but went on, never having been Grammar King. "And I assume Guna -- ...Barret, will be quite the one to hold back. Keep this in mind, though, Strife." He said the next line with all seriousness. "Should he attack me, I will not hold back."
"I wouldn't expect you to." Cloud responded. "Tifa can calm him down really well though, and as long as you don't call her "juggs" or something, she will understand you had your reasons for doing what you did." He rolled his glowing eyes about the gun armed man "Barret has never been level headed. Just remember he has a little girl, so try to watch it around her?"
Reno smiled to himself. As the records showed, his own first word had been asshole. "Yeah, I remember her. Tseng let her go in exchange for..." He stopped himself. Even he was decent enough not to go there. "...Yeah, I know what you mean."
Reno glanced back into the mass of sleeping forms, and hear nothing but the tired breathing from them. He then turned back around and kicked open the glove box. Opening the wallet that was unwisely stuck there, he swiped the gil, opened the window, and threw it out. "So...I've gotta ask..." He gave him an apologetic, serious look. "...What did Hojo do?"
Cloud closed his eyes, then stared out at the road. "Whatever he wanted to." came the monotone response. "Penderfaust was worse then Hojo. He was the one who convinced Hojo to stop using anesthetics..."
The redhead looked away from him, out the window. He'd figured as much, due to the fact Cloud had the attitude he did, but it felt like something that needed to be asked. "It's funny..." This voice was not his own, but the words were. "Everything I'm taught says they always have a dark, hidden side to the story... So I used to wonder why Hojo was so public." There was a play-like beat. "Now I know.
"They only made the good things public Reno. They told you little things, let your imagination do the walking for you to keep you in line. However, you have humanity, and you couldn't even dream of what Penderfaust is capable of. If they get a chance, they will use him to keep you in line. That is what I would worry about, not some spoilt rich brat who never had a hard night in his life."
And Cloud was right. His perspective on the situation had just been jostled sufficiently. He'd thought the new Turks were their biggest problem, maybe even manipulation by the Jascoes, but now he knew that Panderfaust knew everything Hojo did. And did even more than that. "Slimy fucks," he spat. There was some sense of sympathy for the man next to him. "Always looking to earn more fear, aren't they?"
Cloud growled. "When I see that fuck, I'll show him something to be afraid of."
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