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Furious Angels
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Chapter 6
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Splitting up. Fanning out. Rude, left. Elena, right. Tseng, right down the middle.
All exits covered.
No escape.
A nod from Tseng to Elena. A nod from Elena to him. A nod from him to Tseng.
"Move out."
Beginning to walk. One foot in front of the other, then that foot in front of the first. Wanting to lower his head, wanting to watch his feet to make sure they kept going, wanting to run out of that Reactor. But not. Eyes up, looking around, aware of every single movement, every single sound.
Wanting to see Reno before Reno saw him. Wanting to see Reno, period. Wanting to never see him again.
Automatic doors, sliding open with the touch of a button. Another door, another button. A third pair.
An elevator. Going down. Doors, sliding open again.
Ding. You've arrived.
Reno?
No one there. Safe.
For who?
Heading out, gun clammy in his hand, even though his gloves. Holding it tighter, as if that would help. As if that would make a difference. Gazing about. No movement anywhere, except the pulsating mako below. Stairs, to one side, a mini-reactor in front of him. Checking it. Nothing.
Heading down. Wishing he'd stopped Reno, for the five-hundred forty-eight thousand, two hundred and first time. Then immediately, again, for the five-hundred forty-eight thousand, two hundred and second time. Then a third. A fourth.
One for each step.
Hiss of mako-gas around him. Unnatural warmth. Glowing in the dark, no need for lights. Cold brilliance.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs. Stepping down onto the solid mako. Slippery, beneath his feet.
Looking up. No movement. Looking down. No movement.
Wishing he'd find Reno. Wishing he wouldn't. Listening for gunshots, echoing from above.
None came.
Turning, heading for the only door left. Check there, and then, back up to meet Tseng and Elena. Check there, and if he didn't see Reno, Reno was already dead.
Who'd kill him? Elena? Tseng?
Maybe he'd kill them.
Which was better? Which was worse? Watching him die? Not being there?
A hand on the door, the metal oddly warm. Slightly rusted. Slightly stuck. Pushing it open, quickly ducking aside, gun up, just in case.
Silence. Or at least, no unusual noises.
Peeking around the corner. Brightly lit control room. Empty. Lights, blinking across keyboards and screens. Chairs, pushed aside in a hurry. Chairs, empty.
All in working order.
Stepping inside, ready to hear distant gunshots at any moment. Examining the screens, idly. Not wanting to be out there to hear. Waiting for the phone in his pocket to vibrate, Tseng's voice in his ear telling him Reno was dead.
A minute. Two. Three.
A soft, hesitant footstep.
Click.
Immediately grabbing his gun. Flinging his arm out. Whirling around.
Staring down the barrel of his gun at the barrel of Reno's. Then, staring past them both, at a pair of green eyes that stared back at him.
A challenge.
Conversations, shot between each other. Wordless. Timeless. Understood, like thought.
Kill me.
You kill me.
You first.
You first.
Just do it! Kill me!
You kill me!
Bitch!
Bitch yourself, lover.
Gritting his teeth, knowing that those green eyes knew they held his through his shades. Arm, warm against Reno's, Reno's arm, warm against his. Just breathing, just listening to Reno breathe.
Frozen in time. Or wishing for it, at least.
Gunpoint.
Then, his phone, vibrating against his hip. Reno, twitching, then pretending he hadn't. Grinning.
Ring. Ring.
"Pick it up. They want you, man."
Reaching down with his free hand. Sliding the phone out of his pocket. Bringing it up for Reno to read.
"Tseng."
A nod.
A grin.
Hesitation.
A grin, fading. Softer. "Pick it up, man. They want you."
Picking it up.
A flash of disappointment?
Tseng. "Rude. Have you—"
An explosion against his ear as Reno's gun blew the phone out of his hand.
A maniacal grin.
Staring at Reno, dumbly, in shock.
"Now they know I'm here."
A shake of his head. "I could have lied."
"Really. Would you have?"
No answer. Impossible to tell, now.
Reno's arm, dropping to his side. Hesitation. Then his own arm, dropping too.
Looking at Reno now, seeing him for the first time in weeks. Skinner. Paler. Sunken cheeks. Unhealthy. Clothes, hanging far too loosely from his frame. Or maybe his frame, become far too small for his clothes. Not stylish anymore. Just plain disheveled.
But fierce as ever. A glow behind those eyes, something beyond mako. Something joyous. Free.
Challenge.
"So." His word, from Reno's lips. A gently teasing tone. "We've got four, maybe five minutes. Any fun ideas?"
Too many for words.
"Aw, come on." A hand, reaching up and brushing against his chin. "You haven't seen me for weeks and I don't even get a friendly slap on the back, or someshit?"
Helpless, frustrated silence.
"You know you missed me—" Reno's voice, cracking.
And then, Reno, in his arms. Him, in Reno's. Burying his face in Reno's hair, ignoring his gun falling to the floor. That familiar smaller body, even smaller than before, pressing into his.
Lips, meeting, innocently, for three and a half long seconds.
Looking down. Reno, looking up.
"Do I get a last wish…?" Reno's voice, in his ear.
His own voice. Distant. Far. "Always."
Reno's hand on his shoulder, pushing him slightly away. Reno's eyes, closing slowly. Reno's gun, pressed into his stomach.
One whispered word.
"Live."
Agony, exploding into him and out the other side. Falling over backwards, rolling over, clutching at his side where blood spurted out onto his suit. Looking up, desperate, pleading.
Reno, raising one bloody hand in goodbye.
Watching Tseng and Elena rush in through the door. Elena's eyes widening, Tseng shaking his head.
Reno, turning, slow-motion, hair whipping about his head. Bringing his gun up—
Too late.
Gunshot. Gunshot.
Half of Reno's head, splattering onto the screen behind him. Half of Reno's head, dripping down onto the keyboard.
Agony.
Then, just black.
Sweet, sweet black.