I Tried - Chapter 6

BEAT YOU DOWN, SMOKE YOU HIGH

Reno backed up, looking at the group of people surrounding him. "Bronx, what the hell is this?" Over his shoulder he could see backing up any further wasn't a very good idea either. He was surrounded; there was no counting all of these people.

"Initiation, Wolf. Let's see if those martial arts do any good inna real fight." Bronx himself wasn't visible anymore, his voice floated over the group. "Don't kill the kid, guys." It could have been a statement made in jest; it certainly didn't sound like it was.

Reno rushed forward, lowering his elbow and breaking loose the seventh circle of hell. His shoulder connected with someone's ribcage at the same time he side-kicked to the left, throwing another person back. He took a fist in the right side of his face and fell, spinning to kick in the direction he thought the punch had come from. By the time he rolled back to his feet his arm and mouth were bleeding. Someone in this rabble had a chain on them.

People were so close to him that he stepped on toes when he moved. It was a melee, Reno had been in fights before, only one on one, two on one at the most. Here was something unlike anything he had known before; he blocked one person and another would hit him. There was no way to focus on just one or even two people when a mob was coming at him. His training was engraved, but fifteen minutes into that insanity, he forgot most of it and just tried to stay alive.

The chain came down again, across his shoulders. It smacked against his side and chest two more times before he grabbed it. The other blows stopped the moment he grabbed the chain. A circle formed again, an older member of fallen was left in the center of it, holding the other end of the chain. The man jerked backwards, Reno was shocked, he got pulled forward, his feet sliding on the sweat soaked grit of the alley.

Reno held on; he hurt, but he held on. Foolish pride took over where sanity would have let go. Widening his stance gave him purchase on the alley. Then Reno wrapped the chain around his upper arm and yanked back. The other person looked shocked for a second, before getting a better grip himself. The two stood there, with the old chain cutting into their skin. Reno's arms began to shake, he could feel it pulling his skin loose; blood dripped from his forearm.

"Yer a tough 'lil shit, ain't ya?" The man reached forward, stretching to grasp the longest length of the chain and yanked back, pulling the lighter Reno off his feet. Once again the group crowded around him. That is all Reno remembered.

Water- if the muck they had in the slums could be called that- hit Reno in the face. He tried to stand up, but one of his eyes was swollen shut, and he couldn't seem to center himself. His head swam. Panicky and unwelcome, a feeling of helplessness washed over him. Where was he? Who was with him? Even when his eyes opened, his vision blurred from the dirty water.

"Wolf? Kid, it's me." Viper, it was Viper, that meant he was alright.

Reno relaxed, taking a deep breath and rubbing his eyes. True to his voice, the older boy was kneeling in front of him. He almost laughed at himself for being afraid. "Shit, what... How long have I been out?"

Viper held a joint up in front of Reno. "Ehh, just about ten minutes if that. You really held up good, man." After Reno accepted the joint, Viper lit one of his own. "A shit ton better then I did. Hell, I never seen nobody last a whole twenty five minutes. You can take a fucking beating."

"I prefer ta give the beatings." Reno grumbled, lighting the joint. "Where da fuck am I?"

"Secta Four, abandoned house, bedroom." Viper snickered. "You ready? Then we can get ta the hideout. Ya can stand right?" Viper stood and offered Reno his hand.

"I stand fine." Reno stood up with a grunt, but not taking Viper's hand.

The two boys walked down the stairs, to see Bronx waiting in the kitchen. Viper hopped down to the floor and leaned against the wall. Reno was less enthusiastic about the staircase and limped down the last few. Bronx had a pleased look on his face. "You got up fast."

"So they tell me." Reno took a longer hit of the jay then he needed to, but it was doing such a good job of numbing the pain in his body.

Bronx laughed again and turned, handing Reno a bright red bandanna, the symbol of Fallen's regular members. The boy looked up at the caramel toned man and took the bandanna slowly. Reno knew there was no going back if he took that bandanna, but he didn't think that he had a choice. He tied it around his left bicep, earning another grunt of pain from his body.

"Now, let's go enjoy that stash huh boys?" Bronx led the way back out to the halogen lit alleys of Midgar city. Viper followed his leader, lighting another joint. Reno threw his to the ground, smearing it with his boot. He knew these guys would look out for him, that they were his friends, but somehow, he really didn't feel like celebrating as he limped after Viper.

The plate's version of sunlight woke Reno, he groaned and blinked awake. At first all that he was aware of was a pain throughout his entire back. Then he suddenly noticed that he had no clue where the hell he was. He also noticed a girl was asleep on his chest, a few more minutes went by before Reno finally realized the most crucial thing of the moment, where the hell are my clothes!?. The girl on his chest mumbled about still being tired as he pushed her over to get out of the bed. Reno looked at her as she too, sat up. "Hello." He grinned. "Pardon me, but we seem to have lost our pants."

"I think that yours are on that lamp. But uhm, have you seen a skirt?" She was pretty enough, about fourteen at Reno's best guess. When she looked under the bed he noticed track marks along the back of her thighs. "And my bag? AH!" She pulled out a needle and a belt-like rope. After tying off her leg she shot up into her inner thigh. "You want a hit?"

Reno wasn't big on needles, he didn't like the idea of injections at all. That didn't stop him from doing just about anything that wasn't in a syringe. He quirked up his scarred face. "Isn't that risky?" Reno asked as he pulled on his pants.

Her pupils dilated, a small smile spreading on her face. It took a moment before she realized that Reno had spoken. "Eh, we already shared body fluid." She put the rope and needle away and stretched out, not bothering to get dressed. "I'm Karen, they call me Sweets, by the way. You are?"

"Wolf," Reno succeeded in finding his shirt, and was now looking for his hoodie.

Sweets made a "hmph" noise and started looking around the room for her own clothing. "Your real name. I know your the Red Wolf. Toss me that bra kid?"

Reno tossed her the garment and then pulled his hoodie out from under a chair. Slipping it on he flashed Sweets his soon to be trademark grin. "I don't know you that well, babe." and he walked out.

He made his way down hallways that he didn't recognize, all he could put together was that it was an old warehouse of some sort. The walls were cracking and a few pipes were leaking. He looked up when he heard a train pass over head. The lights flickered. Once again, another building with power only because it was attached to a support pillar. He growled and patted at his itchy, sore back. What did I do last night?

He found Viper laying on a broken table downstairs, asleep. Reno sat on the edge of the table and poked Viper on the head. "Hey, you know what time it is?" Viper didn't move. Reno rolled his eyes and grabbed Viper's lighter from his hand.

Reno looked around this floor as he fished for his cigarettes. He had been mistaken when he thought it was a warehouse. This appeared to be a gutted office of some sort. It was a slick setup, he had to admit. The red head would need help to be able to get home; Viper needed to wake up. Reno at last located his smokes and stood, then he kicked the other boy off the table.

"Whafuck?!" Viper yipped as he flopped unceremoniously on the stained floor. He stared owlishly up at a smirking Reno. "Well, well, if it isn't the lady's man. I know how your night's been. Why da fuck'd you wake me?"

"What time is it? Where da hell am I?" Reno sat on the table now that it was vacant. "an' what for the love of Holy happened last night?" He rolled his shoulders. "My back's kill'n me."

Viper tried to snatch his lighter from the red head, Reno lifted his arm up, causing Viper to flop back to the floor again. The young man picked himself up, just peering over the table top. He held out his hand for the lighter. "Sweets didn't go easy on ya?"

Reno released the lighter and in the same motion flipped Viper the bird. He fished his cigarettes back out of his cargo pants' pocket and handed one to Viper. He then pointed to the one in his mouth that was still un-lit, silently requesting use of the lighter.

Viper handed over the lighter, in exchange for a cigarette. "Dis here is Fallen's Lair. It's da base of operation to the gang. You do remember being initiated right?" He sat next to Reno on the table.

Reno thought he should be much more sore then he was given the night he had. He had never blacked out like that before. He had those, "Where the hell?" moments, but they always cleared in a few moments. This was something completely different, he seriously lost track of time. It was a nice feeling, in a way, removing some of the guilt from his actions. "Yeah and I kinda 'member coming here. Dat nice a party huh?"

"I'll say, got damn beauty of one. Bronx was so happy you kept the bag that he about jizzed himself, man. Well, we had, what three blunts a piece? On da way here, an' den Sweets an her whore core alls want ta say 'hi'." He winked and elbowed Reno in the ribs. "How's dat for a recap?"

Reno flinched holding his sore ribcage. The memory of getting the crap beaten out of him flashed in his mind. He really joined Fallen. He wasn't as upset with himself as he thought he should be. He regarded Viper again. "It'll do for the bridged edition." He stretched his arms above his head and winced. "But what time is it?"

"Bridged wha-" Viper scratched his tattoo. "What day is it? Now dat's the question." They started to look around to the other passed out bodies. "Find Tex, he has a watch."

Tex had somehow managed to fall asleep in a bathtub. "Tex wake the fuck up ya red neck!"

The shaggy blond headed young man pulled his hat over his eyes. He grumbled something about taking the hay out later and fell right back to sleep.

Viper met Reno's eyes, and then watched the red head turn to look at the water spout. Viper laughed lowly. "Wolf'll turn the water on ya."

That got a response. "Whaddya'll want? Can't cha see a man's try'n ta sleep?"

"What time is it?" Reno asked

"And what day?" echoed Viper

Growling at the younger boys Tex took a pocket watch out of his pants. "You turn that water on Wolf an I'll make the beating ya got da other night look like a massage." He tried to focus on the watch. "It is 11:45 in the morning," Tex stressed, "on a Sunday. Good freek'n night!" He rolled over and passed back out.

"Sunday!" Reno put his hand on his head. "I gotta be in Sector Five in fifteen minutes! What happened to Thursday through Saturday? Mar's gonna really kill me dis time."

Reno reached the gym in Sector Five at 11:52, he was panting as he swung the door open. Mariah wasn't in yet- she wasn't usually late- and that worried Reno. He looked around the locker rooms and still found no sign of her. This gym was always open, but it was never busy before four on Sundays. By the time he was done looking, it was 12:10 and he was about to run home. Mariah at last walked in the door. "Mar? Where ya been? I was gett'n kinda worried."

Her gray eyes narrowed on Reno. She looked like she hadn't slept in days. She had been losing weight for some time, but today she looked almost skeletal. "Do not even talk to me about being worried! Where the fuck have you been for the past three and a half days!" The outburst drained her and she slumped against the wall. "Holy and the Black Days, Reno. Why do you do this to me?"

Reno moved to steady her. "You okay? Mar? I- uhm." How was he supposed to tell her that? Both her and Padre had expressly told him never to get involved with a gang if he wanted to live past twenty. He let Mariah lean against the wall. "I joined Fallen." Reno looked down at his shoes, Mariah made him feel like he was still five sometimes.

"What?" She pushed him back and stared into his face. "Why? Reno- Holy, You really do want to get yourself killed."

Hurt crossed Reno's face when Mariah pushed him away. He worked his mouth in an effort to explain to her. "No, no I don't. I don't want to see you or Padre starve to death. That's why. Look at yourself, Mar. You are sick. Admit it. I can't keep up with the ShinRa raise in taxes. So I accepted the bid for more money."

"We make do, Reno. That's not it and I damn well know that." Mariah stood herself, ignoring the help that Reno tried to offer. "Why don't you ever let us all the way in Reno, why? There has to be something else."

Reno nodded. "Yeah there is, I am tired of running from the Don's fucking scum bags. I am sick of cat calls when I walk down the alleys. I want some respect."

Mariah scowled at the red bandanna she just noticed on Reno's arm. "Respect won't do you any good when you are dead Reno."

"It does me fine right now." He was getting overly defensive, he knew he was wrong. It was just a matter of saying so and he wouldn't. He turned away from her, taking the bandanna off and sliding it in his pocket. "Let's just work out, we aren't going to agree." He slid out of his shirt.

Mariah summoned up some energy to retort, then put her hand over her mouth when she saw his back. "Reno! That's a HUGE tattoo!"

"Wha??" The boy turned around as if that would allow him to see his back. Well, at least now the itching made sense.