Kai: (cries) Time to do the last chapter!
Reno: (mocking Kai) Oh, I'm so heartbroken!
Kai: (sweatdrops) I'm sure you are, Reno.
Cloud: Can we just get on with this already?
Kai: (smacks Cloud) I'll start when I'm good and ready, Chocobo-head.
Cloud: (falls over anime style) You've been hangin' around Reno too much
Kai: (grins and huggles Reno) You can never hang around Reno too much, what are you talking about?
Elena: Trust me, you can hang around him too much, Kai-chan.
Kai: Shut up, you're supposed to be dead.
Elena: (sweatdrops) Kai doesn't own FF7, please Read and Review!
Kai: (smiles) But I do have a nifty Shin-Ra id card!
11111111111111
Vincent yawned as the smell of burnt bacon and eggs threatened to rouse him out of his peaceful slumber. Turning over, the ex-Turk thought about leaving his nice warm covers to get up when a little girl ran into his room and jumped on his bed. "Vincent, Tifa said you have to get up and eat breakfast!" the girl said nudging Vincent.
"Oh, did the smoke alarm go off, Marlene?" Vincent joked, as he pushed back the covers and put on his trademark red cloak. Marlene smiled as Vincent picked her up and walked into the kitchen to find Tifa putting some food on a plate.
"Good morning, Vincent!" Tifa greeted as the ex-Turk sat Marlene down in one of the chairs at the bar before seating himself. "How are you this morning?" Tifa handed him the plate of food before serving Marlene.
Vincent eyed the plate of food with idle curiosity as if he were trying to figure out whether or not the food was edible or not. "I see you've been cooking, Tifa," he replied poking at the food with his fork.
Tifa glared at the man as she scooped up more food onto another plate. "And just what is that suppose to mean?" he questioned as she walked towards the room Reno was in. "Maybe our other resident Turk will be a little more appreciative." Tifa entered the room expecting to find Reno sound asleep just the way she had left him the night before, but instead she found a crumpled up piece of paper and blood covered sheets.
Vincent looked up from the plate of burnt offering just in time to see Tifa enter the room again, clutching the note in her right hand. "Reno not hungry?" he questioned before he caught sight of the paper. "What's that?"
Tifa sighed as she handed Vincent the note. "All it says is thank you and good bye," she answered, "I'm worried."
"He couldn't even walk by himself let alone try to defend himself," Yuffie remarked reading over Vincent's shoulder. "What the hell was he thinking?"
"He was thinking like a Turk," Vincent muttered, "You don't take handouts and keep your emotions hidden."
Yuffie jumped at the sound of the ex-Turk's voice. "You really have to stop sneaking up on people, Vinny," she exclaimed. "Since when are you the expert on the matter?"
"Once a Turk, always a Turk."
111111111111111111
Reno whimpered as he turned the corner and entered the crowed streets of Midgar, His side was in pain and his head was a fiery blaze causing his vision to swim every once and awhile. "Elena, please forgive me," he mumbled in between ragged breaths. Reno was so focused on staying on his own two feet and getting to his destination that he didn't even notice the figure coming up behind him.
Cid placed a hand on the red head's shoulder causing Reno to spin around nearly falling on his face. What the hell happened to you, Reno?" he questioned holding the barely conscious Turk on his feet. "You look like shit."
Reno glanced over at the old man as he shook his head to try and regain his vision. "I don't need your help," he spat trying to push Cid away only to end up almost on the ground once again if it wasn't for the pilot grabbing him at the last minute.
"Why don't you head back to Tifa's bar?" Cid suggested trying to steer Reno back in the direction in which he had just come from. "Or at least go back to Shin-Ra."
"Leave me alone!" Reno shouted squirming out of Cid's grasp and taking off in the other direction.
"Damnit Reno, don't be an idiot" Cid called after him, but in vain since the young Turk was already well out of ear shot. Sighing, Cid pulled out his PHS and dialed Tifa's number. "I found Reno."
1111111111111
Rufus stared up at the front door looking at the sign that read Tifa's 7th Heaven. He had tracked Reno to that place due to some creative information retrieval that he had Rude do for him and based on the information he got, it sounded like the young Turk had gotten himself into quite a mess as usual.
"Reno had better be here," Rude commented, throwing the scruffy man on the door step to the bar.
"I swear it…" the man's voice trailed off by a well placed bullet hole in the head by Rufus's gun.
"Pathetic," Rufus noted stepping over the dead body as he entered the bar with Rude fallowing close behind with his gun in hand.
"I don't get it, why would Reno be here, Boss?" Rude asked looking around, for the slums this place didn't look to bad.
"He knows people here," Rufus replied, as he entered one of the side rooms to find blood stained bed sheets and a set of goggles. "Good to know he was here."
"What do you think you're doing here?" a voice yelled from behind Rufus and Rude.
Rufus didn't bothering turning around, he was already well aware of the headstrong blonde haired man behind him.
Rude turned around, knowing there was most likely a big ass sword pointing in his president's direction. "Did you do this, Cloud?" he asked finally turning around to glare at Cloud.
"Get out!" Cloud yelled, as Rude cocked his gun and aimed it at the swordsman's head.
"Answer my question."
"He isn't here, Rufus," a female's voice answered, as the figures of Tifa, Yuffie and Vincent appeared in the doorway of the tiny room. "He was badly injured and I merely took care of him."
Rude turned to face the girl as he lowered his weapon. "If he came here, then where is he?" he inquired.
"He took off like an idiot," Yuffie piped in earning herself a glare.
"Cid spotted Reno heading towards an abandon house on the outside of town," Vincent replied, eyeing Rufus with weary eyes.
"Why bother telling someone that doesn't care?" Cloud asked sheathing the sword. "You're wasting your breathe."
"Don't question my motives," Rufus growled pushing past the mis-matched group. Rude followed suit nodding a silent thanks as he pasted Vincent and Tifa before the two Turks took their leave.
Cloud sighed as he glanced at the bloody body on Tifa's doorstep. "Damn Turks, always leaving their mess for someone else to clean up." he muttered.
"I have a bad feeling about this," Tifa muttered, as she and Vincent walked towards the door. "Vincent and I are going to go see if we can find Reno."
"Do what you want," Cloud mumbled watching them leave.
11111111111111111
Reno entered the building only managing to make it a few steps before stumbling to the floor. "Please forgive me," he mumbled huddling over a dark red stain on the floor. She had protected her, but still he wasn't able to save her when it came down to it. He felt utterly useless as tears began to run down his face. "Maybe I should have just let Tseng kill me," so lost in thought that Reno hadn't heard the familiar cocking of a gun until the shot rang out and a cry of pain shattered the peaceful silence of the house.
"Coming to pay your respects, Reno?" a figure inquired as the hand that held the still smoking firearm slowly lowered it to the side. "Don't you think it's a little late for that you murdering son of a bitch!"
Reno whimpered as he clutched onto his bleeding leg, innocent mako colored eyes glanced upward to see Tseng standing over him with a sadistic smirk on his face. "Tseng, I'm sorry," he cried, "I really tried to help her."
Tseng bent down to Reno's level and grabbed a hold of his chin while pressing the gun to Reno's temple. "Your sorry, Reno?" he repeated, as Reno tried to scoot away from him. "Well, it doesn't matter because now you're going to pay for your sin with blood."
Reno cringed as Tseng pulled back the hammer on his gun. "Go ahead, pull the trigger," he stated, "If you think killing me will make you feel better, then go for it."
"Kill you?" Tseng questioned laughing as if playing with Reno's life was a game. "As if you should be so lucky, Reno." Tseng raised the butt of his gun and struck Reno in the head, nearly knocking the other Turk out. Growling as he watched Reno spit blood, he found mako colored eyes staring straight up at him begging for death. "I'll make you suffer," Tseng kicked Reno again this time in the side reopening his wound letting Reno's blood mix with Elena's. "Like her," Raising his foot again he threatened to strike "Then I'll send your bloodied corpse back to hell where it belongs with the guilt of an innocent women's death."
"That's enough, Tseng!" a voice shouted, as two figures appeared from the shadows.
"And if I refuse?" Tseng questioned kicking Reno in the side again, causing him to cough up a large amount of blood.
Rufus glared at the black haired man, any respect he had ever held for Tseng had now disappeared as he raised his gun. "I wasn't suggesting it, Tseng," he growled eyeing Reno, who was lying on the floor whimpering. "It was an order."
"You're blind, Rufus," Tseng accused, his eyes darting from Reno to his boss, "Why do you insist on protecting him when he's the reason Elena's dead!"
Rufus smirked as he cocked his gun. "I guess good help is hard to find these days," he answered as two shots rang out in the room. Reno closed his eyes instinctively as he let out strangled cry as a bullet lodged itself deep in his arm. "Do it again Tseng, and I won't miss," Rufus glared; as he noticed Tseng switch hands to keep his injured arm from making him drop his weapon.
Tseng gave Rufus an eerie smirk as if he had totally lost it. "Game over," he announced aiming the gun at Reno's head and prepared to shoot. "Nighty night, Reno," and with that one more gun shot pierced through the silence and blood spewed from Tseng's mouth as he fell to the ground. "You bastard," he muttered before entering the after life.
Reno opened his eyes and watched in horror as blood began to pool around his body from Tseng's wounds. "You killed him," he muttered glancing up a Rufus as the world seemed to spin around him. "You just killed him."
"Would you rather have had it be you instead, Reno?" Rufus questioned as he and Rude walked over and knelt down beside him. "It doesn't matter anyways, he was no longer useful."
"But it's my fault!" Reno protested, as Rufus brought him into a sitting position so he could check his wounds. "You should have just let him kill…" Reno was cut off by Rufus grabbing a hold of his injured arm and applying pressure to it.
"Shut up Reno," Rufus stated calmly as he stared at the whimpering red head, that was using him to support his weight, "Elena gave up her life to save you, so maybe you should start acting grateful for it."
"What and odd thing coming from you, Rufus," a voice stated as two new figures walked into the dim light of the room, Rude and Rufus looked up to see Tifa and Vincent walking towards them. "I never pegged you as the philosophical one."
"Yes, well I'd love to say and chat, but I've got more important things to deal with at the moment," Rufus remarked, as he motioned for Rude to pick up Tseng's dead body, "if you'll excuse us," Rufus moved to pick up Reno's tattered body which proved to be quite a challenge with Reno squirming around. "Stop fighting me, you're only going to make it worse!"
"H-how d-o you kn-know that's n-not wh-what I w-want?" Reno stuttered, as he tried to put together a coherent sentence.
"Shut up Reno," Rufus growled, picking Reno off the ground and walked towards the door with Rude following close behind leaving Tifa and Vincent behind in the blood stained room.
Reno whimpered as Rufus put him in the back seat of the black car. "Go to sleep, Reno," he said shutting the door.
Reno sighed to himself as he felt his eyelids begin to droop. Maybe sleep wasn't such a bad idea, he though to himself as he allowed his eyes to close.
"Boss, what should I do with Tseng?" Rude asked.
"Throw him in the trunk."
11111111111111111111111111111
Reno groaned as he slowly came to. "Where am I?" he pondered out loud glancing around the dimly lit room.
"Well look who decided to rise and shine," Rude announced, as he walked into the half lit hospital room on one of the many floors of the Shin-Ra building- "How are you feeling?"
Reno's drowsy eyes wondered over to the door where he found rude standing near the entry way. "Like shit," he replied, though the words were slightly slurred. "What do you think you're doing eating that half way decent food in front of me?"
"Yah, well when you sick of the food enough to get out of that bed, boss wants to chew your ass," Rude remarked allowing a rare smirk to cross his face before he corrected himself, "I mean, he wants to have a word with you."
Reno smirked. "I'm sure Rufus does," he agreed trying to prop himself up in the bed, but failing horribly when pain shot through his side. "Well, I guess he'll have to wait awhile longer," Reno cringed, as Rude threw the core of the apple away.
"You know, they had you so drugged up you couldn't even remember your own name." Rude noted walking over to the bedside to sit down in one of the chairs. "Boss found it rather amusing."
"He would too," Reno groaned. "Oh great, I'm never going to hear the end of my drugged stupor now." Reno covered his face with a blanket and nearly gagging on the sterile smell. "Did I mention how much I hate being cooped up in this place?"
"All the more reason to focus on getting better," Rude replied getting up to leave. "Get some rest, Reno."
Reno sighed as he stared at the door for a long while after Rude had left. What a sad disarray I'm in, He thought to himself as his mind drifted to Elena and Tseng.
1111111111111111
"Sweet freedom!" Reno cheered as he walked out of his room.
"Well, if it isn't Mr. Reno," A nurse stated as she stopped to talk the red head walking down the hall. "Good to see you up and about."
Reno smiled as checked out the young nurse. "You have no idea," he replied flashing a devious smirk. "So, you doing anything later?"
"I'm sorry, I only go out with people who make themselves look half way presentable," she remarked giggling as she pointed to the young Turk's hair, "that's some bed head you have going there, Mr. Reno."
Reno raised an eyebrow. "BED HEAD?" He screeched, rushing to find the nearest mirror he could. Reno stared in the reflecting object, his hair was a mess, it stuck out everywhere, not to mention he could feel a bald spot beginning to form. "I can't believe this...of all the..."
Rude walked into the main entrance of the Shin-Ra medical building just in time to hear the loud, obnoxious voice of his partner screaming about lord knows what
"I JUST CAN"T BELIEVE THIS!" Reno yelled in distress as he stood looking into the mirror that the nurse had given him
"What is wrong?" Rude stated, wondering what could cause Reno to be so upset. "And here I though you'd be happy to get out of here."
"Your friend just discovered what two weeks in bed can do to your hair." The nurse holding the mirror stated, trying to hold back tears of laughter while Reno sent a glare in bother of their directions
"That's it?" Rude inquired looking at Reno. "Come on Reno, its juts hair, you look fine.
Reno turned to his partner with a pout spread across his face. "That's easy for you to say Rude, you don't have hair," he remarked, attempting to brush through the tangled red locks with his finger
Rude simply smiled. "One of the joys of being bald, I don't have to worry about that kind of stuff," he replied ushering Reno down the hallway towards the door. "Now come on Reno, boss wants to see you."
11111111111111111
Reno let out a loud sigh as he pulled back his unruly hair into the usual ponytail. "Man it feels good to be out of that stuffy room!" he declared as he walked along side Rude towards the Shin-Ra building.
"You still going to be saying that when Rufus chews your ass, Reno?" Rude questioned glancing over at the young Turk, who was grinning from ear to ear.
Reno laughed. "Anything's better then lying around being bored as hell, yo" he answered running his fingers through his hair again, it was a nervous habit of Reno's and Rude knew it. "Well, might as well go face the music," the two Turks stared up at the massive Shin-Ra building before strolling through the double doors. And so started the long walk up to the 69th floor where Rufus's office was.
1111111111111111111111
"Man, I'd forgotten how many flights of stairs this was," Reno complained as they trudged up the last flight of stairs to Rufus's office. "Here I thought I was supposed to take it easy, Rude."
Rude gave his partner an odd look from underneath his shades. "Don't look at me Reno, I'm not carrying your ass all the way up these stairs," he replied. "What happened to anything's better then lying bored as hell?"
Reno glared as Rude knocked on the door to Rufus's office. "Why don't you bite me, yo," he muttered as he mentally prepared himself for what awaited him.
"Enter," a voice stated from the other side of the door and Rude took it as a cue to open the door and walk in, while Reno stayed back in the shadows of what he considered safety. "I said enter, Reno."
"I'm finding it a little safer out here, thank you sir," Reno replied, shrinking back further towards the door.
"What do you think I'm going to do Reno?" Rufus inquired, his voice held a hint of amusement. "Bite you?"
"W-well, you never can be to sure," Reno replied hesitantly as he stood frozen while his boss strode across the floor over to him. Finally getting up the courage to glance upward, Reno found himself face to face with the blonde hair man, who was gazing at him with a peculiar look on his face. "Um…hi boss," Reno fiddled with his hair as he fought with the urge to run as fast as he could out of that room.
Rufus smirked at the over reacting Turk. "Reno, look behind you," he stated trying to save the red head from utter humiliation, but in vain because at the very moment the spooked Reno happened to trip over one of the potted plants in Rufus's office.
Reno let out a yelp as he rubbed his head. "A plant, a fucking plant!" he yelled as he stood up and tried to scrape up his remaining pride.
"Are you quite finished?" Rufus stated as he walked back into his office.
"Yeah..." Reno muttered, lowering his head only slightly as he followed Rufus into his office.
Rufus tapped his pen impatiently as he waited for the two Turks to take their seats before him. "You ran from your post, almost got yourself killed and to top it off you made me waste my valuable time to come save your ass," he began sending a glare in the red head's direction, "as punishment for wasting my time you are to clean the entire Shin-Ra building from top to bottom."
Reno's eyes widened. "You're joking, right boss?" he questioned standing up.
Rufus stared straight at the red head. "Do I look like I'm joking, Reno?" he asked. "Oh and you will do it without anyone's help."
"Shit," Reno growled under his breath, "this sucks, yo."
"What was that?" Rufus questioned, raising an eyebrow to the coarse language that his subordinate had uttered.
"Nothing boss," Reno stated quickly, flashing Rufus a lop sided grin before getting up to leave.
"Elena and Tseng are buried in the cemetery in the forgotten capital."
Reno stopped for a moment. "Thanks," he muttered as he left the office entry.
1111111111111
Rude watched as his partner walked through the steal gates of the grave yard with a bunch of oddly arranged flowers. Walking past several graves, each decorated in an odd fashion befitting its inhabitants. He walked down several rows before turning to face two newly placed head stones which read "Elena age 17." the next read "Tseng age 32"
Reno bent down, gently placing the odd bouquet of flower on the graves. "Sorry they aren't any better guys." he muttered, his voice holding with in it a depressive tone.
"That melancholy attitude really doesn't suit you," a voice echoed be side him, causing Reno to nearly jump out of his skin.
"Who's there?" Reno asked instinctively as he turned to face a ghost of a person.
"What, no hello or shut up you're annoying me Rookie, my you have gone down the drain in my absence" the voice chimed smiling.
Reno blinked as he came face to face with his blonde haired friend. "I was covered in your blood, I watched you die," he mumbled looking at Elena's ghostly form. "You can't be here, you're dead, stop fucking with my head."
Elena rolled her eyes. "Even when I'm dead I can't get a word in edge wise with you," she stated walking up to Reno.
"Shut up Rookie!" Reno yelled glaring at the women before him.
Elena smiled, under normal circumstances she would be furious with Reno for calling her that, but this time it was different. "Now there's the Reno I love to hate," he replied smiling sadly as she wrap Reno in a hug.
Reno blinked as Elena released herself from the embrace, even if she was a ghost that sure felt real enough. "I'm sorry, Laney," he said casting his eyes downward unable to look the fellow Turk in the face.
Elena shook her head as she grabbed of Reno's chin, forcing him to look her in the eyes. "I gave my life to save you and replay me with a bunch of lousy, wilted flowers," she explained as Reno stared down at the flowers, they were sad, he'd picked them on the way there. "It wasn't your fault, so stop blaming yourself and get over it," Elena sighed as she bent down, rubbing her hands on her grave stone. Reno's answer was to turn his head away, not wanting to look at her. "Tseng was wrong to blame you." Elena walked around to face Reno.
"But you're dead, if I had..." Reno was stopped by a harsh glare.
"It is what it is Reno, since given the same circumstances I'd probably end up saving your sorry ass again," Reno slowly looked up to the women before him. "You really are helpless without someone around." Elena smiled. "I feel sorry for Rude, having such a mope for a partner, the guy must never get a moment to him self."
"I'm not helpless." Reno stated sticking out his tongue.
"You are helpless, but that's okay, just don't let what happened that day turn you into the boss." Elena smiled giggling at the thought of Reno sitting in an office chair pushing papers all day and grumbling about useless help he had hired.
"Me, be the boss?" Reno questioned. "No way, that mans a stiff."
"That's not funny Reno." Elena sent a glare towards him.
"Um, wait, no I was talking about Boss-boss." Reno backed off not wanting to endure the wrath of a ghost.
"Sure you were." Elena folded her hands, as she tapped her foot on the ground.
Reno sighed as he looked around, he wondered if anyone else could see Elena or if he was just that out of it that he had been talking to himself for the past few minutes.
"Reno don't blame his death on you either, Tseng was just blowing off steam."
Reno pondered that thought. "Steam, maybe you should tell him to blow off steam where he can't hurt me" he remarked
"You mean like coming back and talking things out instead of trying to put a bullet in your skull?" Elena questioned. "That's just what we need, to egotistical men talking aloud to them selves in the middle of a grave yard."
"Very funny," Reno stated as he dug around in his pocket for a lighter and cigarette.
"Smoking is bad for your health, if you die of something lame like lung cancer I'll never forgive you." Elena stated, as her body and voice began to dim. Reno chuckled, as he lit his smoke in his mouth.
"You look a bit pale, you feeling okay?" Rude stated as he made his way over to Reno careful not to step on any of the grave plots.
"Just talking to a friend," Reno stated looking down at the grave. "Who happened to have a problem with the flowers I chose to bring her."
"Good to see you're getting back to your old self," Rude replied, giving Reno a funny look.
11111111111111111
Kai: (eyes widen) wholly crap and after 17 pages and 4,411 words I'm finally done with the chapter!
Reno: And done with the story hopefully.
Kai: (glares) You better be nice or I'll let Hojo play with you.
Reno: (Hides behind Rufus) Anything but that Kai, I'll be good!
Kai: I hope you all enjoyed my first try at ff7 story and a break from my usual plot line! And if you press that little purple button it'll make me even happier! Till next time JA NE!
All: (waves)