Chapter 25

"We've been waiting too long." Reno tossed a card onto the table, he despised playing cards, but Tseng and Rude seemed to enjoy the method of passing time. He sat back in his chair, looking at his watch again. Time certainly wasn't moving quickly for him. Despite Tseng's prediction that the rebels would be in Sector 6 by the end of the evening, the rebels had not come. It was now the following evening, and once again the Turks were sitting at a small table within Don Corneo's mansion, as special guests, of course, playing cards and waiting for any kind of signal from the captain of the command stationed at the entrance of Sector 6, which Reno was hoping would come through the two-way radio sitting silently on the table some time soon.

"Nonsense. They'll come. They have to, they've got nowhere else to go." Tseng threw a card down onto the table, smirking and taking a quick glance at the walkie-talkie. "Besides, we get to sit around and relax for a little while."

"Maybe I'm tired of sitting around." Reno stood up, walking to the door. "I'm going for a walk." He exited the room without a second glance to either of his fellow Turks and made his way down the ridiculously long corridor. He hated inactivity, but moreso when it was filled with something he hated. Recently he had felt uncomfortable around Tseng and Rude anyhow. Ever since he had picked up that damn picture. His hand went to his inside pocket again, feeling the picture safely nestled inside. He again had the urge to take it out and throw it away, to rip it to pieces and forget it existed. Forget she existed. His mind continued to play images in his head, of days past, where he and Aeris were happy, young and carefree. Back then he didn't have any blood on his hands, and he still felt worthy of her love. Back when he didn't feel so dirty.

"Ahhh, Reno, good to see you!"

Reno came out of his thoughts, turning his head up and inwardly flinching as he saw the Don walking towards him, a skimpily dressed woman on either arm. The Don had a smirk on his face, here was a man Reno truly detested. Though Reno often wondered whether he had the right to detest anyone, after the acts he had committed, but still, he had a right to his own preferences, after all. The Don was an overweight, aging womanizer. He lived to command those below him, have sex with those who took his fancy and suck up to those above him, who fuelled his power. That included ALIEN.

"Good evening." Reno said uninterestedly, preparing to walk past without any further conversation, but it seemed the Don was not finished.

"Wait! Reno! Why the rush to leave, my friend? Are you busy?" The Don smiled crudely, as if he had some kind of proposition for Reno. Although Reno didn't want to talk to the Don much, he knew if he could get anything out of the Don that was even slightly inclined to rebellious activity he could have him taken down. Reno would be proud to bring down such scum, for once.

"I felt like a walk. Do you need something?" Reno asked casually, folding his arms and eyeing the Don contemptuously. The Don looked slightly nervous but continued smiling, winking at Reno.

"Well, I happen to have a couple of fine girls here with me… but I'm not really in the mood for too much action tonight, even a man with my bedroom stamina sometimes needs a quiet night… if you wish to take one of these lovely ladies for yourself, I'm sure either can show you a good time."

Reno should have known this was what the Don had in mind. Unfortunately it was nothing that could bring him down, no, he was too smart, too wise to the political game by now to make such a stupid mistake. This was just another way of trying to get the Turks on his side. Reno didn't even have to think about his answer. Both girls were very attractive physically, the Don always picked the best looking girls, but any girl who would sleep with a man like the Don held no attraction to Reno. He found it hard to feel passionate about any other woman since he'd left Aeris… he had to consciously stop himself touching the photo, shaking his head and smiling at the girls.

"I'm sorry, I really just need a walk. Thanks for the offer though, maybe another time."

"I'll keep their details for you." The Don shrugged, turning round with the girls still clinging to him, giggling stupidly as he led the way down to his room at the end of the corridor. Reno doubted those girls knew how to do much else other than laugh and have sex. There certainly weren't many thoughts going on inside their heads. He continued to the end of the corridor and down a flight of steps. The receptionist, a tall, dark-skinned man in his early twenties, gave Reno a nod, barely looking up from the newspaper he was reading as Reno exited the mansion and entered Wall Market. A wave of sights and sounds and smells washed over Reno. He enjoyed coming to Wall Market, it reminded him of a long time ago, when he would come to the Market for his mother and purchase the weekly shopping. His mother was too scared to go to the market, even with Reno. Back then, before the Government had taken monsters as a serious threat, civilians in the slums were always in danger of being attacked. The route to Wall market, a small path that led behind the walls of Sector 7 and past the main gate that led into Sector 7, was notorious for monster-attacks, and very few walked the path alone or without weapons. Reno used to carry a small knife with him, but more than once ended up breaking a monster's neck with his bare hands, or if there were more than one simply running for his life. The monsters never came near the entrance to Wall market. They didn't like to stray near crowds of humans.

Reno put his hands into his pockets and strolled down a path, stalls and shops either side of him. He could smell a variety of foods, from fish to beef being cooked, cries from stall-makers rang around him, all offering items at low prices. He didn't glance at any of them, but hearing their attempts to do business made him smile regardless. It must be nice to be making money in such a simple and legit fashion. Looking up, Reno noticed a boy, no older than seventeen, with a furious look on his face, screaming and yelling at an older man with a very similar resemblance, perhaps his brother, the man was too young to be his father. Reno made sure he was embedded out of sight in the crowd before wandering a little closer to try and hear what was being said.

"Everyone knows ALIEN aren't doing the slums any favour!" The boy yelled at his supposed brother. "They don't care about us! They make promises to improve things, to make things better for us, but they waste all their money and time on wars, and the people on the top plate! The rich ones!"

Reno began moving closer, as the boy continued talking.

"You know what I think? I think now is the time to join those who are rebelling, we already know there are groups, ALIEN have admitted there are a faction that are on the loose right now! "

"You're talking crazy. You'd better shut your mouth or you'll get yourself in big trouble." The older man said, shaking his head with distain.

"I don't care! I'll find the group and then I'll-"

"You'll what?" Reno had now stepped out of the crowd, he was standing directly behind the young man and had his electro stick in his hand. The young man jumped and turned round, a look of sheer terror on his face as he realised who Reno was. Everybody knew and feared the Turks. The older man stood in front of the younger one and gulped.

"Listen, my bro is confused, please, don't hurt him… don't lock him up, please… he wouldn't really do anything!"

Reno sneered and with a swift backhand connected a forceful blow to the man's face with the electro stick. The older brother fell to the floor, writhing and holding his face. The younger brother stared at Reno, still a look of pure fear in his eyes but also a spark of rebellion, of anger and hatred. The boy charged at Reno, but was met with a blow to the stomach. The electro stick dug right into the young man's ribs and winded him to the point where he could barely breathe. He fell to his knees and gasped for breath. Reno didn't give him long, hitting the boy on the top of his head with the end of his electro stick. The crowds had now stopped moving, all eyes were on the commotion Reno had caused. The stall owners had stopped yelling and were looking over curiously, along with people inside the restaurants looking out of the windows tentatively at the scene.

"Please, please sir!" The older brother staggered to his feet, only to be knocked down again by Reno, this time using his fist. As the older brother lay on the floor, bleeding from a wound inflicted by Reno's hard strike, the younger one was leaning against the wall of the shop they were fighting outside of, coughing from the earlier blow. Reno walked over and grabbed the boy by his shirt, slamming him against the wall with such force that it knocked the wind out of the boy for a second time, and he began another coughing fit.

"You'll be taken down for this. We won't allow this seed of rebellion to grow or spread any longer!" He growled, holding the boy tight against the wall. Tears began to fall down the young boy's face, his winded body tried to conjure up some energy to try and fight Reno off, but it was pointless. The Turk had dealt his blows precisely. As Reno held the boy against the wall, he felt a slight prick on his chest, and realised the photo of Aeris was poking against his chest as his jacket was stretched.

"Aeris…" He said, looking at the boy and beginning to feel emotions he had thought lost. Pity, and sadness for what he had become, he was a man that could and would destroy lives for the benefit of a corrupt government. The same Government this boy knew, every word the boy had yelled at his older brother was correct, the truth, but Reno knew his job. He was paid to protect these corrupt individuals, and he did believe that in some way the society of Midgcar was being protected and moulded for the future. Sometimes black hearts had to lead the way to a brighter future. The ones who disagreed had to be dealt with, emotion must be set aside, the good of society, the good of the world… that was the ultimate aim. Tseng's words exactly, on the first day Reno had joined the Turks. He'd come too far now to throw it all away because of a picture of a woman who hated him, and because of fickle emotion. He tossed the boy to the ground.

"This is a warning. I so much as see you anywhere near anything suspected to do with rebellion and I shall have you arrested."

"Y-Yes, sir…" The boy shivered, getting up and wiping his eyes. He began coughing again and groaned from the pain in his ribs as he did so. Reno shook his head, turning and briskly leaving the scene, feeling the eyes of the Market fixed firmly on him as he headed back to Don Corneo's mansion. He should have arrested the boy there. He should have taken him to the Guards near the Market entrance and had him arrested on suspicion of treason. It would have been a show of power that would have scared the public. However, he didn't. Reno felt an anger within himself, all his training, all the deeds he had done to make himself cold and ruthless… was it all being undone by a stupid photo of a woman who was now his enemy?