Final Fantasy VII

The Mystery

CHAPTER SIX

The Turks pulled up in Junon, Reno slowly stepped out of the car. They were in the lower part of Junon, where the smoke blocked away any light that would reach them. Rude stepped out and cleaned his glasses as the smoke drifted over them. Reno walked towards an elderly man leaning against a lamp post.

'I'm looking for a man named Rayda,' Reno said quietly. The old man jumped at the sound of his name. He looked around before whispering back to Reno.

'Are you a cop?' the old man asked. Rude slowly joined the two of them.

'No, we're not..' Rude said. 'We're just two guys looking for an old friend...' The old man stared at both Reno and Rude's suits. Reno quickly grabbed the man's throat and made him look Reno in the eyes.

'Do you know where he is?' Reno asked coldly. The man slowly shook his head. He raised his hand and pointed to the dark mysty house down the road. Reno nodded and let go of the man. Reno walked away as the man tried to recatch his breath, Rude looked at the man.

'Thankyou...' Rude said and followed Reno.

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Back on that dark night, Elena stepped back as Reno approached her.

'What are you doing?' Elena asked. Reno shrugged and placed the needle away.

'Rufus wasn't feeling well earlier,' Reno explained. 'I was just checking on him...' Elena pointed towards Reno's hand that had just been holding the needle. Reno gave a panicky grin.

'It's a little medicine for the president,' Reno sighed. Elena looked a little unsure but finally nodded.

'Okay,' Elena smiled. 'I trust you...' Reno slowly nodded as the guilt took over him.

'Let's get outta here,' Reno suddenly said. Elena looked a little confused.

'What? Reno we're on duty...' Elena began. Reno shook his head.

'Screw duty!' Reno snapped. 'I'll get Rude to cover,' Reno gently placed his arm on Elena's shoulder. 'I need to get you a drink...'

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Back in the present, Reno and Rude knocked at Rayda's door. He answrered it. Rayda stood six feet tall, with a skin head and a dark angry face.

'What do you want?' Rayda asked meanly. Rude got out his identification.

'We're working with the president, we'd like to ask you a few questions...' Rude said. Rayda angrilly slammed the door on their faces. Reno looked at Rude, who nodded back. 'He's hostile..'

'I'm giving you permission...' Reno said back. Rude then kicked down the door in one go and ran in. Rude only had seconds to see Rayda's dark dirty home before Rayda jumped at him. Rayda hit at Rude as they both fell. Rude fought back trying to get Rayda off him. Reno stood behind Rayda, he out out his electro-cane and swung it like a golf club at Rayda's head knocking him flat to the ground. Rude grabbed the barely concious Rayda and began choking him as Reno looked around the dirty floor. Reno could see maps to the Healing Lodge and he slowly smiled. Reno put his hands in his pockets. He suddenly realized what was still in there. Reno slowly took out the lethal needle, it was empty, as Reno knew. Rude was distracted, Reno quickly placed the needle on the floor with the rest of the rubbish and walked back to Rude.

'I think we should bring in some guys to check this place out,' Reno suggested. Rude slowly nodded as he continued choking Rayda.

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Back in the past, Reno and Elena clicked their glasses together as they sipped the champagne. They had taken away to a romantic restuarant. Elena had made the effort of getting changed out of her uniform into a nice white dress. Reno was quite shocked at how good looking his collegue could be.

'You really made an effort,' Reno said. Elena smiled.

'Of course,' Elena said. 'Why wouldn't I have?' Reno sat stunned.

'You didn't think this was a ...date? Did you?' Reno asked awkwardly. Elena sat quietly, her cheeks turned bright red.

'Of course not...' she quickly said. Reno felt embarassed for her, he felt he had to say it. He leaned forward.

'Well...it is,' Reno smiled. Elena laughed and gently hit Reno's shoulder.

'You really had me there Reno,' Elena smiled.

'I thought you liked Tseng...' Reno asked. Elena nodded.

'I do...but not like that anymore,' Elena explained. 'I've gotten over him...' Reno nodded and downed his champaegne in one sip. 'You might want to go easy on that?' Elena said. Reno smiled and poured her some more champaegne.

'Try it,' Reno smiled. 'It gets you drunk quicker...' Elena laughed and finished hers as well. Reno and Elena both chuckled as the night went on.

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In the present, Shinra men had investigated Rayda's house and had found enough evidence to arrest him. When Rude approached Rayda about the needle, he quickly protested his innocence.

'I've never seen that before in my life!' Rayda screamed. Rude chuckled.

'We've had them check what was in this,' Rude explained. 'The chemicals in this would virtually paralyze the president and stop his heart...' Rude grabbed Rayda by the throat. 'Well guess what...the president's virtually paralyzed...but not dead...'

'So your first attempt failed?' Reno asked. Rayda shook his head.

'What first time!' Rayda yelled.

'So the second time...' Reno started...he then stopped. He couldn't do this...he had to stay quiet. The man was going to attempt to assasinate Rufus anyway. Rude looked at Reno and thought it must've been about Elena. Rude stared at Rayda.

'Did you punch Reno?' Rude asked. 'Did you kill her!' Rude screamed as he punched the hell out of Rayda as Reno looked on in agony.

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Back in the past, Reno and Elena strolled drunkingly through the night. As they joked, Elena suddenly saw a little kid that looked a lot like Chuck. Elena began to cry.

'We could've saved him...' Elena cried. 'We could've saved...'

'Elena...' Reno cried. 'We will avenge what happened to Chuck...we'll make sure it never happens again..' Elena looked into Reno's eyes. Reno sighed, he then gave Elena a long passionate kiss. 'I promise you...'

As Elena went to bed and Reno was placed back on guard duty. He didn't hesitate this time. Reno walked through the corridor as images of Chuck and Elena ran through his mind. He quietly entered Rufus' room. Rufus was sleeping, Reno approached him. He got out the needle and and lifted up Rufus' arm. Reno then placed the needle in Rufus' arm. The images were stuck in his mind...he slowly placed his finger on the needle as the toxic began to enter Rufus' system. Reno suddenly stopped...he looked at himself and then at Rufus.

'What have I become?' Reno asked himself. He quickly took the needle out of Rufus' arm as tears ran down his face. The needle was half full. Reno quickly sprinted out of the room as ran into his room as he began shaking. Would Rufus survive that dose?

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In the present, Reno and Rude took Rayda back to the healing lodge. When Rufus and Tseng inspected the case, they realized something needed to be done. Reno stared out of the window when Tseng wheeled Rufus towards him.

'Reno,' Rufus began. 'We owe you an apology..' Rufus looked at them confused.

'An aplogy sir?' Reno repeated Rufus. 'For what?' Rufus looked at Tseng.

'Reno,' Tseng sighed. 'We were just looking for anyone...we thought you may have killed Elena...'

'Me?' Reno yelled back.

'I'm sorry..' Rufus said. 'But now we've found the man...we can forget about all of this...'

'What's going to happen to the man sir?' Reno asked.

'Public execution..' Rufus smiled. Tseng and Rufus slowly left, Tseng looked back at Reno.

'We've found the culprit Reno..' Tseng smiled. Reno faintly smiled back. Reno looked back out the window.

'But you haven't...' Reno whispered in agony.

END OF CHAPTER SIX

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