Souba, the twin bladed sword personally crafted by the most skilled sword-smiths on the Planet, forged by the same hands, in the same forge that had birthed the legendary Masamune. Reno held it in his hand now, squinting down the length of the gap, catching the tall figure of his partner-in-crime as though in a sight. The entire scene of the epic battles fought between Sephiroth, Strife and Kadaj was now cordoned off with yellow cautionary tape, Midgar Metropolitan Police stationed every few yards around the perimeter. No station detectives combed the grounds though, only Shin-Ra's people, there to retrieve whatever might be left of Jenova's remains.
"Rufus really intends to give this back to the kid?" He tried giving it a swing around, finding it much more unwieldy than his trusty nightstick, but he'd seen the kid in action and knew it posed absolutely no problem to him. Rude didn't seem to find the question really worth the answering though, just hefted Cloud Strife's impressive six-piece sword, so casually left behind by the ex-mercenary, as though it had meant nothing to him. Rude smirked silently to his fiery-haired partner and Reno nodded approvingly, "Suits you. To-ta-ly."
"Reno, Rude. We've found it." Tseng's terse voice crackled over the mobile phone holstered at Reno's belt, and the both of them turned to look down off the lofty overhang to where their leader and his partner Elena searched below. They were barely visible from this height, but Reno could see the spec of the previously sealed container there in Elena's hands, lid and bin parted. Sneering slightly, Reno gave them a brief wave to let them know he and Rude were coming down.
Beautiful. Now they had no idea where those disgusting scraps of Jenova might be, what in hell Kadaj might have done with them. The red-head reflected now that he might have done better to have paid attention to that slimy Professor and his assistants when they'd occasioned to flap their high-and-mighty gods-of-science lips at him. Reno knew there had been vital information about the Jenova Project that had slipped loose, the scientists trying to make ostentatious displays of "superior" intellect that Reno never paid enough attention to to know if it was actually over his head or not. These were likely things he should have filed away in his head to pass on to Tseng, incase Hojo and his cronies had plans to double-cross the Shin-Ra. This whole mess with Kadaj's gang seemed to indicate that was pretty likely now, but…
Hojo hadn't trusted Shin-Ra's elite security after what had happened with that strange man, Valentine. Already rogue enough as it was, he demanded further autonomy to conduct his twisted experiments unhindered, and the senior and now late President Shin-Ra had granted it blithely along with a massive increase in Hojo's grants and personal stipend. Tseng had attempted to persuade the man otherwise if Reno remembered it rightly, unfortunately to no effect. Rufus had near boiled over.
Personally, Reno liked the current president a lot better than his pop. The kid preferred more creative methods of getting things done than just laying down fat sums of money the way his father had, though Rufus was far from cheap. He just knew the value of respect over the value of a Gil, and had what he needed to back his demands for that respect, too.
Unfortunately, Rufus hadn't been in the seat of control long enough to make all the proper inquisitions into Hojo's research when things had gone ballistic, and it looked as though by the time he started pulling the plugs on the various veins of funding, the mad scientist had already accomplished much of his diabolical work. Now that the creep was dead though, who knew what all of that work really entailed? What else might have gotten loose and gone unchecked with the brains behind it all wiped out and the Shin-Ra company knocked to its knees, unable to get all its wits about?
That's what this company really need: to get past all this Jenova Project tripe and get on with its own reconstruction. They needed to get back on track freeing up frozen assets and reclaiming rogue branches of their organization that had tried to break off and turn independent in the chaos following Meteor. Fucking mutineers. Reno had a sap for every thick skull who thought they could take advantage of a wounded beast. If they thought the global power of Shin-Ra Corp. was beat and broken for good, they had another thing coming.
Admittedly, under the old president, even Reno might have disappeared, taking with him his secret accounts to sip iced drinks on the Costa del Sol shore for the rest of his days… but Rufus, even bodily broken by the attack of Weapon, even wracked with supposedly terminal Geostigma, had kept the lust for greater things burning inside Reno's soul. Say what you would about the degenerate red-head, he could grasp the greater vision, could see further than the end of his sharp little nose, and he wanted so much more than a Tequila Sunrise and a Costa sunset. And fuck it, either way, this was still more fun.
Even if there were the occasional irritations like Kadaj and his punk brothers. If by some impossible stroke of luck those two had really made it past him and Rude, Reno swore he'd make that long haired asshole wish the bombs had taken him out. Little fucker did not understand the value of plausible deniability! "Zero Confidence"… Fucker.
He put that all to the back of his mind though, as they strode up to meet Tseng and Elena, now confirming up close that the canister was completely empty. He sighed softly and ticked his head to the side, waiting for Tseng's next orders, now that they'd recovered what little was left to actually take back. Beyond the two swords and the canister, there were only the marks of the actual spar left in various walls in the vicinity to be photographed and probably just filed away.
"Rescue operations in Sector 6 are proceeding smoothly, though so far no evidence of either Yazoo or Loz has been found beneath the plate. The remains of the Dual Hound and Velvet Nightmare have been retrieved, and one of their motorcycles is being removed from the highway tunnel. There have been no sightings however, and no move has been made on the Healin Lodge. So far we're giving you two the benefit of the doubt and presuming them dead," Tseng let them in on the reports as he lead them back toward the helicopter, taking the Souba from Reno when they climbed aboard.
Reno flashed him a "victory" along with a shit-eating grin as he headed for the cockpit, loving the wording of that last bit. Tseng had always been the mildly disapproving and stoic professional, but Reno knew he took a secret pleasure in the over all lawlessness of the TURKs' operation, and the special sort of scoundrel attitude that Reno brought to it personally. If it had been anything otherwise, Reno'd have seen his walking papers handed over long before now. As far as he knew, his job was secure.
"Goddamn, some times I can't believe we get paid for this shit," he waited for Rude to settle himself in the copilot's seat before lifting off, nodding in the direction of the smoke still rising thinly over the city. His companion nodded with an easy grin, settling back with hands behind his head.
When they returned to the lodge they'd have to deal with all the stress of Kadaj and Strife again, but for now they might as well just enjoy the view. As Midgar slipped away beneath them, Reno inspected all the mayhem, taking not only a little pride in having a hand in it. Really, Midgar was nothing but his own gigantic play-ground, and Shin-Ra paid for all his toys. He couldn't imagine a better life than this.
Well… Shin-Ra back in power, the way it really should be, would be one definite improvement, but it wasn't going to be long now before that took place. The people might be blaming Shin-Ra for all its woes now, but they'd be singing a very different tune now that Rufus was well again, certain to live well long enough to take the Shin-Ra Corporation back in hand.
Reno smiled to himself, thinking of the tall, cocky blonde striding powerfully through the hallways of the Healin medical and bio-research facilities, firing off his own orders once again, rather than delegating them to Tseng to deliver in his place. Rufus hadn't been embarrassed to be mostly wheel-chair bound, but he knew the impact in people's trust seeing him ailing would have made. And he'd wanted no sympathies.
Stupid of the former president, to let that freak Hojo get his hands on his own kid… All the TURKs had only narrowly escaped placement in the SOLDIER training program thanks to Rufus' own passionate insistence, only convincing the elder Shin-Ra after several extended arguments regarding the necessity of diversification in their security and combat forces. Otherwise they might all have ended up with the Geostigma, and Reno counted it a miracle of Rufus Shin-Ra's own sheer will that he'd survived it long enough to be healed.
So many people, so many kids had died miserable and pathetic deaths thanks to the spread of Jenova's cells through Hojo and Heiddeger's great SOLDIER program… The baby-boom after the end of the Wutai War meant a second generation who'd inherited the susceptibility to Jenova's influence, even children in Wutai itself, kids born from over-seas troops and local girls. Their youth and vitality had let them hold up a little longer, the kids… but their folks… well, that just explained why a lot of affected kids were orphans.
Reno hoped all of them had been healed. He didn't understand exactly how that had worked out, both Rufus and Strife were free of the affliction now, but if that rain had been the thing after all… well, he just hoped everyone'd been outside. People dieing slowly, painfully, all thanks to a psychotic geneticist and a genocidal alien from outer space… Even as a TURK whose whole job description came down to destruction, assassination and torture, Reno didn't care for that.
Well, at least he knew he had a hand in striking back against the mother-fuckers who'd tried to mess with their Planet. He personally carried in the remains of the Velvet Nightmare, Rude the Dual Hound, letting the others take care of the still-functional weaponry while he and his partner took a little break to pay a visit to Healin's two newest patients.
Kadaj's eyes fluttered back open in lost confusion as he felt something impact heavily beside him in the bed. At first the sight meant nothing to him, just a weird close-up landscape of steely grey, until he managed to focus beyond the metal bits in front of him, to the pair of TURKs standing just beyond. He watched the red-head's emerald eyes round slightly in surprise as he sat up faster than he was sure they'd expected him too, and the bald one took a small step back, preparing to be lunged at.
He watched them for a second longer, not trusting not to be attacked as well, though Cloud was standing just across the bed. Kadaj was certain he could count on help from him, so after a moment he let his eyes drop to actually identify the metal objects that had come bare centimeters from striking his sleeping head.
"We've got yours, too, then. Cloud, we'll return your sword whenever you check out, just ask for one of us, but you… I don't see you getting Souba back any time soon…"
Kadaj ran the tips of his fingers over the intricate scrollwork on the halved barrel of Yazoo's Velvet Nightmare, his whole body beginning to shake. He choked softly, closed his eyes tight as he pulled his chin down toward his constricting chest. The soft and vile chuckle the red-head let loose to see Kadaj's pain was more than the boy could bear. Flattening his palm against the ruined weapon, he lifted his head to fix him with a slit-pupil glare. "Omaera… I won't need a blade to kill!"
Now he lunged, pulling over the IV stand, over-turning the hospital bed as he leapt from it onto the offending TURK. Machinery went wild with little sirens and frantic beeps as connecting wires lost contact with their patient, proclaiming him crashing, or dead, which only heightened the chaos of the sudden brawl, into which Rude, Cloud, and the guards outside the door quickly fell.
Kadaj managed to land one good blow to Reno's jaw before the other could react, catching himself in midstumble while quickly detaching his nightstick from his belt, letting it extend in the same movement that swung for the boy's silver head. Kadaj was still weak yet, though stronger than expected, so his dodge was a bit slower than he himself was used to and the weapon caught the crown of his head. He ended up falling back into Cloud, clutching at the wound now with both Rude and Reno coming at him, so he put out one hand as though commanding them to halt. His true intentions would be much more effective than a simple gesture.
"KADAJ! NO!" Suddenly Cloud's arm was hooked around his, pulling to the side so the spell misfired, the missiles of magical energy impacting against the corner of the walls beyond Reno, blasting a gaping hole out into the hall. At the same time, he picked the weakened boy fully up off the ground, spun him around to face the far wall and took the blow meant for Kadaj's face against his own bandaged shoulder.
The pain that shot through him from that now aggravated wound was enough to knock Cloud to his knees, and Kadaj went down with him, though the would-be SOLDIER regained his wits fast enough to not let the desperate and maddened child escape his hold. He used the opportunity to pin Kadaj against himself, struggling ineffective, praying the attacks from the TURKs would stop.
Luckily, Reno had had no intentions of attacking Cloud in the first place and when he'd managed to strike the ex-mercenary by mistake he'd pulled up short, eyes wide and mouth an "o" of shock at himself. "Cloud! Ah! Gomen! Daijoubu?" Though of course the other guy wasn't okay, Reno mentally kicked himself for asking. Rude also halted and signaled for the guards to stand down, waiting to see if Cloud could get Kadaj in hand.
"Kadaj… Stop it," his tone was quiet, firm against the boy's delicate ear. He could feel the intensity of his rage in the way Kadaj's slender body shook, the hospital shift a poor barrier between them. Kadaj turned his head, opened his snarling mouth to speak his protest, but Cloud cut him off, explaining in the same restrained voice, locking eyes with him, "If you fight them, they will knock you out. They will tie you down and keep you sedated, like a dangerous mental patient. You won't be able to resist them, no matter what they do to you, and they will probably separate you from me."
"Yazoo… Loz…" Kadaj's pale eyes threatened tears now, anger breaking down into the sorrow it was meant to stave. Still, if Cloud let go of him now, he would continue to attack. He hadn't fallen that far into despair just yet.
Cloud didn't say anything else though, just held tight as the fire in his shoulder began to uncoil, waiting for Kadaj to work it out. He'd had his own hand in their apparent deaths after all, though he hadn't known he'd been leading them into the TURKs little trap. Even if he had though, at that time he wouldn't have moved in any other way. He suspected Kadaj knew this. Cloud could only hope to be forgiven.
Finally grief won out. Kadaj lost his strength to his tears, dropping his head the few close centimeters so now he and his 'Niisan' were cheek to cheek, noses nestled close to one another. Though the doorway and gaping hole in the wall were becoming crowded with people; doctors, nurses, guards and simply curious faces, no one dared to interfere with the two, especially as it appeared the younger was armed with a weapon none of them could take from him…
But when Cloud could finally coax Kadaj to his feet, Rufus Shin-Ra and the head doctor were surprisingly close at hand. All the TURKs were present now as well, President Shin-Ra's apparent security against the reckless patient, but Rufus came forward to help seat Kadaj on the now righted bed as though he had nothing to fear from him. "Warukatta… Kadaj, I was unaware my men had come down here to harass you." There was an edge to his voice that said Rude and Reno should have known better than to provoke the wounded leopard.
Kadaj closed one hand upon the President's white coat sleeve, his slender fingers only slightly pinker than the cloth they gripped. "My brothers…" He didn't even look up as he asked after them, not needing to see whether or not the truth would be in Shin-Ra's eyes. Cloud on the other hand, scrutinized him closely.
"We have no reason to believe that they survived. You made war upon the Planet, Kadaj, and upon the Shin-Ra. You and yours caused the deaths of countless people. You should have expected your own casualties…"
The boy let go of Rufus' sleeve and the entirety of his entourage relaxed visibly. Instead he took tighter hold of Cloud, pulling him down, insisting to be embraced, to be shielded by the other, hiding silent tears.
"Given the state of your room, we will be moving you, once the good doctor here is satisfied with your condition. Then considering your unique talent for the absorption of materia, you possess a great advantage, one that we have very few options to resort to keep in check."
"Rufus-" the young president waved Cloud down as he'd begun to raise protest, and reluctantly the other let him continue.
"What we are asking for, is a truce. I want your guarantee, Kadaj, that there will be no further violence from you within this facility, or that would cause damage to it. Even now there are wounded civilians being treated here, and there is medical research in progress that would set us behind by years, even decades if it was destroyed.
"In return we will continue to treat your own wounds and make no attempts to subject you to anything to which you are opposed. And in the future I can assure you there will be no further harassment from my people. You may consider this place a haven. …Are we agreed?" Rufus waited silently, the whole room seemed to hold its breath.
Cloud didn't trust for one moment that either side could keep such a truce in tact. Shin-Ra didn't understand enough of what had happened within the last day to let rest, Kadaj was too young and passionate to so easily forgive. It was a move to buy time, that was all, and for enemies to stay close enough to hope the other would let something slip.
Apparently Kadaj meant to take advantage of that though, for after a moment he at last unwound himself from Cloud, brushed at his cheeks roughly with one limp hand and looked up to Rufus, giving a terse nod. "Agreed." Neither man put out their hand.
"Yokatta. Well then, Doctor, if you would." Kadaj sat himself up a little straighter, letting the man step close and inspect him. The ruined bits of Yazoo and Loz's weapons were discretely removed while the youth's attention was taken up with doctor's directions, and finally satisfied that nothing had torn loose (save the IV needles from both men's hands) and there was no internal bleeding, a wheel chair was brought around and Kadaj moved to another wing.
In a strange tactical move, Rufus had instructed that Kadaj be placed with other patients if his conditions allowed for it, and now Cloud found himself seated at the boy's bedside in a long room occupied by injured and ailing children, though none of these were like the orphans Cloud had stayed with. These were all children whose parents had enough money to afford good medical care, and still had some trust for the Shin-Ra. Given the possible danger Rufus had just put them all in, it just confirmed again how much that trust was dangerously unfounded and ill placed.
But Kadaj didn't seem to be in the mood to wreak any more havoc today. He sat propped up in the new, clean hospital bed, watching his hands in his lap silently. Cloud could see the familiar weight of broken promises and failed plans resting heavily on the youth's slim shoulders, haunting his jade eyes.
He suddenly felt the strong need to apologize to Tifa, to all the others but especially to her, for carrying on that way so long.
Author's remarks: Alright, so this chapter turned out to be more suited to go before "Familiar Smile, Stranger's Face" than after it, so forgive the slight linear hiccup with me switching chapters around. There are a few new remarks for that chapter as well, so if you've already read it, you might just scroll down and check them.
Man, I love the TURKs. In particular Reno, obviously. He's a fun character to write for, and a great catalyst. I'm working from the idea that the Shin-Ra folk didn't actually see the battle between Cloud and Seph/Kadaj, so they have no clue exactly how it went down, or how Reunion was carried out, something they're now very interested in.
On the "Zero-Confidence" thing. I haven't seen the Bien translation, so I don't know how they do it, but the Hiro subs version messed something up. When Reno tells Yazoo that even they (Rude and Reno) don't know where the remains of Jenova are, Hiro subs translates Yazoo's reply as "What? I don't trust you guys at all." There's no reason Reno would get pissed and Rude would get evasive over this if that's the case. Well, it's not. Yazoo says "Nan da? Shinyou Zero da na." Which more accurately translates as "What's that? Zero Confidence, huh." i.e. Shin-Ra not having enough confidence in the TURKs to tell them Jenova's whereabouts, a jab definitely worthy of anger and embarrassment. So, now you know. :D
Translations:
Omaera – A very pissed-off way to indicate a collection of two or more people. The general feeling is something along the lines of "you bastards…"
Gomen – "Sorry"
Daijoubu? – "Are you okay?"
Warukatta – A way of admitting fault, sorta like saying "my bad" in terms of words, only not so immature.
Yokatta – "That's good."