"Gods, what happened to you?" Elena demands, staring at the stains on my arm and the bandage on my face that's surrounded by a bright red bruise. The elixir worked wonders beyond Marx's poking and prodding, but I'm still achy and tired. When I try to head to my office without answering, Rude steps into my path, raising my arm and shooting me a stern look. Tseng's face is almost a mirror image of his when I pull away, rolling my eyes.
"What happened?" he asks.
"Nothing."
"Doesn't look like nothing."
"Let it go," I snap, trying to step around him. He doesn't let me and Tseng calls my name. Dammit.
"With me. Now."
Irritated, I follow him across the lobby to his office and slam the door shut behind me. That felt good. Tseng sighs and I notice that he's tied the top of his hair out of his face.
"Trying a new style?" I ask, hoping that he'll let it be.
"Kat, what did you do?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Rufus. What did you do?" he stares hard at his desk, shoulders tense and movements stiff.
"Nothing."
"You're telling me that is for nothing."
"Yeah—"
"Marx said otherwise."
"Tyler told you?" I demand, huffing and hugging my jacket closer. Tseng raises an eyebrow, glancing up at me.
"Was he not supposed to?"
"No, he wasn't." I pull my hair down and ruffle it like a disgruntled bird.
"Why?"
"Rufus—" I shake my head. "Look, he was just making a point about fear, okay? I'm fine and it won't happen again."
"It took physical abuse to get you on the same page," he scoffs, sitting down. "Somehow, that doesn't surprise me.
"Just don't say anything to him," I huff, opening his door and hurrying out, irritable.
The next two days consist of slowly accumulating more uniforms from Omid, avoiding getting killed by Elixir, letting Reno bitch at me from his bed, and playing servant to Rufus. It feels like an eternity later that I'm climbing into the copilot's seat in a Shinra helicopter with Reno in the pilot's and a whole cargo of people in the back. Namely, the rest of the Turks and Rufus, the new President Shinra. And to think he's my age. What a privileged little… Sighing, I shake my head. We're just waiting on Elena. Still, I'm grateful that the plans changed; now Heidegger has his own ride and the rest of us are going together.
"Can we just tie Elena to the roof?" I ask, leaning back in my seat. Reno snorts and Tseng scowls.
"No."
"But why? It'd make the ride a lot quieter."
"Kat."
"Fine," I sigh, rolling my eyes when Reno snickers. Quickly, he turns to face Tseng.
"Hey, why couldn't Rude be up here with me? She's annoying as hell."
"Re!" I protest, punching his arm. Tseng already looks like he regrets his decision to put us together. Rufus looks just as irritated, if not more, glaring at the window.
"Because she hasn't flown in a long time."
"Yeah, if anything that means she shouldn't be up here." He jerks his head toward Rufus. "Not with the new prez on board."
"I'm sure you can handle it," Tseng replies curtly.
"Be grateful," I whisper, flicking Reno's ear. He flinches, smacking my hand away. "Only a handful of people have ever gotten to fly with me at their back."
"Fuckin' terrifying," he mutters, grinning when Elena runs out to the helipad.
"I'm here!"
I roll my eyes when Reno very clearly stares at her ass as she climbs into the back. Wiggling his eyebrows at me after getting a proud eyeful, he turns back to the front, starting the chopper blades up.
"And we're off!" he says cheerfully as we take off.
I smile, shaking my head, though I can't help but admire his adorable face of concentration. There are very few instances in which he's missing a smug smile or a glare, and this is one of them. I shake my head, glancing into the backseat. Rufus looks entirely lost in thought, staring hard out the tinted windows. For once, he doesn't look angry. Rude raises an eyebrow, frowning when Elena wiggles restlessly for the umpteenth time in the past five minutes. Reno huff, slamming his head against the seat and stretching his legs.
Finally, after I spend the next hour or so gawking at the grass, swamps, and mountains, our destination comes into view. I raise my eyebrows, sitting taller to get a good look. A city of towering buildings is built around a massive gun that protrudes off the ocean's shore. Reno laughs, pulling a flask from his pocket and taking a drink when he knows Tseng can't see. He tosses it across the gap and I roll my eyes before partaking. Definitely not water. Still, I'm happy to feel that warm burn all the way to my stomach, knowing it'll take the edge off Elena's chipper voice.
"Never been to Junon?" he asks, unable to suppress a smile when I take second and third drinks.
"Never been outside Midgar," I shrug.
We land slowly, and with Reno talking the lead, there's not a single issue. Finally found what you're good at, hm? Scoffing, I shake my head and hop out of the chopper. Rufus opens the door and leaves after Tseng, hardly sparing me a glance before continuing down the walkway. Thanks would've been nice. Elena jumps down and I stick my leg out at the last moment, "accidentally" tripping her. I didn't expect her to slam into the concrete, skinning her palms and scraping her chin. Still, I struggle to stifle my laugh, covering my face with my arm.
"Shit, sorry," I hiss, shoulders shaking as I turn back to find Reno.
Catching me completely by surprise, Elena cries out, angry, and jerks me backward by my collar before slamming her small, bony fist into my face. I stumble, but catch myself fast enough to slam my elbow into her nose, knocking her onto her ass.
"The hell was that for?!" I shout, rubbing my sore jaw with a sour expression. She scrubs at her bloody nose with her sleeve, scowling up at me.
"You started it," she mutters. She looks more like a pouting child in a suit than a Turk.
"I said I was sorry!"
"You laughed!"
"Oh, grow up!" I scoff, rolling my eyes.
Gritting her teeth, she lunges at me again, knocking the wind out of me. Gasping for air and feeling nauseous as alcohol burns at the back of my throat, I make a desperate claw for her, scratching the side of her face as I grab her jacket. She digs her fingers into my bullet wound, kicking me in the stomach.
"Bitch!" I retaliate by throwing her back to the ground. I may be small, but I'm definitely bigger than she is. My heart's racing and my vision starts to go in and out.
"Enough," Tseng snaps, grabbing my arm and jerking me back. I wince, squeezing my eyes shut and reaching to pry his hand off my sore arm. He loosens his grip, but he continues to scowl. "Kat, you—"
"She started it," I snap. His look of disappointment who kill anyone else. "Tseng, you know it's not my fault. I can't help it," I add bitterly, glaring at the blonder as she gets to her feet.
"You can't help it?" she demands, scoffing. Tseng surprises us all by hesitating. Even Rufus stops walking to look back at what's going on. Slowly, Tseng straightens, smoothing his suit and turning his dark eyes to Elena.
"This is no way to succeed Gun's accomplishments," he admonishes. Who the hell is Gun? Stupid name. "Your father would be disappointed."
"… Sorry, sir." She turns her eyes to the ground before looking back up, genuinely ashamed. For a moment, I almost feel bad.
"Let's get movin'," Reno pushes, tapping my shoulder with his compressed rod and jerking his head toward Rufus. "The prez is waiting."
"Yeah…"
We keep moving, heading down a lift that carries us to the street level. As a group, we step into the temporary Shinra base only to be greeted by a towering man in a green suit that's covered in pins. I'm not sure what any of them mean—then again, I'm also not sure if any of them are real, either. Heidegger scratches his bushy black beard and grins upon seeing us.
"Gya ha ha! Nice to see you, Mr. President!"
"Hm." Rufus turns to us. "I don't need all of you right here. Kat, Rude, you're dismissed."
"But sir—" Tseng starts. Rufus raises a hand to silence him.
"It's unlike you to argue, Tseng. I'd prefer you go back to keeping your mouth shut."
I shove my hands into my pocket and nod for Rude to lead the way, waiting until we're out of view to light up a cigarette. We vanish into the gathering crowd, ignoring the stares we receive from the citizens and elbowing our way down the street.
"Where're we headed?" I ask, half-jogging to keep up with Rude. "Hey, I asked you a question!"
"Somewhere you'll fit in well," is all he says.
"Why'd we come here again?" I ask, swirling my drink around in its glass. Rude touches his shades.
"You didn't have to come with."
"No, I meant Junon. I don't mind this."
"The President's security is of utmost importance," he grumbles, taking a drink.
"And yet, here we are." I empty my glass and offer a thin smile when the bartender refills it. "Wonder what the others are up to."
"Probably at the other bar."
"Wanna see 'em?"
"No."
"Me either." I sigh, resting my chin in my palm. "So… are we flying to get Rufus after he heads over on that boat?"
"Yeah."
"And what are we after?"
"Stopping Sephiroth and Avalanche every step of the way."
"And the other Turks?"
"Veld?"
"Yeah."
"I don't know."
A deep sound bellows from outside and I sigh, throwing my head back and downing the last of my drink yet again. Rude stands. Together, we head to the waterfront.
"We should find Tseng. If he thinks I'm getting in trouble, he's going to smother me."
"Why?"
"My mom."
I groan, stomping in a puddle that stains my pants a darker shade of black and tugging at the roots of my hair. There's that feeling again, the one where I just can't seem to remember what I want to.
"Kat?"
"Goddammit!" I kick an empty trashcan over, jerking the carton from my pocket to light my third cigarette of the morning. "It's gotta be Marx."
"What does?" Rude frowns, staring down the people who stop to stare.
"My family." I wave my puff of smoke out of my face and slouch against a nearby wall, letting my head smack against the brick. "I haven't thought about them in years, and I can't remember why—" I shake my head with an irritated huff. "Every time I'm around that man, I get all sorts of memories, but I don't recognize them."
"What memories?" he prods. I shake my head and stand up straight.
"Nevermind. I'm just frazzled." I take one more long drag from my smoke before throwing it in the puddle and crushing it under my shoe for good measure. "Let's go find Reno."
"Reno?"
"I mean Tseng."
My hands are trembling when I put them in my pockets, and I know he saw them. Why does everyone know but me? I would give anything to sit down for a day and just watch my life back, just to have that part of me back. What about my past turns me into someone different. It's been five years… it could be different. But it's the memory of Carlos that tells me otherwise. Why couldn't I control myself? Why can't I control myself? Am I just immature? I shake my head, kicking a crushed can across the pavement.
But Tyler said it was me. That's who I was, and no one wanted me like that. Reno doesn't know me like that… Does he?But he hasn't said anything about me changing, has he? Tyler said I've had two... Ten years total. Does Tyler erasing my memories make him the good guy or the bad guy? He stole from me, but at the same time, that saved me somehow. What did he mean by voices? Did I have schizophrenia or some jazz? Sector 2… What happened in Sector Two?