Chapter 40

Reno kicked the door to the Wandering Weapons open. It was late, and there was nobody in the bar. "Oi, shitface!" he called, striding across the room, kicking a chair out of his way. Cadan appeared behind the bar, emerging from the door beyond. Reno just looked at him.

Before he'd left Healen Lodge, Reno had donned his Turk uniform. It was purely for effect. It wasn't that he didn't think the prick knew who and what he was, it seemed likely that the guy had figured that out, but rather more he wanted the intimidation and dread that usually accompanied the suit. He wanted Cadan to be reminded that he was messing with ShinRa, and that it wouldn't be taken lightly.

He stood now, his EMR in his left hand, staring at the man on the other side of the bar. "Fuckface."

"Where's the rest of your scum army?" Cadan asked, his eyes flicking around the room before coming to rest on Reno. No surprise on his face. He must have worked it out.

"Seemed unnecessary." Reno drawled, "I don't need backup, yo." Rude was outside, scoping the rest of the place out, looking for other entrances or exits and checking that they wouldn't sneak Aura and Zena out another way.

"So you came alone?"

"Isn't that what I just said, Shitstain?" He watched Cadan's eyes narrow before the man came around the end of the bar.

"What is it that you want?"

"Don't play dumb." Reno replied, resting his EMR against his shoulder. "We already think you're pretty stupid, there's no need to make it worse."

"Is that so?"

"Ain't doin' yourself any favours, yo." Reno shifted his weight. "Where are they?"

"Ah… and so we're to the point." Cadan grinned. "Come to get the ShinRa Whores back…?"

"Aura and Zena, thank you. Where are they?" Reno kept his face neutral. He wouldn't let this prick get under his skin. Not now.

"What makes you think I'm just going to hand them back?" Cadan asked, "They're quite valuable…" Reno swallowed a retort and just stared at the man before him. "We're all rather fond of them…" Cadan continued. "Especially of Aura… She's grown into quite the ShinRa whore, hasn't she?" he looked Reno up and down in his uniform, "We've all had a go on her…" He met Reno's eyes and grinned, "Isn't that what Slum Rats are for…?"

"You had better be lying through your teeth…" Reno snarled, "Or I am going to turn you inside out."

"Oh, sorry…" Cadan's voice was mocking, "Was she just for you? I remember how pissed off you got when you thought I was going to hit it a while back… Have you ever fucked her while she's crying…?" Reno took a step toward him, but Cadan raised his hands in surrender and backed up a few feet. "You can have them back."

Reno raised an eyebrow at him, trying to swallow his growing rage. "What do you want?"

"Well we wanted information." The man said, "But they don't know shit… so… keep your patrols out of our market square and you can have them back."

"Fine." Reno didn't even think. He had no doubt Tseng would have agreed anyway. "Where are they?"

"Down here." Cadan turned and went back behind the bar. Reno hesitated for only a second before he followed the man. He knew that it was stupid, and that he could be walking into any kind of ambush, but he needed to get to Aura. Rude was just outside anyway.

Cadan led him down a hallway and then through a narrow door at the end. He followed the man down several steps and then down another corridor, this one cold and damp. Cadan unlocked a door and gestured at it. "There."

Reno pointed his EMR at the man. "You first." Cadan rolled his eyes but went through the door, and Reno trailed after him.

The room was dimly lit by a flickering fire, but Reno saw Aura and Zena sitting against the far wall, huddled together, and relief washed through him that they were both alive. The second they saw him, they got to their feet.

"Reno…" Aura's voice cracked and Reno was instantly moving toward her. His arms went around her waist the second he reached her and she hooked her bound wrists over his head as he lifted her to himself.

He allowed himself a few seconds before he put her down and turned back to Cadan. "Cut them free…" He watched as the man did as he was told, and then headed back for the door to lead them out. Reno handed his EMR to Zena when Aura stumbled and the doctor kept her eyes on Cadan while Reno wrapped an arm around Aura's waist and pretty much lifted her up the stairs. He itched to look her over and figure out what had been done to her, but they had to get out of the building first.

He wondered why he hadn't seen anybody else in the building, especially as it was actually meant to be a functioning business when it wasn't hosting secret meetings, but he didn't have time to dwell on that just now. Cadan opened the door and gestured for them to get out, and Reno was only too happy to oblige. Zena walked out first, before Reno helped Aura out a moment later. Cadan slammed the door shut behind them and Reno began up the street, Zena trailing after him. "What the heck was that?" the doctor asked, "He just let us go?"

"Seems that way." Reno replied, his eyes scanning the darkness around them for his partner.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"It isn't right."

"He said he wanted information." Reno said, sitting Aura down on a crate by a wall.

"From us?" Zena asked, "That's not what he wanted."

Reno looked at her. "We'll talk about this later." He watched as Zena's eyes flickered from shadow to shadow, and he saw when she came to the realisation that someone may be listening.

"Okay."

Rude appeared out of the darkness and Reno lifted Aura into his arms. "You take Zena." Reno told his partner, "We'll see you later."

Rude just nodded and Reno turned, holding Aura close as he took off as quickly as he was able.

Aura leaned into Reno as he carried her through the streets. Her eyes closed and she sagged with relief, knowing that she was going to be fine now. One of her hands rested against his chest, and the satisfying steady thud of his heart was comforting enough that she began to slip in and out of wakefulness. Eventually, however she noticed that they were still moving and that they should have been back at Healen Lodge well before now.

"Reno…" she murmured, looking around, "Where are we?"

"Nowhere in particular…"

"What are we doing?"

"Just…" she watched his eyes flick toward a nearby shadow before moving further up the street.

"You think they would have followed us?"

"Pretty sure."

Aura glanced up and down the street they were in. "We're not going to Healen?"

"Well, I've wandered around enough now that anyone following would know that I was leading them nowhere…" He let out a sigh. "We'll go to my place just to be sure."

Aura nodded. "I… I can walk now…" She felt Reno's hesitation before he set her carefully on her feet. She took his hand and then they were slipping through the shadows again, heading for Reno's apartment.

The moment they were through Reno's door, he had turned and locked it. Aura watched as he clicked more than a few locks into place before his attention was once again on her. "Re-" she hadn't even gotten his name out before his hands were on her, his fingers moving through her hair as he kissed her, pulling her to himself. She groaned, her hands clutching at his suit jacket. He kissed her until she was lightheaded and then he had pulled away.

"Let me see…" he breathed, moving her toward the lamp by the wall. "Are you alright?"

Aura didn't say anything. She just stood there while Reno's eyes moved over her, his hands trailing lightly as if double checking what he was seeing. She looked up to meet his eyes when his hands paused on her ripped dress. "Aura…"

She shook her head. "No…"

Reno tilted his head, "He said that they'd all…" she watched him swallow the words, and she shook her head again.

"Didn't happen." She said softly, and relief flooded Reno's eyes before his fingers lifted to lightly trace along her throat. He frowned then. "Can I shower…?"

"Of course." He said gently. He lifted his hands from her and turned to take her up the hallway.

Aura followed him and then just stared at herself in the bathroom mirror under the harsh lights. She looked horrific. Her eyes were dark ad smudged, her hair was a birds nest, her skin looked practically transparent, and she could already see dark bruises forming across just about everywhere. Her face was red and puffy, and she could hardly imagine what she would look like tomorrow. "Aur…" Reno said softly, and she lifted her eyes to meet his where he stood behind her in the mirror. "… I'll get you a towel." She nodded and he turned to leave the bathroom.

Under the hot water, Aura closed her eyes. She didn't know what happened now. Could she go home? Cadan knew where she lived. Would he come for her again? Would she be safe? What would ShinRa do? Would they be able to stop the attacks? What about the fake cure?

Opening her eyes, she looked up to stare at the roof. What would have happened if she had been there any longer? Cadan would have come back for her. She was pretty sure of that. She just had to be thankful that Reno had come when he had. She was okay now. She was safe. Slowly, she turned the water off and reached up to pull down the fluffy green towel Reno had hung over the shower for her. She wrapped the towel around herself and stepped out of the shower. She had only just realised that she didn't have any pyjamas, and in fact the only clothing she did have was her ruined dress, when she spotted the large shirt sitting folded by the sink. "Thanks, Reno." She murmured, hanging the towel back up and then reaching for the shirt. She pulled it over her head and then stared at herself in the mirror again.