Hopefully this chapter answers most of your questions on the cliffhanger I left off in chapter seventeen. Sorry it took so long, but I'm back! )
Disclaimer: None of the characters or anything that revolves around Final Fantasy 7 has ever belonged to me but will always be credited by Square-Enix.
Chapter Nineteen – Disappointments come around every corner
It was cold, just feeling the gun's tip against the chest was enough to kill him. The hatred, Reno saw so much of it in Tseng's doe brown eyes. The goner, was it too late?
He tried to remember the scene when it happened, there he stood the gun was already pointing at his chest as he tried to talk the first in command out of it so he could save himself. Then the voice outside the room was heard, it wasn't Rude but it wasn't just one person from the number of footsteps he heard. Then he saw the finger pressure on the trigger as he shut his eyelids tight. A door opening, gunshots, voices, screaming and something falling to the ground was heard.
But what came in what order?
Great, he was being a detective in his possible last minutes on the planet or he could be just dead as he tried to figure out the scene after he blacked out. Before he got to investigating, the thought of being dead made him think of it first. He never did ever sit down and ask himself, Hey if I die; what's going to happen after that? The least thoughts of his death he presumed were being in an endless dream not dwelling on his possible murder.
Getting back to the scene, he tried to remember the order. Yes he did remember the door slamming open first along with the gunshots and screaming before voices were heard. But those things did happen in a shot time period; he guessed the maximum was two minutes.
So if he died, it was a quick death. Interesting, not the best way to die but at least some drama was involved. He was always worried that he might just die by being an idiot when off or on a mission. But that idea did only cross his mind when he saw the gun being pulled out of the Turks pocket.
Everything was so quiet; he remembered his life flashing before him. Not of course the corny way authors and movies tell it. It was quick; he remembered it even though there wasn't much.
He wondered what happened to Tseng and the others after that, he wondered if it got ugly. Maybe they all killed each other because they were so upset that he, Reno the Great, was gone from their life and they had no other purpose to live. Yes Reno had a great mind for imaginations.
If he could, he would have let out a laugh and let out a smart remark that was most probably going to really get him dead. His mind hurt from all the thoughts racing through him. Wait a minute, how could his brain hurt when he was goner, dead, no more?
And that was when his thoughts ended and his eye lids opened to reveal his emerald eyes.
The murderer, egad would he really be labeled that way? He felt cold; in a dark way it chilled his spine quickly and made his image darken. He didn't want this to happen, nor did he? The feelings inside him were trying to say something, but he didn't want to hear them.
He was like an alibi, no wait the alibi was not the murderer. But he was innocent, no an innocent person didn't even shoot the hell out of his comrade. He didn't want a blood fest to come; he just…Wanted to get her back. Hearing the two together didn't make him snap that he was enraged, it was more of a saddening snap inside him deep down. He was close to turning the gun against his chest if he didn't shoot the life out of the red head quick enough.
He watched calmly with hatred as the figure fell to the ground, that was when a massive amount of weight got off his chest. He turned to see Rude entering holding the first frown that was there because he was upset. He spoke but nothing made sense to Tseng, he had his attention now to the screaming yet tear eyed blonde female cowering in the corner.
He couldn't see her anymore, he had hurt her. But he couldn't see Rude either; that left his eyes on the ground where the lifeless strands of crimson hair laid connected to the non living. He bent down; he saw that the pale complexion turned a paler shade. The thin lips were parted but the eye lids were shut tight hiding the true emerald windows from the world forever. He saw the gun that had dropped close by on the ground then at the figure resting on the ground next to him. His eyes caught the wound.
"How could you?" She screamed as she was now in the ground having her face in her palms blaming herself for all the happenings. She felt her hands moist from the salty tears dancing off her cheeks.
Her brown eyes fell to the body on the ground that lay lifeless, she mouthed its name; Reno.
The bald man of the three watched the scene staring at the figure that had fallen on the ground, he saw the red substance on the shirt and the closed eyes; he left the room not wanting to face anymore.
Tseng just stood up leaving the female to soak away her feelings and the red head unable to do anything, he was a goner.
Yes, that was the scene if Tseng had shot Reno in time.
That was when the scene was unfolded back to when the red head saw the fingers pressure against the trigger. His eyes shut tight. Then the door banged against the wall as it was left open. A person stood in the doorway; he must have been the person responsible for the voice outside in the hallway calling two of the Turks previously. He himself had chosen to have a gun wrapped under his hands. Fingers ready to press on the trigger. The sound of the door opening.
He didn't fret on waiting the new person; he pressed the trigger hard as the sound of the bullet shooting was heard. It was aimed at Tseng's hand making the gun by the responsibility of the bullet fly off his hand. The gunshot.
The sound of the gunshot was enough to the fragile female as she clasped her hands on her ears and shut her eyes tight parting her lips to let out a scream thinking it was the red head that got shot. The scream.
"You may be Turks, but I will not accept such behavior; especially when you are guests in my lodge" the firm voice of the person who shot the gun out of Tseng's hand spoke hiding his own weapon back in his pocket allowing his sharp, blue eyes to scan every face in the room. The voice.
"Sir?" Tseng asked in a shaking voice indeed as he stared with his lips parted unsure what to do before he quickly got his mind sent back to him, bowing down he kept himself in that position waiting to see what the higher ranked man would do.
There was sudden silence that was when Reno finally opened his eyes and quickly tackles Tseng to the ground.
"You were fucking hell going to shoot me if you could have?" He asked angered as he chose to pin the first in command to the ground before being easily pushed off and falling to the ground next to the Wutain Turk.
"Sir, I apologize about the happening that has occurred upon the time of 1300." Tseng quickly stated as he jumped up avoiding brushing away the dust from his pants.
A sigh escaped Rufus before shaking his head seeing a strand of his blonde hair fall upon the space between his two eyes, "I honestly have no time to deal with you children. Though I am most disappointed by you Tseng; I usually expected more of you. Now come, we have business to complete" Rufus stated calmly before turning around leaving the room as if just a few seconds ago a funeral might have came to.
Nodding, Tseng looked at Elena's direction who stood there with fear not sure what to do but most she held shock as she fell upon her mattress and stared at the down part of her palms thinking she could find an answer there. And with knowing she would not give him the attention he wished for, he left following after the man who saved him from making the biggest mistake in his life.
Rufus was found resting on a couch, legs crossed as he calmly flipped through pages reading unentertaining documents before raising an eyebrow when Tseng entered the room.
"I feel like it was slightly over acted" he chuckled with a tilt of his head.
"Excuse me, sir?" Tseng asked confused walking closer and sitting on a chair closes by.
"I doubt anyone else will overhear us so enough with the act" Rufus stated now frowning.
"I understand. Sir, thank you for helping me" Tseng pointed out.
"It was my pleasure though next time you point a gun at Reno, I'll be supporting you and darn well pray you actually shoot him" Rufus chuckled once more with a mysterious smirk forming upon him slowly against each word in the conversation. "One more thing, by any chance did you take out the bullets from fear that I wouldn't have come in time and you might just have to shoot him?"
"Yes, sir"
"Very well, I presume my part in this little scam has been completed?" Rufus asked once more.
"Yes, sir"
"Well I had much fun in being a part of it, even if it wasn't meant to be amusing; I found Reno's face expressions to be the highlight of the day" Rufus noted with a chuckle before looking back at Tseng, "Mind getting me a drink?" He asked blinking slightly as he waited for a reply.
"Yes, sir" and with that Tseng chose to depart.
"Such an unusual person he is. Just hope whatever he's scheming is working" Rufus muttered before turning back to the documents.
A figure was found shivering, hidden underneath a wooden table as her hands were covered over her raven head. She had the gunshot, even though it had been half an hour since the hurdling sound; she still held fear over whether it was going to return.
"Why did I listen to Rufus and come along?" She whined miserably to herself as she didn't dare open her eyelids to reveal her emerald eyes. She just was positioned there crouched underneath the furniture shivering from fear…But of course; she bit her lip upon hearing footsteps heading towards her.
"What do I do? What if I'm next? Like that monster…." Her chain of thoughts halted upon remembering the creature she dared herself to see on the tube a few days ago. Obviously she still hadn't recovered from the fictional yet gruesome creature and therefore parted her lips letting out a ear-whacking scream.
The footsteps now lead the conclusion that they were heading in a faster speed rate towards her. This only led the female to scream louder until finally she felt a warm hand muffle her voice. Shaking with fear; she finally opened her eyes to find a set of new emerald eyes stare at her with confusion.
When he noticed her calm down, he finally let his fingers leave her lips as he got up from sitting on the ground and proceeded on leaving.
Yuffie feeling the flush of crimson reach her cheeks; she debated upon whether she should talk to him after the incident that had occurred a few days ago. Finally she did;
"You look like you've seen a ghost" she pointed out noticing him to be paler then usual as she jumped out of her spot once banging her head on the table before getting up and stretching herself. She was after all crouched in that position for a while. It seemed like she had forgotten about the gunshot already.
"Well you would have" he pointed out finally stopping, he himself remembered the incident. He was drunk and foolish; but he didn't regret saying all he did that day. That made it harder for him to look her in the face; thus he chose to look at his shoes still keeping his back to her.
"I would have?" She asked blinking slightly before it finally occurred to her that perhaps Reno & the gunshot had a connection. "Did something shoot you?" She asked, Reno seemed alright; but it was best to ask.
"Long story, but I'm fine" he pointed out finally turning around slightly warming up to her. "Why do I have a feeling that's not the only reason why you're still standing here?" He questioned her now crossing his arms as he waited for a reply.
She fidgeted for a moment; she really didn't want to hold any other conversation with him. But she knew why he said that; he was reminding her.
"Reno…I don't want any bad blood between us; alright?" She asked.
He just watched her for a moment then spoke, "I don't want any 'bad blood' between us either. But if you're trying to make me forget everything; that I can't" he told her.
"Why?" She asked finally allowing her pupils to fall on his eyes not knowing that it was harder for him to look back at her.
"Because…." He stopped for a moment looking back at her, when he chose to speak of course; a figure entered the room.
"Yuffie; is everything alright? I could have sworn I heard you scream a few minutes ago" the blonde president that had just entered the room stated.
"Oh no, it was just the television in the other room" Yuffie lied with a smile eying the glass Rufus was holding.
He gave a nod before noticing Reno, "I hope you have recovered from the previous conflict"
"Yes, sir. Though I wouldn't be able to get a holiday if I said I wasn't?" Reno asked with a smirk.
"Never, even if you happened to actually get shot" Rufus scoffed but held a smile in the end. "Well, I need to attend a few meetings…I need two of you to stay here while two of you to follow me" he started before stopping a moment and turning to Yuffie.
"It will be an overnight assignment so I need you to stay here; I pray you will wake up in the morning. Or I'll just leave you and go back to Edge without you" he stated with a tone that hid if he was joking or being serious. He then returned to Reno.
"Staying overnight here?" Yuffie thought blinking for a moment, it didn't seem so bad might be actually fun…But then when she remembered the third person in the room; Reno, she prayed he would be one of the Turks assigned to go with Rufus.
"So who's going and who's staying?" Reno finally asked Yuffie's mental question as the young president remembered and gave a nod.
"Oh yes, I almost forgot that one; I will surely take Tseng & leave Rude behind" Rufus pointed out as Yuffie blinked, it was a risk. She would have to be lucky for Elena so stay behind.
"Elena hasn't been through any missions so far so I'm taking her and leaving you behind…Understood? Everyone else knows of the mission. We will leave directly after an hour so I pray you will help everyone who is going to depart" Rufus pointed out to Reno before leaving.
"And make sure to find a room for Yuffie" came the voice of the young president from the other room before everything fell silent.
The pale Turk chose to take it all in; he wasn't needed to work this time! Alas he was going to receive the break he wished to get. Though when his emerald eyes fell on Yuffie; he couldn't help but allow his smirk to shine.
"You're not going?" She asked praying she would hear the answer she craved for as she didn't believe what Rufus previously said.
"Nope" he stated emotionless as he left her in the room to most probably wander around the place.
"Someone up there wants me to suffer" she stated with a sniff. If Rufus was at least here she wouldn't need to have even talked to Reno….Not good….
-TOBECONTINUED-