The next morning Reno & Rude wound their way through busy Wall Market to Don Corneo's mansion. Reno lead the way and Rude was just fine with that, he wasn't really keen on doing this anyways. The idea of being someone's thug made him feel a little apprehensive, he wasn't sure if he wanted to be a glorified bouncer for Corneo but he knew for a fact that he didn't want to work for Crowlman anymore either. So he walked silently behind Reno, intent on letting his boisterous friend do all the talking. Rude had no finesse for words anyways.
Reno walked confidently towards Corneo's mansion, forgetting for a moment that the guard would probably keep them from entering because they were men. He knew that Corneo was only fond of women and he was suspicious of other males but Reno didn't really mind the possibility of being thrown out head first, it thrilled him actually. Fact was he was simply ready for action and activity of any kind.
They made it to the mansion with few problems, a pickpocket tried to get Rude's wallet but that ended as quickly as it started. Reno found it amusing how one quick icy stare from Rude would send people running the other way looking very much like they had just shit their pants. When Reno reached the front door the guard looked him over suspiciously and Reno looked the guard over with just as little discretion.
"We don't allow guys in here bub." The guard uncrossed his arms, probably preparing to throw Reno out in case he caused any trouble.
"Not looking for sex yo, tryin' ta get hired." Reno put out the cigarette that had been lazily hanging from his lips.
The man looked him over, apparently amused. "You'll have to prove you can do this job, it ain't all rainbows and butterflies."
"Course it ain't Corneo runs the Honeybee's not the Butterflies or Rainbows. I figured ya'd know that." Reno shoved his hands in his pockets with a smug grin.
"Shut yer trap smart ass. I'll see if the Don want's anything to do with a couple scrubs like yerselves." The guard walked inside leaving Reno lounging against a wall with Rude standing stock still beside him.
"You shouldn't piss off someone you might work with." Rude crossed his arms and pointedly looked at Reno.
"Tell him that." Reno lit up another cigarette.
They waited in silence, both fairly nervous about how the Don would receive them. The guard walked back out and motioned for them to follow. Reno stood up with a cocky grin and threw his cigarette on the ground before following the man inside, Fay's rules about smoking inside were engraved on his brain.
The man led them up to Corneo's office and then left them alone with the Don. Corneo examined them over his glasses as he took a drink of something amber colored.
"Sit gentlemen." Reno and Rude obeyed, taking seats opposite the large man, "You're interested in working for me I hear?"
"Sounds like the general idea yeah." Reno leaned back in the chair and crossed his legs in front of him. Rude thought he looked far to at ease here.
"Got names?" Corneo asked as he looked them over.
"I'm Reno and this is Rude." Reno introduced the casually, seeming unbothered by Corneo's scrutinizing stare.
"Well, I can't hire you without hearing your reasons for wanting to work for me." Corneo kept his eyes on Reno as he poured himself another drink.
"We want to actually get paid for doing work. What we get in the slums just isn't enough. We heard that working for you doesn't take a lot of brains which is good 'cause neither of us have many of those yo." Reno put his hands behind his head as he finished with a laugh.
Corneo gave a soft chuckle, "True, it doesn't take brains to work for me but it does take a certain amount of physical prowess. You also need to be willing to do whatever I ask of you, this includes killing people you might be fond of. Think you can do that?"
"Think so." Reno answered with another smile, "Truth is there aren't many people we're fond of yo."
"How soon can you quit the job's you have now?" Corneo's stare at Reno was intense and Rude felt like he was barging in on something private for the man.
"I can quit at the drop of a hat but Rude here," Reno jerked his head in Rude's direction, "his boss isn't exactly the good kind."
"How so?" Corneo directed this question at Rude but Reno answered for him.
"Crowlman is more physical than Rude'd like and he's got enough libido to go through about twenty prostitutes without batting an eyelash. He's also quite the sadistic little bastard if you catch my meaning." Reno figured Rude wouldn't enjoy talking about his experience with Crowlman and the wince Rude gave at hearing his boss' name was enough to tell him he had been right.
"Crowlman? We've been meaning to get rid of him for a few years now, he's been less than kind to some of my workers." Reno could tell Corneo meant his prostitutes. "Don't worry about him, we've been trying to finish him off for months but we haven't located him yet. Where is he?"
"Bar in sector six." Rude said shortly.
"And here I thought you were mute." Corneo laughed as he jotted down where Crowlman was, there were only so many bars in sector six, he wouldn't be hard to find.
"So think you'll hire us?" Reno asked hopefully, noting that Corneo didn't ask how old they were. He knew that Corneo didn't really care about their ages, Corneo knew that the two were willing to work for him and that seemed to be all he needed.
"I think you'll have to show me if you have what it takes first. I'll have you fight a couple of my boys and see how you do. Do you require weapons?" Corneo returned to staring intensely at Reno, want apparent in his eyes.
"We've got our fists yo." Reno gave another cocky grin to Corneo and the man smiled.
"Indeed you do." Corneo chuckled as he pressed an intercom on his desk, "Get the gym ready, we need to test some newbies."
After a moment two of Corneo's thugs came in and led Reno and Rude out of the room and towards what Reno assumed to be the gym. The men left them in the middle of the room and walked away as Corneo took a seat near the edge of what Reno could only describe as an arena.
"Don't pull your punches boys, my men sure won't. I'll let them pick who goes first." Corneo smirked as the two thugs came over to face Reno and Rude. Reno could tell they were sizing them up and he could see the small smirk cross their faces as they looked him over. He crossed his arms and quietly allowed himself to be surveyed. He didn't like being laughed at, but he knew he would be able to wipe the smug grins from their faces soon.
"Made your choices boys?" Corneo addressed his men but his eyes were on Reno and Rude.
One of the men gave a small smug grin before pointing at Reno. Reno rolled his eyes, the man was twice his size, but Reno could tell he was slower than a legless chocobo.
"Everyone else clear the ring then." Corneo sat back and looked Reno over as the red-head began to stretch his back and roll his neck lazily. The other man cracked his knuckles and grinned manically.
"You may start." Corneo sipped at his glass as he spoke.
The man lunged at Reno without hesitation and Reno nimbly dodged the first blow and his own landed on the man's back and propelled him to the ground. The man got up quickly and lunged at Reno again, getting the same treatment for his efforts. Reno laughed as he continued to dodge the mans blows and force him to the ground. The man was sweating profusely and Reno seemed completely unfazed. The man changed tactics, circling Reno like a predator circles it's prey. Reno simply gazed at the man with a smirk as he twisted slowly to follow the man's movements. He seemed mildly amused, the other man seemed highly annoyed. The man took up a boxers stance and began to punch at Reno as hard as he could. Reno dodged all but one, which caught him in the ear. Reno punched the man in the stomach, lower than he intended, and the man bent double and Reno pushed him to the floor. The man got back up slowly and took up his boxing stance again. Reno smirked as he began dodging blows, hoping only to enrage the man further. His tactic worked as the man's movements became more erratic and Reno's grin only got wider as he continued to flow around the man's fists.
"Oi! Arty you gonna dance wi' 'im or finish 'im?" The mans fellow called through cupped hands.
"I'm gonna finish 'im!" Arty cried angrily as he threw another punch. Reno dodged it and threw his knee into the man's stomach before pushing him to the ground and pinning him there.
"I think I win." Reno panted as he held the man down, looking up at Corneo for confirmation of this fact.
"It would seem you have." Corneo's eyes gleamed as he gestured for Reno to release the man.
Reno grinned and let the man up. The man threw Reno a glare and walked back to his friend who was laughing raucously. Rude clapped him gently on the back as he took up his place in the ring. The other man walked up, his eyes still streaming with laughter. Internally Rude grinned, he could tell this man didn't take him seriously.
"You may begin." Corneo leaned forward in his chair and rested his chin on his hand.
Rude waited for the other man to make the first move. The man threw a punch to Rude's stomach which Rude didn't even flinch at. Rude then countered with a punch to the man's head, knocking him to the floor. The man sat there dazed for a moment and then shakily stood back up. He lunged for Rude haphazardly and Rude delivered another blow to the man's head and knocked him out cold.
Corneo grinned, "You're hired. You can start tomorrow. I'll have Scotch come show you where you will stay and he'll explain the rules of working for me." Corneo got up and left the room, throwing a glance at Reno as he left. The other two men slipped out behind him, Arty carrying his incapacitated comrade.
"We did it yo!" Reno threw a fist in the air before clapping Rude on the shoulder.
"Calm down." Rude crossed his arms in front of him.
"Aren't you excited yo? This means no more Crowlman! No more just scraping by! We can actually help Fay out yo! She won't have to work so much anymore!" Reno placed his hands on his hips and glared at Rude, daring him to ruin the happy thought of financial stability.
"Didn't you listen Reno? He said we'll have to kill people." Rude glared back just as heatedly.
"I know," Reno scratched his head and lowered his gaze, "but what choice do we have? You CAN'T work for Crowlman anymore and I'm not letting you work here by yourself."
A man walked in, interrupting their discussion. "You the new guys?"
"Yeah, nice ta meet ya." Reno threw a sloppy salute to the man.
"Follow me, we've got things to discuss." Scotch walked out of the room with Reno in tow and Rude directly behind them.
"What kind of things?" Reno stuffed his hands in his pockets as he listened to Scotch speak.
"Rules. First rule; if you're guarding the Don and you hear anyone but him beg for mercy you don't care. Don't even think about going in during one of his sessions unless you hear him screaming with anything other than pleasure." Reno made a disgusted face that did not go unnoticed by Scotch, "get used to it kid, that's the line of work you've gotten yourself into." Scotch lead them down a corridor lined with doors, "This will be where the two of you stay while you're here. Sometimes the Don'll want you to stay overnight in case he needs something from ya. Also, this is where you can bring any 'rewards' he lets you have." Scotch gave an evil grin as he showed Reno and Rude into a room hideously decorated in reds and purples. "You'll get used to that idea too kid. Don't ever bring a girl you wanna keep around here though, the Don doesn't like us mixing our personal lives with work so it's best to just not have a personal life at all. If you've got family make sure they keep their heads down and don't come around. Might just lose you your lives if they do." Scotch showed them out of the room and walked them back up the corridor. "If he ever requests anything from you personally you give it to 'im and you don't ask questions about it. It'll save you a lot of trouble if you just do what you're told. Also," Scotch turned to face them directly, almost making Reno bump into him, "if you decide you wanna leave there's two ways you can go about it. One; try ta convince the Don that you can't work for him anymore or two; simply leave. Either way, you won't be getting out of here on your own two feet understand?" Reno nodded. "You've just got yourselves neck deep in the business end of the slums, let's see how long you can swim eh?" Scotch chuckled and led them into a smaller room that branched off the main lobby. "This is where we keep all our weapons and shit. You can come in here and get what you need from Curly over there," Scotch jerked his thumb towards a heavily tattooed man lounging in a chintz armchair. "he'll getcha whatever ya need no questions asked. Show 'em why you won't ask questions Curly." The man named Curly opened his mouth, showing the lack of tongue inside. Reno shuddered inwardly at the sight and Rude turned his head. Scotch laughed and led them out of the room. "There's reasons you keep your head down around here, get it?" He didn't wait for an answer, "Don says he wants you bozo's back here tomorrow afternoon for your first guard duty. Make sure you get any outside affairs taken care of, we'll treat the two of ya to a kinder welcoming when you're done. You'll be stayin' the night by the way, bring extra clothes. Don doesn't care what you wear so long as you cover up alright?" Scotch directed them out the front door of the mansion. "See ya tomorrow."
Authors Note: Sorry this took so long to post! I've been trying to get it written but I haven't had a ton of time for it. Blame AP World History for that.