Authors note: This is getting a bit beyond just the beginning, isn't it. Lol. Well I hope you're all starting to see where this is gonna tie together. Remember that this is just my story, entirely fictional, and most of this stuff in this story didn't happen at all. I am of course talking baout Claudia's boyfriend and the fact that he was in soldier long before Elena was in the Turks.
Chapter 16 – The Traitor

"There you are, sir!" Elena said as Tseng walked through the door. He looked at her and Reno in surprise.

"I wasn't expecting you to be back so soon. Is she dead?"

"Yup." Reno said cheerfully. "And I managed to get out in one piece! What a day this is, eh?"

"And this is everything that she stole." Elena pointed to the nag on the table. Everyone looked at Rude who was looking at something small in his hand. He held it up. It was another computer chip, exactly the same as Reno's had been.

"Where the hell did that come from?" Tseng said, shocked. Rude held up another item, a small plastic box, just big enough to fit two of the chips in.

"So," said Elena, rubbing her chin, "She must have stolen them from here too, right? That's how she managed to shoot Reno with one."

"All that material, a un-safe experiment, and…Reno's file?" Tseng said, seeing the file in Reno's hand. "Someone in this building is a traitor, and I'm gonna find out who it is."

"Huh?" Reno said, looking up from the file.

"There's no way she could have got all these without help. Nobody could, the security is too tight."

"Hmm. You know, half the stuff in here I didn't even know about." Reno said

"Trust me; Rufus Shinra probably knows more about all of us than we do." Tseng said smiling.


Lunch was usually an entertaining time of day thanks to Reno, but today he was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is that idiot?" Elena said, as she sat down.

"He said he wasn't hungry." Rude said. Elena stopped in her tracks, mouth open.

"I don't believe you." Rude shrugged. "We sure this is the same person we're talking about?"

At that moment, the red-head in question dropped himself down on the chair beside Elena, she jumped.

"Reno! You idiot, you scared me!" she shouted.

"Fuckin' lost him again." He muttered, completely ignoring her.

"Where you been, man?" Rude asked

"Just…no where" he looked over to the door opposite them. "Shit. There he is again." He got up, taking a couple of slices of Elena's toast, and made his way towards the door. A man with black hair seemed to notice him and moved quickly away. Reno broke into a run.

"What the hell's he up to now?" Tseng said.

"I recognised him. Who is he…?" Elena said staring after him.

"Newest recruit. A Soldier…his name's Zack. Why?" said Tseng.

"Zack? Oh no." she got sharply to her feet. "Reno?!" she shouted, running after him. Rude just shrugged at Tseng's inquisitive stare.


"Reno? Where are you?" Elena shouted. She spotted him by the window in the lounge, gun in hand. Elena recognised it as his tranquilizer.

"Reno?"

"Shut it 'Lena." He fired. "Gotcha, you bastard."

"Reno? You know who he is?"

"Why do you think I just did that Elena?" he put the gun back in his pocket and headed out the door to where the man had fallen. Elena followed.

"You! You bastard. You know how much trouble you've caused me?"

"I-I… what are you talking about."

"Shut up." Reno kicked him.

"Are you Zack?" Elena said, slightly calmer.

"Y-yes. What's the problem here?"

"Don't play dumb with me. You and your slut of a girlfriend have done your best to kill me!" he shouted.

"Reno! Calm down." Elena hissed. He thumped her lightly on the shoulder.

"Get up." He said sharply. He grabbed Zack's arm and pulled him to his feet.

"You will regret this." He said. Reno laughed

"The only person who actually works with you is dead. How will I?" Zack smirked slightly, which annoyed Reno. He kicked him in the back of the legs.

"Move."

Reno led them back to the cafeteria, straight to Tseng and Rude. Tseng looked up at Reno.

"Reno. What the hell is going on with you?" he said, seeing Zack's face. He was slightly drowsy from the traquilizer.

"This…" Reno pushed Zack forwards, "Is the fucker that tried to kill me the first time."

"You are Claudia's boyfriend?" Tseng said. "Reno, take him somewhere safe. We'll deal with him later." Reno nodded and pulled Zack back. Elena made to follow them, but Tseng stopped her.

"He'll be fine Elena. Stay here." Elena sat back down and watched Reno push Zack out of the room.

"Sir? Is it …Zack who stole Reno's file, and everything?" Elena asked nervously.

"He had access to the files, yes. But I have no idea how he got hold of the chip. They were supposed to be destroyed. I guess some must have got missed."

"So you think it was him?" asked Rude

"It seems likely, he applied for the job around the time Elena joined us I think."