Chapter 5 - I Guess He's Going to do Things to Her. Or Something.
The group of adventurers stepped quickly towards the tallest building of Wutai, a fuming Cid in the lead. Vincent kept pace a half step behind him, while Barret and Red kept a wary distance behind the irate pilot. Arriving at their destination, the pagoda of the Gods loomed in front of them as Cid again took the lead and banged on the door. He grasped for a fresh cigarette and was busy lighting it when Gorky opened the entrance and peered out.
"Captain Highwind." The vassal of Wutai looked past Cid. "Mr. Valentine, Mr. Wallace, and Mr. Nanaki. What can I do for you gentlemen?" Cid took a step forward.
"You can tell me where the hell that brat is?" Barret pulled him aside roughly at Gorky's shocked expression, and Red quickly filled in.
"Actually, we were wondering if you knew the whereabouts of Lady Kisaragi." Gorky peered down at the fire-beast.
"No, I'm sorry. Miss Yuffie left her home last night without any notice. We haven't seen nor heard from her since."
"She just left without warning? Have you attempted to locate her yet?" Gorky hung his head.
"Unfortunately, no. These disappearances are more common than you may think. After a while, we gave up trying to find her when they occurred. The Lady is quite capable of hiding when she wants to."
Red looked disappointed with the answer. "Thank you for your time Gorky. If Yuffie does return shortly, please have her contact us."
"Certainly, friend. Have a good day." Gorky closed the door behind himself. Cid took a last drag before speaking.
"Well, I gotta say, I'm really not that surprised. She never did want to stick around when things got tough." Vincent spoke up in Yuffie's defense.
"That is untrue Cid. She returned to us the day before the final descent into the Northern Crater of her own free will. The girl does the right thing when it needs to be done. I believe whatever took her away from home yesterday seemed more important than assisting us into Midgar."
"I agree." Red supported both Vincent and Yuffie with his statement, but Barret shook his head.
"No, I'm with Cid on this one. The girl has no sense of responsibility." Red turned towards the former leader of AVALANCHE.
"We are all entitled to our opinions of Yuffie, but arguing about them will not cause her to appear any sooner than she intends. I believe it is in our best interest too simply carry on to Kalm without her. Cid?" The fire-beast asked the pilot for confirmation. Cid's head shot up at his name, whatever thoughts running through his mind were broken. It took him a moment to comprehend what Red had said.
"Yeah, I think you're right. But I think we should leave in the morning. We need a little rest, and it'll give the brat a little more time to show. We'll just give Strife a little heads-up."
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"I really don't think you understand the seriousness of the situation." Yuffie rolled her eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time that evening. And they had been having such a nice dinner. Kind of. She made eye contact with the Turk across the table from her.
"I really think I do. It doesn't matter at all." Reno looked shocked and almost pained.
"How can you say it doesn't matter? How could you possibly say that? The question has plagued humanity since the creation of the universe."
"No, Reno, it hasn't." She felt like she was talking to a four-year- old. "I sincerely doubt that the cavemen wondered if Spider-man could take Superman."
"I'm telling you, he can. That self-righteous nerd with those damned glasses has his head way too far up his ass to even touch Spider-man."
"I hate you."
"I mean, really. Parker's a genius. He could whip up some kind of kryptonite web that would render Superman powerless."
"Please stop talking." Yuffie's hands went to her temple to massage the headache away.
"And don't give me that 'super-speed' crap. He only uses his full power when he's in trouble, and by the time he realized that, Spider-man would have already handed his ass to him."
"Reno." Yuffie spoke a little louder. So did Reno.
"Plus, the guys a fucking alien. Everyone knows aliens can't compete with us home grown humans. Genetically enhanced or not."
"RENO." Yuffie yelled while simultaneously slamming down on the table. While all the other patrons with the tiny restaurant jumped with the impact. Reno only smiled sweetly.
"Yes, love?"
"Don't call me that. Would you please stop talking about this, please? I'd much rather talk about something else such as, oh I don't know." Yuffie paused, looking out the window beside her into the streets of Kalm. "The mission tomorrow perhaps." Reno's smile disappeared, as he finished his last bite and pushed the empty plate besides Yuffie, where their server could easily pick it up.
"Ah, right. That thing." Yuffie looked hopeful, and Reno hesitated before finally continuing. "We're going to the ruins of Midgar." The shock shot across Yuffie's face, but Reno had deemed it considerably mild in comparison to his initial reaction. But he just chalked it up to simple reasoning. Why else would they have gone to Kalm if not to reach Midgar. He ignored his instincts and smirked while she searched for the words.
"What's in Midgar."
"Good question. Also one I can't answer. Sorry, babe."
"Fine. What sector are we going to? I deserve to at least know that." Yuffie leaned forward expectantly, but caught herself before easing back into her chair. She hoped that she wasn't putting on to unnatural a show for Reno. The man was a professional when it came to reading people, and she tried her best to hide her prior knowledge of the mission. His next answer would almost certainly confirm or deny any of the allegations she secretly held against him, Rude and Elena.
"Yeah, I guess you do. But we're not going to a sector." Yuffie's breath caught. "We've gotta go straight to the heart of Midgar." Reno trailed off and Yuffie picked up hesitantly, her eyes downcast towards the table.
"The Shin-ra building?" Reno could almost swear he heard a disappointment in her voice, but something was off. It didn't seem to be a disappointment of going somewhere unwanted. It seemed like she was disappointed. In him? 'What the hell?' Once again, Reno forced his instincts down, and answered.
"Yeah. There."
"Well, I guess it's going to be a long day."
"You'd guess right. But I don't want to talk about such boring crap anyway. We'll deal with tomorrow when it comes." Yuffie kept her head down as Reno's conversation faded into the background noise. She had truly hoped that Cloud was wrong, or that his informer was wrong. Now there was almost no question about it, the stories matched up too perfectly. The Turks were going to get Hojo's notes for some madman. And she was going to have to stop them, even if it meant her life. Or perhaps more importantly, their friendship. She looked up into Reno's cerulean eyes. Was she ready to give that up so easily? As Reno's questioning eyebrow rose up, Yuffie allowed her own eyes to drop down again. She could only hope AVALANCHE would arrive in time to help her.
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Reno had decided that the group shouldn't separate too far from each other, but Rude absolutely insisted that Reno stay 'as far away from this date as fucking possible.' Instead, the two reached a compromise. The two pairs sat at opposite ends of the same restaurant within the hotel, completely, to Rude's joy, out of earshot from one another. The tall Turk looked away from his redheaded friend and back towards the beautiful blond sitting across from him, as she waved her hand frantically to get the waiter's attention. She slumped down again in a huff, and looked at Rude.
"Rude. The waiter just keeps ignoring me." While his face remained impassive, Rude smiled inwardly. Elena's voice would, without fail, take on that tone when she didn't get her way. While Reno had said time and time again that he would like to take his nightstick to the back of her head when she started getting whiney, to Rude it was just one more of the reasons why he loved her. Elena had finally gotten the attention that she desperately sought and ordered herself yet another drink. It was the weirdest thing. Reno and Rude would nearly kill themselves drinking most nights of the year, but a night before a mission; they wouldn't touch the stuff. On the other hand, Elena, who was far from a heavy drinker most of the time, loved to consume cocktail after cocktail the night before. Rude just assumed to each, their own.
"So what do you think they're talking about?" Elena had turned her attention back to Rude while pointing behind her at their travelling companions.
"Not sure." Yuffie's eyes were downcast, and she seemed deep in thought. If Reno noticed he didn't make any mention of it.
"I think they're talking about either the mission or their relationship. Why else would Yuffie look so sad?" Elena giggled at what she thought was a lovely insult on her leader. "Though, I think those two should have gotten together a long time ago."
"All they do is fight."
"Yeah, but it's weird, no matter how much they fight, even when it seems like Yuffie's about to take a swing at Reno, or he's about to just start shooting random objects, it's always playful. I think it's how they flirt." Rude couldn't help but wonder. He had been ignoring the signs personally. Once in a while, he could see that damned smirk of his partner's widen almost imperceptibly when Yuffie walked into the room. After giving it a little more thought, Rude couldn't help but start agreeing with Elena.
"I think you're right. Who knows, maybe she'll put him in his place." Rude watched Yuffie blush bright red and threaten Reno with her butter knife as he laughed. "That, or finally kill him."
Elena gave a good laugh and smiled widely at Rude. To her surprise, Rude returned the smile and reached out for her hand. Elena looked down in surprise as her stoic comrade's hand enclosed hers completely. When he took off his sunglasses to look her directly in the eyes she almost lost her voice. Almost.
"I think we should go upstairs." Elena's voice came out husky and Rude simply nodded. While still smiling, he called the waiter over again, while writing a quick note
"We'd like our bill please. And deliver this to that man over there." Rude indicated Reno, who sat sipping away at a coffee.
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"Excuse me, sir. A man asked me to leave this with you." The waiter dropped a note into Reno's outstretched hand, before walking away to attend to other customers.
"What's that?" Yuffie tried to look at the note by sitting higher in her chair as Reno read it.
"It's from Rude." Reno started chuckling "What a guy. Here, take a look." Yuffie took the note from him and read it. A look of confusion passed onto her face.
"Twenty-two?" Yuffie held up the note to make sure he had seen it right. Sure enough, all that was written on it was the number twenty-two. "What does that mean?" Reno took the paper and stared at it while he spoke.
"It's a code for when we need a little uninterrupted time with a lady- friend. Eleven means one hour, twenty-two means two, thirty-three means three, and so on. Sixty-nine means 'find somewhere else to sleep tonight.'"
"But it's just him and Elena. What do they need two hours for."
"I dunno. I guess he's going to do things to her. Or something. Either way, it looks like you and I have another two hours to kill."
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Tifa and Cloud sat in her bar holding a mug of coffee in each of their hands. The silence had been dominating for a while. Tifa finally broke it.
"Are you worried about tomorrow?" Cloud looked up at his love and smiled.
"Yes, and no. I'm not worried so much about tomorrow, as I'm worried what will happen if we fail tomorrow."
"I know what you mean. But it will be ok. We'll have most of the team together again, and between all of us, there's no way the Turks stand a chance."
At that, the PHS sitting between them rang. Tifa didn't make a move for it as Cloud picked it up.
"Hello. She's not? Odd. No, that's ok, just come as soon as you can.Alright, see you guys in the morning." Tifa looked at Cloud expectantly as he placed the PHS back down. "That was Cid. Yuffie's not in Wutai anymore."
"She's not? Do they know where she went?"
"Apparently not. And they don't know when she'll be back either."
"What now?"
"Well, they decided to spend the night in Wutai and get some rest. That way, there's still a chance Yuffie will show up. Whether or not that happens is up to her though. They'll come straight here in the morning, then we'll set off to Midgar." Tifa stood up and walked over to Cloud. She wrapped her arms around his torso and rested her head on his shoulder.
"I think we're going to be glad we kept up with our training tomorrow." Cloud nodded silently in agreement. "It's getting pretty late though. Maybe we should get some rest too." Cloud turned his head and gave Tifa a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Yeah, you're right." He stood up as he spoke. "Lord, between us, the Turks and Midgar it's going to be like some sick and twisted reunion tomorrow. I think I'll be half expecting Hojo to show up and start throwing things at us all day tomorrow." Tifa shuddered at the thought.
"Well, there's no need to worry about him. That psycho is long dead. Anyway, let's get to bed." And with that, the couple climbed the stairs and slipped into their room.
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At the center of Midgar stood the decrepit Shin-ra building, a shadow of its former glory. Davis stood on the main floor, surrounded by a specially trained task force. Scattered among the group were eyes glowing with the power of mako enhancement. Picking up his radio, Davis contacted the leaders of the other teams.
"Team 1, what is your status? Over." Davis spoke quietly so as not to attract any unwanted attention. The group had been lucky so far with minimum attacks and zero casualties. Corin Alexander would expect no less.
"Hojo's lab has been completed, sir. We're about halfway down to you now. No incidents to report. Over."
"Wonderful. We'll see you down here. Be careful. Over, out." Davis flicked his radio to the next frequency and spoke again. "Team 2 status. Over."
"Perimeter has been secured, sir. Equipment is completed and operational. No incidents to report. Over."
"Good, work your way back here. Team 1 won't be much longer. Over, out." With that Davis placed the radio back at his hip and turned toward the team leader beside him. "You're certain everything is ready to go here? I won't have any mistakes." Davis was always a bit of a pessimist. Things had been going too well for his liking. He couldn't help but assume something was about to go wrong. The captain's cold eyes met Davis' nervous ones.
"Yes. Structural weak points have been identified and isolated. Remotes are fully operational, as are the receivers. All that's left is the show." He added with a smile. Davis did not share the good humor.
"Very well. You know what to do tomorrow. My escort and I will be heading back now." Davis began walking towards a jeep. Before opening the passenger door, he turned back to speak. "Please don't blow this Kassidy. I don't want to have you killed before I die."
"I never fail." The boast was backed with complete confidence as Kassidy's mako eyes flashed violently back at Davis'. "Sir." The title was added disdainfully, as an afterthought. Once Davis had been driven out of the area, and was on his way out of Midgar, Kassidy turned back to his men as Team 1 arrived. "Alright boys. We're all set here. Teams 1 and 3, get to your camps. Stay in contact when you need to. I'll wait for Team 2 here. Get some rest."
"Sir?" The leader of Team 1 spoke up nervously, afraid he was out of order. "Are you sure you'll wait on your own? We could leave an escort in case of a monster attack." Kassidy turned around to face the team leader, a thin smile playing on his lips.
"You know just as well as I do that there's nothing in these ruins that could ever touch me. Take your team and relax as much as you can for the evening. I'll contact you in the morning."
With that final order, the two teams reluctantly spilt and trudged off to their respective sites for some needed rest. Who knew what tomorrow would hold.
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The pair had been walking the streets of Kalm, idly chatting about nothing in particular for the better part of two hours when they found themselves walking near the docks, and the temperature dropping. Reno pulled his suit jacket a little tighter around himself and looked out towards the ocean. Grinning with what he would consider obvious genius, the Turk turned to the women at his arm and pointed.
"Let's go swimming."
"Fuck off." Reno looked disappointed with Yuffie's answer. His face broke into a grin again a second later.
"Can we go sit by the water, at least?" Yuffie turned and looked up at her companion as he stared out into the dark expanse that was a night ocean. He seemed sincere enough, and had already started walking over. Yuffie spoke as she sped to catch up.
"Fine. But I swear if you try to get me in the water, I'll take your life."
"Don't worry, I'm not really in the mood to fuck around that much right now. Night before a mission and all." Reno sat down at the edge of the dock and patted the wood beside him. He waited for Yuffie to sit before proceeding. "Speaking of which. I know something's bothering you about tomorrow."
Yuffie's voice caught in her throat and inwardly she panicked. Fearing the worst, the ninja was on the verge of completely denying any knowledge of their evil plot to steal Hojo's note to give them to some sicko scientist who's probably just gonna try to take over the world, all so they can make an easy buck. Luckily, Reno spoke first.
"You don't have anything to worry about." Yuffie was confused. She didn't?
"I don't?"
"No, you don't. I mean, you helped take down Sephiroth. Teeming with monsters or not, Midgar is gonna be a piece of cake for you tomorrow. Plus, you've got yours truly with you. Nothing's gonna touch you, cause nothing can get past me. I'm a fucking legend."
Yuffie inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He still didn't know why she had followed them. Gawd, what was she gonna do when the chips were down. She still prayed that it would never come to that. But the worry was present none the less. Wait, what'd he say?
"Nothing's gonna touch me cause you're there?" Reno looked over at her.
"Yeah."
"What are you saying you want to protect me or something?" Yuffie's studied her shoes intently before casting a quick glance to gauge Reno's reaction. He was smirking.
"Yeah, I guess that's exactly what I'm saying." Yuffie looked up at him and her heart skipped a beat or two. "Same way I'll protect Rude and Elena, and they'll protect me. You may not be a real Turk, but since you're with us for tomorrow, that's good enough for me. Turks take care of their own, pest."
Yuffie smiled at the sentiment, but she couldn't help feel a little disappointed. Why was she so excited when she thought he wanted to protect her? She's not some frail little girl; she can take care of herself. 'But it would sure feel good to have somebody care enough to protect me.' A tiny voice rang out in her mind. She quieted it quickly. Reno's not like that. Reno's an asshole, a killing machine, and a drunken womanizer. All the things mommies teach their daughters to stay the hell away from. Nothing but a bastard.
"C'mon, pest. We'd better get back to the hotel. We need sleep." Yuffie nodded before standing up and following Reno's already retreating back. 'He's a bastard, and he's killed so many. I can never really trust him.' Yuffie repeated this phrase time and time again, and had herself completely convinced when they arrived at the hotel. Sliding into the room her and Elena had, she was happy to find Rude had vacated himself already and Elena was soundly asleep. With nothing but her conflicted thoughts and emotions to keep her company, Yuffie tossed and turned in the dark before finally drifting off to sleep in pure exhaustion.
The group of adventurers stepped quickly towards the tallest building of Wutai, a fuming Cid in the lead. Vincent kept pace a half step behind him, while Barret and Red kept a wary distance behind the irate pilot. Arriving at their destination, the pagoda of the Gods loomed in front of them as Cid again took the lead and banged on the door. He grasped for a fresh cigarette and was busy lighting it when Gorky opened the entrance and peered out.
"Captain Highwind." The vassal of Wutai looked past Cid. "Mr. Valentine, Mr. Wallace, and Mr. Nanaki. What can I do for you gentlemen?" Cid took a step forward.
"You can tell me where the hell that brat is?" Barret pulled him aside roughly at Gorky's shocked expression, and Red quickly filled in.
"Actually, we were wondering if you knew the whereabouts of Lady Kisaragi." Gorky peered down at the fire-beast.
"No, I'm sorry. Miss Yuffie left her home last night without any notice. We haven't seen nor heard from her since."
"She just left without warning? Have you attempted to locate her yet?" Gorky hung his head.
"Unfortunately, no. These disappearances are more common than you may think. After a while, we gave up trying to find her when they occurred. The Lady is quite capable of hiding when she wants to."
Red looked disappointed with the answer. "Thank you for your time Gorky. If Yuffie does return shortly, please have her contact us."
"Certainly, friend. Have a good day." Gorky closed the door behind himself. Cid took a last drag before speaking.
"Well, I gotta say, I'm really not that surprised. She never did want to stick around when things got tough." Vincent spoke up in Yuffie's defense.
"That is untrue Cid. She returned to us the day before the final descent into the Northern Crater of her own free will. The girl does the right thing when it needs to be done. I believe whatever took her away from home yesterday seemed more important than assisting us into Midgar."
"I agree." Red supported both Vincent and Yuffie with his statement, but Barret shook his head.
"No, I'm with Cid on this one. The girl has no sense of responsibility." Red turned towards the former leader of AVALANCHE.
"We are all entitled to our opinions of Yuffie, but arguing about them will not cause her to appear any sooner than she intends. I believe it is in our best interest too simply carry on to Kalm without her. Cid?" The fire-beast asked the pilot for confirmation. Cid's head shot up at his name, whatever thoughts running through his mind were broken. It took him a moment to comprehend what Red had said.
"Yeah, I think you're right. But I think we should leave in the morning. We need a little rest, and it'll give the brat a little more time to show. We'll just give Strife a little heads-up."
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"I really don't think you understand the seriousness of the situation." Yuffie rolled her eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time that evening. And they had been having such a nice dinner. Kind of. She made eye contact with the Turk across the table from her.
"I really think I do. It doesn't matter at all." Reno looked shocked and almost pained.
"How can you say it doesn't matter? How could you possibly say that? The question has plagued humanity since the creation of the universe."
"No, Reno, it hasn't." She felt like she was talking to a four-year- old. "I sincerely doubt that the cavemen wondered if Spider-man could take Superman."
"I'm telling you, he can. That self-righteous nerd with those damned glasses has his head way too far up his ass to even touch Spider-man."
"I hate you."
"I mean, really. Parker's a genius. He could whip up some kind of kryptonite web that would render Superman powerless."
"Please stop talking." Yuffie's hands went to her temple to massage the headache away.
"And don't give me that 'super-speed' crap. He only uses his full power when he's in trouble, and by the time he realized that, Spider-man would have already handed his ass to him."
"Reno." Yuffie spoke a little louder. So did Reno.
"Plus, the guys a fucking alien. Everyone knows aliens can't compete with us home grown humans. Genetically enhanced or not."
"RENO." Yuffie yelled while simultaneously slamming down on the table. While all the other patrons with the tiny restaurant jumped with the impact. Reno only smiled sweetly.
"Yes, love?"
"Don't call me that. Would you please stop talking about this, please? I'd much rather talk about something else such as, oh I don't know." Yuffie paused, looking out the window beside her into the streets of Kalm. "The mission tomorrow perhaps." Reno's smile disappeared, as he finished his last bite and pushed the empty plate besides Yuffie, where their server could easily pick it up.
"Ah, right. That thing." Yuffie looked hopeful, and Reno hesitated before finally continuing. "We're going to the ruins of Midgar." The shock shot across Yuffie's face, but Reno had deemed it considerably mild in comparison to his initial reaction. But he just chalked it up to simple reasoning. Why else would they have gone to Kalm if not to reach Midgar. He ignored his instincts and smirked while she searched for the words.
"What's in Midgar."
"Good question. Also one I can't answer. Sorry, babe."
"Fine. What sector are we going to? I deserve to at least know that." Yuffie leaned forward expectantly, but caught herself before easing back into her chair. She hoped that she wasn't putting on to unnatural a show for Reno. The man was a professional when it came to reading people, and she tried her best to hide her prior knowledge of the mission. His next answer would almost certainly confirm or deny any of the allegations she secretly held against him, Rude and Elena.
"Yeah, I guess you do. But we're not going to a sector." Yuffie's breath caught. "We've gotta go straight to the heart of Midgar." Reno trailed off and Yuffie picked up hesitantly, her eyes downcast towards the table.
"The Shin-ra building?" Reno could almost swear he heard a disappointment in her voice, but something was off. It didn't seem to be a disappointment of going somewhere unwanted. It seemed like she was disappointed. In him? 'What the hell?' Once again, Reno forced his instincts down, and answered.
"Yeah. There."
"Well, I guess it's going to be a long day."
"You'd guess right. But I don't want to talk about such boring crap anyway. We'll deal with tomorrow when it comes." Yuffie kept her head down as Reno's conversation faded into the background noise. She had truly hoped that Cloud was wrong, or that his informer was wrong. Now there was almost no question about it, the stories matched up too perfectly. The Turks were going to get Hojo's notes for some madman. And she was going to have to stop them, even if it meant her life. Or perhaps more importantly, their friendship. She looked up into Reno's cerulean eyes. Was she ready to give that up so easily? As Reno's questioning eyebrow rose up, Yuffie allowed her own eyes to drop down again. She could only hope AVALANCHE would arrive in time to help her.
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Reno had decided that the group shouldn't separate too far from each other, but Rude absolutely insisted that Reno stay 'as far away from this date as fucking possible.' Instead, the two reached a compromise. The two pairs sat at opposite ends of the same restaurant within the hotel, completely, to Rude's joy, out of earshot from one another. The tall Turk looked away from his redheaded friend and back towards the beautiful blond sitting across from him, as she waved her hand frantically to get the waiter's attention. She slumped down again in a huff, and looked at Rude.
"Rude. The waiter just keeps ignoring me." While his face remained impassive, Rude smiled inwardly. Elena's voice would, without fail, take on that tone when she didn't get her way. While Reno had said time and time again that he would like to take his nightstick to the back of her head when she started getting whiney, to Rude it was just one more of the reasons why he loved her. Elena had finally gotten the attention that she desperately sought and ordered herself yet another drink. It was the weirdest thing. Reno and Rude would nearly kill themselves drinking most nights of the year, but a night before a mission; they wouldn't touch the stuff. On the other hand, Elena, who was far from a heavy drinker most of the time, loved to consume cocktail after cocktail the night before. Rude just assumed to each, their own.
"So what do you think they're talking about?" Elena had turned her attention back to Rude while pointing behind her at their travelling companions.
"Not sure." Yuffie's eyes were downcast, and she seemed deep in thought. If Reno noticed he didn't make any mention of it.
"I think they're talking about either the mission or their relationship. Why else would Yuffie look so sad?" Elena giggled at what she thought was a lovely insult on her leader. "Though, I think those two should have gotten together a long time ago."
"All they do is fight."
"Yeah, but it's weird, no matter how much they fight, even when it seems like Yuffie's about to take a swing at Reno, or he's about to just start shooting random objects, it's always playful. I think it's how they flirt." Rude couldn't help but wonder. He had been ignoring the signs personally. Once in a while, he could see that damned smirk of his partner's widen almost imperceptibly when Yuffie walked into the room. After giving it a little more thought, Rude couldn't help but start agreeing with Elena.
"I think you're right. Who knows, maybe she'll put him in his place." Rude watched Yuffie blush bright red and threaten Reno with her butter knife as he laughed. "That, or finally kill him."
Elena gave a good laugh and smiled widely at Rude. To her surprise, Rude returned the smile and reached out for her hand. Elena looked down in surprise as her stoic comrade's hand enclosed hers completely. When he took off his sunglasses to look her directly in the eyes she almost lost her voice. Almost.
"I think we should go upstairs." Elena's voice came out husky and Rude simply nodded. While still smiling, he called the waiter over again, while writing a quick note
"We'd like our bill please. And deliver this to that man over there." Rude indicated Reno, who sat sipping away at a coffee.
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"Excuse me, sir. A man asked me to leave this with you." The waiter dropped a note into Reno's outstretched hand, before walking away to attend to other customers.
"What's that?" Yuffie tried to look at the note by sitting higher in her chair as Reno read it.
"It's from Rude." Reno started chuckling "What a guy. Here, take a look." Yuffie took the note from him and read it. A look of confusion passed onto her face.
"Twenty-two?" Yuffie held up the note to make sure he had seen it right. Sure enough, all that was written on it was the number twenty-two. "What does that mean?" Reno took the paper and stared at it while he spoke.
"It's a code for when we need a little uninterrupted time with a lady- friend. Eleven means one hour, twenty-two means two, thirty-three means three, and so on. Sixty-nine means 'find somewhere else to sleep tonight.'"
"But it's just him and Elena. What do they need two hours for."
"I dunno. I guess he's going to do things to her. Or something. Either way, it looks like you and I have another two hours to kill."
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Tifa and Cloud sat in her bar holding a mug of coffee in each of their hands. The silence had been dominating for a while. Tifa finally broke it.
"Are you worried about tomorrow?" Cloud looked up at his love and smiled.
"Yes, and no. I'm not worried so much about tomorrow, as I'm worried what will happen if we fail tomorrow."
"I know what you mean. But it will be ok. We'll have most of the team together again, and between all of us, there's no way the Turks stand a chance."
At that, the PHS sitting between them rang. Tifa didn't make a move for it as Cloud picked it up.
"Hello. She's not? Odd. No, that's ok, just come as soon as you can.Alright, see you guys in the morning." Tifa looked at Cloud expectantly as he placed the PHS back down. "That was Cid. Yuffie's not in Wutai anymore."
"She's not? Do they know where she went?"
"Apparently not. And they don't know when she'll be back either."
"What now?"
"Well, they decided to spend the night in Wutai and get some rest. That way, there's still a chance Yuffie will show up. Whether or not that happens is up to her though. They'll come straight here in the morning, then we'll set off to Midgar." Tifa stood up and walked over to Cloud. She wrapped her arms around his torso and rested her head on his shoulder.
"I think we're going to be glad we kept up with our training tomorrow." Cloud nodded silently in agreement. "It's getting pretty late though. Maybe we should get some rest too." Cloud turned his head and gave Tifa a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Yeah, you're right." He stood up as he spoke. "Lord, between us, the Turks and Midgar it's going to be like some sick and twisted reunion tomorrow. I think I'll be half expecting Hojo to show up and start throwing things at us all day tomorrow." Tifa shuddered at the thought.
"Well, there's no need to worry about him. That psycho is long dead. Anyway, let's get to bed." And with that, the couple climbed the stairs and slipped into their room.
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At the center of Midgar stood the decrepit Shin-ra building, a shadow of its former glory. Davis stood on the main floor, surrounded by a specially trained task force. Scattered among the group were eyes glowing with the power of mako enhancement. Picking up his radio, Davis contacted the leaders of the other teams.
"Team 1, what is your status? Over." Davis spoke quietly so as not to attract any unwanted attention. The group had been lucky so far with minimum attacks and zero casualties. Corin Alexander would expect no less.
"Hojo's lab has been completed, sir. We're about halfway down to you now. No incidents to report. Over."
"Wonderful. We'll see you down here. Be careful. Over, out." Davis flicked his radio to the next frequency and spoke again. "Team 2 status. Over."
"Perimeter has been secured, sir. Equipment is completed and operational. No incidents to report. Over."
"Good, work your way back here. Team 1 won't be much longer. Over, out." With that Davis placed the radio back at his hip and turned toward the team leader beside him. "You're certain everything is ready to go here? I won't have any mistakes." Davis was always a bit of a pessimist. Things had been going too well for his liking. He couldn't help but assume something was about to go wrong. The captain's cold eyes met Davis' nervous ones.
"Yes. Structural weak points have been identified and isolated. Remotes are fully operational, as are the receivers. All that's left is the show." He added with a smile. Davis did not share the good humor.
"Very well. You know what to do tomorrow. My escort and I will be heading back now." Davis began walking towards a jeep. Before opening the passenger door, he turned back to speak. "Please don't blow this Kassidy. I don't want to have you killed before I die."
"I never fail." The boast was backed with complete confidence as Kassidy's mako eyes flashed violently back at Davis'. "Sir." The title was added disdainfully, as an afterthought. Once Davis had been driven out of the area, and was on his way out of Midgar, Kassidy turned back to his men as Team 1 arrived. "Alright boys. We're all set here. Teams 1 and 3, get to your camps. Stay in contact when you need to. I'll wait for Team 2 here. Get some rest."
"Sir?" The leader of Team 1 spoke up nervously, afraid he was out of order. "Are you sure you'll wait on your own? We could leave an escort in case of a monster attack." Kassidy turned around to face the team leader, a thin smile playing on his lips.
"You know just as well as I do that there's nothing in these ruins that could ever touch me. Take your team and relax as much as you can for the evening. I'll contact you in the morning."
With that final order, the two teams reluctantly spilt and trudged off to their respective sites for some needed rest. Who knew what tomorrow would hold.
_______________________________________________________________________
The pair had been walking the streets of Kalm, idly chatting about nothing in particular for the better part of two hours when they found themselves walking near the docks, and the temperature dropping. Reno pulled his suit jacket a little tighter around himself and looked out towards the ocean. Grinning with what he would consider obvious genius, the Turk turned to the women at his arm and pointed.
"Let's go swimming."
"Fuck off." Reno looked disappointed with Yuffie's answer. His face broke into a grin again a second later.
"Can we go sit by the water, at least?" Yuffie turned and looked up at her companion as he stared out into the dark expanse that was a night ocean. He seemed sincere enough, and had already started walking over. Yuffie spoke as she sped to catch up.
"Fine. But I swear if you try to get me in the water, I'll take your life."
"Don't worry, I'm not really in the mood to fuck around that much right now. Night before a mission and all." Reno sat down at the edge of the dock and patted the wood beside him. He waited for Yuffie to sit before proceeding. "Speaking of which. I know something's bothering you about tomorrow."
Yuffie's voice caught in her throat and inwardly she panicked. Fearing the worst, the ninja was on the verge of completely denying any knowledge of their evil plot to steal Hojo's note to give them to some sicko scientist who's probably just gonna try to take over the world, all so they can make an easy buck. Luckily, Reno spoke first.
"You don't have anything to worry about." Yuffie was confused. She didn't?
"I don't?"
"No, you don't. I mean, you helped take down Sephiroth. Teeming with monsters or not, Midgar is gonna be a piece of cake for you tomorrow. Plus, you've got yours truly with you. Nothing's gonna touch you, cause nothing can get past me. I'm a fucking legend."
Yuffie inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He still didn't know why she had followed them. Gawd, what was she gonna do when the chips were down. She still prayed that it would never come to that. But the worry was present none the less. Wait, what'd he say?
"Nothing's gonna touch me cause you're there?" Reno looked over at her.
"Yeah."
"What are you saying you want to protect me or something?" Yuffie's studied her shoes intently before casting a quick glance to gauge Reno's reaction. He was smirking.
"Yeah, I guess that's exactly what I'm saying." Yuffie looked up at him and her heart skipped a beat or two. "Same way I'll protect Rude and Elena, and they'll protect me. You may not be a real Turk, but since you're with us for tomorrow, that's good enough for me. Turks take care of their own, pest."
Yuffie smiled at the sentiment, but she couldn't help feel a little disappointed. Why was she so excited when she thought he wanted to protect her? She's not some frail little girl; she can take care of herself. 'But it would sure feel good to have somebody care enough to protect me.' A tiny voice rang out in her mind. She quieted it quickly. Reno's not like that. Reno's an asshole, a killing machine, and a drunken womanizer. All the things mommies teach their daughters to stay the hell away from. Nothing but a bastard.
"C'mon, pest. We'd better get back to the hotel. We need sleep." Yuffie nodded before standing up and following Reno's already retreating back. 'He's a bastard, and he's killed so many. I can never really trust him.' Yuffie repeated this phrase time and time again, and had herself completely convinced when they arrived at the hotel. Sliding into the room her and Elena had, she was happy to find Rude had vacated himself already and Elena was soundly asleep. With nothing but her conflicted thoughts and emotions to keep her company, Yuffie tossed and turned in the dark before finally drifting off to sleep in pure exhaustion.