Chapter 13 – Maybe I Just Missed.

Cloud entered the small Kalm hotel that AVALANCHE had nearly rented out by themselves. Followed by Rude and Vincent, he stepped into the lobby that currently held his companions. Yuffie looked up expectantly at them.

"Well, what did you find out? Who's ass do I have to majorly kick?" Cloud couldn't help but smile at the young woman's enthusiasm. He took a seat in the nearby couch between Cid and Tifa. Vincent moved quietly to a corner close to the blazing fire in the hearth. Rude opted instead to stand directly behind Elena.

Cloud placed his hand easily in Tifa's and began speaking. "As far as we can tell the guy told us everything he knew, and provided that information is correct, we're brought back to the Alexander Electric Company. Now we just need to piece a plan together." All eyes still lay locked on Cloud as he stopped speaking and looked down at the floor. A few seconds later he raised his head and realized everyone was still waiting for him to talk. "Oh... I don't really have a plan." Cid gave him a dirty look. "Well, not yet." Cloud defended himself sheepishly and scratched the back of his head.

"I think the appropriate course of action would be to gather evidence." Vincent spoke loud enough for all to hear in the silence that had overtaken the room.

"Agreed. Should Hojo's notes really be going to the Alexander Electric Company, the next logical step would be to travel to Gongaga. Once there, we can determine the easiest way to learn what we need." Red provided his input.

Elena placed her hand upon the one that covered her shoulder and looked up at Rude before addressing AVALANCHE. "Anything that you need from us, whether its skills or advice, we'll offer them whole heartedly." She paused and looked down at her black heels. "All we would dare ask in return is to tag along to Gongaga and the chance to take down these assholes."

"You're damn right." Yuffie spoke up from her position.

Cloud looked over at the two Turks and nodded appreciatively. "Of course. And I think it will be only a matter of time before we look for your help. Thanks." Rude nodded slightly, and Elena only smiled lightly. "It's nice to have a destination at least. Ok, so first thing tomorrow we head out to Gongaga... "

"Jus' so long as shit don't hit the fan, you feel me?" Barret spoke up from the couch he alone occupied, resting up from his injuries.

"Yeah, go ahead and jinx it. Good job." Yuffie stuck her tongue out at the older man.

"Again Kassidy? How did you manage to fail again? It's simply inconceivable that someone in your position, with the absolute best that my company has to offer is first outwitted, and then beaten back by a group of people claiming to be 'heroes.' Simply inconceivable."

Kassidy bit back a sharp retort, opting instead to choke out "I'm sorry, Sir. I understand the unacceptability, but these people, they are resourceful. Two planned assaults have only brought them one casualty, and nearly full losses for..."

Alexander cut him off. "I don't really care." The president sounded exasperated. "The important thing is you carried out your primary objective. I suppose that's something. With those notes, it's only a matter of time before AVALANCHE and the remaining Turks are destroyed. However Kassidy, bear in mind that your only saving grace will be that they don't prove to be too much of a nuisance."

"Yes sir, understood."

The canopied truck barrelled down the crudely prepared road, it's back to Midgar as the headlights struggled to give the driver some semblance as to what was in front of her, and the windshield wipers fought hard to ward off the rain that fell down heavily. In the distance lightning flashed, and illuminated the path ahead of her.

"Shit!" The wild chocobo appeared suddenly in the middle of the road and stared uncomprehendingly into the headlights of the truck. Serving quickly, the massive truck's weight shifted, and the driver attempted to right it immediately. Getting back into the centre of her lane, the driver breathed a sigh of relief and concentrated on the upcoming road even harder. Behind her she could hear the laughter of the men travelling in the back.

"Hey, Sandy." One of the men yelled up, still laughing. "Let's have a couple more of those. It tossed this son of a bitch around like a rag doll."

"Is he alright Hank?" Sandy called back, a little worried that if her prisoner were harmed, she would be blamed.

"Who gives a shit?" Hank murmured to himself before checking the slumped body on the floor of the truck. "Yeah, he's fine I guess. Still out like a light and still properly secured." He threw a vicious kick into the man's ribs and laughed. "Hey guys, you should try that... It actually makes you feel a little better about keeping this lowlife alive."

One kick followed another as the four men crowded around the fallen form and howled with laughter at the brutal assault. "Gentlemen." A calm voice from spoke from the passenger seat in the truck. "That's enough." The men immediately followed orders and took their seats. Hank placed the prisoner back where he had been seated and made sure he was still properly secured. Again, the man who was obviously the leader of the group spoke. "Hank, you started this, you heal him." With that, he tossed back a medium level cure material. Hank silently let the green light wash over the beaten man's body, as bruises faded and cuts closed. "Is he still unconscious?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now let's make sure he stays that way. Sandy?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Where are we?"

"Well, I believe we're just coming up on landmark two Captain."

The captain waited for a few moments. When no further elaboration came he asked. "Which means?"

"We're coming up on the fork in the road leading from Midgar to Kalm or our base."

"This sounds like my stop then, doesn't it?" An unfamiliar voice spoke up from the back of the truck, slightly startling Sandy.

"What the hell?" Hank's surprised voice spoke loudly, as his prisoner sat calmly rubbing his wrists where discarded handcuffs had bound him only moments before. Suddenly, the prisoner was out of his seat and across the truck in a flash, wrapping his arm around Hank's neck and holding him up in front. No sooner had a hostage been taken, that the other soldier's guns came up and the panicked orders were thrown at him to 'let him go' and 'get back in his seat.' The prisoner only smirked.

"Sir?"

"Just keep driving, we'll handle this." The captain addressed Sandy's unspoken question.

Suddenly, four shots rang out, and two guards clutching at their arms and thighs fell as the prisoner held Hank's now unholstered handgun. Sandy hit the brakes hard and the group of three standing in the back were sent flying forward. Twisting himself in mid-flight, the prisoner managed to place Hank between them before slamming into the wall of the truck, the unconscious soldier sliding from his grasp. Two more shots and the prisoner was left alone standing in the back, immersed in moans of pain. Stepping toward the back exit of the truck, the sound of a hammer being pulled back on a gun caused the prisoner to stop.

"I suggest you sit back down, son." Thunder pounded outside the truck, emphasising the Captain's request. The prisoner began to turn around slowly. "Stop." The captain barked the order quickly.

"No." The gunshots rang out in the small cab and the captain was thrown back into the dashboard, his own shot landing inches from the escapee's head. Again smirking, the man picked up an object from atop one of the seats and clipped it to his belt before he opened up the back door and hopped out. Sandy, staring in shock as her captain held the wound in his shoulder couldn't find any words. She looked behind her into the back and looked at her comrades writhing in pain on the ground.

"Don't go after him." The captain urged his subordinate to stay where she was. "It's not worth it."

Unheedingly and with a look of determination, Sandy opened up her door and got out, assault rifle in hand. She ran to the back of the truck where she could barely make out the form of her prisoner slowly walking away into the dead of the night. Hurriedly, she ran to catch up. Bringing the rifle to bear, she called out to him.

"Hands up."

The man looked back, but did not turn around. "Oh, just go home already."

"I said 'hands..." The gunshot cut her off and her destroyed gun was forced out of her hand by the bullet.

"And I said 'go home.' Or go somewhere. Just get the hell away from me. I have things to do."

Sandy took a step forward and the man turned right around, hair falling about his face, soaked from the rain. "I just want to know something." She asked.

"Alright, I'm a little curious. Go ahead."

"Why didn't you kill them? Or me? I thought you were supposed to be the scum of the earth."

The man began smiling and walked right up to the woman. He looked down at her, his frame standing a full foot and a half higher than hers. "Well maybe I am. And maybe... Just maybe." He leaned down, bringing them face to face. "maybe I just missed." Suddenly, he brought their lips together, turned and walked away. "Oh, and I stole your cure. So if you wanna help them, you'd better not be coming after me."

Sandy watched his back fade into the rain before walking back to the truck shaking her head in disgust and frustration. "What an asshole."

Yuffie sat near the burned out fire, staring out the window into the raging storm, as lightning flashed and the thunder rocked the tiny inn. Tifa came up beside her, clad only in a white cotton robe and smiling gently.

"Hey Tifa, what's up? Can't sleep?"

"No, not too well. I thought I'd come down and see who else was up. What about you, hun?"

"I've just been sitting up thinking." The young ninja sat in silence for a few moments, before looking up at her close friend, light tears in her eyes. "Do you think there was anything else we could have done?"

Tifa sat on the armrest of the chair Yuffie currently occupied and put her arm over the young woman's shoulders. "No, of course not, Yuff." She spoke reassuringly. "It was the only option available. Reno knew the risks and he did what was right."

"He really saved us all?"

"Yeah, he did." Tifa looked out into the dark night. "But... I don't think he did it to save all of us. I think he couldn't have cared less what happened to me, or Cloud, or just about anybody in AVALANCHE."

"He didn't do it to save me." Yuffie hugged her knees. "You saw how he looked at me, the anger and betrayal in his eyes. Even if it wasn't true, he died thinking it was. He died hating me."

Tifa pulled Yuffie a little closer. "Don't you think that. Don't think that at all. He didn't hate you. He cared about you more than enough to save you. Yuffie, Reno carried you himself for an entire sector. That doesn't sound like he hated you at all."

Yuffie smiled as she looked through the fire. "Yeah. I guess you're right. I have to tell you though, I didn't really expect Reno to bite it saving people." The two laughed a little louder than they should have, because seconds later, Cid's groggy voice bellowed down at them.

"Would you two shut the fuck up? I'm trying to sleep!"

The women quieted down to giggles before Tifa spoke again. "I'm going back up to bed. Are you going to be ok?"

Yuffie rose up from her chair. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm getting pretty tired myself."

Out in the darkened late night streets of Kalm, relatively close to the little inn, a man stumbled into the side of a building, catching the attention of some local teenagers walking home from a nearby party. The figure pushed along, using the brick wall for support as he stepped through puddles that had quickly formed in the downpour. Curious, the teens walked hesitantly over.

"Hey, buddy?" One of the more outgoing youths called out. "You alright?"

"Just fine. G' way."

"You don't really look fine. This is a pretty old part of town, and I don't think I've seen you around before. What's your name?"

The man looked up. "Reno." He smirked at the group. "Now fuck off." Recognizing the tattered remains of a blue suit, and the shock of red hair that fell about his face, the kids finally put a face to the name. Then they took off running. Reno pushed himself away from the wall and began walking down the street chuckling to himself. "Heh... heh... That really never." He coughed hard twice. "Never gets old..."

Up ahead of Reno loomed the Highwind, anchored until its next departure. Pulling himself slowly up the anchor cable, he lifted his body over the edge and fell onto the deck. Lying there for a few moments to catch his breath, the exhausted Turk finally got to his feet and forced himself over to the door. A few moments later, he had picked the lock and was inside of the dark hull.

"Now, if I were a chocobo... Where would I sleep?" Reno stood at the top of the steps, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness that surrounded him. Looking down to the next level, he spotted a room with words that looked remarkably like 'Chocobo Stable' on the door. Working his way down, he pulled open the door and gasped. "Oh, Lord... that smells terrible." Shutting the door again, Reno rested his head against the steel in front of him. Looking to his left, he noticed the storage room. Hoping for some nice, comfy boxes, he opened up that door, and curled up in one of the far corners. It was only seconds later that the Turk was fast asleep. He just hoped no one would find him before he awoke.