Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, scenery, or towns; Square Enix does.
03 - Sorrow, Bitterness, and Incipiency
Reno stopped his fit in mid sentence when out of the corner of his right eye he saw Genesis go down. His eyes briefly widened in shock, then returned to normal. He spit blood on the ground next to him and looked over at his partner, who was looming over the fallen SOLDIER SC.
"Shi' Rude, I don' think a broken nose is grounds fer execution," Reno said in a nasally voice. His nose continued to bleed and he had to spit more blood on the ground. He leaned his head back, resting it on the rock behind him, and stared up at the sky, wondering where the stars were. Leviathan's Scales surely it wouldn't rain. Heh, yeah it would, he thought. That's just my fuckin' luck.
The sky was suddenly blocked from his view and replaced by Rude's face. Reno scowled at him. "Liked da sky better yo."
"He broke your nose," Rude stated.
Well no shit, Reno wanted to say. Instead he said, "I don' thin' he mean' ta break it though. Thin' he was just pissed."
Rude made a 'hmm' noise before the sky reappeared. Reno liked having Rude as his partner and thought of him as a friend. Rarely though, Rude could be a tad unpredictable, like clocking a SOLDIER SC for what Reno clearly thought was an accident. He didn't know whether Rude was overprotective or if he just moved before he thought things through. Usually Reno was blamed for these little incidents but he didn't mind. Other Turks already thought he was a wild card and that was fine by him. Heh, always the quite ones you have to watch out for, Reno thought, reflecting on Rude.
"What's the plan?" Rude asked, pulling Reno out of his thoughts.
Reno brought his head up and noted that blood didn't start gushing out of his nose. "Ya have yer PHS still?"
Rude nodded and reached into his jacket to retrieve the device. Once in hand, he flipped it open and frowned. "Appears the screen is busted," he said, wondering when that had happened. It had been cracked during the crash but the last time he checked it was still functional. He tried to turn the phone on, thinking the phone and speaker functions might work without the screen; no such luck. "Broken."
Reno slowly leaned forward, searching the ground around him. Finally his eyes landed on the PHS Genesis had thrown at him. It had bounced off his nose and landed between his knees. He leaned further forward and grabbed the thing, becoming momentarily dizzy. I thought leaning forward was supposed to help people not be dizzy.
Once the dizziness passed Reno slowly leaned back against the rock. "We can use the SSC's," he said. "Migh' have ta call more than once for Tseng to pick up an unknown number." A grin spread across his face at the prospect; Goddess he loved annoying Tseng.
Reno flipped open the phone and keyed in Tseng's private number. He held the PHS to his ear and was thoroughly disappointed when Tseng answered on the second ring. Damn, it's just not my day, he thought.
"Tseng," said the smooth voice on the other end of the line.
"Heya boss."
There was hesitation before Tseng replied. "Reno?"
"The one n' only. Ya expectin' someone else?"
"No. What is wrong with your voice?"
"My voi- oh, eh, broken nose"
Tseng waited for Reno to add more but he didn't. He wondered why the normally talkative Turk was being so tight lipped. For that matter, why he wasn't calling from his own PHS or from Rude's? Before he could comment, Reno continued.
"We wen' after a bird but didn' fare well."
Tseng opened his mouth to ask what he was talking about, and then the 'bird' comment struck him. He realized Reno was talking in code, which meant he was calling from an unsecure line. If the 'bird' didn't fare well then the chopper had crashed. The 'we' implied Reno and Rude were together and presumably, Rude was alive. "Another bar fight, Reno?" He was asking if they were hurt.
"Ya, Rude did better 'n me though. Least we got away 'fore the bird totally lost it," Reno replied, thankful Tseng had caught on.
That meant Reno was more injured than Rude, but they had gotten away from the chopper before it exploded. Tseng's nerves were frayed enough as it was, the last thing he needed was another complication to add to his growing list. "Location?"
"Could ya bring me a plum? Rude tossed mine on da groun' outside da city."
Tseng had to bite back a curse. A 'plum' was a SOLIDER Second Class. Reno was telling him they had encountered a SOLDIER somewhere outside Midgar and Rude had knocked the guy out. It also implied Reno was using the SOLIDER's PHS but had no idea of their exact location. Could this possibly get worse? On second thought, he didn't want that question answered just yet.
"I will find you a plum," Tseng said before he hung up. He pulled the PHS from his ear and scrolled to the recent call list. He brought up the number Reno had called from and used his computer to locate the phone via GPS.
45 minutes later, Reno and Rude heard a chopper approaching their location. They had passed the time in silence. Reno spent his time nursing his wounds and giving Rude nasty looks whenever he got too close to Genesis. He wanted to make sure Rude didn't try to knock him out again if he started to wake up. The redhead didn't know why, but he felt protective of the guy.
For his part Rude had spent the time pacing around the landing, thinking and scanning the darkness for monsters. He was worried about Reno and the SOLDIER. Reno seemed to slip in and out of consciousness from time to time and the SOLDIER hadn't moved at all. He knew better than to ask Reno how he was doing. He had tried to check on the SOLDIER a few times but Reno gave him a death glare whenever he got to close.
Rude was curious about Reno's attitude toward the SOLDIER. Did he think that he'd tried to kill the guy? Or that he was going to hurt him again? Hell Rude felt guilty, he hadn't meant to hit him that hard. What if he'd caused some type of permanent damage; Mako be damned. Shouldn't a SOLDIER have woken up by now?
Regardless of Rude's own feelings, Reno was just acting... weird. His partner had no problems kicking the crap out of innocent people that got in his way and the SOLDIER was no innocent. Turks and SOLDIERS were like hydrogen peroxide and sulfuric acid; the chemicals could mix and work together for a purpose, but you were likely to get burnt by the resulting compound. Reno himself had kicked quite a few SOLDIER ass's in the past, even landing a few in the infirmary. Now he was pissed at him for simply hitting one of them? It was perplexing, which frankly described Reno quite well he supposed.
As the chopper came close to their location the blades kicked up dust and debris, forcing the Turks to take cover. Reno glanced at Genesis, then grabbed his arm and pulled him closer. He put Genesis's head in his lap and covered the unconscious SOLDIER's mouth and nose with his jacket to keep him from inhaling airborne particles. The redhead threw his other arm in front of his own eyes since his goggles were damaged.
Rude glanced at Reno and raised an eyebrow as he pulled the SOLDIER closer to him. He scowled when he realized what his purpose was, then crouched down and looked up at the chopper; his shades would protect his eyes.
The chopper circled them once before flying off to find a landing zone. Rude stood up, nodded to his partner, and went to meet the chopper which had landed about a half a mile away. Tseng met him partway to the cliff. The Wutain's face showed no emotion, leaving Rude with no idea what he was thinking. He figured he was pissed, annoyed, or both; he just didn't know to what degree.
"Where is Reno?" Tseng yelled over the noise created by the chopper blades.
Rude jerked his head back toward the way he had come. "He's not in the condition to walk."
"How bad?"
"He'll live," Rude replied in a slightly agitated tone, causing Tseng to wonder if the two had a fight.
"And the SOLIDER?" This time Rude scowled at him before answering.
"He's still unconscious," Rude said, practically spitting the words out.
Tseng defiantly knew something was up now, but at the moment it was more important to attend to Reno and check on the SOLDIER than to question Rude about what was going on. He nodded in the direction of the landing, indicating Rude could lead and he would follow. Without a word Rude turned around and headed back the way he had come. Tseng stood there for a moment before following.
As Tseng got closer to the cliff side landing, the noise from the chopper was greatly reduced. As soon as he was on level ground he clearly heard, "So nice of ya to join da party yo." He had to fight the smile that was trying to turn the corners of his lips upward. Encouraging Reno on a normal day was asking for trouble and right now, well he needed to find out exactly what had happened before deciding how to react. Tseng noticed that Rude had stopped about ten paces in front of him and he looked around but didn't see Reno.
"Over here yo."
Tseng glanced in the direction of Reno's voice and noted how far away Rude was from his partner. The significance was not lost on him. He really hoped there hadn't been a major fight between the two. The Turk numbers were low right now and finding a new partner for both of them would be problematic at best. Later, I'll deal with it later, he thought, approaching Reno.
"Please tell me ya brough' some Materia or Potions with ya boss," Reno said, smiling up at Tseng.
"Stop calling me that, Reno. I am not the boss," Tseng replied, giving Reno a blank face. He couldn't help but notice the SOLIDER laying halfway in Reno's lap. "And this is..." he waved his hand to indicate the unconscious man.
"SOLDIER Second Class Genesis Rhapsodos," Reno said, ignoring the first comment.
There was something in Reno's voice that Tseng couldn't quite place, but he let it slide. "What happened to your provisions?" he asked as he reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out an X-Potion, a Hi-Potion, a Potion, and a mastered Cure Materia; no one could ever say he wasn't prepared.
Reno looked down and replied in a quiet voice, "We gave 'em ta Veld. Figured he could use 'em more than us." He paused for a few seconds before stating, " You are da boss now, Tseng."
Tseng felt a stab of pain, panic, and regret at the mention of Veld's name. He sucked in a quick breath in order to calm his emotions. "How bad are you injured?" His voice was level, but quieter than he'd have liked.
Reno looked up at him and hoped his emotions weren't showing in his eyes. He knew this whole mess had to be harder on Tseng than on himself. If the Wutain could put on a brave face, then damnit, he could too. "Dunno exactly. Ma back hurts like a son of a bitch, but I dunno if I fractured, broke, or sprained somethin' in it. I have a concussion but I dunno how bad a one. I know I gotta broken nose, at leas' two broken ribs, and a sprained wrist. Prolly a few more sprained muscles n' joints. Pretty sure I don' got any major internal shi' goin' on or I'd prolly be dead. Leas' I can feel n' move everythin'"
With each new injury listed Tseng had to fight not to grimace and his respect for Reno grew. He knew the redhead was tough, but Leviathan, he was sitting there like nothing was wrong. How was he hiding all that pain? Hell, how was the pain not crippling him at this point?
He started to hand Reno the X-Potion but Reno stopped him. "Jus gimme the Hi-Potion and the Potion yo."
Tseng stopped mid-motion and couldn't keep the surprise off his face. "Reno, you are seriously injured."
"Ya thin' I don't know that!" Reno yelled with an edge of anger in his voice. Tseng was startled and confused by his reaction.
Rude, who had moved closer to the group as Reno ticked off his injuries, said, "Reno you're not thinking clearly."
Tseng looked at Rude and couldn't help but agree with him. "Reno, I-" agree with Rude, is what he would have said if Reno hadn't cut him off.
"Jus gimme the Hi-Potion and Potion, take Rude, n' leave me here wit' da SSC." Reno didn't yell this time but there was still an edge to his tone, but Tseng couldn't readily identify the emotion behind it.
"That doesn't make sense Reno," Rude said, earning him a dirty look.
"I could simply order you to take the X-Potion and come with us," Tseng said. "Or just cast a Cure spell on you." That earned him a dirty look and he quirked an eyebrow.
"True, ya could, but ya won'," Reno said. He closed his eyes, sucked in a breath, and held it for a few seconds before releasing it slowly. Tseng wondered if he was counting to ten or was in pain. He was completely thrown by Reno's attitude. Judging by Rude's behavior he felt the same way. Reno could be dramatic, but this was unusual even for him.
Reno opened his eyes and said, "Look, I know what's gonna happen if we all leave here righ' now. We're gonna take da SOLDIER inta custody and use any means necessary ta make sure he never says anythin' about tonigh'. I don' thin' tha's fair or... well necessary. He tried to help me and it seems a shitty way to return the favor. If ya leave me the Hi-Potion I can take it and walk back ta Midgar wit' him, explain things a bit, tell 'im ta keep his mouth shut. He won' even know ya been 'ere. I can just tell him Rude left while he was out n' I rested and feel much better. He'll just thin' Rude went ta get help an' I wasn' as hurt as we though'."
This time neither Tseng nor Rude could hide their shock. Reno was right, when they left they would take the SOLIDER with them and make sure he didn't talk. They wouldn't kill him, but they might have to rough him up a bit.
Rude couldn't completely describe what he was feeling, but under it all he almost felt... betrayed? Betrayed? By his own damned partner! He shook his head. Where had that thought come from? Rude wasn't sure but he did know he was pissed off. He felt like Reno was being stupid and... it was just ridiculous! The SOLIDER could take care of himself! So what if the Turks had to staple his mouth shut until he got the point to keep it closed? He had Mako running through his veins; he'd heal fast!
Tseng didn't feel betrayed or angry, just confused. Why on Gaia was Reno willing to sacrifice his comfort and health for someone he barely knew? Or did he know the SOLIDER and Tseng somehow wasn't aware of it? It was possible, but unlikely. If the two had been close, there was no way he wouldn't have found out by now. Reno was good, but he wasn't that good. He really wondered what the hell had happened out here tonight.
The silence stretched on. The only sound was the faint noise of the chopper in the background. Reno continued to stare at Rude and Tseng in turn. He could see Tseng was trying to make a decision and that Rude was fuming. The redhead knew they didn't understand, and oddly, he wasn't sure he did either. He didn't care right now; he just knew this was what he wanted.
Finally, in a very quiet voice, so quiet Reno almost didn't hear him, Tseng said, "Very well." He bent down, looked Reno square in the eyes, and handed over the Hi-Potion and Potion. In a louder voice he said, "Keep the PHS on at all times. If you are not back within 24 hours from now, we will find you and take you and the SOLDIER into custody. When you return, you are to report directly to my office with the SOLIDER; absolutely no detours. Understood?"
"Tseng you can't be-," Rude started, but was cut off by Tseng.
"Quiet Rude, I have made my decision," he said, and turned back to Reno. "Understood?"
"Understood," Reno replied in a small, but firm voice. Tseng crossed his arms and nodded once at Reno before turning and heading towards the chopper. He expected Rude to follow, but he didn't so Tseng slowed his pace.
"What in the fuck is going on with you Reno?"
Reno didn't reply and Tseng said, "Rude," in a sharp voice that brokered no argument. When he heard the big man's steps quickly closing the distance between the two, he started toward the chopper again, this time with Rude at his back. He didn't look back at Reno and he hoped he had not just made a huge mistake.
Reno watched Rude and Tseng walk away and sighed. He wondered how badly he'd just messed up his relationship with his partner and really didn't understand why Rude was so pissed off in the first place. Confused or annoyed sure, maybe even frustrated, but pissed? He sighed again. Hell, he didn't really understand his own feelings right now so how was he supposed to understand someone else's?
In the distance he heard the chopper power up and knew it was about to take off. Shiva's Dust what was he thinking? He should be on that chopper, headed toward Midgar and Shinra's infirmary. Instead he chose to stay behind with a SOLDIER he had just met. The guy could wake up hating him for all he knew. He already knew Genesis had a Dual Horn's temper and was as unpredictable as a wild Chocobo. With his luck, the SOLDIER would wake up, scream at him for Rude knocking him out, and storm off. He knew even with the Hi-Potion he still wouldn't be able to keep up with a pissed off SOLDIER. After all, he'd taken the Hi-Potion so he wouldn't be completely healed but still functional. If he was completely healed the story about Rude going for help wouldn't wash.
The chopper circled the landing and he could see Tseng and the new recruit, Elena, at the controls. Rude was in the back by the machine gun. Reno briefly wondered if he was so pissed he'd just shoot him. Tseng nodded at him, expression unreadable. Elena looked both curious and nervous, but she followed Tseng's lead and nodded. He barely saw it, but he noted the tips of her fingers as she gave him one of those discrete, girly wiggly-waves. Reno smiled; Gaia she could be cute. He couldn't see Rude well enough to read his expression but he knew it was probably hostile. At least he was staying away from the emplaced weapon. At that thought the smile dropped a bit. He had enough trouble finding, let alone keeping, partners. The thought of burning though another one was troubling. What's more he liked Rude and his other two options were no longer options at all. The redhead shook his head, refusing to let the depressing thoughts take hold.
The chopper did a one hundred and eighty degree turn then accelerated toward Midgar. Well, no turning back now, Reno thought. He popped the cap on the Hi-Potion, brought it to his lips, and downed it. When the bottle was empty, he moved it away from his mouth then screwed his face up in a look of disgust, while simultaneously sticking out his tongue. With all our fancy ass technology we can't make this shit taste like something other than grass and leaves? He was seriously going to have to talk to someone about that.
Reno relaxed his face and drew his tongue back in when his stomach began to warm. The warmth slowly spread outward, seeking his injuries. He pulled his lips back in a snarling grimace as he felt his ribs and nose snap back into place. The redhead hunched over a bit, but his back instantly protested so he had to sit military straight. The front and back of his head felt fuzzy, almost itchy, and he rubbed his hands through his hair until the sensation passed. At least it took his mind off the weird sensation in the middle of his face. He fought like hell not to claw or scratch his nose as it healed. Finally the sharp pains and spasms subsided, leaving behind a faint warm, tingly sensation in places. That's better, he thought.
The redhead turned his attention to the man whose head was in his lap. He looked so damned peaceful that he almost hated to disturb him. He gently patted the SOLDIER's cheek and called his name: nothing. Reno tried again with a bit more force but still got no response. Damn Rude, the hell did you hit him with?
Reno placed a hand on either side of Genesis's head to hold it in place and started to wiggle out from underneath him. He didn't think the SOLDIER needed another blow to the head, even if the distance to the ground was negligible. When he was finally out from under Genesis he stood and stretched.
Aside from a numb ass and the warm tingling spots, Reno felt pretty good. Not only could he stand up without losing his equilibrium, he could look around. Things are looking up, he thought.
Reno slowly started to walk around, but after a few minutes and a restored ass, he returned his attention to the still unconscious Genesis. He straddled the SOLDIER, one foot on either side of his prone body. The redhead repositioned the SSC until he was lying on his back. Even that didn't earn Reno a reaction.
The sky had cleared enough that there was some moonlight to see by. Had he been thinking, he would have asked Tseng if he had a small flashlight he could borrow. His thoughts simply hadn't been fast enough to plan ahead. Just have to make due.
Reno squatted and started running his fingers through Genesis's hair, looking for injuries. At least that was his intention anyway. He was immediately distracted by how soft Genesis's hair was, so much so that he forgot what he was supposed to be doing. Reno had never felt hair so soft! He ran his fingers through the hair, pulling one hand up and away every now and then to let the strands fall from his fingers like silk threads. The redhead probably could have done that for quite awhile had Genesis not decided to stir.
The fingertips of Reno's right hand were on the unconscious man's left cheek when Genesis turned his face into said hand. Reno froze, wondering if the SOLDIER was finally waking up. Shit, if he wakes up now, he'll think I'm molesting him or something!
Thought be damned, Reno couldn't seem to pull his hand away from the face below him. Genesis softly nuzzled his face against Reno's hand before falling still once more. The Turk kept his frozen posture for a minute or two more before finally retracting his hand and standing up. Genesis didn't move and Reno wondered if he had imagined the whole thing. Maybe my head isn't completely healed yet?
The Turk mentally scolded himself. He knew he wasn't imagining things and that he'd lost sight of what he was supposed to have been doing. I'm supposed to be checking for injuries, not feeling his hair up! He didn't even like guys, though he knew a lot of people thought he did. He had been with a few guys, but, well, he'd had his reasons. It wasn't something he liked to think about. Except one. Still don't need to think about it, least not right now.
The redhead shook his head to clear his thoughts then once again bent over Genesis. In his head, Reno kept repeating the mantra, check for injuries, check for injuries, check for injuries. The right side of the unconscious SOLDIER's face was skyward and Reno figured that was as good a place to start as any. He placed his fingertips just outside of Genesis's hairline and started moving slowly toward the hair. The Turk abruptly stopped when he felt a large bump just inside the hairline around Genesis's temple. How the hell did I miss that before?
Reno moved so that he was on Genesis's right side and his body wasn't blocking the meek moonlight. He bent closer and slowly started to part the SOLDIER's hair in the area he had felt the bump. After moving through a few sections, he saw a dark spot and after moving as much hair as he could, Reno could clearly see the upraised, egg-size, blackish-purple lump. Reno winced slightly and sucked air in through his teeth. Damn Rude, you hit him with Adamantium Knuckles or what? No wonder the poor guy hasn't woken up yet. The thought made him scowl and he was glad Rude wasn't here at the moment. Hope he didn't fracture his damn skull.
Reno sighed and dropped his head forward, wondering how in the hell he was going to get the kid to swallow a Potion when he was unconscious. Kid? Hell he could be my age for all I know, he reprimanded himself. Deciding on his course of action, he sat down on the ground with his back up against the accursed rock. He pulled Genesis up and toward him, until the SOLDIER was sitting slumped with his back against Reno's chest. The Turk used one hand to tilt his head backwards until it was resting on his shoulder while the other hand stayed around Genesis's chest to keep him from sliding or falling forward.
The redhead used his teeth to pull the stopper out of the Potion bottle and gently tipped a bit of the liquid into Genesis's mouth, using one of his fingers to keep his tongue out of the way and his jaw open. He knew unconscious people couldn't cough or swallow, but he also knew the mouth could absorb liquid. In the end he decided his only shot was to dribble the Potion into the SOLDIER's mouth and hope it either went down the right way or was absorbed. He should probably be doing this with Genesis on his side, but gravity tended to cause liquid to leak out of the mouth, not down the throat or held in place.
After a nerve racking fifteen minutes the Potion bottle was finally empty. Genesis's breathing never seemed to change and Reno hoped that meant the liquid had gone where it was supposed to go. At least he didn't seem any worse. Reno sighed and leaned his head back onto the rock with Genesis still propped up against him. He intended to rest for a few minutes then keep an eye on the unconscious SOLDIER for the rest of the night. Instead he drifted off into a fitful sleep.
As the chopper sped toward Midgar Tseng decided he needed to find out what had happened between Reno, Rude, and the SSC. He thought the conversation with Rude would go better if it wasn't done through the helicopter's headsets; Rude was too private for that. The Wutain could land the chopper but that seemed a bit drastic and time consuming. Instead he looked at Elena. She had not been piloting long, but she had been doing remarkably well. He felt confident that he could leave her alone at the controls while he talked to Rude.
"Man the controls. I am going to speak with Rude," Tseng said.
"Sir," came Elena's crisp response.
Getting to the cargo area took some maneuvering, but he finally managed the task. Had he been any taller, wider, or less flexible, he wasn't sure he could have pulled it off. Who said bigger is always better? he thought with a smirk.
Rude was sitting on the bench farthest from the cockpit, gazing down at the scenery below. His expression appeared thoughtful but calm. The bald man snapped his gaze forward when he detected movement and raised an eyebrow at his new boss. Tseng walked, slightly hunched, toward him until he was finally able to sit on the bench next to Rude. In a calm, even voice he said, "What happened?"
"You will have my full report tomorrow morning," Rude replied.
"I am not in reference to the mission."
Rude sighed. He had a feeling Tseng wasn't asking about the mission, but he'd hoped he was wrong. Rude looked back toward the ground below. He didn't know what to say, so he said nothing.
"Damnit Rude talk to me! Tell me what happened between Reno and yourself and how the SSC fits into all this," Tseng said. His voice held a trace of desperation and frustration.
Rude looked back toward Tseng. The faint emotions in the man's voice were the equivalent of an outburst from Tseng as the man rarely let anything slide past his hard won control. In that regard, the two were very much alike. He wanted to answer his superior, especially now that it seemed so important to him, but he simply didn't know how.
Tseng watched Rude closely and was able to pick up a small trace of confusion from him. He couldn't say how he picked it up since Rude's face never changed and he couldn't see his eyes, he just had. Maybe it was intuition. The only thing he could do was give him a place to start and hope Rude could take it from there. "When did the SOLDIER become involved? How much does he know?"
"He wasn't involved until after the crash and... I don't know," Rude replied. He couldn't decide if he wanted to tense up or relax so he settled somewhere between the two. "The heli went down around 0300 and Reno and I were separated. I spent the rest of the night and part of the day looking for him. I knew he was alive after the crash since I couldn't find... a body. Considering that I thought he might have headed toward Midgar and that I might pick up his tracks or... find him so I headed that way."
Tseng heard the hesitation and pain when Rude spoke of the possibility of finding his partners body. The feelings tried to stir his own emotions but he quickly stamped them down. "Go on."
"I had been walking for perhaps two, maybe three hours, when I noticed a figured approaching. At first I thought it might be Reno but as I got closer I knew it wasn't. I stopped and stayed back, but the figure kept approaching. When he got close enough, he yelled the codeword Reno and I use to identify friend or foe. I approached and the guy knew my name on top of the codeword so I figured he must know where Reno was, or that Reno had sent him, so I went with him. He led me to the landing and I was relieved to find Reno alive, but I could tell he was badly hurt. Reno demanded the SOLDIER hand over his PHS so he couldn't involve himself, or anyone else, in any way. The guy got pissed, broke Reno's nose, and I knocked him out. So far as I could tell the guy didn't know anything beyond the fact that our chopper had crashed. He didn't seem to know why though," Rude finally finished. To him, that was a speech.
Well, that explains part of it, Tseng thought. Yet brings up more questions. The SOLDIER broke Reno's nose simply because he was asked to relinquish his PHS? He knew SOLDIERs weren't always level headed but damn. What was the SOLDIER doing out there anyway? "And after that?"
Rude sighed again. "Reno wasn't happy with me for knocking the SOLDIER out. I couldn't, and still don't, understand it. It created some... tension between the two of us."
To Tseng, it seemed a bit more than 'tension' was created, but he let it go. Instead he asked, "You do not think Reno told him anything?"
Rude shot Tseng a slightly offended look. "I do not. Reno is more professional than that," he replied in a clipped voice.
"I did not mean to imply he was not, merely that he was injured, possibly delirious and his control may have slipped. He may have said something and not meant to or not even realized he had," Tseng said in an even tone. He hadn't meant to insult Reno and he didn't want to agitate Rude further.
Rude glared at him for a moment before replying. "Reno never appeared delirious to me. He just faded in an out of consciousness sometimes."
Tseng thought how to word his next question. Finally he just said, "And the attachment to the SOLDIER? How did that come about?" He saw pure anger on Rude's face before the bald man was able to squash it.
"I don't know. He just suddenly got... weird... about him." With that Rude looked away again.
Tseng was going to ask Rude to elaborate, but Elena spoke before the words left his mouth. "Sir, incoming communication for you."
"I am a little busy, Elena," Tseng replied irritably.
"Sir, he says it's important," she said in a slightly shaky voice. It was clear she didn't like going up against her commanding officer.
"Who is he?" Tseng asked, curious.
She hesitated before replying, "He says his name's Legend, Sir."
Rude jerked his head away from the scenery below and glanced at Elena, then Tseng. He was suddenly uneasy though he couldn't explain it. Tseng's eyebrows shot up in a look of surprise. Legend? It couldn't be, he thought.
"Sir, he says it's extremely important and you must speak with him, now," came Elena's voice. This time her tone was more certain though he could still hear her nervousness.
Tseng got up and moved smoothly toward the cockpit. Elena held a headset out to him and he took it without a word. "Tseng."
"Lima-Juliet-Charlie-Delta-Sierra-Two-Seven," replied the voice on the other end. "I said I'd entrust my life to the Turks, but right now the leaf is blowing the other way and you must listen."
Tseng didn't need the verification code; he knew the man's voice well. He opened his mouth to reply but wasn't given the chance.
"You must not return to Midgar. Land the chopper until I contact you again. Get in touch with any of the Turks remaining and get them out of the city or tell them not to return."
Tseng's mind was reeling. He could hear the anxiety in Legend's voice and it unnerved him. "Bring us down, Elena."
"But Sir, we're less than 10 min-"
"Down, now!" Tseng commanded. He had no idea what could possibly be happening now, but he trusted Legend's judgment.
"You just saved some Turks, Tseng. And don't worry Veld is fine. I will take care of Reno, you take care of the others," Legend said before abruptly disconnecting.
Tseng's heart felt like it was in his mouth while his stomach dropped to the floor. His body couldn't decide whether to overheat or go numb. The headset slipped out of his fingers as the chopper touched down. He slowly walked back toward the bench Rude still occupied and sat down. The Wutain leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees, head between his arms, with the palms of his hands on the back of his head. He closed his eyes and fought with his body and spiraling emotions. Tseng didn't know what had happened or what would happen. He only hoped he was strong enough to handle it.