Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, scenery, or towns; Square Enix does.
07 - Lightning Strikes
Genesis woke on his right side with Reno spooning him from behind. He was using the Turk's right arm as a pillow and his left arm was dangling over Genesis's waist. By his breathing and the weight of the arm slung across him he knew Reno was still asleep.
The SSC closed his eyes and slowly inhaled, smelling amaretto, nutmeg, almonds, lemongrass, coffee, and cherry blossoms. The nutmeg, cherry blossom, and lemongrass scents were the strongest and he assumed that was Reno's scent. The other smells were probably things the Turk had come into contact with recently and they still clung to his skin or clothing. Either way the smell was enticing, as was the body heat, so he kept his eyes closed and enjoyed it.
Genesis felt something shift on his waist and his eyes snapped open as his body tensed and he instinctively went for his weapon. Not finding it he jerked upright and twisted to face the threat, barely avoiding hitting his head on the rock above.
"Sorry, didn't mean to wake ya," Reno said in a groggy voice. He was frozen in place, clearly debating on whether Genesis was going to attack him.
The fog finally cleared and Genesis realized he must have dozed off. He shook his head and laughed, then laughed again when he glanced at the Turk. The redhead's expression was contorted this way and that; part confusion, part grogginess, and part wariness. "It's fine. I woke up earlier but I must have fallen asleep again. My brain wasn't working for a second there."
Reno visibly relaxed, expression clearing. "Not going to kick my ass then?"
"No."
"Hmm, I don't know whether I'm happy about that... or disappointed," came Reno's deadpan reply.
Genesis was shocked, intrigued, and, much to his chagrin, embarrassed. He couldn't stop the blush that crept over his face. Reno laughed, rolled to his back, and gave a long stretch, arms over his head, legs fully extended. The movement caused his button down shirt to creep up and part a bit around his navel. Genesis's eyes stayed fixed on that area longer than he cared to admit. He finally tore his gaze away and looked back at Reno's face, quickly realizing the Turk had caught him in the act and was watching his reaction. The SSC felt the blush deepen and stifled a curse. Why am I acting like a crush-struck schoolgirl?
Reno stopped stretching and sat up. Gaia he's adorable, he thought, pleased about seeing a new side to the SOLDIER. He sat up, leaned forward, and planted a light kiss on his mouth. After a few seconds Genesis responded by gently adding a little pressure. Satisfied, Reno pulled back and grinned. "I eh, need out."
Genesis started to ask why when it dawned on him. Duh! He nodded and shifted so Reno could get out, watching the view as the Turk exited the shelter. He tried to look away but his eyes and brain snickered at the command. Reno finally stood and moved away, leaving him alone with his jumbled thoughts.
Reno fought the urge to lower his head and see if Genesis was staring at his backside. He didn't, deciding he didn't need to embarrass the SOLDIER more. Besides, if he wasn't looking he'd be disappointed, so it was better if he didn't know. He walked a few paces away before stopping again, enjoying the clean air filling his lungs.
The Turk brought his arms up over his head and stretched again, tilting slowly from one side to the other to stretch his oblique's. No ache or pain screamed at him to stop and he was relieved. He lowered his arms and took in his surrounds, spotting a good place to take care of business. The Turk headed that way wondering what the day was going to bring.
As he moved he let his mind wander. Initially he'd been worried that Genesis would regret last night's kiss and would either withdraw, act strangely, have some other perplexing reaction, or all of the above. The short good morning kiss had partially reassured him, as had catching the SOLDIER looking at his stomach, but he was still a little worried. Was the blushing a sign of regret or embarrassment about last night? Was it a normal reaction for the SOLDIER? Was it even embarrassment? For all he knew it was a sign that Genesis was uncomfortable since he didn't know him very well. Yet. He decided it was best to tread lightly for a while just in case. Then again, that might not work since his own actions were surprising him. If he couldn't judge his own reactions and actions, could he really judge another's? After all the SSC was the one who'd made the first move. Reno was the one holding himself back.
The thought made him think about the relationships he had with his Turk brethren. Most would think the group was extremely tight knit but things weren't as they appeared. The group wasn't strained, just odd.
Reno liked Elena and Cissnei but a personal relationship with either one? Nonexistent. Cissnei had long ago stopped pushing to be closer, figuring it would happen or it wouldn't but Elena hadn't learned that yet and kept pushing, causing him to pull away. As long as things stayed on business, he had no problem working with either one. If it got personal, he squirmed and fidgeted until he could get away, often abruptly leaving the room. The annoying part was that he was pretty sure both girls thought his reaction was funny so they had a tendency to pick; Cissnei just to tease, Elena for answers. Women!
Until recently he had a similar relationship with Rude but over the last few months things had changed. They had worked together off and on for a year, but lately they'd been partnered together almost exclusively. As a result their relationship was becoming more personal, yet they weren't truly friends yet. He figured they'd get there though, he just didn't know how close of friends they'd be.
Tseng was an entirely different matter and it was incredibly hard to classify his relationship with the man. A little over a year ago Tseng had recruited him into the Turks and given him guidance, both personal and professional, when and where he needed it. As a result the two had become close but for the past nine months, their relationship had suffered due to Veld.
For the first month or so of his employment as a Turk, Reno had been somewhat close to Veld. Things changed somewhere in his second month due to the missions he was being assigned. He could have turned the missions down, but he was too new and figured if he did, they'd throw him out; something he really hadn't wanted. It had taken everything he had to not go to Tseng and ask him to interfere, but he hadn't. He hadn't wanted to appear ungrateful for his employment, or worse, be seen as a whiny kid. At least that's what he told himself, secretly he was afraid Tseng knew about the missions and it didn't bother him. Reno didn't know if he could have handled that.
During all this Veld had been Tseng's mentor and partner. Reno even wondered if they weren't more but he never had proof. Not only didn't he want to put possible strain on their relationship, he honestly didn't know how Tseng would react if he didn't know what was going on, so he kept his mouth shut. When Veld assigned him another of the despised missions he finally reached his breaking point and exploded at the man. A heated argument had ensued.
Veld and himself had damn near come to blows but Tseng showed up just in time to stop it. Reno was grateful as he had no doubt he would have lost a physical fight. Tseng hadn't known what the fight was about since neither Reno nor Veld would tell him, but he stopped it nonetheless. The Wutain let the incident go but then Veld tried to fire the redhead. Tseng again stepped in and claimed Reno as his apprentice. As such he stated Veld couldn't simply fire him and pointed to some obscure Turk rule as proof. Veld had been pissed off but in the end he'd given in.
From that point on Tseng played middleman. He gave Reno his mission assignments and generally kept Veld and himself away from each other. When that wasn't possible, he kept them as far apart as space would allow. In the end, the thing Reno had wanted to avoid happened anyway and there was a strain on Veld and Tseng's relationship as well as his relationship with Tseng.
The only other Turk he'd ever worked with had been Legend. At first Legend had scared the hell out of him. After a few meetings he'd relaxed a bit, then he was invited on a mission with the him. Reno hadn't wanted to go but agreed so he wouldn't look weak in front of the other Turks. During the mission, seeing Legend fight put him in a state of awe. Now he just respected him and did his best to stay on his good side.
Reno shook his head to clear the past and focused on the present. Whatever was going on with Genesis he had no comparison for, in or out of the Turks. Strangely he hadn't felt the urge to run away, he felt the urge to run toward it. His normal emotions about relationships were fear, anxiety, stress, and panic, but they had barely surfaced. The only time they surfaced at all was when he was worried the SOLDIER was pulling away or didn't like him. With Genesis he felt a desire beyond physical and... rightness. He couldn't explain it and before last night's kiss it had worried him. Now? Now his worry was almost nonexistent and he really wanted to explore whatever was going on. Again he couldn't explain it, he just knew he didn't want to fight whatever it was.
Long since done with his business Reno headed back to the rock shelter. Genesis was standing outside, eyes roaming this way and that, presumably checking for danger and to get the lay of the land. He noticed the SOLIDER had placed his weapon in its harness but otherwise appeared relaxed, just alert.
As he approached Genesis said, "My turn," and darted off. Reno chuckled and watched him walk away for a minute before kneeing and grabbing the rucksack. The food bag was sitting on top and he grabbed it, removed two MRE's, and replaced it. He sat down and tilted his face skyward, wishing it was warmer. It wasn't freezing, but for the first time he noticed it was definitely chilly. He also noticed it was getting cloudy. Great.
The Turk had just shrugged on his jacket when Genesis returned. He held up the two MRE's and said, "Spaghetti or grilled chicken yo?"
Genesis thought for a moment before replying, "Grilled chicken."
Reno tossed him the chicken MRE and opened his own. Inside was an array of items; everything from a bowl, to wet wipes, to a bottle of water, a drink mix, an entree, and even dessert. He started sorting through the packets, throwing the ones he wanted right away into the bowl and placing the others in different piles. Once that was done he began opening what he wanted and dumping it into the bowl.
Genesis watched Reno sort the contents of his MRE and couldn't help but notice the organized little piles the Turk was making. He hadn't sorted anything, simply dumped the contents, grabbed what he wanted, and left everything else in a heap. It was like a lesson in contrasts and he couldn't quite stop the grin that spread across his face at the thought.
Reno raised his head and their eyes locked. "What?" he asked, stirring his food.
Genesis shook his head. "Nothing."
"Must be somethin' yo. Come on, spill."
The SOLDIER waved a hand at his messy pile, then at Reno's nicely sorted ones. "Compared to you I look like a slob."
Reno raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Just seein' what all's in here," replied the Turk. Genesis didn't believe that but let it go. If the Turk wanted to hide his meticulous and well organized behavior that was fine. He turned his attention to his food and noted it wasn't half bad. The last time he'd had an MRE it had been terrible. Guess they've improved. Or maybe all they got in basic was the cheap ass MRE's, or worse, the expired or defective ones.
The SSC heard Reno shaking his water bottle and brought his attention back to him. Instead of being clear the water looked like mud with a layer of scum on the top. He looked at his own mix flavor; fruit punch. Sweet Minerva it better not be brown.
Reno, having noticed the SOLDIER's apprehension, chuckled and said, "What did you get?"
"Fruit punch."
"Heh, mine's supposed to be cola yo," Reno replied.
"Ah."
"You don't have to use it ya know," the redhead said, gesturing to the unopened drink mix.
"I know," Genesis replied, playing with the packet. "You want it?"
"I have my... cola." The Turk stopped shaking the bottle and took a swig while Genesis watched him intently. "It's... not half bad yo," he said, clearly surprised. "Wanna try it?"
"Um, no," Genesis said, holding up his hand in a 'stop' gesture. Reno chuckled and went back to his food. The SSC dropped the fruit punch mix on the ground, deciding to drink his water straight. He had just placed the bottle to his lips when a loud crack sounded behind him. The unexpected noise caused him to jump and he dribbled water on his shirt. Scowling, he grabbed the napkin and started dabbing at the spot.
"I wouldn't bother yo. We're gonna get wet," Reno said, pointing up at the sky.
Genesis stopped and sighed, knowing it had been thunder but hoping his Mako enhanced hearing had made it seem closer than it was. He turned around and looked at the sky. Dark blue-grey rainclouds were moving their way, and quickly at that. "Shit," he muttered with feeling.
Both Reno and Genesis started picking up the leftover items from the MRE's and throwing them into the food bag. When that was done, Genesis rerolled the blanket and handed it to Reno, who tied it back into place. There was a bright flash, immediately followed by a loud crack of thunder. Their eyes locked as each glanced at the other.
"Stay or go?" Genesis asked.
Reno eyed the sky and swung his gaze back go Genesis. He really didn't want to go, but he didn't see that they had a choice. They weren't exactly on a timeframe, but their supplies weren't going to last forever. Why the hell hadn't someone thrown some raingear into the pack? He dropped his chin to his chest in resignation. "Go."
Genesis nodded and stood from the rock he'd been sitting on. "Then let's move. We need to try to get off this mountain before it pours. These rocks are going to get slick and Gods know where the flood paths are." With that he turned and started down the small trail at a steady pace. Reno shouldered the pack and was quickly on the SOLDIER's heels.
There was a slight noise and before he even thought about it, Angeal was standing, sword in hand, and pointed at... a Turk? Tseng, he thought and lowered his weapon.
"Had I known you slept that lightly, perhaps I would have rested better," Tseng said in a whisper.
Angeal harnessed his weapon before whispering, "Sorry, Sir."
Tseng motioned toward the ladder. Angeal glanced around before taking the hint and swiftly climbing up. The Turk quickly followed.
Once in the common room Angeal stretched and looked about. He noticed only a few villagers, if they could be called that, were around. What else would you call them? Forters? He chuckled before moving to the table where Tseng had taken a seat and sat across from him.
"The others may rest for a while longer," said Tseng. "I was going to purchase supplies and see if there was anything useful in the helicopter before I woke them."
Angeal nodded and asked, "What can I do?"
Tseng regarded him for a moment. "Accompany me," he said, standing.
Angeal didn't argue and followed Tseng outside. The day was bright and clear though a storm was brewing to the north. He hoped it stayed up there. The SSC took out his PHS and checked the screen; no missed calls, no new text messages, and the time was 0811. He was slightly surprised he'd slept so long since he had rested in the chopper on the way here. By the time he replaced the device they were already at the bottom of the trail. Tseng veered sharply in the direction of the chopper and Angeal continued to follow.
As they approached their destination Angeal said, "Almost a shame we have to leave it behind. Traveling would have been so much easier."
"We can keep up with you, SOLDIER," Tseng replied in a crisp tone.
"I... that wasn't what I meant, Sir," Angeal said somewhat defensively.
"No?" Tseng made it a question and stopped.
"No." He figured the Wutain would say more but he didn't. Instead the Turk deftly jumped into the cargo area of the chopper and started opening compartments in the floor, pulling out items they could use. He couldn't tell if the Turk was pissed or just ignoring him. Finally he sighed and said, "Sir, I'm not the enemy here."
Tseng stopped what he was doing and regarded the SOLDIER. "I never said you were, SSC Hewley."
"You didn't have to," Angeal said, turning to fully face the Turk.
"Meaning?"
"Meaning you've been snippy and callous since I arrived."
Tseng felt his anger surfacing and fought to control it. He stood and jumped out of the chopper, landing six inches shy of Angeal. The SOLDIER didn't move an inch and he was both pleased and annoyed by the lack of reaction. "You presume too much, SSC Hewley," he said, tone ice cold.
"How so?"
"You are assuming my... snippiness and callousness have been directed toward you or have something to do with you, which they do not," his tone was less cold, but he'd had to work to get it that way. "I have lost my boss, who was not just my boss but my mentor and close friend. I am now running, along with my entire department, which is composed of people I care about, from the company that I am, or was, employed by, and I am not entirely certain why. We have been labeled as traitors and at this point I believe that title belongs to the company, not us. I have no idea who is a friend or foe and as a result I am advancing blindly in this situation. One would think you could show some compassion and understanding instead of worrying about whether I like you or whether I am being... insensitive toward you."
Angeal could have kicked his own ass right at that moment. Tseng was right, he was being an overly sensitive ass and the Turks didn't need that, especially Tseng. I'm acting like Genesis. The thought sobered him. He loved his friend dearly but their personalities were completely different and it was then he understood the real problem. Angeal was so used to being liked that he didn't know how to react when he wasn't. As a result he was using one of Genesis's information gathering and safeguard techniques: anger. "Ramuh's Lightning," he muttered, kicking the ground and looking embarrassed.
Tseng watched the SOLDIER but couldn't tell what he was thinking. When he faltered and muttered the curse he raised an eyebrow. That wasn't the reaction he was expecting. He expected anger, maybe even a fight. Instead the SSC was decidedly backing down and seemed to genuinely regret his actions.
"I'm sorrier than I can even express, Sir," Angeal said, eyes on the ground. "I know that doesn't forgive or excuse my snippiness and callousness, but I will find a way to make this right."
The other eyebrow joined the first, then both lowered and the faintest of smiles curved Tseng's lips. "You just did," he said. The Wutain turned, jumped back in the chopper, and returned to his task.
Angeal wrenched his head up, flabbergasted. His eyes were wide and his mouth was hanging open. What in the name of the Gods just happened? Four times he tried to say something yet nothing came out. He finally just gave up and moved toward the cargo hold to collect the items Tseng had set aside.
Tseng had watched the SOLDIER struggle in his peripheral vision. Not for the first time he wondered how old Hewley was. Twice he almost chuckled but stopped it in his throat. When the SSC started gathering supplies he finally took pity on him. He stopped, sat on his haunches, and looked straight at Angeal. The SSC stopped dead as their eyes met. Tseng's faint smile returned.
"The fact that you apologized told me what I needed to know, Angeal," Tseng said.
Angeal stared at him blankly before replying, "It did?"
"Many men, even when they know they are wrong, cannot or will not admit error. That you did, and sincerely, to a stranger, says a great deal to me. It also speaks a great deal about your character"
"I... understand... sort of."
"You'll get used to that," replied a voice from behind him. Angeal spun around and saw Elena standing about 3 meters away. "Sorry, I couldn't help but overhear that last bit," she said and smiled.
"It's fine," Angeal said.
"You're expression says otherwise," she replied, lifting an eyebrow.
"Oh... I, it-... it's not that. I was just thinking I'm a terrible bodyguard if I didn't hear you approaching."
She scowled, "Or maybe," she said, talking a step closer, "I'm just," step, "that good," step. She stopped about a foot away from him, her expression blank. She flashed her eyes toward Tseng and there was a clear challenge in them, yet when she looked back at him her eyes were blank again. What was that about?
"It... ah... could be that... too," he replied, shifting and clearing his throat.
Elena smiled and shot another look at Tseng, who was still on his haunches in the chopper. Her expression darkened for just an instant when their eyes met and the change was so fast the Wutain wondered if he'd imagined it. Tseng forced a neutral look onto his face and she smiled wider. What in Leviathan is going on?
"Tseng has a way of confusing all of us sometimes. You'll get used to it though. Hell, you'll even find that after you think about it, what he says makes sense," Elena said. Her first two sentences had bite to them, but the third was neutral.
Angeal found himself staring down at Elena and fighting not to shift from foot to foot. Gaia she's tiny! He knew that was deceptive though since as a Turk she was likely a skilled fighter. Her face was almost a perfect triangle made softer by the slight roundness of her chin. Her platinum blonde hair was styled to be longer in the front than in the back and it was quite attractive on her. He thought her most striking feature was her russet colored eyes.
Angeal heard Tseng chuckle from behind him and finally looked away. Elena only smiled, saying nothing. Her eyes weren't smiling though. Angeal thought he saw bitterness, anger, and... hurt?
"If you two are finished?" Tseng said but Angeal heard 'snap out of it and get to work'.
Angeal spun and did just that. Elena giggled and he thought it was one of the cutest laughs he'd ever heard. She moved up beside him and suddenly he smelled lotus, vanilla, and hyacinth. He stopped himself before he drew in a deeper breath. She probably already thinks I'm a chauvinist. I don't want her to think I'm a creep too.
Between the three of them the work went smoothly and quickly. Tseng salvaged two backpacks with canteens, a first aid kit, a flare gun with extra flares, a compass, two emergency blankets, and a few other odds and ends. It was agreed that after buying supplies they would be in fairly decent shape for the journey.
The three headed back inside with the gear. More villagers were about but Cissnei and Rude were nowhere in sight. Tseng headed to the cluster of tables and dropped the bag he was carrying. Angeal and Elena followed.
"Angeal, go see if Cissnei and Rude are awake yet. If not, wake them. Elena, you are with me," Tseng said.
They both nodded and Tseng turned, moving toward the shop area, Elena following. Angeal watched them go for a few seconds before heading toward the sleeping quarters. He moved down the ladder quickly and scanned the room, spotting Rude who was still asleep on a bed. It took him a few seconds longer to register Cissnei was not in bed, rather was kneeling at the head of Rude's bed. She turned as he focused on her.
"Time to go?" she asked and Angeal nodded.
She sighed. "I'll wake him and we'll be up in a minute."
The SSC stood for a moment before finally turning around. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her reach a tentative hand toward the sleeping Turk's head, then she stopped, sighed, and finally gently shook his shoulder. That was the last he saw and he was soon back in the common area.
Angeal glanced toward the shop area and saw Elena's hands full of items. He quickly walked over and grabbed the backpacks, then headed toward her. As he approached he held one of the packs open in front of her.
"Thanks," she said in a bright voice.
Tseng turned around and glanced at him. "Did you wake them?"
"Cissnei was already awake. She said she would wake Rude and they would join us in a few minutes," Angeal replied. Elena and Tseng exchanged a look that he couldn't decipher before returning to their task. He really wished he had the manual to reading secret Turk looks.
Just over a half hour later everything had been purchased, the backpacks were stuffed, and they were ready to head out. Angeal, Tseng, and Rude all carried the full backpacks, much to Elena and Cissnei's annoyance. A villager had sold them a spare backpack and now they felt they could definitely get through a few days.
The group said their goodbyes and thanked everyone in the Fort before leaving. Tseng decided he would take point, regardless how much Angeal protested. Rude, Cissnei, and Elena walked in the middle and Angeal was again guarding the rear. It wasn't long before Elena dropped back and started walking next to the SSC; eyes shining and a bright smile on her face. As they walked he couldn't help but say a thank you to Lazard for sending him on this mission.
At 19:58 Rufus found himself standing outside the door to his quarters. He slid his keycard through the slot and started to enter the manual code but stopped, fingers centimeters from the number pad. A red light flashed on the door lock telling him he'd been denied access. He slowly turned around and looked at the two nondescript SOLDIERs who had been shadowing him all day.
Their presence had been a constant and unwanted irritation. He had protested the guards but his father had made it clear he didn't give a damn what he wanted. The VP wondered if his father didn't trust him or if he truly cared about his safety. Probably the former.
The SOLDIERs hadn't spoken 20 words to him all day, which was fine. They never questioned why he was visiting department heads, which was also fine. What wasn't fine was that he had to be extremely careful of what he said. The SOLDIERs were only Third Class and didn't have enough Mako to have excellent hearing, but he still hadn't wanted to take a chance because Mako was unpredictable at best. Even with a low dose or two, one individual hearing could become acute while another's remained normal. Regardless, even feeling like a sneak hadn't truly annoyed him.
The problem was that the presence of the SOLDIERs made him ache for the missing Turks. It hadn't mattered what Turks were assigned to guard him on a given day, he'd still felt a sense of companionship with his shadows. They would talk to him and even offer him advice sometimes. They made him feel like a friend and not just a spoiled little rich kid or some brat they had to babysit. In contrast the SOLDIERs acted totally put out and like the assignment was beneath them.
The VP glared at each SOLDIER in turn before speaking. "Surely you are not to accompany me inside?" His tone was clipped and impatient.
The SOLDIERs exchanged a look before the one on the right replied, "Ah... I don't believe so, Sir. I think we're just supposed to make sure you get inside okay."
Gods they couldn't even remember their orders? He was definitely going to have a talk with Lazard. Fuming, Rufus spun, rammed the keycard through the slot, and angrily pushed in the manual code. The door quietly slid open and he whirled, taking a step back so he was in the apartment.
"Mission accomplished. Get the fuck out of my sight," he said as the door slid closed. He heard something that sounded like 'creepy fucking brat' from one of the SOLDIERs and balled his hands into fists, fighting not pull his shotgun out and shoot them through the door. The only thing that stopped him was Tseng's voice in his head saying, 'be better than them'.
"Whatever you're using to calm yourself, use it more often."
Rufus took a deep breath and replied, "Hello Legend." He was proud of himself for not being shocked or surprised by Legend's presence. The VP heard a click and simultaneously a soft light cast his shadow onto the closed door. He pulled a one hundred and eighty degree turn and faced the infamous Turk.
Legend stood next to the window, his face blank. He really didn't know what to make of Rufus and his confusion only grew the more he tried to figure him out. One second the kid was cold and calculated; the next he was practically falling apart. Teenage hormones? Rufus was 15, 16 in less than a week. That wasn't that young. He hadn't been like that when he was that age. Different circumstances.
Legend moved forward and sat in one of the chairs which gave him an uninterrupted view of the room, all the exits, and all the windows. He knew no one else was in the apartment and figured the only problem would come from the door, but the action was habit and made him more comfortable.
"Did you get in touch with Tseng?" Rufus asked. Legend stared at him for so long he fought not to squirm. "Would you like something to drink?" he asked, moving toward the kitchen.
Tseng? Legend thought. Sweet Bomb Blast! He could feel the headache starting behind his right temple. Tseng had to be what, ten years or so older than Rufus? Surely this was just a crush and the two weren't in a relationship. And if they are? Shit, he didn't know what to think about that. Rufus was legal but damn... Not my business. But...
The Turk gave his head a violent shake, making the dull throb in his temple scream. It really didn't matter and wasn't his business. He wasn't going to think less of Tseng either way. Am I? Legend shook his head again and finally his thoughts cooperated and receded.
Legend watched Rufus's back as he went to the fridge, removed a pitcher, then moved to a cabinet and pulled out a glass. He poured orange juice into the glass and drank while staring at the wall in front of the sink. "No," Legend finally said.
When the Turk said 'no' Rufus spun around so fast he splashed juice onto his suit jacket. Now the kid stood staring at him, clearly fighting to hide his emotions. Aside from the juice sloshing, the act might have worked on someone else, but not on Legend. He saw the panic, tension, and concern his response caused. For a millisecond he wanted to get up and comfort the kid but he squashed it; just wasn't his thing. The Turk used words instead.
"Storms have been covering the entire lower half of the continent all day, from the mountains down, which includes Fort Condor and Junon. The storms contain some of the worst lightning the area has seen in years," he stopped but when he saw Rufus's face pale he quickly added, "No damage, there's just a lot of electricity. Enough that it's disrupting communications in the area."
Rufus's hand started cramping and he realized he was holding the glass so hard his fingers were white. At Legend's last two sentences his grip eased up. If there was no damage surely Tseng was ok. He sat the glass on the counter and moved into the living area, organizing his thoughts.
The VP was about four feet away from Legend when the door slid open. At first he figured it was the Gods forsaken SOLDIERs and he whirled to scream at them. What he saw locked his voice and breath in his throat and he was pretty sure his heart stopped beating as well.
"Rufus, are you ill? I would be happy to have a few of these fine SOLDIERs escort you to medical," his father said in a scorching tone, a grin on his face. He moved into the room with four SOLDIERs at his back; two seconds and two thirds.
At the sound of the door Legend had jumped out of the chair. He was now about a foot in front of Rufus, a little off to the left waiting to see what he would do. His anger ignited at the President's false concern. Rufus hadn't just paled; he was as white as a sheet. He was about to move in front of him but suddenly the child Vice President jerked himself upright and glared defiantly at his father. Legend silently commended the kid for that.
"Is there something I can do for you... Father?" Rufus asked with undisguised malice in his voice. It seemed pointless to ask why he was here. The SOLDIERs presence made it clear that the President knew, or highly suspected, he was helping the Turks. Legend's presence confirmed it. Gods what about Lazard? The department execs he'd visited today?
The President threw his head back and laughed before leveling eyes full of rage on his son. "There are a great many things you could do for me Rufus." All pretense of happiness was lost and the elder Shinra looked fit for murder. "You could start by telling me why you're such a failure. Tell me why you aren't the son you should be. Why you're such a godsdamned disappointment. Why you can't work with me instead of against me. Why are you such an ungrateful little bastard?"
Rufus felt a piece of himself break and it surprised him. He thought his father had said and done enough over the years that he no longer cared but he'd thought wrong and the words cut him to his very soul.
Two of the SOLDIERs shifted uncomfortably at his father's words and a deafening silence flooded the room. At the movement Rufus shoved the broken pieces away and his rage crashed to the surface causing a frightening calm to settle over him and he smiled. He smiled wider when his father frowned, not getting the reaction he wanted. The VP stepped forward just enough that Legend was behind him instead of in front.
"I can only answer one of those questions, the others... I would tell you father, but I'm afraid I can't," Rufus said. The eerie calmness kept his voice steady and level.
"Answer what you can and explain why you can't the others," the President huffed.
"I can't work with you because you're an ignorant, slimy piece of shit with no morals and no scruples. As to the others I'm not a mind reader," Rufus calmly replied.
"You litt- what was that last bit?" The President asked, eyes glittering with rage. "Because I'm not a mind reader," Rufus repeated, anger edging into his voice.
"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" the President asked in confusion.
"To answer your other questions I would have to know why you're such a fucking contemptible excuse for a father. Those answers are in your head, not mine," Rufus shot back.
The silence slid from deafening to thunderous as the elder Shinra stared at his son in shock. Hell, Rufus was shocked at himself. Legend and the SOLDIERs all tensed, knowing whatever came next wasn't going to be anything good.
The President's face started turning red. One vein in his forehead and one in his left temple started to throb. His face became so reddish purple that Legend was sure he was going to have a stroke. Shards that would be fantastic, he thought. That wasn't what happened though.
Fists shaking at his sides, teeth clenched, the President spat, "Take Rufus into custody and kill the Turk."
There was a frenzy of action as the SOLDIERs launched forward and Legend yanked Rufus behind him. He removed a small bomb from his pocket and hurled it toward the coffee table. While it was still in the air he spun, shoved Rufus toward the window and said, "I hope you aren't afraid of heights."
The bomb exploded on impact, sending wooden shards flying everywhere. The SOLDIERs hit the ground, yanking the President with them, at the same time Legend shoved Rufus out the window. He quickly joined the VP on the narrow ledge just outside. "Use the ledges to climb to the roof," he yelled over the howling wind. Rufus didn't ask questions and didn't hesitate.
Thankfully Rufus's apartment was only a few floors below the roof. It didn't take long before the pair placed their feet on solid ground once again. Just as he'd hoped, Legend spotted a few choppers on the roof. He grabbed Rufus by the upper arm and yanked him toward them.
Rufus was elated as he was shoved into a chopper. The door slammed shut and he automatically started securing the safety harness. He'd done it! He'd finally told his father off! Odin's Lance it felt good! The smug bastard would probably place his name on the kill on site order but he didn't give a damn. For the first time in a long time the VP felt free!
A door shut somewhere and it snapped him back from his thoughts. As the chopper started to power up he swiveled his head around but couldn't see much of Legend, just his lower legs. What the hell? He looked around and realized the chopper was much narrower than the ones he was used to. Legend was seated behind and above him somewhere so he grabbed the headset from its holder, placed it on his head, and asked, "What is this thing and where are we going?"
"It's a 2-seater Apache and right now, anywhere but here," Legend's voice sounded through the headset.
Rufus heard switches being flipped and then the blades started to rotate. He shrugged before remembering Legend probably couldn't see him. "Roger," he replied.
The chopper sprang into the air and hovered for a minute, then spun around. "Rufus," came Legend's voice, "disable the choppers on the roof."
Disable the choppers on the roof? How th- The controls in front of him drew his attention and he realized he was in the gunner's seat. A huge grin split his face in two as he flicked switches and grabbed the machine gun controls, thankful that while he wasn't familiar with this particular helicopter model, the controls were almost identical to the ones he was used to. He depressed a button and bullets started raining down on the dormant choppers below. As he finished spraying the last one, a door on the roof flew open and what looked like a whole damned battalion spilled out. It was composed of mostly infantry units but Rufus saw a few SOLDIERs in the mix. Thank Gaia the good ones aren't here. Hewley and Rhapsodos were with the Turks and although he didn't know where Sephiroth was, he knew he wasn't in Midgar.
"Time to go," Legend said. The chopper climbed quickly, turned, then shot away from the Shinra building. "If they dig up a bird, you'll have to shoot it down Rufus."
Rufus was quiet a moment before replying, "My pleasure."
Legend said nothing as he piloted them away from Midgar, keeping an eye on the screen that was linked to the camera mounted on tail. He had no doubt Rufus would be truly be thrilled to execute anyone that interfered with their escape. From the demonstration above the roof, someone had taught Rufus how to handle chopper weapon system controls with deadly accuracy. Right this second he couldn't focus on how he felt about that. How many more surprises does this kid have in store?
They were currently going south but it was a distraction. As they got close to the mountains, lightning flashed in the distance in front of them. Legend pulled a small device out of his pocket and pressed a button on the top. While on the device would scramble any transmitters on board, making their position impossible to track. He wished he'd had one to give Tseng and his group, but Reeve Tuesti had finished the device only yesterday and it had been tested just today. He hoped to Gaia the thing was solid and didn't short out or otherwise fail.
With the device active, Legend swung the chopper to the northwest toward an old outpost in the canyon on the east edge of the Grasslands. There would probably be a few infantry units but he had no doubt they could handle them if need be. The outpost would have fuel and shelter for the night not to mention he needed to get them out of the air and come up with a plan.
His anger soared at their current predicament and he fought to control it. He wasn't angry with Rufus or any of the Turks currently in hiding; he was furious with Veld. As far as he was concerned this whole damned mess was Veld's fault and he desperately wanted the man to pay. For better or worse he had made a promise to leave him be and he wasn't known for breaking promises.
"He doesn't know," Rufus said. His voice was so quiet Legend barely heard him even through the noise-filtering headset. "H- I do-," a pause, "I know he probably... wouldn't react... well if he knew. Please Legend, please don't say anything to him."
Guess that answers the relationship question, Legend thought. How in Bomb Shards could Tseng not notice Rufus's feelings for him? Was the kid that good at hiding it? He hadn't been doing such a great job around him. Tseng didn't notice Elena's feelings either. Gods the man was amazing at reading and helping others, but when it came to himself... Shiva! The Turk mentally sighed. He was relieved that there wasn't a relationship between the two but he was equally depressed about it. Odd.
"Please!" Rufus screeched in his ear. Apparently he had taken too long to reply and Rufus had misunderstood the silence. "Please Legend, I'm fucking begging you not to tell him! Let me keep what I have." His voice was full of emotion; breaking and cracking in a way that had nothing to do with headset static.
"I promise," Legend replied. He heard Rufus stifle a sob before he saw the headset hit the windshield in front of the VP. Feedback sounded in his ear causing him to wince. He knew if he could see Rufus that his shoulders would be shaking, tears streaming down his face. It's not depressing, it's heartbreaking, he thought.
Legend gripped the flight stick tighter and wished there was something he could do. He knew that he'd said and done all he could right now but it didn't feel like enough. He hated feeling like this and balled his left hand into such a tight fist that his blunt nails dug into his palm. The pain helped clear his mind and he refocused on the task at hand. The Turk glanced at the clock on the control panel before him. The meeting was schedule for the day after tomorrow. He had so much to do about so many things that it was becoming a struggle to keep up with it all. But what to do about the Turks? That was the 10 million gil question.