Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, scenery, or towns; Square Enix does.
33 - Turbulence
Two hours after Reno's battle with the Raven's and Fuhito, Angeal, Reno, Genesis, and Rude climbed aboard the helicopter they'd taken to get to Mt. Coral. The journey back had been long and difficult, especially for Reno, who had carried Genesis ninety-nine percent of the time. The only time the Turk let someone else take the man was when he was unable to climb with him. Now the redhead placed him on a bench in the cargo bay with a loud, weary sigh.
"Thanks for the save," the redhead said. "Why'd you two come after me?"
"Not long after talking with you we were both able to verify our targets were villagers. We tried to contact you but were unable, and then we heard an explosion," Rude replied.
"Since our end was a bust we figured you had the right trail," added Angeal.
"Lucky me," Reno muttered.
There was a pause before Angeal said, "Okay, we're safe. Now tell me what the hell is going on. Why is Gen here, actually how is Gen here, and what's wrong with him?" There was more of a bite to his voice than he would have liked.
"Wish I could tell ya yo."
"If this is because I don't have the proper clearance I don't care. Tell me anyway or so help me I'll throw you out of this bird when we're airborne."
"I wouldn't advise that," called Rude, peering into the cargo hold from the cockpit.
"Watch me," Angeal snapped back.
Kneeling in front of Genesis, Reno dropped his head on the STC's leg and took a deep breath. "It ain't clearance Angeal."
"Then what is it?"
"It's… I…" Reno trailed off with a sighed. He turned to face his two companions and reluctantly began his tale. "After I talked to you two I got ambushed by a couple of bombs. The explosion ya heard mighta been when one of the damned things blew up, taking the other with it. The shockwave knocked me into a cave and I poked around for a minute then left, intendin' to head for the reactor, but I ran into a Raven so I ran like hell."
"You ran from a bird?" inquired Rude, tone laced with skepticism and disapproval.
"No," Reno chuckled, unable to help himself. "Fuhito calls his SOLDIERs Ravens."
"Why?" asked the SSC.
"No idea," the redhead sighed. "Anyway I took off and ended up on the monorail tracks leading toward the reactor. I was doin' pretty good but the thing jumped me on the other side of the ravine. Long story short I ended up under the trestle where you found me and was cornered by the Ravens and Fuhito. We fought, I was losin', and… well then things got weird."
With that Reno once again faltered. He didn't understand what had happened and could barely believe it himself, and he had been there. How the hell was he supposed to relate the tale without sounding like a madman?
"Weird?" prompted Rude after several moments of silence. He hated pushing his partner but it was clear Angeal was losing patience. Concern for his friend getting the best of him. The last thing they needed was a fight and besides, he was curious too.
"Oh fuck it," Reno growled, frustrated. "Gen appeared literally out of thin air, except I don't think it was Gen. Least not at first anyway." He told the pair of the layered voice, the strange Mako tornado, and the overly luminescent eyes that held inhuman intelligence.
"Maybe that's a result of his imbalance," Rude offered.
"No," the redhead said, shaking his head for emphasis. "It was more than that. It was like he was possessed or somethin'."
"Possessed?" yelped Angeal. "By what?"
"Don't know," Reno shrugged. The silence was thunderous until he finally broke it. "After that more Ravens showed up and covered for Fuhito while he escaped."
"There were piles of clothes down there with you. What happened?" inquired the SSC.
"I don't know. I, eh, had my eyes closed," the Turk admitted, feeling like an idiot as he told them of the bright flash of light and of the fact that he'd had his eyes closed.
"Sounds like you might have gone blind if you hadn't," Rude offered, trying to make his partner feel better.
"Maybe. After that possessed Gen healed me and then you two showed up."
There was a long pause before Rude asked, "I hate to state the obvious, but are you sure this is even Gen?"
"I'm sure."
"How?"
"I just am okay?" snapped the redhead. He wasn't going to add fuel to the insanity fire by stating he could feel it, even if it was the truth. It was yet another mystery to him but he could feel Gen's presence, his essence and he knew without a doubt that it was him. "Look I don't know how to explain it. Just trust me."
"Alright."
Yet again silence settled over the chopper as everyone became lost in thought. Neither Angeal nor Rude thought Reno was raving mad, but they were struggling with what he'd told them. For his part Reno was debating their next move. The quiet contemplation was shattered by a shrill sound and the redhead pulled out his PHS.
"Reno."
"Take the chopper to the Eastern Continent. Approximately midway between Midgar and Junon is a stream that feeds into the sea. Land on the northern shore and await further instructions."
"Boss we've got a big pro-"
"If you disobey my order you will sorely regret it," Tseng crisply replied, promptly disconnecting the call.
"Son of a bitch," Reno spat, hitting the recall button before his PHS screen changed. The call connected and after five rings it went to voicemail. The redhead disconnected without leaving a message and glared at his PHS in frustration and anger.
"You talked ta Tseng?" the redhead called, glancing at his partner.
"Not since we left Gongaga."
Reno jammed his PHS into his pocket and rubbed his hands across his face. Tseng's call hadn't been uncommon. Often mission perimeters changed without notice with no room for argument. Normally it wasn't a problem but the current situation wasn't exactly normal. The Wutain hadn't given him a chance to tell him what was going on and he had a feeling that regardless of how many times he called Tseng wasn't going to answer. He could send a text but he felt that might be risky. The redhead didn't know what the story with the STC was but his instinct was telling him to stay quiet about it and get the auburn someplace safe.
Still sitting on the floor Reno slid until his back was up against the bench Genesis lay upon and dropped his head on his knees. Tseng hadn't wanted an update on what happened here, which probably meant that whatever was going on in the Eastern Continent was bad, bad enough that a report could wait.
Unfortunately Reno's thoughts boiled down to one hard question: whether or not to disregard his boss's orders. The Wutain wasn't here to force him to follow orders but for all he knew if he didn't people would die. On top of that, without knowing the situation he had no way to know what the consequences for disregarding the order might be. They could be anything from a written reprimand to suspension to expulsion to death.
Reno lifted his head and dropped it back down into his knees with a loud thud. He couldn't deny that he was equally distressed by Genesis's current condition. The redhead wasn't a doctor or scientist and had no way to know if the STC's life was in danger. Hell he didn't even know what was wrong with him, although he did have his suspicions. This is getting me nowhere!
"What's wrong?" Angeal asked, raising an eyebrow when Reno twitched as though startled.
Shit, it isn't just me, Reno thought, almost laughing at his racing heart. Apparently his mind wasn't working at one-hundred percent because he'd completely forgotten about Rude and Angeal. That changes things.
If he didn't follow orders it wouldn't just be his career and life on the line. His partner and the SSC could try to weasel out of punishment through any number of excuses but neither were likely to do so. Too much honor. Besides both were bright enough to realize that whatever excuse they could make, the Shinra Company could, and probably would, shoot holes through. Either way their asses would be out in the breeze with mine.
It was possible that if he told them the situation they could decide what to do together, however it was also unlikely. The pair would probably offer input but ultimately the choice would still be left to him. He couldn't blame them, that's just the way things were. The Turks were a bit more democratic than SOLDIER, but only just. Both groups were used to working within structured environments where decisions were left to superiors. Like it or not, out of their small group he was the superior officer. That left the choice to him and him alone.
Reno shifted positions and went up on his knees. He turned and placed a hand on the auburn's left cheek. "Hang in there yo," he whispered.
Decision made, the redhead stood, moved to the cargo bay door, and slid it closed. "Mission's been modified. Rude power up the heli." Hunched slightly, he walked back to Genesis and grabbed the vertical straps used to keep injured people in place. Once they were cinched he turned to Angeal. "We'll get him checked out ASAP, even if I have to cut you lose so you can take him. 'Til then keep an eye on him ya?"
"You know I will," the SSC replied, scowling slightly.
"Yeah, guess that was a stupid thing to say," said Reno through a tired grin before joining Rude in the cockpit. The two SOLDIERs had been friends forever; of course Angeal would keep an eye on him.
"Where to Red?"
"Eastern Continent. We're lookin' for a stream on the coast about halfway between Midgar and Junon yo," Reno replied, suddenly remembering why the area sounded so familiar. It was close to the cave he and Genesis had stayed in during the Turk Desertion. "I'll navigate," the redhead said through a smirk.
Rude nodded and took the flight controls without argument. To Reno, 'I'll navigate' meant that he'd act like he was sleeping but would scan for attackers and man the weapons system in a heartbeat if necessary. Honestly he had no idea how the redhead kept watch when it looked like he wasn't, but to date nothing had gotten past him.
The bald Turk began checking the flight systems but watched his partner out of his peripheral vision. While he didn't know the redhead well he knew enough to know that the man had just had to make a tough decision. Things like that were one of the reasons he didn't particularly want to rise in rank. He had no trouble with watching others backs in battle but he didn't want to be the one who sent them there in the first place.
The bald man was no stranger to fighting and death, yet in his experience his opponents deserved what they had coming. He didn't want to be the one who decided the opponents however. Even the best leaders lost people because of their orders and frankly, he didn't think he'd handle that very well.
"What's with the intense expression yo?" Reno asked, voice crackling through the headset.
"I was just thinking," replied Rude, getting the bird off the ground.
"Gee, and here I was hopin' for some grand revelation," the redhead grinned, leaning back in his seat, placing his arms behind his head, stretching his legs out, and closing his eyes.
Rude tossed a glance at his partner, willing to bet that the relaxed exterior was a front. "How do you handle the stress?" he finally asked, setting the heli on a course for the Eastern Continent.
"Eh?" Reno said, cracking an eye and shifting slightly to see his partner better.
"The decisions you have to make, how do you deal with the pressure?"
Somewhat off guard by the personal inquiry, the redhead lowered his arms and repositioned. "Sometimes I don't yo."
"I've never seen you lose it," Rude replied, wishing the words hadn't sounded so harsh.
"Well you shouldn't, should you?" Reno chuckled, not taking offense. "Anyone in a position of leadership should be accessible to those beneath them, but they shouldn't show weakness."
"That sounds like something Tseng would say."
"Heh, it is. I was his apprentice you know." With a smirk, the redhead glanced out the side window. He couldn't deny that Mt. Coral was beautiful but he'd be happy when it was no longer in his field of vision. "The words may not be mine but they're true. If a leader appears too weak everyone below them will start to question things, whether it's orders or simply their ability to actually lead. At best small conflicts could erupt, at worst a revolt. Even if that doesn't happen morale is going to suck."
"Leadership though example," the bald man said, noting his partners unbroken speech pattern. He'd expected the redhead to shrug the conversation off or make light of it, yet he was taking it very seriously.
"Exactly. Doesn't me we don't break down when nobody's looking."
"I understand, but how do you keep everything at bay until you can release it?"
"You learn to compartmentalize yo."
"What if that doesn't work?"
"There, eh, something I should know about?" Reno asked, growing concerned.
Glancing out the window Rude decided they were far enough away from the mountains and set the autopilot. "If you're asking if I'm having emotional difficulties I'm not. I'm curious, that's all."
The redhead eyed his partner. He seemed okay, but appearances could be deceiving. Yet if Rude was starting to crack there wasn't much he could do about it. Sure he'd try to put him back together but that's about all he could do. "If compartmentalizing doesn't work I keep reminding myself of everybody who's counting on me. If that fails I'll think about Tseng." He paused before adding, "And now Genesis."
The bald Turk thought for a moment before saying, "You and Tseng are pretty close, huh?" After a hesitation, his partner nodded and he unwittingly tossed a glance over his shoulder at the still unconscious STC.
"Not what your thinkin' yo. The hell's everybody got me in some kinda threesome?"
"Who else thinks you're in a threesome?" inquired Rude, surprised.
"You just said who else."
"So?" Rude replied a second before he understood. Else implied he clearly thought the redhead was in a threesome. "I didn't mean it like that."
"Heh, I know, but I had to screw with you. To answer your question there's you, Rufus, Cissnei, and Tseng."
"Who does everyone think you're in a triangle with?"
"Ah, let's see, Rufus and Tseng think I'm doin' Sephiroth and Genesis. Obviously you think I'm doin' Genesis and Tseng. As for Cissnei, well she thinks I'm screwin' everyone, but I'm pretty sure she thought I was doin' Veld and Tseng before that."
"That's… quiet a list," Rude blinked, unsure what else to say. The change in his partner's speech pattern meant he was talking it all in stride though.
"Tell me about it," sighed the redhead through a half-smile. "That aside, if you ask Tseng about our relationship he'd probably say it's a student/teacher thing."
"What do you say?"
"I think it's a bit deeper and more complex than that."
"Like a father figure maybe?" Rude offered, wondering if his partner was dodging the topic.
"Eh, sorta," Reno shrugged. Truthfully he'd never really considered it, but Rude was right, Tseng was like a father figure to him. He'd especially looked at him that way at the beginning of his career with Shinra. The Wutain had set goals and pushed him toward them with just the right amount of pressure. If he wasn't trying or being a pain in the ass he'd get punished. Nothing physical but it was discipline nonetheless. He'd also tried to set a good example, a role model so to speak. All of those things were something fathers typically did. Heh, not mine.
The redhead smiled as he remembered his chopper lessons. He'd had to study all kinds of manuals and pass tests in a simulator before he'd gotten anywhere near the real thing. His first few experiences in a real bird had been small hops around Midgar and they'd gone well, well enough that he'd gotten a bit cocky and lazy. Tseng hadn't said a word and finally it was time for him to take his first solo flight.
He mission was to deliver supplies to a small outpost not far from Midgar. The first leg of the trip had been totally uneventfully and after reporting in, he'd headed home. Halfway there the proximity alarms started blaring and less than a minute later the weapons system screamed that he'd been locked onto. Unlike the bird they were currently in, he could man both systems at once but there wasn't much he could do. He'd ended up switching to evasive maneuvers and hoping like hell that his attacker didn't have guided missiles.
Still not having eyes on his foe Reno had accelerated and descended, thinking if worse came to worse he might be able to bail without dying. Eyes darting he'd finally spotted a truck with a mobile surface-to-air missile launcher equipped. By this point he was sweating bullets and was certain he was dead, yet as he watched the missile launcher was covered with a large white sheet. 'Gotcha' was written on the back of the sheet in bright red. The redhead was completely confused and watched numbly as a second sheet was draped over the first. On it were five digits and it took him a minute to figure out it was a communications channel.
With clumsy fingers, he'd tuned to the channel and none too kindly asked what the hell was going on. 'Laziness and inattentiveness kill,' came the reply in a voice he knew as well as his own: Tseng. With that a third sheet appeared and he saw a winking smiley face with 'bye-bye' scrawled underneath before the truck accelerated and disappeared into the terrain below.
Fuming, Reno had ascended, corrected his trajectory, and leveled out his speed while playing out the nasty words he had for his 'attackers'. While thinking of the pain he was going to deliver to his Turk buddies for their prank he suddenly couldn't deny they had a point. He hadn't been paying attention and had it been AVALANCHE or another rebel group he'd probably be dead. Inattentiveness killed indeed. Lesson learned: stay alert and focused at all times.
"Okay, yeah, guess Tseng's like a father figure," Reno said, snapping back to the present. "Wouldn't boink my daddy though, so it's still complicated yo."
"Hmm, which implies you would boink Tseng."
"I have boinked Tseng," corrected Reno, remembering the only two people he'd ever told where Cissnei and Rufus.
"You have?" Rude blinked. "Damn you're a good liar," he adding, thinking of the ease of with which the redhead had lied to the Turks the night Cissnei had cornered him about the subject.
"Aren't all Turks good liars?" chuckled the redhead. "And before ya get yer panties in a bunch I told Cissnei the truth."
"That's not my business."
"Meh, you can say that but yer datin' her right?" Rude nodded. "Kinda sucks to be caught in between a girlfriend and a friend, even if it's somethin' as stupid as this."
"Sometimes," the bald Turk agreed. "So, do I win the threesome bet?" he added, lips tugging into a half-grin.
"The threeso- hell no!" Reno laughed. "Rufus would probably have my balls yo. And Gen's."
"I see. I keep forgetting those two finally hooked up. A foursome then."
"What? No!"
"Hnf," snorted the bald man through a faint grin. The grin grew as Reno glared, crossed his arms, and sat rigid in his seat. The act of indignation was broken by a smirk.
"Heh, d-bag," Reno smirked, cocking his head toward his partner. "And ya know if things with Cissnei don't work out… well let's just say Gen's a bit of a voyeur yo," he added, unable to resist. He bit back a laugh as his partners face showed a bevy of emotions in the span of a heartbeat. Shock, confusion, irritation, and a few he couldn't identify all flickered before the bald man burst out laughing.
The pair continued to chuckle as Rude once again checked the flight systems. He really didn't consider Reno a whore, at least not a willing one, but it was fun to razz him about it nonetheless. That the redhead knew he was joking and was fine with it was evident by his reply. The bald man was also glad that at least some of the redhead's tension seemed to have eased thanks to their banter. Probably 'compartmentalizing'. "Don't know what to make of it but it looks like your bad feeling about your boyfriend was right."
"Yeah," the redhead sighed, thinking back to his conversation with Rude a few days ago. "If nothin' else at least I know I ain't goin' crazy."
"You're already crazy," Rude chuckled, dodging a swat from the redhead.
Reno scrapped his gaze across the sky and settled back in his seat. He heard rustling a second before a hand landed on his shoulder, making him visibly jump. Head whipping around, his stomach dropped and his heart raced as soon as he saw Angeal's face. He quickly shifted the right earpiece of his headset back and leaned so he could hear the SSC.
"I need you back here. Now." The words were rushed and as soon as they were spoken they SSC darted off.
Confusion and fear caused the redhead to freeze for a heartbeat. 'Go' sounded in his left ear and that was all the prompting he needed. He tore his headset off and tossed it, almost tripping on the cord as he squeezed himself between the pilot and co-pilot seats to get into the cargo area.
Reno's eyes immediately locked onto Angeal's back and he hustled to his side. His confusion spiked as he approached, noticing the SSC's tight features and rigid posture. Understanding dawned as he noticed Genesis's arched back, balled fists, and taunt muscles. Seizure. Oh shit.
"When did this start?" the redhead asked through a throat tightened by anxiety.
"Just before I got you. I put a blanket under his head for padding and I'm timing it, but aside from that there's nothing we can do."
"Won't he like, swallow his tongue or something yo?"
"No," Angeal chuckled, despite his concern. "That's a myth."
"Godsdamnit," mumbled Reno. He fought back a wave of panic, knowing it wouldn't help. After watching for a few seconds he gently swiped a wayward chunk of hair off the auburn's forehead with the fingers of his right hand. Suddenly his vision swam and darkened, his hearing became muffled, his stomach flipped, and his hand tingled. He dropped to his knees, which yelped in protest as they made contact with hard metal. Almost as quickly as they'd come the sensations vanished and his senses returned to normal.
"You alright?" Angeal asked, alarm etching his features.
"Yeah, I think so."
"What are you doing?" the SSC asked, watching Reno pull out his EMR and look at the butt of it.
"Checkin' for a status ailment."
"Oh," blinked the SSC, looking where the redhead pointed. In the end of the EMR was a small, embedded ring.
"It's got a modified Libra spell attached and can detect the status of anyone or anything. Thought maybe I got hit with a spell with a delay 'cause I've been fine til now, but it ain't lightin' up. Other words, I don't know what the hell just happened yo," Reno sighed, putting his EMR away. Eyes landing on Genesis relief flooded him as he realized the STC was no longer seizing. It quickly vanished when a blood-curdling scream slammed into his ears.
"What's wrong?" Angeal asked. The Turk had tensed and was whipping his head from side to side, eyes wide.
"You don't hear that yo?"
"Hear what?"
"Screaming. It stopped, but someone was screaming," said Reno, scurrying to the cockpit on all fours. Rude gave him a confused look and he retreated. At the cargo door he paused and almost yanked it open but stopped, knowing there was no way he could hear someone from the ground up here. The distance was too great not to mention the wind and the racket from the chopper blades and motor. Those combined made hearing anything damn near impossible. That's why they had to yell or use headsets when onboard. Besides if anyone could hear something like that it would be Angeal, and he apparently hadn't heard anything.
"When was the last time you ate or drank?"
Reno opened his mouth to snap a reply but stopped. He knew how to take care of himself and he had eaten this morning but overall he hadn't eaten much lately because he'd been sick. Was it possible he was hallucinating as a result? Pft, no. Illness or not he'd endured longer periods of scarce food. Sometime's he'd been injured or sick, sometimes he just hadn't had enough money. "That ain't it yo." Could be blood loss though, he thought, thinking of his battle with the Ravens and Fuhito. Doubtful. A combination of lack of food, water, blood loss, and exhaustion perhaps? Perhaps.
"Then what is it?"
Not having an answer the redhead sighed and let his head drop forward. He closed his eyes and fought a shudder as the scream replayed in his imagination. It was frightening, haunting, eerily familiar, and would probably haunt his dreams for weeks.
Reno yanked himself from his suddenly gloomy state before he could sink to low. Now was not the time to get all moody. The redhead raised his head and formed a grin that was a bit weaker than he'd like. "Don't worry 'bout it. I'm probably jus-" The Turk's words trailed off as his attention was drawn to Genesis. A tear slid from the auburn's left eye and disappeared into his hair.
Angeal followed the redhead's gaze to Genesis. The auburn's chest rose and fell at a deep, steady rhythm but otherwise he was motionless. While he was grateful for that, it didn't dampen his concern much. In fact, Reno's actions for the past few minutes had only caused his worry to spike. Not knowing what else to do he'd let the man take the lead, but he was beginning to question that decision. He knew the redhead cared for Genesis but he was beginning to wonder if he was actually able to do so. So far his dealings with the Turk hadn't led him to believe he was unstable but he was beginning to question that conclusion as well.
The SSC's eyes slid back to Reno, who was staring at his right hand. Expression unreadable he clenched and unclenched his fingers and turned it this way and that. The Turk looked like a kid who'd just gotten high for the first time. The fact that he knew the redhead was sober wasn't as reassuring as it should be.
Reno's mind had begun to spin. At first his thoughts seemed impossible, yet the line between conceivable and inconceivable was becoming a bit blurry. He figured his possessed boyfriend appearing out of nowhere and a sudden ability to create huge, golden pyramids had something to do with it. Whatever the cause, the redhead found himself willing to explore and entertain ideas that he previously would have laughed at.
Thoughts still in disarray the Turk slid forward until his knees banged against the storage drawers underneath the bench Genesis lay upon. He settled back on his haunches and took a deep breath to settle his nerves. "I know now ain't really the greatest time, but do you mind if I get a little rest?"
"No," Angeal replied, eyeing the Turk. Mental exhaustion could explain his current state. "Probably a good idea actually."
"Thanks. If Rude yells get yer ass up there. He can't handle the flight and weapon controls simultaneously."
"What?" yelped the SSC, not expecting that. "I don't know a thing about helicopter weapon systems!"
"Not a problem. Rude can teach ya in five seconds," Reno replied with a half grin. He leaned forward and lowered his head onto Genesis's shoulder, being careful not to touch his skin. When he was comfortable enough and his nerves were fortified he gently placed his right hand across the auburn's forehead. The redhead distantly heard Angeal sputter something before his stomach bottomed out and everything went black.
Darkness. Infinite, all encompassing, and all consuming darkness. It was disorienting and terrifying, yet somehow comforting. It was a paradox and Genesis was enmeshed in it. The auburn didn't know how long he'd been tangled in the blackness, though it seemed like forever.
At first his thoughts had been optimistic since he was intact, mentally and physically. He couldn't see anything and thought perhaps Hojo had blindfolded or flat out blinded him, but he quickly scratched that idea, namely because he wasn't in pain. Absolutely nothing hurt, which didn't make since because the last thing he remembered was being sealed inside a Mako tube. It was possible Hojo had removed him from the tank but it was highly unlikely. Besides, he wasn't experiencing any side effects of acute Mako exposure: no headache, no shaking, no nausea or vomiting, no burning, no nothing. Even if he had been removed from the tube he should still have lingering effects.
The auburn's next thought was that perhaps he was hallucinating. He quickly struck the notion down however. As a child he'd learned how to lucid dream and while he couldn't control a hallucination there was usually something just off enough that he could tell what was happening. That combined with the fact that his thoughts didn't seem distorted, illogical, or incoherent led him to believe this was something besides illusion.
No matter how hard he tried to dissuade his thoughts Genesis couldn't and he kept reaching the same conclusion: he hadn't survived the Mako tube. Dead. His mind rebelled at the thought but the blackness and lack of physical discomfort made sense if he was dead. Yet if he truly was dead shouldn't he be in the Lifestream instead of this endless void? Or was the void the Lifestream?
Angry and confused, the auburn curled into a ball, or at least he tried to. Up until then he hadn't noticed the apparent lack of gravity but as he folded in on himself he began to spin… and spin… and spin. Frustrated and nauseous he shot his arms out and tried to regain some semblance of control. It took a moment but finally his spinning slowed, then stopped. Strangely when he was still he didn't notice any problems with his equilibrium, yet for all he knew his ass was where his head should be. At the thought laughter bubbled to Genesis's lips and once started he was unable to stop it. He didn't know if he'd simply reached his breaking point or if he'd lost his mind entirely, but he cackled like a madman until tears ran down his face and his stomach muscles protested from the effort.
Exhausted, Genesis stretched out his arms and legs, feeling as safe and secure as a baby in the womb. He wasn't exactly happy about the situation but he didn't know what to do about it just yet so he embraced the blackness. If he wasn't dead already he hoped he wasn't inviting it by doing so.
The auburn closed his eyes and left himself drift. It wasn't as if he had much control on his movements anyway. Hell at one point he'd felt like he was moving, or being pulled rather. The sensation had felt like he was drifting in open water with someone tugging him along by an invisible string. Before he could figure it out he'd felt like something was squeezing him and he'd blacked out. When he woke he was still in the darkness and had no way to tell if he'd actually moved or not. Since then he hadn't felt anything and even if he did there wasn't much he could do about it, so he chalked it up to another oddity of where ever, or whatever, had a hold on him and let the matter drop.
As Genesis continued to drift in a sea of blackness a faint light began to filter through his closed lids and he cracked them. They flew open the rest of the way and he blinked at the strand of light coiling 12 feet in front of him. Now that's the Lifestream.
"It will be over soon."
At the voice the STC spun, which caused him to momentarily lose control. It sounded like several people had spoken at once yet he didn't see one person, let alone a group. True the void was pitch black, but the Lifestream was like a flashlight and with it he could see rather well.
After completing a thorough search Genesis spared a moment of wonder as he realized the voice had come from the Lifestream. Nothing he'd read or heard even remotely hinted at the fact that it could talk. Maybe it only talks to the dead. The thought unsettled him and as its words sunk in a chill ran up his spine. "What will be over soon?" he asked. The ensuing silence was deafening and it soon became clear he wasn't going to get an answer.
Unsettled, Genesis blew a puff of air out of his mouth and watched as the Lifestream coiled tighter. The motion reminded him of a snake preparing to strike and he involuntarily tensed. He raised an eyebrow and relaxed slightly as it slowly uncoiled and glided backward. It kept going and as it got farther and farther away, he realized that the void wasn't pitch black, there simply wasn't anything to see. That's just… freaky.
The auburn sighed and pondered the Lifestream's words. What would be over soon? As he thought, he concluded there was no way he was actually in the Lifestream. Surely if he was in it, the Lifestream wouldn't have appeared like it did. It was as though it had to seek him out in order to communicate with him. Yet if he was in it, it shouldn't have had to seek him at all, it would be all around him. On top of that, it had backed away from him. It had left him. Maybe he wasn't dead yet and the void was some kind of limbo. If that was the case then maybe the Lifestream had meant he would exit the limbo soon. But… to where?
The chill he'd managed to fight off returned with a vengeance and Genesis shuddered. It was one thing if he was already dead but if he wasn't… Godsdamnit he didn't want to die! He was only 16 and had a life ahead of him, not to mention he didn't want to leave Angeal and Reno behind. Worse, he sure as hell didn't want to die at the hands of someone like Hojo! He was a SOLDIER, a warrior and if he was going to go out, he should go out on a battlefield or at least in an honorable fight.
The more Genesis thought about the situation the angrier he became, not only at Hojo, but at himself. After Sephiroth's warning he'd been cautious, but apparently not cautious enough. He had no idea how he'd ended up in Hojo's lab and it pissed him off. Even so, once he was there and had realized it he should have fought harder instead of wasting so much time talking to the psycho. Maybe then he would have found a way to kill the bastard and he wouldn't be here, where here was.
Genesis's anger and frustration built until it consumed him. Tension seeped into his muscles and they went rigid. He tried to relax them but they only twitched in response. The auburn felt completely out of control and feared he would pull himself apart or simply explode before he regained it. Yet just as he was about to break he felt a presence and it forced the tension out of him. Hovering, the STC reached for it, trying to find the unseen apparition as he let it wash over him. The auburn couldn't locate the source of the presence but a gasp of shock and disbelief escaped his lips as recognition dawned. Reno! As soon as the name popped into his head the redhead's essence vanished.
The entire episode had probably occurred in the span of ten heartbeats or less but it left Genesis reeling. Emotion and panic constricted the auburn's throat and he almost choked on a sob. He was so tired of this! Tired of not knowing what was going on. Of not knowing where he was and what was happening. When he'd finally found a slice of comfort it had been ripped away from him. He was equally terrified of what Reno's presence here meant. Did that mean he was dead or dying too? Minerva what if Hojo had gotten a hold of him? For all he knew the wacko had plans to use the redhead against him or something.
Suddenly a scream cracked the air and it took Genesis a moment to realize it was coming from him. Once unleashed he didn't want to stop and continued to scream until his throat was raw and his ears were ringing. He screamed until the darkness surrounding him came alive with the sound. When his voice finally began to fail the sob that had been stuck in his throat escaped and a few tears slipped from his eyes before he could stop them.
Genesis finally managed to bottle everything up, deciding that letting his emotions run rampant wouldn't do any good. If he had any hope of figuring anything out he needed a clear head. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a flicker of light and numbly turned. Far in the distance he could see a strand of the Lifestream and he scowled at it. Wasn't like it was giving him any answers. The auburn turned his back to it, though it was a symbolic gesture since it didn't appear the strand was moving toward him in the first place.
The STC willed himself to stillness and closed his eyes. Concentrating on his breathing, he tried to put himself into a meditative state. As he was about to slip away there was a sound at the edge of his hearing and his eyes popped open. The Lifestream was nowhere in sight and he couldn't see a damned thing so he once again closed his eyes, allowing his other senses to take over. Since there wasn't anything to touch, taste, or smell, his hearing was the only active sense and became acute.
Genesis began counting and once he reached 56 he heard the noise again, this time a bit louder and closer. It sounded as though someone was speaking but he wasn't sure. There was a lot of static and white noise, reminding him of a poorly tuned radio. Abruptly the noise stopped and the ensuing silence was explosive.
The auburn strained his hearing, willing the sound to return. If nothing else it was better than silence and gave him something to focus on besides his thoughts. He continued to count in his head and after two minutes he decided it was probably a fluke or he really was cracking up. The STC inhaled for a sigh, but stopped as something caught his attention. His heart began to pound and he blew the air out of his lungs and sniffed. He was startled as his nose once again caught the scent of cherry blossoms, lemongrass, and nutmeg. It was faint but it was there. As he exhaled, a name tumbled out so quietly it was almost lost in the rush of air. "Reno."
Battling a surge of emotions and thoughts Genesis struggled to remain still. Moving wasn't likely to do him any good because he'd probably end up spinning out of control, which would shatter his concentration. Right now he needed all his wits about him if he was going to figure this out. Assuming he could figure it out.
On the next intake of air the smell of Reno was much stronger. He turned his head, trying to figure out which direction the scent was coming from but he quickly gave up. The smell seemed to be all around him, making tracing its source impossible. His jaw trembled as he opened his mouth to call out to the redhead, but as he did so the crackling static and white noise returned. It was no longer distant and like Reno's scent it now seemed to surround him.
"Genesis?"
Having adjusted to silence the voice was loud and the auburn recoiled. Cursing the lack of gravity, he quickly twirled his hands and arms to stay upright. His heart now threatened to break out of his chest. "Reno?" he finally managed to call. There was no reply and after a moment the white noise began to fade. Disappointment and frustration began to take hold, causing his eyes to sting and his throat to tighten. He swallowed everything down and started to call the redhead's name again but stopped as the white noise returned and he heard a sigh followed by a chuckle.
"Godsdamnit I must be losin' my mind, thinkin' this would work. A bunch of freaky ass shit happens an' I go thinkin' some dumbass thoughts. For Planet's Sake if anyone ever finds out about this they'll laugh their ass off then throw me in a padded room somewhere."
Genesis cocked an eyebrow as the redhead rambled. He once again called Reno's name but received no response. It seemed that while he could hear the Turk, the Turk couldn't hear him. Godsdamnit! he thought as anger, frustration, and annoyance consumed him. As the emotions spiked Reno stopped speaking and after a pause the redhead called his name.
The auburn froze as his thoughts began to race. Reno couldn't hear him, but maybe he could sense him, or his emotions at least. At the thought, he snapped his eyes closed and concentrated. The auburn pictured the Turk and thought about his scent and what his essence had felt like. He let the memories build until he could almost feel Reno standing in front of him, then he pushed everything away, willing it to find the Turk. A few seconds later the Turk gasped and he smiled, fighting back tears. He could feel him damnit! Several heartbeats later the redhead spoke once more.
"Maybe I'm just imaginin' things or deludin' myself but… if you can hear me, hang in there okay? I don't know what the hell happened or what's going on, but you're with me now and I won't let anything happen to you. Just… try to stay calm. I'll… I'll figure things out."
Tears sliding down his face, Genesis concentrated and sent out what he hoped were feelings of trust and love. Love wasn't difficult, but trust was. It wasn't that he didn't trust Reno; he just wasn't sure what it felt like. He swore he felt Reno smile in return.
"I won't let you down, I promise."
"Don't promise, just do your best," Genesis whispered. He didn't know what was going on any more than Reno but he was afraid that if the redhead couldn't fix everything, fix him, that he'd fall apart. He didn't want that.
"Shit," Reno half-laughed, half-choked. "I felt that. I'll keep it together if you stay calm. Deal?"
Once again Genesis sent his reply as emotions. This time he pushed amusement and acceptance at the Turk.
"Good. I'm sorry but I can't stay. Even if you don't feel me I won't be far away." There was a long pause. "Whatever happens do your best not to leave me, but if you have to I understand. I love you Gen."
The connection suddenly broke and Genesis's façade broke with it. He hoped he wasn't breaking his promise but he couldn't stop the sobs that racked his body even if he tried. The auburn had no idea what kind of physical condition he was in but obviously it wasn't good. Reno had basically just told him not to die, but if he did he wouldn't be angry with him. That didn't exactly bode well did it? I won't blame you even if you fail Reno, he thought, still fearing the redhead would blame himself.
As Genesis battled his depression, the memory of Reno talking to himself sprang to mind and he chuckled. Gods no matter how bad things got the redhead still made him laugh, even if that wasn't his intention. Faint smile still in place, the auburn closed his eyes, determined to do what the Turk had asked. Stay calm.
Reno jerked awake and only a hand on his back stopped him from toppling over backward. Dazed, he spun and locked eyes with Angeal, who was holding him upright. He sighed and nodded at the SSC as his mind began to clear.
"Rude said not to worry; it's just a little turbulence."
"How long was I out?" Reno asked, voice still groggy from sleep.
"Four or five hours."
"No shit?" the redhead said, feeling like he'd just gone to sleep. "We got any water yo?"
"Sure."
Reno yawned and rubbed a hand over his face as the SSC moved across the hold and opened a storage compartment. As he stretched his arms above his head his dream came crashing back and he froze. He could call it a dream but that would be a lie. Yet if it wasn't a dream, what was it? Did he seriously think he could communicate with Genesis through… telepathy? Whether he believed it or not didn't matter, he was more interested in the implications. Or concerned about.
"Everything alright?"
"Yeah," Reno asked, taking the bottle Angeal held out to him. "Just got a lot on my mind. Anythin' happen while I was out?"
"No. Everything's been smooth until now."
Reno nodded, chugging his water. Finished, he crunched it and tossed it in the trash compartment. "Better go check on the big guy."
The redhead rose, stretched his legs, and made his way to the cockpit. He grabbed his headset off the seat and eyed the flight controls as he sat. Everything looked fine.
"Enjoy your nap?" Rude asked as his partner placed his headset on.
"Yep," Reno grinned. "You need a break?"
"Wouldn't mind it. I got a little break when we refueled but I'm getting tired."
"We refueled?"
"Yeah," Rude chuckled. "We decided to let you sleep because you didn't even twitch when we landed. Or took off."
"Shit. Sorry. I musta been totally out of it. Go ahead and crash for a while. Tell Angeal to do the same."
"What if you need one of us to man the weapons?"
"I'm sure my screamin' will get yer attention."
"You do have a big mouth," Rude grinned. "We picked up some sandwiches in Costa del Sol. I'll get you one before I crash."
"Alright," Reno replied as the bald Turk removed his headset.
Rude wiggled into the cargo hold, retrieved a sandwich, and returned to the front. He unwrapped half the sandwich, tapped his partner on the shoulder, and shoved it at his mouth when he turned. Reno's eyes widened and Rude fought not to laugh. The redhead took a bite and pulled the sandwich from his hand with a playful glare.
"Least I know you ate a bite!" Rude yelled, bending forward so Reno could hear him. As soon as he was down the sandwich would probably be tossed aside and forgotten. He knew there was a lot on the redhead's mind but he still had to take care of himself. After watching the redhead chomp a few more bites he nodded and started to turn.
Reno smirked and flipped his partner off as he turned to join Angeal in the cargo hold. The bald Turk grinned and waved at him before flopping on a bench. He wasn't particularly hungry but finished the sandwich anyway, figuring he wouldn't hear the end of it if he didn't.
After squiggling for a minute, the redhead found a comfortable position and settled in for the long flight. By the coordinates he wasn't one hundred percent certain where they were, but from what Rude had said and the shimmering ocean below they were somewhere between the Eastern and Western continents. Considering the timeframe, they were probably still closer to the Western Continent.
Ten minutes later Reno's thoughts began to flit around as much as his eyes. While he could no longer deny certain things, his mind struggled with the seeming impossibility of them. There were also consequences, both positive and negative, to consider. He could spend all day speculating but one thing was certain, he had a hell of a lot of questions and no one to turn to for advice, let alone answers.
With a loud sigh the redhead forced his thoughts to slow down. If he did manage to find someone to talk to he wanted to be prepared so he needed to chew over each puzzle separately. Thousands of feet above a vast expanse of water seemed as good a place as any to start. His final thought before undertaking the daunting task of trying to reconcile this new reality with the old was new reality, new world, new rules. Damn straight.