The file you are reading is not meant for your eyes; put it down and walk away or I Tseng Director of the Turks, or my successor, will find you and silently and effectively remove you from society, to then slowly starve and torture you to your breaking point. It is as this point that we will bring you do the absolute middle of nowhere where you will be given your freedom of choosing how you would like to die. Should you ever make it back to society the Turks will take this is as you rejecting our kindness of letting you choose your own death, and will be subject to a death at either my, or my successor's, discretion. This is the story of six of my most extraordinary Turks. They came from another world, a world where Final Fantasy 7 is owned by Square Enix but this is their story and theirs alone. For the sake of the future I left a record of their adventures locked deep in the Turk Archives but only if the fate of the world is threatened should this file be opened. You have been warned. Read at your own risk. -Tseng Akira, Director of the General Affairs Department, Shinra Electric Power Company
Chapter Eleven: To Wutai?
Time passed, such as it is wont to do. The doppelgangers grew in strength and skills. They started to excel in their chosen skills. One day Ryu, who had the day off, was down in the plate running errands.
Rude followed Ryu about her errands, assessing her when she thought no one was watching her. He'd been following her from vendor to vendor as she picked up items. She'd stopped at the fruit vendor she'd spoken to about the monster snatching girls. The man had welcomed the off duty, casually dressed, Turk. They'd gossiped for some time. She'd stopped at a crafter's shop and bought some crafting supplies. He couldn't see the need for that much string. She'd stopped at a grocer's as well. Now she was heading back to the Shin-Ra building. She paused and looked up at the sky.
She's completely oblivious to the fact that I am here. Rude thought disappointed. Ryu turned her head to look at the wall he was standing behind.
"Rude." She called.
Then again, he thought. Maybe she is aware.
"If you have to observe me, you might as well walk with me, rather than stalk me like some creepy stalker." Rude laughed silently and walked forward to join her. She walked quietly next to him for several minutes.
"You are quiet." He noted. Normally Ryu was fairly talkative at any given time. She sighed and looked up at the sky again.
"Today's January 25th." She told him.
"…"
"Today's my dad's 54th birthday." She told him.
"It's been three months since we disappeared and showed up here." Rude nodded his head. Ryu swung her bag gently by her side.
"I guess it's just hitting me, how worried all our friends and family must be. We've been so busy just trying to learn how to survive here; we haven't had time to think about home." She sighed and pushed her bangs out of her face.
"I don't even think they'd recognize me." She confessed. Rude raised an eyebrow. Ryu saw it and smiled.
"Well look at me! Long red hair, super skinny, well, as skinny as I am going to ever get, and hazel-ish looking eyes. I am stronger than I was, I can run faster, farther; jump high, and I can fight and drive." She explained, "I'm not the girl they knew." She frowned, thinking.
"But that doesn't mean I don't miss them. I do terribly. But at the same time I have this feeling that if we were to ever go back home, we'd never fit in." She glanced up at the sky again.
"I think we're stuck here for better or for worse." She paused and turned to look at Rude.
Rude studied her. She wasn't dressed as a Turk but rather a girl, sort of. She was wearing brown cargo pants tucked into her cadet boots. She was wearing a bright red t-shirt under a brown explorer's jacket, under her thick, warm jacket. A red knit cap was pulled down over head. Her goggles were still around her neck. She was standing her weight on one leg, her arms crossed behind her back as she looked up at him
"You know, I think I am okay with being stuck here." She said before she turned to continue back to Shin-Ra.
"What about your family?" He asked. Ryu smiled gently.
"I wish I could tell them I am alright. But more importantly I wish I could show them I am living, that I don't want them to be sad or waiting for me. If we can't be together, when I see them again I want to know they lived."She said thoughtfully.
.
Ryu placed the lit match against the wick of the white candle. Once it was lit she blew the match out and set it in the holder. She sat down on the bed next to the nightstand that the candle rested on.
"Happy Birthday, Daddy." She said, clasping her hands together and watching the flame.
.
A father sitting at his computer looked up as he felt the impression of arms wrapping around his shoulders, in a very familiar hug, as a face snuggled into his neck. She'd always hugged him like that from behind.
Happy Birthday, Daddy. There's so much I want to tell you. But mostly I am alive, just not… there. But I'm happy. I've learned so much. And look at me, I've lost weight.He heard whispering in his head accompanied by a faint giggle.
That's mostly because I spend most of my day training. I don't want you to worry, well, as much you can. We're all happy, and we want you all to live! Don't wait for us. That's what I wish I could tell you.
.
Ryu looked up as Rude opened the door. She didn't know there were tears streaking down her face.
"You have night flying observation with Reno and me in ten minutes." He told her before he closed the door again. Ryu looked back at the candle.
.
Well I have to go. I have to watch Niisan, that's Reno, flying the chopper at night. Hey Daddy if you can hear me, could you somehow ask Grampy to watch over me? I am learning how to fly, and I could use the help. I love you so much Daddy, you and Mom and everyone. Lots of hugs and kisses.
The faintest feeling of a kiss brushed along his cheek. He raised his hand to touch his cheek. He closed his eyes as her hug squeezed around his shoulders again.
Painted across his eyelids was an image. She was standing there; dressed in black slacks, a white button up shirt that was untucked and unbuttoned at the top, a black sport jacket that was zipped up, and her sneakers. A pair of goggles hung around her neck. Her hair was red but pulled up. She was skinner than he remembered. And she had hazel-ish eyes, not the brown eyes she'd always had. She'd been the only one to get his brown eyes. She was holding a black and silver rod across her shoulders as she walked away grinning over her shoulder. Sure, confident, happy.
He opened his eyes and looked out the window at the night sky.
I don't know if it was a hallucination or not but either way, Dad, please look after my baby girl. Wherever she is I am sure you can protect her. He thought looking up at the stars as a single tear escaped.
.
Ryu sat in the cockpit between Reno and Rude on a pillow on the floor. Reno, after seeing her face, had told her to take a short break and get herself together. They were flying Sephiroth to Junon, to check on the base there. Why it had to be at night, Ryu wasn't entirely sure. Rude spared her a glance. Ryu saw it.
"I'm fine." She muttered. Rude nodded his head.
"Look Ryu, when you're flying at night…" Reno began. Ryu forced her mind to pay attention as Reno lectured on the difficulties of flying at night; both with lights and without them. Rude occasionally had something to say as well.
When they landed in Junon, her head was spinning from all the information and she had the strangest feeling that she was going to remember this all, and apply it correctly in the VR room.
Reno stepped around her and left the cockpit. Ryu looked at him confused. She'd thought they were flying straight back.
"Come on Ryu, come stretch your legs, and get some coffee or something." Reno called. Ryu scrambled to her feet and dashed after him. When she caught up to him he dropped his arm around her shoulders.
"Look, there's the Junon Mako cannon." He pointed out. Ryu glanced at the huge Mako Cannon. It was impressive, how Sephiroth actually cut through the cannon in Crisis Core she didn't know. The thing was massive; they could land the chopper on it. She could land the chopper on it!
"Come on grumpy face. What's up?" He said as they entered the building. Ryu shrugged.
"Today's my dad's birthday. I guess I just miss him and my family." She admitted. Reno nodded his head.
"Well come on, didn't you tell me your dad was the one who introduced you to coffee?" He asked. She nodded her head, confused.
"Well, then let's go find the strongest brew we can and drink ourselves a cup for him." he said.
"All right." She said.
.
Ryu walked into Tseng's office a week or so later. He looked up as she stood in front of his desk. He pointed to a file folder.
"Your first solo mission. We don't have any other Turks to send, so it's just you, it should be fairly easy. There won't be any security or such things to worry about." He told her. Ryu picked up the folder and flipped through it.
.
"No security, he said." Ryu grumbled to herself as she climbed up the wall covered in thorny vines.
"No wall, he said. It will be easy, he said. Not a problem, he said." She paused and took a deep breath. She might have Mako now, but climbing was still hard work for her. She was thankful for the thin but tough gloves Rude had thrown at her when she was preparing for the mission. If not for them, the thorns would have ripped her hands to shreds.
"A.I., tell Tseng that I want a raise. This is ridiculous and his intelligence is out of date. There is quiet clearly a wall, and security. He's a big fat liar." She growled.
"Sending email now." The goggles, currently over her eyes, reported in her ear piece. She pulled herself up over the wall and balanced on the top.
"ARFFF"
"Oh great, dogs." She growled, running along the top of the wall. She jumped onto a roof and scrambled into the deepest shadows.
"A.I., auto translate and summarize." She ordered as she heard guards yelling.
Note to self, Have Lanna help to learn Wutainese in my spare time. And what's with Tseng sending me to Wutai? She thought to herself.
"They are wondering if the dogs sensed a person or an animal." Ryu crossed her fingers, hoping for a miracle.
"An authority figure has ordered them to search the grounds anyways." The A.I. reported.
"Shhhittt" Ryu hissed under her breath as she scooted back deeper into the shadows and out of sight of the guards.
.
Tseng pulled out his PHS and looked at the email. He snorted in laughter. Matti waited patiently for him to speak.
"Seems Ryu has hit a few snags." He said as he put his PHS back in his pocket.
"What kind of snags?" Matti asked, curious.
"The intelligence was a bit out of date it seems." Tseng said without batting an eyelash.
"Will she be alright?" Matti was starting to become concerned. Tseng would normally have all the info up to date and ready for any mission. Tseng shrugged.
"She should be. The target is not much of a threat." Tseng said. He never revealed that he was a little bit worried; Ryu was a new Turk her skills had yet to be truly tested.
.
Ryu lay stretched out on the roof top, listening to the guards scurry around looking for what had set the dogs off. She watched their lanterns send beams of flickering light into the night.
Given that this was Wutai; home of ninjas like Yuffie, annoying as she was, and assassins like Tseng; Ryu had taken some precautions, and was notably on edge. She had a hood pulled over her head; all strands of her hair were tightly pulled and clipped back under her hood. Her goggles were covering the slight glow of her Mako eyes. She didn't need the goggles to see in the dark, but a set of glowing eyes would give her away. The hood pulled down low over her forward and was skin tight; she'd wrapped a dark grey scarf around the lower half of her face when she'd taken to the roof.
Slow breaths and no sudden movements. Don't alert anyone that you're here. She reminded herself. She needed the guards to settle down so she could find the girls, but it didn't look like they were going to anytime soon. She stifled the urge to sigh, and propped her chin on her arm. The one arm was in front of her face, gripping the tiles of the roof. The other was lying by her side where her knife was strapped to her leg.
Now let's see, if the guards don't quiet down soon, I won't be able to find the girls and get them out before household wakes up. Ryu thought. Which means I'll be stuck on this roof all day? I suppose once they quiet down I can at least find where the girls are; if at all possible I can hang out on their roof during the day. Better yet find an attic to crawl into.
The guards finally returned to their normal routine. Ryu pulled herself into a crouch and edged along the roof, she wanted to stand and run the length of the roof and hop around, but that was a stupid thing to do, stupid enough to be used for a ninja in a movie.
Her dusky grey/black boots made no sound on the tiles of the roof as she crept along. She reached the edge of the roof, and surveying the grounds and the guards; she stood and leaped to the next building. Instantly she crouched down and scuttled away, just in case. This building had lights still on. Ryu inched along the roof, her head tilted to the side so the earpiece was pointed at the roof. The slightest murmur of a voice finally reached her ear. She dropped down to press her ear to the roof.
Her face flushed red as she bit her lip, embarrassed, then her face slowly paled and Mako glinted in her eyes. She'd found one of the girls, it seemed. Ryu shifted until she could see the door of the place.
After some time, a young girl was escorted from the building and lead to another. Ryu's goggles sited in on the girl's face, and ran a facial search against the known missing girls.
"Naomi." Her A.I. informed her. "One of the missing girls." Ryu followed the girl and her escort to the new building. From the faint noises coming through the roof, Ryu guessed that the other girls were there as well.
Ryu settled down on the roof to wait. There was no time to get the girls out. They would be scared and slow. Ryu reached up and toggled her goggles to surveillance mode, and then she closed her eyes. One thing she'd learned from Tseng was the art of how to sleep lightly, so that the slightest sound that was out of place would have her awake, and reaching for her gun. She'd also learned how to fall asleep as soon as she closed her eyes if she wanted to.
Ryu opened her eyes as the birds began singing in the early dawn light. She toggled to goggles to give a report. As she listened to the long winded report, that boiled down to nothing happened, she dug into the small pack on her back and found the food bar she was looking for. She un-wrapped it, shoved the wrapper back into her bag, and munched on the bar as she studied the movements of the servants. She was glad for the ornate curled rims of the roofs; unless someone was truly looking for her, they'd never see her. She watched as Naomi and five other girls emerged from the building. Her goggles quickly identified the other girls as being from Midgar as well. It appeared the girls worked as minimal work slaves during the day; and as pleasure slaves at night. Ryu wrinkled her nose at the thought.
Some humans are absolutely disgusting. She thought. She knew better than to mention around Mary that she couldn't understand what drove these kinds of actions. Mary would give her the breakdown of morals, right and wrong, and how the brain works to explain it. After all, Mary was a neuroscience major with a minor in psychology. She frowned at the thought.
Niisan would probably say that some people are just sick and leave it at that. She thought. Ryu sighed softly and sunk down deeper in the gutter to wait. Now that she was more visible she couldn't risk sleeping, she had to be willing to get up and move at any notice.
As the day passed, Ryu found herself battling the sun. The weather in Wutai at least today was milder and almost spring-like compared to Midgar. She was dressed in dusky dark grey cargo pants, and a tight fitting, matching long sleeve shirt with the hood pulled up, but had she pulled the scarf off. The sun was shining bright and she absorbed the heat. It made her drowsy, as well as excessively warm.
She found herself having to ration the bladder of water she had with her. The Turks had something similar to a camelback, for which she was grateful. With the hose stuck permanently in her mouth, she could stay relatively hydrated, despite the fact she was actually sweating.
It's what? 80 in the suit? Why am I boiling? I know the suit traps heat, but seriously! She thought, -Oh right, Mako raises body temperature and lowers heat tolerance. The cold is easy, but heat becomes difficult, although I don't have that much Mako, it shouldn't be causing any problems… unless Gaia is messing with me… That was entirely possible, Gaia could be messing with Ryu's body and she wouldn't know until the effects kicked in.
Finally, to Ryu's relief, the sun began to wan as the afternoon heat eased. She risked wiping her forehead and getting food as the evening shadows stretched out over the land.
She propped her chin on her hand and watched the sun set over the forest. It was actually pretty. If she wasn't laying on a roof waiting for night to fall so she could carry out her mission, she would have enjoyed it. As it was, she had her goggles add it to the file of pictures it had taken of the compound.
When night fell, Ryu eased herself down the side of the building that faced the darkest shadows. She dropped down and pressed herself tight against the wall, slipping into the shadows as a pair of guards passed by her side of the building. Ryu edged around the back of the building. When she reached the back she slowly eased open the door and slipped inside sliding it shut behind her.
"Who the hell are you?" A voice said. Ryu turned and her eyes widened. She was facing an older Wutainese man; he was of medium height with graying black hair. He was dressed in traditional lord's clothing. The man had clearly been a martial artist before his age, and the times had restricted him to the home and business. He was standing in the middle of the six girls. Ryu tensed and dropped into a slight crouch.
"Mr. Yoshida?" She asked. He didn't look like the target. The man smiled.
"For now." He said.
"He appears to be using the name as an alias, he may be a rebel." The goggles said.
"Yeah I figured that out." Ryu snapped before she leaped forward, twisting to the side and striking, slashing his arm as he blocked her. Ryu jumped up, drew her EMR, and triggered the device as it tapped the top of his head.
"Thunder." She whispered. He fell to the ground slightly paralyzed. Ryu landed next to him, and in one swift movement drew her knife across his throat before he could recover. The girls screamed.
"Shut up!" Ryu hissed at all of them. They paused, staring at her in fright. Ryu fought the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose like a certain director she was angry with. She had to get six crying girls out of the compound without being caught.
Oh God, kill me now. She didn't ask Gaia, because she was sure she would kill her. Or at least contemplate it.
"I came here to take you to your homes." She whispered. They stared at her.
"You're not another kidnapper?" One of them whispered. Ryu shook her head.
"No I am not. Can we go before one of the guards comes?" She asked impatient.
Shaking and sniffling they followed her back out the back of the building. Ryu eyed the wall.
Fuck. How do I get them out of here? She wondered. She switched directions and headed to the side gate that led to the forest. They were almost there when a gong sounded. The six girls cowered.
"They know." They whispered.
"Doesn't matter, we're almost there." Ryu hissed, herding them to the gate.
"I detect..." Ryu ducked, instinctively, as the shuriken whizzed by her ear, burying itself into the gate.
"A presence." The A.I. finished. Ryu whirled around.
A teenage boy, who looked very similar the man she'd killed; was standing behind them, he was holding another shuriken in his hand. She dropped back into her fighting crouch.
"Get back against the wall." She snapped at the girls. They huddled against the wall somewhere behind her.
"Get down here and kill her!" The boy suddenly snapped. Ryu jumped to the side; once again her time with Alanna and Mary kicked in.
"You managed to dodge my strike, not even knowing where I was. I am impressed." A soft voice said from the shadows. Ryu tilted her head slightly in the direction of the voice.
"You're standing among the bushes to my left." She said. She could see him, not clearly, but the distinct outline of his body. She saw him incline his head.
"I am truly impressed, but from now on I shall not treat you as if you are my lesser." He said. Ryu shrugged and took off.
Her strongest skill was her ability to Parkour in just about any setting. If she was going beat an assassin, she had to play her game, not his.
He caught up to her on the roof of the main house. Ryu ducked his kick and jumped back.
"Tell me something. You had to know I was here yesterday, why didn't you kill me then?" Ryu asked as she ducked behind the peak of the house. He paused and tapped the collar around his neck.
"I hoped you would manage to get away, and bring down the wrath Shin-Ra here. My master would be killed and I would be free, but it seems the young master also has the means to control me." He told her as he lunged at her. Ryu jumped back again.
"This is my fate." He said. Ryu jumped down and entered the house. Her shoulders twitched and she jerked jumping off the wall, or tried. She crashed through the wall, ripping through the paper.
"Fuck, Wutainese walls are rice paper and bamboo!" She swore as she rolled, leapt to her feet and raced down the new hallway.
"'Lanna would be better for the mission, she knows Wutainese culture." She muttered under her breath. She dashed by, seeing the young master kneeling by his father's body.
They move fast She noted.
"I have another question." She said as she slowed.
"Must you ask all these questions?"
"If he died would you be free?"
"Yes."
"Well then," Ryu paused and kicked over oil lamp, splashing oil onto the paper screen. Fire licked up the walls. She turned to face the assassin.
"Well, are you going to save him?" She asked.
"My orders are to kill you."
"Well I am going outside, come along." She said, before she did exactly that.
Ryu saw the girls huddled together in the center of the courtyard surrounded by guards.
"Nice, using them as bait." She sneered.
"They tried to escape, escapees are executed." He said with a shrug. Ryu made a face. A guard ran forward to stop the fire that was now licking up the side of the building. Ryu whirled, drew her gun and fired; he fell, two holes in his chest.
"A clean double tap." The assassin noted as he came up behind her and kicked her, sending her flying into the ground. Ryu managed to break her fall and roll over before he was after her. She drew her EMR and used it like it was a short blunt sword to fend off his long dagger. She managed to get back on her feet as the house exploded. She hit the dirt again rolling away from the fire.
She came to a stop and aimed her gun at the assassin. He froze as he was, in the process of getting back on his feet.
"Take the collar off." She ordered. He slowly reached up and yanked it off. The collar fell to the ground without harming him.
"I am free." He whispered sinking to his knees.
"I hate Tseng." Ryu muttered climbing to her feet.
"Tseng, as in the head of the Turks?" he asked. Ryu nodded her head.
"Are you perhaps a Turk?" He asked. Ryu pulled her hood off. The guards were furiously fighting the fire, and it was hot. She nodded as she calmly shot the few guards still around the girls.
"A.I. call Tseng, I need a ride." She said.
"No need, Reno is 2 minutes away with the chopper." Ryu turned to him.
"Ever thought of being a Turk? There isn't much here for you, you know." She said. He paused, thinking.
"Could I?" He said. Ryu studied him, the man looked tired. Not physically but emotionally.
"A.I. call Tseng."
"Dialing."
"Hello?"
"Tseng do you need another Turk? Cuz I found a prime one." She said.
"We could use another Turk…" Ryu disconnected the call. She turned as the chopper landed outside the wall.
"Come on." She said. She jogged over to the small group of girls.
"Come on, it's time to go home." She said. She noted Reno kept the chopper going, ready to go. She herded them onto the chopper and got them secured before she headed up to the cockpit.
Reno gave her a wan smile and pointed to the co-pilots seat.
"I can fly this thing solo with no one in it, not so much with others in it." He told her. Ryu shrugged, pulled her goggles down and slid into the seat. She reached into the compartment next to her seat and rummaged around for the jerky Rude kept there. She finally found some and shoved it in her mouth.
"Tseng is calling." Her A.I. reported to both of them.
"Hang up." Ryu snapped as she leaned forward and flipped a few switches for Reno, as he got the chopper in the air again.
"It's not wise to ignore bossman." Reno told her.
"Well, I am pissed at him and am concentrating on flying." She said. Reno cocked his head slightly to the side.
"Yo, Bossman."
"Is Ryu with you?" His goggles were playing the conversation out loud for her benefit.
"Yea."
"Tell her I do not appreciate being hung up on." Reno glanced at Ryu and saw her scowling at the windshield, a piece of jerky hanging out of her mouth.
"You know, somehow I don't think she cares bossman." Reno said.
"Damn straight, he's on my shit list." She muttered under her breath.
"Let me talk to her."
"Can't bossman, she's the co-pilot for this gig, she's concentrating." Reno said.
"Reno…"
"Fine, fine." He turned to Ryu, "Boss wants to talk to you."
"I heard." She muttered.
"Yes Tseng?" She asked, sarcastically sweet.
"Watch your tone." He reprimanded. Ryu scowled and focused on the dials in front of her face.
"Throwing a tantrum while on a mission is not the proper manners of a Turk." He began.
"I haven't even started on the temper tantrum Tseng. I am just mildly annoyed with you is all. I expect to have a director who, when sending people on missions, can grantee the accuracy of the information. Or at least tells the operative that the info is old and they are walking in essentially blind. " She snapped.
"Ryu… I assure you the information was solid." Tseng said. Ryu laughed dryly.
"I walked into a nest of Wutai rebels Tseng." She said, "Now I would like to concentrate on flying, so I am hanging up now." She said before she disconnected again.
"Rebels?"Reno asked surprised. Ryu nodded her head.
"He was pretending to be the other guy, and he didn't seem to be…um impressed with Shin-Ra, from the things I heard him say to one of the girls."
.
When the chopper landed, Tseng was standing on the Heliopad waiting for them with some medics and staff. Reno and Ryu shut down the chopper. Ryu stretched and climbed from the cockpit. She helped everyone un-strap and step off the chopper.
Tseng already had, Takashi Watanara, off the chopper and escorted down to a holding cell by some infantrymen. Ryu hopped off the chopper, her bag thrown over her shoulder.
"Good work." Tseng said, having had time to go over the data Ryu's goggles had sent ahead. Ryu walked right past him, not even glancing at him.
"I do believe you are being ignored, yo." Reno said.
"She is hungry, tired, dehydrated, and if the throbbing pulse in her temple is any kind of gauge she has a massive headache." Ryu's goggles reported.
Ryu leaned against the wall in the elevator and closed her eyes. She opened them again when the door dinged. She found herself looking at Sephiroth, who was watching her, confused.
"You must have just gotten back." He said as he stepped in. Ryu nodded her head.
"Impressive that you fell asleep in the elevator." He said. Ryu rubbed her eyes and fought back a yawn.
"Not really all that impressive, I can fall asleep just about anywhere." She admitted.
"So did it go well?" He asked. Ryu nodded her head.
"Well, all things considering, yeah it went well." She said scowling, "But don't tell Tseng I said that." Sephiroth laughed.
"Why?" He asked. She looked up at the ceiling.
"I'm not talking to him. At least not until I feel better." She said. Sephiroth looked confused, but luckily for Ryu, they reached the 90th floor. She quickly stepped out and waved to him as the doors closed.
She entered the apartment and sighed. She kicked her boots off, not caring about putting them away. She wandered into the living room. Alanna was bent over a sketch pad drawing. She looked up when Ryu's bag landed next to her. Sometime in the chopper Ryu had tied her scarf around her hips to keep from losing it.
"New fashion statement?" She asked with one raised brow. Ryu grinned tiredly.
"Nope, just didn't want to lose the damn thing." She said as she headed into the kitchen.
"I smell blood and smoke, go wash up Ryu." Alanna said as she followed Ryu. Ryu paused filling up her glass with water. She raised an eyebrow of her own.
"Can I get water and something to eat first?" She asked. Alanna wrinkled her nose.
"I guess, so long as you don't get blood on anything." She said.
"How kind of you, the blood dried a while ago." Ryu said sarcastically.
"Wow, you're cranky." Alanna said as she opened the cookie jar and handed Ryu some. Ryu took them and all but inhaled one.
"I haven't eaten for a while and even then it wasn't filling. I'm dehydrated, black and blue, and I want salt, damnit." Ryu said, chugging her glass of water before filling it again.
"So what happened?" Alanna asked. Ryu shook her head.
"Can't say until I report." She said. Alanna gave her a confused look.
"I thought you already reported that's why you're here." She said. Ryu shook her head again.
"I'm upset with Tseng, and I want SOLDIER class painkillers for this headache." She told her.
Alanna turned and rummaged in the kitchen drawers. She found the bottle of pills and handed one to Ryu.
Ryu took it gratefully. She pressed the glass to her forehead as Tseng walked in. Ryu groaned.
"I was hoping to not have to talk to you until my headache went away." She admitted. A small smile flitted over Tseng's face.
"Get some rest Ryuko, you can report when you wake up, the same for your written report. You did good work in Wutai." He told her before he walked away. Ryu's mouth dropped open as she stared surprised after him. Matti, following Tseng as usual, winked at her as he sipped his coffee. A look of understand crossed both Ryu's and Alanna's faces.
"Thank Gaia for Matti." Ryu muttered. He'd influenced Tseng to go easy on her.
"Did he do what I think he did?" Alanna asked. Ryu nodded her head.
"Yes he did."
"He's getting good at that." Alanna noted. Matti and Morgan were having the most luck influencing their other halves. Ryu and Alanna had theorized it was because Rude and Tseng weren't hyper active people.
Ryu set her glass down and finished off her cookies. She rolled her shoulders.
"Shower time." She decided, "Then I'll raid the cupboards for salty food."
.
.
A/N: I know it has been a while since we have been updating regularly. Sorry about that. Things should really start picking up soon. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.