Reno wandered in a couple of hours after my unexpected visitor, showing up again after a day's absence. The limp had returned, though his lazy swagger did a good job of concealing it. I asked, but he shrugged it off, joking about running into an ill-tempered chocobo. I must have been unable to summon up a convincing reaction, because he frowned and gave me an appraising look.
"What's wrong, Fitz?"
"I'll explain when we meet up with Reeve. I think you both need to hear it."
To my relief and mild surprise, the Turk accepted my word at face value and segued into an alerted mode. The change was subtle, observable only in a sharpened gaze and the effortless control that crept into his movements as he ushered me through the corridors and elevators of Shinra HQ. I doubted any of the business suits and assistants we passed noticed anything unusual.
Soon, the three of us were standing in the workshop while I recounted the morning's events. Neither man looked pleased to hear Scarlet's name mentioned.
"Aw, that's just great," Reno groaned when I had finished, throwing his hands up in irritation.
"Did she say anything about what she has in mind for you?" Reeve asked, a scowl on his face.
"No, nothing beside vague talk about more interrogations. There didn't seem to be much point to the visit, to be honest."
Even in friendly company an unease lingered; feather-light but insistent tendrils of fear that coiled around my spine as soon as my thoughts drifted in unwanted directions. It wasn't the woman's veiled threats that worried me, as such – it was the fact that she knew. If Scarlet knew, how long before others noticed me again? Hojo may have left the company, but his assistants remained, with the perfect opportunity to prove their worth to Shinra.
On its own accord, my hand had wandered up to press against the inside of my left forearm, covering a row of three scarred dots hidden by the sleeve of my shirt. Just one of the mementos I had discovered on my body soon after waking up in the ward.
"Except to make ya nervous enough to tell us 'bout it," Reno noted.
The way he glanced at my hand clutching my arm, then up at my face, made me suspect the redhead had guessed what I feared. I didn't even know what Hojo and his lackeys had done to put those marks on me, but Reno did. He had read my file.
"Not necessarily 'us', since only my name was mentioned," Reeve corrected. "Sounds like my fellow executive wants me to know she's onto me."
The connection eluded me.
"Hang on, what's that supposed to mean?"
"If anyone bothers to look at the records, it's Reeve's name on the release forms," Reno explained. "We're tryin' to keep this quiet, so I'm guessin' she'd spin it as conspiracy with an alien power."
"Alien power?" I snorted. "You've got to be kidding me."
"Or going behind Shinra's back to gain a personal advantage," the older man added. "Treason either way."
"Treason? Really?"
It sounded like a serious allegation, but neither man looked particularly worried. Reeve lifted his shoulders in a small shrug.
"I doubt it would stick, but the investigation would complicate matters for a while."
"So, you're saying she showed up just as a warning to you?" My puzzled gaze flickered between the two men before halting on the executive. "I don't get it. Why talk to me at all? Why not go straight to you, if it's you she's after?"
"Maybe she just wanted to scare ya," Reno said, a sour note in his voice. "Hell, maybe that's all she wanted. Scarlet gets off on that sorta thing, yo."
The older man shook his head, his brow furrowed in thought.
"No, she's up to something. She's too smart to waste useful information just for the short-lived pleasure of gloating."
"Know somethin' I don't, Reeve?"
"No, but we both know Scarlet never stops scheming."
"Can't argue with that," the Turk scoffed. "Why the hell would she want us to know 'bout it, tho'? Just good ol' blackmail?"
The executive traced his beard with his fingertips, taking a few moments to consider it.
"I imagine that's what she's hoping for, eventually," he conceded. "But right now I think it's more likely she doesn't know what she's stumbled across, so she's just testing the waters to see how I react."
"Wants ya to freak out and do somethin' stupid, huh? Yeah, guess that makes sense."
"We shouldn't rely on that, though. There could be more to it."
Reno stared at his boots with narrowed eyes, absently mussing the hair on the back of his head.
"'Kay, I'll snoop around a bit, tho' I dunno how much good that'll do. Superbitch knows how to cover her tracks."
"Good. Until we know more, I suggest we continue as before."
"That's the plan?" I asked, my voice shrill with disbelief. "We do nothing? You expect me to sleep in that room, knowing she could come for me at any time?"
"I'm sorry, Tess, but it's for the best," Reeve said. "If Scarlet is waiting for a reaction, it's wiser not to show one."
A reaction; in other words, an indication of how much – or how little – my life was worth to them. I ran my palms over my arms, trying to smooth the sudden goosebumps.
"If she plans to do an official interrogation, the Turks will know 'bout it," Reno added. "I don't think that's it, tho'. If she really wanted answers, she'd have tried to get 'em already. Nah, Reeve's right. Scarlet's got somethin' else in mind."
"That does not make me feel better," I said dryly.
"Don't worry, babe. I'm keepin' an eye on ya."
After a quick grin, the redhead strolled out the door.
"Nor does that," I muttered to myself once he was out of sight. To be honest, though, the remark may not have been entirely truthful.
Reeve heard me.
"Reno's good at what he does. If there's a trail to be found, he'll sniff it out. I suggest we leave him to do his work, while we get on with ours."
It was intended as comfort, I supposed, but it was too little, too late. The discussion had already been a disheartening reminder of my position and significance. I was the one who had been intimidated, but the Turk was out there looking for threats against an executive of the company. Never mind the fact that while the two Shinra employees might get away with a slap on the wrist, my situation would no doubt end up worse than "complicated", to borrow Reeve's turn of phrase.
With a heavy heart, I nodded, agreeing to his suggestion.
While we worked on the hazard suit, my mind kept mulling over the risks the two were taking over a deal with a captive. I couldn't see how this was any less trouble for them than just forcing me to cooperate before handing me over to the next department. In fact, Scarlet's meddling exposed it as the more dangerous choice. Why not use the official route and risk nothing?
Equally puzzling was Reno's role in the agreement between Reeve and myself. At first I had assumed that he was present in the workshop in an official capacity, to watch me in the company of an executive, but I was no longer so sure. If the Turk was absent, Reeve dismissed the guards who escorted me, leaving the two of us alone while we worked. When Reno did join us, he would take naps, or doodle, or even assist us with practical issues like getting me in and out of the suit.
Sometimes, he would tinker with little projects of his own or show me ones he had already made. Little gadgets with lights that blinked when you pressed a button. Tiny cranes that could pick up screwdrivers and such, then swivel around and dump them over the edge of the table with a loud crash that seemed to amuse the man. The mechanical equivalent of stick figures with springs for legs and arms, which allowed them to somersault across the floor.
All of them were utterly useless, of course, but Reno's boyish enthusiasm for his contraptions was endearing. The same could be said for Reeve. The executive's goals were more practical and he was more discreet with his excitement, but I recognized the similarity of the twinkle in their eyes. Boys with their toys, at heart.
It had become clear that the Turk showed up to unwind during downtime, not work. His idea of relaxing also included a whole lot of chatter. Once he returned in the afternoon, this day proved to be no exception in that regard.
"Yo Fitz, why'd ya call that thing 'Suit'?" he asked as I was arranging the armored parts on a table by Reeve's computer. "Couldn't think of anythin' lamer?"
Reno had draped himself over a chair, his long legs stretched out with his feet planted on one of the engineer's workbenches. The skinny redhead tended to occupy a disproportionate amount of space. Room for that ego of his, no doubt.
The man hadn't mentioned the morning's discussion since his return, so I assumed there was nothing to report yet. As there were no better alternatives, I decided to follow his lead and do my best to act normal.
"I didn't name it." My lips twitched. "James did."
Reno snorted. "Lemme guess, he also had a dog called Dog? A cat called Cat?"
"Close. His dog was called Mutt."
"Hah! I knew it!" he crowed in wicked delight. "Well Jerkface ain't here now. Why dontcha call it somethin' else?"
That had never even occurred to me before. I straightened up and looked over the pieces laid out on the table, then down at the snug undersuit I wore.
"I'm not even sure I can."
"It should be possible," Reeve said. "I have a pretty good understanding of the voice recognition system now."
"Huh." I toyed with the thought. "I'd have no idea what to call it. It's always been 'Suit'."
"Just somethin'. Anythin'. Like... 'Annihilator'."
I couldn't help but chuckle at the deep, macho – and utterly ridiculous – announcer voice the Turk used for his suggestion.
"Reno, please. It's made for protection, not destruction."
"Yeah, I know, that's a bit lame too," he lamented, absently scratching his chin. "So, uh... How 'bout... 'Crusher'?"
I sent him an unimpressed stare and shook my head.
"Robotron!"
"It's a powered, mechanized exoskeleton," I said in my best imitation of one of James' long-suffering, patient explanations. "Technically, not a robot."
"Pff, who cares?"
"I do."
I didn't, really, but it was fun to be contrary just to wind him up. Reno threw his head back in a fit of frustration and groaned.
"Fine, so call it Mechatron."
"Pass."
"Mechabot."
"Still not a robot," I countered in a sing-song voice.
"No one likes a nitpicker," he sang in return. "Just name it fuckin' Mecha-Bob then."
"Oh, for the love of–"
"Mechaboobs!"
His triumphant grin was priceless. I had to bite the inside of my cheek and look away to keep a straight face.
"Reno," I was able to deadpan after a few seconds, "you're about to earn yourself a swift kick in the mecha-balls."
A sort of strangled cough came from Reeve's direction. Reno allowed himself a bemused snort, then adopted a disgruntled air and continued the show.
"You want somethin' just as lame as 'Suit', dontcha?" he grouched. "Oh, oh, lemme guess. 'Mr. Sparky'?"
He rolled his eyes in exaggerated contempt. I narrowed mine.
"Reeve," I said with all the dignity I could muster, "would you be so kind as to rename my suit 'Sparky'?"
The older man, who had been content to follow the exchange without comment, was almost able to conceal the small smile. His eyes glittered when we shared a conspiratorial glance.
"It will be my pleasure, Doctor."
"Aw, c'mon!" Reno moaned. "You guys suck."
I smirked and planted my hands on my hips, raising my chin.
"My suit, my rules."
It was automatic, the way the old favorite line just slipped out, but fortunately neither man decided to ruin the mood by pointing out the glaring facts to the opposite.
To be honest, I never felt like a prisoner while I was in the workshop. Even on an unfortunate day like this, the Turk's antics were enough to disperse the somber state of mind that had shrouded me since the morning. As my spirits lifted, I could acknowledge both men's efforts to keep me under the radar. A tiny, foolish part of me even dared to hope it was for my sake. I couldn't bring myself to squash it.
"Hey, Doc, there's somethin' I wanna check, yo."
Roused from my thoughts, I sent the Turk a inquisitive look.
"What's that?"
"Just somethin' I wanna try out. Got a sec?"
I glanced at Reeve, but judging by the way he was typing with his eyes glued to the screen, the man would be busy with my request for a while.
"Sure," I said with some hesitation, wondering what this was about.
"Cool." Reno grinned and hopped out of the chair to offer it to me. "Take a seat."
I did as he asked, but tensed when he produced a metal rod.
"Relax," he drawled. "This won't hurt one bit."
That didn't reassure me in the slightest, but before I had a chance to question further, the man held up the item in his hand.
"Sleep," he said in a commanding tone.
As the rod began to glow blue, a fog clouded my mind. My eyes began to droop shut on their own accord and my limbs grew heavy. I shook my head and blinked furiously until the effect faded.
"What the hell are you doing?" I snapped, disturbed by the strange sensation.
Reno stared at me with wide eyes, mouth slightly ajar.
"Holy shit. That's mastered materia. It should put a fuckin' bandersnatch to sleep!"
"Reno!" Reeve warned.
It was too late. The redhead had already raised the rod again.
"Silence."
My lips and mouth tingled. For a moment I had trouble finding my voice, but as soon as I did, I put it to good use.
"What the fuck!" I shrieked, jumping out of the chair to flee behind it. "Stop it!"
The man snapped out of his daze and slipped the baton into a pocket, then held up his hands. For once he had the decency to look sheepish.
"Hey, it's okay, Fitz. You're okay. It's nothin' bad, I promise."
My hands clinging to the back of the chair were trembling, their knuckles white. Reno had affected my body with nothing but words.
"What did you do to me?"
My voice was as shaky as the breaths heaving my chest.
"I just tested some materia on ya," he said, his tone uncertain.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Reno," Reeve interjected, stepping up to stand between us, "I think we can assume materia doesn't exist on her home world."
Soon after our collaboration started, it had become clear that the executive was well aware of my unexplained appearance at Shinra and knew most of what I had told Reno, including my origins. He also seemed to have a better idea of what that might entail.
The redhead gave the other man a mystified look, but then his eyes widened.
"Shit," he said, raking his fingers through his hair. "I didn't mean to freak ya out, Fitz."
"Well, you bloody well did!"
Reno's brow was creased with concern as he looked me over.
"Like I said, it's nothin' dangerous. Just a couple of harmless spells. Your file said that Cure couldn't heal ya and that's pretty unusual. I was just curious if that's true for other ones too, y'know?"
My eyes must have been goggling out of my head by this point.
"Spells?" A shrill laugh escaped me. "What, like magic?"
"Well, yeah," he said with a small shrug and a quick glance at Reeve.
Magic. Of course there would be magic here. Why the hell not, right? They already had glowing goo with obscure properties, deformed monstrosities in labs and purple apples. It would probably be ghosts and werewolves next.
Unable to trust my legs now that the adrenaline was wearing off, I slumped back into the chair and stared at the floor, trying to wrap my brain around the concept.
"Materia is basically crystallized Mako," Reeve explained. "It grants its user unusual powers."
The glowing goo was magical, too? Of course it was. Silly me.
"Yeah, I'll show ya," Reno said, pulling out the metal rod again.
I stiffened and sent him a distrustful look, but the man opened a slot on the handle and shook out two small spheres into his palm.
"See, this is what I used on ya." He pointed at the green one. "It's called Seal materia. With this lil' sucker, I can put someone to sleep or make 'em shut up for a while. Well, so long as they ain't immune, which you seem to be."
I studied the small objects in his hand as I digested his explanation. They looked like a couple of marbles. While the inner glow they both possessed hinted at more unearthly qualities, I would have dismissed the idea of magic as delusional talk if I hadn't just experienced their effects for myself.
"So, the green one is for both of the... 'spells' you used on me?"
Reno nodded. "Yeah, that's right."
"Why the hell did you try both, then?" I grumbled. "Didn't the first one already show that the green ball of magic doesn't work on me?"
He scratched the back of his head, his chuckle tinged with embarrassment.
"Heh, guess that's why you're the scientist and not me."
As I was not yet in a forgiving mood, I suppressed the urge to explain that replication of experiments to verify results was very much part of the scientific method. Instead I shot a withering look at the man, then took a slow breath and ran a hand over my face.
"What does the other one do?" I asked, referring to the yellowish sphere.
Reno grinned.
"Oh, that's a Turk special. Not one you'd want me to try on ya, trust me."
An destructive spell, I guessed. I wondered how powerful it was. Not that I was keen on another demonstration just yet.
"Am I right?" Reeve wondered. "You don't have anything like this on Earth?"
I shook my head, watching with no small suspicion as Reno popped the materia marbles back into their place.
"No, no magic at all."
"Huh. Weird. Maybe that's why it won't work on ya." The Turk gave me another once-over. "You feelin' okay now?"
"I'm fine," I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Just got a bit shaken up."
He rubbed the back of his neck, averting his eyes toward one corner of the room.
"Yeah, sorry 'bout springin' it on ya like that. Didn't think, yo."
I wondered if the idea of a world without magic was as unnatural for a native of Gaia as one with magic was for me. If so, I couldn't blame the man for assuming I would know what was going on.
"Just give me a better heads up next time you get an idea like that, okay?"
Reno glanced up at me with an abashed smile.
"Deal."
With that settled, we returned to work. The redhead hovered near me for the rest of the session, eager to answer my questions about materia and to help out whenever possible. It was kind of sweet, really.
The incident had taken more out of me than I had first thought. By the time we were finished for the day I was exhausted, despite having done little more than stand and occasionally move a limb or two while Reeve checked that his recent additions and changes hadn't disturbed the functionality of existing systems. I was unable to stifle a yawn right before giving my final command.
"Suit, power down."
I glanced down at the hazard suit with a confused frown when nothing happened.
"Betcha would've remembered Mechaboobs," Reno remarked with unbearable smugness.
Before telling "Sparky" to power down, I made sure to shove my helmet at the man with a tad too much force.
A/N:
Thank you so much to each and every one who reviewed, faved or followed this story! It makes my day every time I get one of those notifications in my inbox. =)