"Just leave me alone." He tried to pull off his hand, Tifa held it.

"I'm trying to help you, I'm sick of watching people falling apart in front of me because nobody cares!"

His blood started boiling.

"You know n…"

"I know nothing?" she finished. "Sephiroth killed my parents. He stabbed me right here" Tifa pointed right between her breasts, where her heart was. "I can't show in front of people anymore, can't wear a dress. My family died, I was left to die too. I think I know what you're dealing with. Being completely aparted, trying to pull your pieces and keep existing, and pretend nothing bothers you in front of the closest people you have by your side."

Red haired fold in two, trying to hide from her, and the world, and everything. His free hand covered his face, his other hand still held by the girl that he had nothing together with.

"And I know there is better tomorrow. And a better world to live in. I am fighting for it. We can fight together, I know it."

"Does Cloud think the same?"

Tifa pulled her hand back.

"I don't know" she said after a while. "Sometimes he does. Now… I don't know."

"That guy, his friend" Reno started. "We tried to find them. We circled around for hours, Tseng sent us. At the end he told us the target was eliminated, we were late."

"You tried to save Cloud and Zack?" Tifa looked at him in surprise.

"You didn't know?"

"No, I… Cloud never mentions a thing."

They stood there in silence, and at some moment Reno threw another bomb at the rat.

"How am I supposed to deal with this?" Tifa asked, probably to herself, just said it out loud.

"I told you, I am the worst person to ask about that."

"I just needed to talk to someone. A guy" she clarified before he interrupted. "I thought you may know how he thinks."

"Nope."

"We will win this battle too." She kept holding to the topic, maybe trying to convince herself.

"I'm not sure the cost is affordable." Reno wasn't looking at her. "We did so much destruction."

Rat moved somewhere and he saw it, but didn't throw the bomb to kill it.

His red hair, white shirt and black jacket, and those so blue eyes, he was almost illusory right now. Or at least he felt like that.

"If we stop now, there will be more victims." Tifa insisted. "There always will be someone that would want to steal our peace, our life, our beloved ones. Would we just give up and die?"

"Of course not."

Reno raised his hand to throw another bomb, the rat just came out under the pile of garbage and it was huge. Tifa's hand got in his way.

"Leave it."

"This is a vermin; it brings diseases, attack other animals."

"Aren't we too? We seek change, but we refuse to change ourselves."

He didn't know what to say and put the bomb away.

"You are too soft. Such people fall first in battle."

"That's why we have Shinra, to protect us."

"Ha-ha."

She smiled at him, damn, this girl had a talent to brainwash people.

"Go home" Reno turned right, checking on her. "Tell Cloud what you told me. If he doesn't buy it, you can stay at my place tonight."

Her jaw dropped.

"For god's sake, Reno!"

He started laughing.

"Sorry, had to. You should see your face, priceless!"

"You know, if he doesn't buy it, I'll send him your place."

"What? No deal!"

"Tie!"

Tifa went back to her bike and raised a hand for goodbye.

"Thanks for listening."

"Not that I had a choice."

She smiled, he was just teasing her.

When the sound of the engine of Tifa's bike faded, Reno threw the last bomb anyway, the rat was far gone by now.

She was annoying, Reno noticed. Too good for this reality. And was right, he unwillingly admitted. Cloud might have lost his inspiration, but Reno wasn't. He jumped from the fence and cleaned the back of his uniform, before getting back to the car and to the base.

"You got something?" Rude asked him when they met at the hall of Shinra castle. He was asking about the place he was guarding, Turks were split in different locations.

"Insight." Reno said.

"Yeah, me too" Rude pressed his stomach. "That sandwich was terrible."

"When will you stop eating that trash food?" red haired looked at him.

"What am I supposed to eat at shift, no time for anything else. What was your insight?"

"If you want peace, prepare for war."

"I need a shower and have to fill some papers… What is this?"

At the same time phones of both of them alarmed.

"It's from Rufus. He calls us at the meeting hall."

"Now?" Reno frowned. "It's eight a clock. Hope it's not an alert again."

When Turks arrived at the great meeting hall, it was indeed an emergency. Rufus Shinra was acting extremely seriously, for the first time didn't wait for them to take their place, got the microphone and told them to shut up.

"What's going on here?"

"Genesis made his move" Rufus stood in front of them, features of his face were sharper than ever. "He took three of our people, leaving their ID cards. Ten civilians are reported missing too. I called a red code and ordered people to get home by eight."

"What the fuck" Reno made a gesture of anger. "That son of a bitch won't rest till we kill him once and for all."

"Son of Jenova."

"That's what I said."

"Reno" Rufus' voice interrupted them. "I called Tseng back on duty, till he gets his family secured and is able to uphold his obligations, you are in charge."

"Aye, aye." He nodded.

"Insight, huh?" Rude mumbled.

"I want all of the quadrants checked and secured!" Rufus almost yelled. "All weapons ready. I want reports at every hour. And prepare the Shield, we may need it in a short time. Go, people!"

"One good thing came of it" Reno checked his weapon, following others outside, going to the roof where choppers were waiting, again.

"What is that?"

"You will finally stop eating those terrible sandwiches."

"This is not a training! I repeat, this is not a training! All available Soldiers on duty! Away from chopper's airfield! Be ready to leave in a few minutes after Turks!"

Cold autumn's night was filled with lights and orders, shouted by one or another leader.

"What are we going to do?" Elena, Rude and Reno were at the roof, preparing to leave the base.

"Can you go alone?" red haired was asking her. "You want Rude coming with you?"

"I'm not leaving you either" Rude opposed. "Last time…"

"Take one of the Soldiers." Reno cut him, he knew he wouldn't break him and had no time to waste.

"Be careful, guys!" Elena aparted, rushing to her chopper.

"You too" Rude looked after her.

Already at the chopper Reno got his phone.

"Who do you call?"

"Tifa, hey, it's me."

"You call Tifa this late?"

"Ever heard the line" be careful what you wish for?" he sat in his place, preparing to fly away. "You heard the news? Yeah, it's what you think. Listen, I have a task for you, I need you to do something for me. Sending you the location."

He put his headphones on and got the chopper in the air.

"Did I miss something?" Rude kept staring at him.

"No."

"Dude, if Cloud learns…"

"Learn what?" Reno finally looked at him. "I'm not screwing her."

"You convinced me."

"Right now I can't care less about what Cloud would say. We have a psychopath out here, and I am more than willing to empty one or two mags in his feather ass! Belt on, partner, it will shake."