Thanks for the memories

“Thanks for the Memories”
A Reno fan fiction
Chapter 18: “Loss”
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*Disclaimer: The world that this story is set in and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can’t get enough of this world and the characters.*
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I stayed with Rufus that night. I thought he didn’t care about the Reeve business until we were alone in his hotel room but he mentioned it and told me not to think I was going to get off easy, yo. He used all kinds of gadgets on me and he wouldn’t let me come no matter how much I begged. By the time he finally took me I was out of control and begging like a cat in heat. It was torture but in a good way, ‘cause it gave me proof that Rufus was still in there somewhere. Afterwards he kissed me all over and rubbed my back.

If Reeve played his part like I hoped, Cloud’s friends would get out with their necks intact and we could move on from there, yo. It was pretty obvious that I couldn’t change the boss’s mind. I went to sleep in Rufus’s arms and hoped that Tseng would wake up soon. If anyone could reason with our boss and give him some good advice, Tseng was it.

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Reno swallowed his lover’s release and stretched out on top of him, grinning as he kissed Rufus’s panting lips. “How was that for a wake-up call, yo?”

“Much better than my alarm,” Rufus admitted with a sigh as he combed his fingers through Reno’s loose hair. He glanced at the clock and gently pushed Reno away. “I’ve got to get up and get ready. You’re scheduled to leave within the next few hours as well, as I recall. Have you spoken with Rude and Elena yet?”

“Yes Sir,” Reno answered softly, disguising a frown. “I guess I should get dressed.”

Rufus put an arm around him suddenly and stopped him in the process of getting out of bed. “Reno,” he murmured, “You know that I’m only doing what has to be done.”

Reno nodded. “Someone’s gotta be the scapegoat…I get that. You know I’m gonna be loyal to you no matter what, Rufus.” He turned his head and kissed the President lingeringly before getting out of the bed. He felt Rufus’s eyes on him as he dressed in a fresh uniform and brushed his hair out. He secured the long mane into a ponytail and retrieved his EMR from on top of the dresser, then stopped by the bed again to lean down and give Rufus another kiss.

“Try not to think so hard, boss. You’ll end up with that salad shit I had if you don’t slow down a little.”

Rufus chuckled. “Suggestion noted.”

~*****************************************~

We got the chopper loaded up and ready and then we went to the hotel room I was staying in with Rufus to watch the execution. Elena looked a little squeamish, especially when Scarlet had Tifa dragged to the gas chamber first. I heard her mumble something I couldn’t catch and she started looking anywhere but at the TV screen, yo. Rude stared with his jaw clenched tight and I was sure the big guy was gonna give himself a headache, gritting his teeth like that.

I was starting to panic a little when they put Lockheart in the gas chamber and there weren’t any signs of intervention, but then a really chubby reporter asked Scarlet why she wanted a public execution. She looked like she was about to answer but all the sudden the transmission went to static and the lights dimmed. At first I thought it was Reeve’s doing, man. Me, Rude and Elena were swearing and trying to find out flashlights when the speakers came on and there was an announcement that one of the Weapons was heading straight toward Junon from the ocean.

Smart, eh? They made a public announcement that a huge fucking monster was coming to turn everyone to mulch and then told everyone to stay calm and keep indoors. Um…no. We could hear the screams in the hallway as people flooded out of their hotel rooms and crammed for the exits.

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Reno’s cellphone rang just as Rude cracked the door open and peered into the crowded hallways. The redhead picked up the phone and Rufus answered his greeting.

“Reno, I want you and the others to take Tseng and get to the helicopter as soon as possible,” the President ordered, “Heidegger is getting ready to fire the cannon and the city is in chaos.”

“We’re bringing you too,” Reno insisted stubbornly.

“No, you aren’t,” Rufus countered firmly. “I’m staying here to oversee the defense of the harbor. I’ll meet you in Midgar later if we succeed in defending Junon. Take Tseng there and make sure that the operation to move the huge materia isn’t interfered with. It’s the only chance we have of stopping Meteor, so I’m leaving it up to you and the others to see it through. Understood?”

Reno swallowed and looked at his fellow Turks, both of which were staring at him curiously. “Yes Sir. We’d better see you in Midgar, yo.”

“I’ll do my best to make it,” Rufus answered grimly, “Just do as I ask, Fox.”

Reno nodded silently, hung up the phone and looked at Rude and Elena. “We’ve been ordered to get Tseng out of the med ward and get out of the city with him, yo.”

“How are we going to do that with the place as crowded as it is?” Rude wanted to know.

“We could call the hospital and tell them to wheel Tseng outside to the airport,” Elena suggested. “Then we can fly the chopper off of the roof here and drop down to pick him up.”

“Good idea,” Reno approved. “Let’s get moving.” He turned his cell back on and flicked through the numbers until he found the one he needed. He followed Rude and Elena out of the hotel room and into the crowded hall as he talked to the receptionist that answered the phone and relayed the President’s orders to her.

“Make sure you send a doctor with him,” Reno instructed as Rude cleared a path and he followed behind the bald man and Elena in the opposite direction of the tide of people surging for the elevators. “And make sure nothing happens to him, yo.” He cursed as he was nearly swept away in the throng, but Rude reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him tightly against his body. The bald man worked like a bulldozer to push people aside and get himself and his two companions to the stairs…where anyone with common sense would have been going if they weren’t in hysterics.

There was a minimum amount of people using the stairs and most of them were traveling down rather than up. The three Turks had to fight against the current to climb the stairs to the roof. It took longer than they would have liked but they eventually reached the rooftop and hurried to the chopper. Rude got into the front passenger seat and Elena secured herself into one of the back seats. There were a few people on the roof and when they saw the helicopter begin to start up, they rushed for it.

“Fuck, they’re gonna weigh us down,” Reno swore as he willed the rotaries to spin faster for lift-off. Rude opened his door and fired a few shots harmlessly into the air, startling the approaching people to make them hesitate long enough for Reno to get the chopper into the air.

Reno climbed in altitude as fast as he could, getting far out of reach of the pleading civilians that were on the roof. He slammed his fist angrily on the control panel and steered the chopper away from the hotel roof and toward the airport.

“Look at that!” Elena cried, pointing out the right side window. Reno and Rude looked where she indicated and they witnessed the huge Mako cannon powering up.

“Shit, hold onto something,” Reno said through gritted teeth.

The Cannon fired with an explosive boom that was so powerful it shook the very air and caused the chopper to lurch with turbulence. The Turks held on grimly while Reno struggled to keep the craft in the air. For a moment they thought they were going down but the redhead steadied the helicopter and they watched the fiery shot released from the cannon speed across the horizon, over the surface of the ocean. Far in the distance the Mako shot exploded, lighting up the sky with an orange glow. Even Rude’s mouth was hanging open.

“Do you think it hit?” Elena shouted.

Reno saw a wave growing on the horizon, right about where the shot had exploded. “No, I think they pissed it off,” he hollered back. “We’ve got to get a fucking move-on!” He started the chopper forward again and swooped it down at a steep incline toward the airport. The drop lifted the passengers off of their seats and Rude hastily tugged his seatbelt tighter while some of the color drained from his complexion. Reno slowed the descent at the last minute, touching down without jarring the craft with skill that most pilots never mastered. The medical staff was already wheeling Tseng out onto the landing pad and Elena pulled the cargo doors open as quickly as her small frame would allow.

“We have to hurry,” shouted the accompanying doctor as he ushered the two aids and the nurse to get his patient loaded onto the chopper.

“Don’t have to tell me twice, yo,” Reno cried back as he looked out at the ocean and saw the wave approaching quickly.

Rude abruptly unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the helicopter to help them load the stricken Turk leader into the helicopter. While they were doing that, Reno spotted three familiar figures making their way across the concrete several feet away. He recognized Barret, Cait Sith and the Wutaian girl named Yuffie but he couldn’t see Tifa. The group was heading for the lift to the Highwind airship.

~Can’t worry about them right now, I’ve gotta get Tseng and the rest of us out of here before that thing reaches Junon!~

“Hurry up, man!” Reno yelled. He heard a note of hysteria creeping into his voice and he clamped down on his fear with grim determination. Rude’s efforts alone practically got Tseng’s stretcher into the chopper and the doctor and his assistants boarded quickly after to secure it. Rude got back into his seat and buckled up while the two aids shut the cargo doors and the doctor and the nurse locked the wheels on the stretcher and strapped themselves into the back seats on either side of Tseng. Elena got her seatbelt secured just as Reno lifted off again. The aids also secured themselves and Reno shouted for everyone to hold on tight as he fought the downdrafts and made the chopper ascend.

He didn’t turn away immediately. He couldn’t. Rufus and Reeve were still in the city and Reno couldn’t bring himself to fly away until he knew they were either safe or there was no hope. He hovered over the city and he and the other passengers got their first real glimpse of the creature that was advancing on the city. It was enormous and Reno impulsively steered the chopper to climb even higher to be on the safe side.

“Look at that thing,” Rude said in horrified awe, “It’s bigger than the cannon!”

Reno stared at the leviathan approaching from the sea below and his heart felt like it would leap up his throat and right out of his mouth.

~Oh gods…Rufus…that thing’s gonna ram straight into the city! Oh gods…~

Junon Harbor’s defense systems began to unload on the approaching menace, shooting volleys of missiles, gunfire and cannon fire until the harbor looked like a fireworks display. A blue-green fin of unspeakable proportions broke out of the water as the Mako cannon began to recharge. Evil-looking, slit-pupiled eyes larger than the aircraft Reno flew glared balefully at the city as the gigantic head broke out of the water. The weapons firing from Junon exploded harmlessly against the creature’s body as its mouth yawned open and a white beam of energy erupted from within the cavernous maw.

Reno shouted a curse as the beam struck the Junon Headquarters and burned a long, jagged tear into the structure. He was sure his beloved boss was a goner but then the Mako cannon fired right into the Weapon’s open mouth. He could hardly believe it when the monster’s head exploded and it sank into the ocean lifelessly. He didn’t even realize he was shouting at the top of his lungs with exuberance, right along with the others in the helicopter.

“They did it! They fucking did it!” Reno pumped a fist into the air and yelped as he scraped his knuckles on the switches over his head. Rude was smiling from ear to ear but he wasn’t shouting. Elena was hooting and squeezing Tseng’s limp hand, and the nurse was hugging the doctor.

Reno almost missed it when his cellphone rang. It took three rings before he felt the vibration against his side and he pulled the device out and grinned hugely when he saw Rufus’s number on the ID.

“YO, WE SAW THE WHOLE THING, SIR!” Reno shouted as soon as he answered the phone, “THAT WAS AWESOME! YOU’RE AWESOME! I LOVE YOU!”

Rufus sounded relieved and amused at the same time as he responded: “That’s wonderful Reno, but you’re screaming like a banshee. Are you all secure?”

“YEAH BOSS, WE’RE ALL HERE AND TSENG’S FINE!” Reno was so relieved and excited that he couldn’t control the volume of his voice.

“Good,” Rufus said calmly, “you can stop shouting now, Fox. I can hear you quite well. Get Tseng safely to Midgar and I’ll be along after we get the cleanup underway.”

“You got it,” Reno said hoarsely, flushing a little with embarrassment with the realization that he’d just screamed endearments to the President in front of mixed company. “We’ll see you there, Sir.” He cleared his throat and turned the phone off, replacing it in his pocket. Rude was smirking at him and he made a face at the bald man before turning the chopper on the heading he needed.

“Don’t look so smug,” Reno said in a ragged tone to his partner, “You were just as excited as I was, yo.”

“I thought it was cute, is all,” Rude said just loudly enough for Reno to hear. The redhead flushed again and cleared his throat.

Reno was just about to start the chopper moving forward when he spotted tiny movement on top of the barrel of the Mako cannon from his peripheral vision. He frowned and leaned over, practically falling into Rude’s lap. “Yo, is that Lockheart running down the cannon?” he said when his partner looked at him quizzically.

Rude looked out the window and raised his shades to squint. “Yeah, I think so,” he confirmed. “It looks like Scarlet’s going after her with a couple of grunts, too.”

Reno grimaced and watched the buxom brunette flee from her pursuers. He couldn’t admit it out loud but he really hoped she got away. He didn’t know how that was possible though, because there was nowhere left for her to go except into the ocean once she reached the end of the cannon. He spotted something at the end of the huge weapon that gave him pause, though. A crooked grin curved his lips and he thought Tifa just might escape with her life after all.

~Run as fast as those huge knockers will let you, girl. You’re almost safe.~

Unfortunately, Scarlet caught up with her at the end of the cannon and Reno winced as the blonde ShinRa executive said something to Tifa and back-handed her across the face. For a moment the brunette stared up at her and the redhead noticed her hand curling into a fist.

“Catfight,” Reno muttered with glee. Tifa smacked Scarlet back, hard enough to make the blonde’s head jerk to the side. “Oooh, snap! Hit her again, Lockheart!”

“I thought you were gay,” Elena snorted archly, surprised that someone like Reno would be interested in seeing a pair of women hash it out.

“Scarlet’s had it coming for a long time,” Reno shot back as he watched the encounter with interest. “I just want to see her knocked down a peg, yo.”

Scarlet slapped Tifa again and the brunette let loose on the woman. Reno was exuberant as he watched the barmaid smack Scarlet again and again and again, until the blonde woman fell to her knees holding her face. Scarlet shouted something at the grunts and they started forward. Tifa retreated quickly, running to the end of the cannon as fast as she could.

“What’s she going to do, dive into the water?” Elena questioned.

Rude silently pointed out what Reno had already spotted rising from under the cannon, and the blonde Turk gasped. “They stole the Highwind!”

Reno smirked as the ShinRa airship rose before the cannon and Cloud’s friends dropped a rope over the side for Tifa to grab onto. She almost missed it and for a heart-stopping moment, it looked like she was going to fall into the ocean. She caught hold of the rope at the last minute and her friends called her onto the deck, hugging her tightly.

“Gotta admire their balls,” Reno said with satisfaction. Rude and Elena looked at him curiously but he was beyond caring what they thought of his reaction to Tifa and her friends escaping. “Let’s get to Midgar, yo.”

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Once we got to Midgar we were even busier, yo. Tseng was moved into the ShinRa medical facility and me and Rude were sent out to help oversee collecting the huge materia. But Cloud’s posse went back to being major pains in our asses and they kept getting in the way.

First, the bastards cut off the shipment of huge materia from North Corel. It was supposed to be brought in by train but they hijacked it and snagged the materia. I had a pretty good idea how they found out where we were moving it from but since I wasn’t in a hurry to see Reeve executed for being a double-agent, I kept my mouth shut and just did my job.

The company was supposed to get huge materia from Fort Condor next but wouldn’t ya know it, the Strife Pack got there in time to fight our guys off and all the high ranking company members were occupied with the rest of the shipments and couldn’t make it on time to help. Besides that, ShinRa had a new plan to get rid of the barrier around the Northern Crater so Sephiroth could be reached. They had the Mako cannon moved from Junon to Midgar, yo. I thought it was a crazy idea but sometimes, those are the best ones.

Tseng finally woke up but he was too weak to take on the role of Turk leader again yet, so lucky me, I was stuck doing it for a while longer. He stayed close to Rufus and advised him while the rest of us tried to make sure the rest of the huge materia got where it was supposed to get.

I was in charge of overseeing the shipment from the underwater reactor in Junon, yo. You ain’t going to believe who I ran into there…or hell, maybe you will since I’m sure you know by now Strife had more lives than a freakin’ cat.

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“We’re on a schedule, yo,” Reno snapped as he checked his watch and shouted orders, “Move faster!”

“Sir, we can only move so fast with this thing,” the captain of the sub insisted nervously, “It’s raw materia! We don’t know how stable it is so we have to be careful.”

“Think I don’t know that?” Reno challenged, “You can still move faster than this. Crank up the speed a little on that conveyer chain. We’ve got to get this thing loaded into the sub and out of here before—“

“We’ll be taking that materia,” Interrupted a familiar voice from behind Reno.

~Strife?? I never thought I’d hear that voice again!~

Reno rolled his eyes with exasperation, both because he felt inappropriate relief to hear the blonde fighter’s young, masculine voice again and because he was sick and tired of Cloud’s gang getting in ShinRa’s way. Couldn’t they see the company was trying to save the planet? He turned around and motioned for the ogling captain and crew to keep loading the materia. His tourmaline eyes scanned Cloud’s form with seeming casualty, but his heart was pounding as he assured himself the other man was fully intact and well. Tifa was standing on the blonde’s left and Hojo’s lion specimen was standing on his right. Behind the three of them were the rest of Cloud’s friends. Reno waved over some grunts to his side but he knew they’d be little help.

“Can’t let you do that, Blondie,” Reno said after taking a moment to find his voice. “We need that materia.”

“Don’t you get it?!” Cloud yelled, “We’re trying to save the planet!”

Reno gave him an incredulous look. “Well, we’re trying to save the motherfucking planet too, jackass! Did ya ever think of that?”

Cloud’s eyes narrowed. “You’re going about it the wrong way. The huge materia is a lot more than fancy explosives, Reno. We could show you—“

“I don’t wanna hear it,” Reno snapped. “I’m here to do a job and I’ve known ShinRa a helluva lot longer than I’ve known you. I trust ‘em to take care of this. How’d you live through that mess at the crater anyhow, Strife?” He asked the question as much out of curiosity as to stall for time. He didn’t dare look over his shoulder to see whether the huge materia was loaded onto the sub or not.

“I had help,” Cloud said with a sidelong smirk at Tifa. He looked over Reno’s shoulder and swore. The Turk heard the horn coming from the carrier sub and he knew it was ready to leave with the materia.

“That’s enough talk,” Cloud snarled as he drew yet another new sword and pointed it at the Turk.

Reno’s grunts started forward while the redhead quickly improvised and reached into his blazer for the remote he had. He activated it and moved away while Strife’s group made short work of the grunts. Reno risked a look toward the underwater exit and he sighed with relief when the sub carrying the materia left through it. Now all he had to do was stall the enemy long enough for the vessel to reach safe harbor for transport to Midgar.

Cloud stared as the mechanical unit that Reno had activated came tromping into view. It was a carrier automation, designed to help transport heavy loads. Like most ShinRa technology however, it was capable of attacking intruders as well. The lion creature howled furiously as one of the mechanical arms caught him around the waist and hoisted him off the ground. Cloud and the others quickly attacked the mechanism to free him and Reno pulled out his gun and fired a shot to make the ninja girl’s launched weapon go off course. There was answering gunfire and Reno swore as his weapon was shot out of his hand. He looked up to see the eerie, black-haired gunman aiming a formidable looking gun at him and he rubbed his smarting hand and wisely backed off.

“Deactivate the robot,” The Wutaian gunner ordered coldly.

“I can’t,” Reno said truthfully. “Once the defense program is on it won’t stop until it’s destroyed or the threat is gone, yo.”

The gunman scowled at him. “Of course,” he said in a rough tone.

The arm holding the lion creature prisoner dropped to the floor with a crash as Strife slashed through it. The feline picked himself up off the floor and shook his great head to clear it before pouncing on the base of the mechanical construction and tearing at the wires with teeth and claws. Reno would have been impressed, except at that moment the gunman that had ordered him to turn the machine off began to change forms. The Turk stared with wide eyes as the raven-haired man screamed and his body began to bulge. Moments later, a hulking creature with numerous stitches and bolts sticking out of its neck stood in the gunman’s place.

~So that night in the mansion, that werewolf thing was him, too? Shit, I think I’m gonna pass out!~

Reno stubbornly blinked back stars and grabbed hold of the railing behind him to keep himself upright as the monster that had been a man howled and released a great, webbed surge of electricity at the carrier robot. The charge short-circuited a few of its functions and the mechanism moved jerkily, without any real focus. Barret fired at it from his gunarm, blowing holes in the hard shell of its body. Tifa performed a devastating series of martial attacks on the robot, while Cid jumped high in the air and speared it with his oversized harpoon. The ninja girl retrieved her throwing weapon and hurled it at the top of the carrier’s body, taking off a chunk of metal. The monster that the gunman had turned into was pounding into it with abandon and the lion was still chewing and scratching at it. Cait Sith activated a bolt spell and struck it several times.

The robot ended up as a pile of wires, metal and gears. Reno drew his EMR as Cloud approached but he was still in a state of shock from witnessing the gunman transform and the blonde was too fast for him. Cloud caught the Turk’s wrist and pinned him against the railing, his sapphire eyes boring into Reno’s.

“You tried to kill my friends,” Strife said in a low, dangerous tone.

“No, I tried to stall ‘em,” Reno corrected with a glare of his own.

“I mean the execution,” elaborated the blonde.

“What the hell makes you think I had the power to order that?” Reno snapped, “That wasn’t my call, man.”

Cait Sith intervened. “He wasn’t responsible, lad. If anything, ye owe Reno some thanks.”

“What are you talking about?” Cloud asked without taking his eyes off the redhead.

Reno looked at the cat with alarmed eyes and shook his head. Cloud caught the motion and his angry expression faded into confusion and curiosity. “What did you do, Reno?”

“Let’s just say our lovely lass and our large coal mining friend might not be here, if it weren’t for this lad,” Cait Sith said evasively. “Don’t we have somewhere we need ta be, Cloud?”

The golem-like monster standing beside the cat seemed to shrink, and the dark gunman again stood there. Vapors rose from his body and his crimson eyes studied Reno with recognition. “We should leave him,” he suggested, “Not everything is as it appears, Cloud. I know this better than most.”

Reno didn’t know what was more disturbing; the knowledge that two of Strife’s companions knew he’d gone against direct orders to try and help him more than once, or the fact that the man he’d mistaken for a corpse once was staring so hard at him. Reno heard shouting behind him and he saw several grunts running down the ramp from the remaining submarine to rescue him.

“Just get out of here and keep the other sub safe!” The Turk hollered.

Cloud glared at him and threw him to the ground. Before Reno could recover, the blonde fighter and his friends were running toward the submarine. He climbed to his feet and reached for his cell, intending to get in touch with someone and let them know Strife was about to hijack one of the subs. He pulled the device out and groaned when it fell apart in his hands. His cellphone was broken. He chucked the useless cell into the water and swore violently as he watched Strife’s team cut through the opposition and steal the sub.

~What the hell does Strife think he can do with the huge materia that’ll stop Meteor?~

~*******************************************~

I got out of there as soon as I could and I went straight to Headquarters and told Rufus what happened. By the time I did that, Cloud had already caught up with the cargo sub and taken the huge materia. We got in touch with Rude and told him to double-up on security because we knew Rocket Town would be Strife’s next stop.

Think that did any good? Hell no. They showed up just like we knew they would and Rude made a great effort to hold ‘em off, but he was outnumbered and his backup was no match for Strife’s group. We figured our plan was doomed then, but the rocket launched anyway—with Cloud and his posse in it!

We could see it go up all the way from Midgar and I wondered if Strife and the others would find a way to get out before they went kaboom with the rocket, yo. I didn’t have anyway of knowing and there was a tightness in my chest I didn’t like one bit while I watched the explosion when the rocket hit Meteor. The only thing that made it a little better was the chance that it might have done some good, but all it did was chip away some of the surface, yo. For all I knew, Blondie was dead and so were all of his friends…and we still had a killer rock getting ready to eat our planet.

Talk about depressing, yo.

~************************************~

Rufus called a meeting with his most trusted Turks after the rocket failed to stop Meteor. He left Scarlet, Heidegger and Hojo out of it because by now he knew that the three of them had their own motives and he was certain that there were things they were still hiding from him. There was more to it than Sephiroth and Meteor. He’d found traces of information about something called “Deep Ground” that his father had been working on and he had strong suspicions that of Scarlet and Heidegger, at least one of them knew something about it.

“This meeting will be brief and to the point,” Rufus informed his Turks. “Things are falling apart quickly and the only hope we have left is for the Sister Ray to break through the barrier Sephiroth raised around the Crater, to give an assault team a chance to go in and stop him.”

“Who will this assault team be, Sir?” Elena questioned.

Rufus smiled without humor. “Cloud Strife and his companions. It’s only fitting, considering that it’s their goal in the first place and they’ve already gotten in our way so completely that nothing we’ve tried has succeeded. We’ll give him what he wants and open the way for him. I’ve resolved myself to the fact that his team is the only one capable of stopping this, if it can be done at all.”

“Uh, does he know we’re on his side now?” Reno asked.

“I haven’t exactly had the time to chat with him,” Rufus said dryly. “Preparations are being made by Hojo to fire the Sister Ray at the Crater. Once that’s accomplished, it’s up to Strife.”

“Sir,” Tseng asked softly, “Are you certain that Hojo can be trusted to do his job?”

“No,” Rufus answered without hesitation, “but at this point we have nothing to lose and I’m sure he’s aware that he’ll die with the planet if he fails to do his part. Your jobs are to make sure the cannon fires as planned and to help begin the evacuation of Midgar. Meteor is directly above us and this city is going to take the brunt of the damage first. Reeve is already on the job.”

Reno swallowed at the mention of Reeve. The head of the Urban Development department had been strangely absent for a while and he thought he was in hiding. He knew he wasn’t dead because Cait Sith was still with Cloud’s party, acting on his orders. Rufus’s sharp eyes caught his as if reading his thoughts.

“I’ve had Mr. Tuesti lying low under my protection,” Rufus explained. “His usefulness outweighs his betrayal and he’s convinced me to give Strife’s team a chance. You are the only ones who know of this and that’s how I intend for it to stay. Nobody—not even the other Turks—are to know. Is that understood?”

There were nods of consent all around and Rufus stood up. “That’s all, for now. Go into the city and begin escorting people out. I’m sure you can figure out where the top priorities lie.” He looked directly at Reno as he said this, silently giving him permission to go to his mother first. Reno nodded and mouthed his thanks. Rufus dismissed them and took a seat behind his desk again. Tseng hesitated on his way out of the office, looking over his shoulder at the blonde with an odd expression on his sculpted features.

“Is there something you wish to say, Tseng?” Rufus murmured.

The Wutaian hesitated. The strangest feeling had come over him as he was leaving…like he may never see his boss and lover again. He smiled gently at Rufus, knowing that if the feeling he had was accurate, there was nothing he could do about it. “You helped me find myself, Koibito. I’ll never forget that.”

Rufus’s gray eyes warmed and softened on him. “Likewise, Tseng. Do take care of yourself.”

Tseng nodded and bowed respectfully before closing the office door behind him.

~************************************~

“So we’re going to get your Mom first, right?” Rude asked as he, Reno, Elena and Tseng stepped outside of the Headquarters building.

“Yeah, I want to get her out first,” Reno insisted.

“Understandable,” Tseng replied. “Come, we’ll take my car.” He led them into the parking garage and they piled into the vehicle. “I hope she’ll understand that she can only take necessities, until this is resolved.”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” Reno smirked, “Ma’s still not used to having much of anything. She’s lived her whole life poor so she’s a practical lady.”

Tseng nodded in approval and drove out of the parking garage and onto the street. Reno gave him directions to his mother’s house and they arrived there shortly. Tseng and Elena waited in the car while Reno and Rude went inside to collect Mrs. Flynn and help her pack. A short time later she emerged from the house with her son close to her side.

“He really loves his mother,” Elena observed aloud, surprise in her voice.

“Why does this surprise you?” Tseng questioned the young woman.

“I guess I’m just used to him being…Reno.” She remarked, making Tseng smile.

“It’s gonna be okay Ma,” Reno said as he opened the door and helped Lena into the passenger seat. “We’re taking you to the airport and there’s an airship waiting there to take you to Kalm until this is over with. I’ve already booked you a room at the Inn and everything. Oh, this is our boss Tseng, and the blonde lady is another coworker of mine, Elena.”

“Pleased to meet you both,” Reno’s mother said as calmly as possible. She peered out the car window up at the sky, where Meteor hovered menacingly. “Reno, I’d like for you to come with me, dear.”

Reno slid into the seat beside her and put an arm around her. “You know I can’t, Ma. I’ve got to help get people out of Midgar. I promise, I’ll come get you as soon as this mess is over with.”

She looked at him searchingly. “Do you really think it can be stopped?”

Reno shot a look at Rude, who had settled into the back seat next to Elena. “We’re gonna do our best, yo.”

Rude nodded in agreement.

~********************************************~

They arrived at the airport and the Turks were escorting Reno’s mother and carrying her few pieces of luggage to the waiting airship when sirens began to go off in the city. Reno paused and shared concerned looks with his companions as an announcement was made that the Diamond Weapon was advancing on the city.

“Reno, come with me!” Lena insisted urgently, tugging at his arm. Her eyes were wide and frightened with the kind of fear only a parent could know for the safety of her child.

Reno stared at her for a minute and then hugged her tightly. “We already talked about this,” he said against her ear. “Get on the ship, Ma. I’ll be okay.” He gently pushed her away, toward the crewmembers that were ushering people onto the ramp and loading the cargo bay with bags. “Get her outta here!” He yelled when she struggled to hang onto him. He gave Rude a pleading look and the bald man carefully helped peel his mother off of him and he picked her up and carried her onto the aircraft.

“Reno!” Lena Flynn cried raggedly as she was carried away from her son.

“Just get her out,” Reno shouted again to the crewmembers that took her from Rude. “Trust me, Ma…I’ll come and get you later!” His voice broke on the last sentence as his mother was taken into the airship and her fearful, loving face disappeared from his view. He felt a hand squeezing his shoulder and he was a little surprised to find that it belonged to Elena. She didn’t say anything to him, just offered silent support. He smiled a little and patted her hand thankfully.

They waited until the doors were shut on the craft and the engine started, then they began walking back to Tseng’s car. Reno kept glancing over his shoulder as the airship slowly lifted off of the pad and turned. Rude put an arm around him and he leaned gratefully into the half-embrace, while Tseng gave him a respectful nod.

Tseng’s cellphone rang and the Wutaian paused and put it to his ear. “This is Tseng. Hello, Reeve. Yes, the airship just left with a load of evacuees—including Reno’s mother. Oh, are they? How can they hope to…hmm, I see. Please keep us informed, then.” He had to cup a hand over his other ear to hear what Reeve said next, due to the noise from the aircrafts. “Can you repeat that, Reeve?” He frowned and glanced at the other Turks, provoking confused looks from them. His dark eyes lifted and fixated on the ShinRa tower and some of the color drained from his face. “I believe you’re right. The landlines could be down, which would explain why he isn’t answering. We’ll attempt to reach him on his mobile and warn him. Good thinking, Reeve…and good luck.” Tseng hit the end button and immediately speed-dialed another number.

“What’s going on, man?” Reno asked tensely.

“Reeve made a very good point,” responded the black-haired Turk as he put the phone to his ear again, “When the first Weapon attacked Junon, it aimed directly at ShinRa headquarters there. These creatures are sentient and their anger is directed at the Company for the time being. Rufus needs to get out of that tower before the Diamond Weapon gets within range. AVALANCHE is fighting the Weapon now but it’s unlikely that they can stop it. Sister Ray is powering up to fire on it but it will take time.”

Reno and Elena’s eyes were bugging out. “Cloud’s gang is fighting the Weapon?” Elena cried, “They’re crazy!”

“Shit, we’ve gotta get him out of there,” Reno exclaimed as he looked up at the looming ShinRa tower.

“I’m doing my best,” Tseng assured with a hint of annoyance in his tone. “Why don’t the rest of you try to reach Scarlet, Heidegger and Hojo to tell them. Our chances of getting the President safely out will increase if they’re aware of this risk too.”

Reno wasted no time pulling out his new cellphone and the other Two Turks did the same. They moved away from one another so that they could hear the other line clearly. Tseng sighed with relief when Rufus picked up on the other line and he immediately told him to make his way out of the building.

~************************************~

“I’m afraid there’s no time for that, Tseng,” Rufus said as he stood at his office window and looked out. From his vantage point he was getting a marvelous view of the sunset, as well as a clear view of the enormous creature steadily lurching toward Midgar. It appeared wounded, but not defeated. Its single-minded determination was obvious and he knew he wouldn’t make it halfway down the building before it attacked…unless the cannon fired before it got the chance.

“Sir, I must insist that you evacuate the premises now,” Tseng reiterated, fear creeping into his voice. “Please, Koibito. Strife and his friends are buying time and—“

“Strife failed to stop it,” Rufus interrupted calmly. “I can see it approaching from my window and there’s no point in my attempting to get out now. If the Sister Ray fires on time I’ll leave the premises.”

“But…Sir…” Tseng’s voice died and Rufus could hear him swallow.

The President caressed the cellphone at his ear and smiled. “Find shelter, Tseng. Make your way out of Midgar with the others, if you can. Goodbye.”

Rufus hung up the phone and slipped it into his blazer, patting the pocket where it rested. He sighed and clasped his hands behind his back, glancing around the office absently. He caught sight of the lounge chair against the back wall where the hidden panel was located and his eyes narrowed. He’d forgotten about his safe and all of the pictures of his mother he kept in it. Turning away from the spectacle of the approaching menace out his window, he crossed the room and pulled the lounge aside. He pressed against the panel until it opened and he dialed the correct combination on the safe. When it clicked, he pulled it open and reached inside for the small box containing the only objects that had ever been precious to him.

One was an old bangle that had belonged to his mother. The materia fused into it still glowed with power and he shrugged and clamped it over his left wrist absently as he leafed through the old photos of his mother.

~******************************************~

“Yo, I’m not having any luck with Heidegger,” Reno reported as he hung up the phone and approached Tseng. He saw the look on his superior’s face and he frowned. “Did you get the boss or not?”

Tseng nodded. “He won’t leave,” he said flatly.

“What?? Why?” Reno nearly yelled.

“There’s no time,” explained Tseng tonelessly as he stared at nothing. “He said that he could see the Weapon from his office and it’s still advancing. Cloud’s group failed to stop it. Our only chance is if the Sister Ray powers up and fires before Diamond Weapon does.”

Rude and Elena heard and they stopped trying to reach Hojo and Scarlet. All four of the Turks looked up at the tower, where the cannon was building energy. Tseng’s phone rang again and he answered it in a dull voice.

“Tseng? This is Reeve. They threw everything they had at that thing but it’s still advancing. Has Rufus left Headquarters, or at least gotten to the lower floors?”

“No,” answered the Wutaian in a dead tone.

“Hey look, I think it’s about to fire,” Reno said excitedly as he pointed up at the cannon.

Tseng’s heart thudded in his chest and his hopes rose as glowing bands of energy raced along the length of the cannon’s barrel. He didn’t even hear Reeve’s questions as he held his breath and waited for Sister Ray to fire. The light was blinding when the weapon shot its gathered energy out over the city and in the direction that the Diamond Weapon was approaching from. There was a roar that shook the ground and shattered windows throughout the city and the Turks knew that the shot had hit the advancing creature.

“Thank Shiva,” Tseng breathed. The noise was so loud he couldn’t even hear his own voice.

Reno’s broad grin abruptly dropped, to be replaced by a look of horror. An answering mass of several beams of energy returned fire from the direction of the Diamond Weapon, shooting straight for the ShinRa tower where Rufus was.

“RUFUS!” Screamed Reno.

~************************************~

Rufus heard the roar and the crack of his office windows’ glass when the cannon fired. He stood up and turned around to face the windows to see if Sister Ray had done the job. He saw the Diamond Weapon falling in the distance but it had evidently managed to launch its own attack first. He saw the white-hot beams shooting toward him and the building shook as it was hit in various places.

“Oh, hell,” the President murmured as one streaked directly toward his office.

~********************************************~

-To be continued