Redheaded Stranger

Chapter 19
Homecoming

Reno looked at the wall with apprehension, tapping his EMR on his shoulder rhythmically. He thought back to his trip here and remembered it being unpleasant. Bright light, falling through empty space, the fear of not knowing what the hell was happening. It was one of the very few times in his life that he had been scared shitless. And Turks weren't known for getting scared.

"Are you sure about this, Squall? I mean, is it really safe? What if.."

"Reno, do you want to get home or not, because this is the only way," Squall said with a sigh, but couldn't help but smirk at the babbling redhead. He looked back at the wall with a frown, cursing under his breath.

"Stop being a pussy, Red," Seifer taunted from behind him and he spun with an angry growl.

"I don't see you volunteering to go, Seifer. So I wouldn't fucking talk, blondie!"

"Well, I have volunteered to go," Squall cut in between the two. The last thing they needed was a scuffle right now. "At least you've been through this before. I have no clue what's going to happen. Think about that. You know what to expect, so maybe it won't be as bad this time, alright?"

"Alright," he said, giving Seifer one last scathing look before facing the wall again.

"Be careful, Squall," Rinoa said. "Are you sure you don't want us to come with you?" she asked hopefully, indicating the small group that came to see the two off.

"No, I need you all to stay here. Don't worry, we can easily handle Odine."

"What if you can't find him? He could be anywhere in Reno's world." Zell asked.

"We'll just have to keep looking until we do. If we need more help, I'll come back and get you all, but until then, let Reno and I handle this." He gave Rinoa a slow lingering kiss before letting her go. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Reno answered and pushed any fear he had away. They looked at each other before stepping forward to place their hands on the wall. The group watched as they literally melted through the wall into nothingness, a bright light flaring for a brief moment.

"I hope they're alright," Selphie mused softly.

"They'll be fine," Irvine said, giving her a hug. "Let's get out of here, guys." They left for the Garden, leaving the guards to wait for their Commander's return, only because he had ordered them to do so.

XXXXX

Squall had been right. This trip hadn't been that bad, but they were both a little disoriented as they popped into Reno's world. He shook his head in an attempt to clear it and felt Squall latch onto his arm for support. It took a moment for him to realized that things looked a lot different in the area than when he had been pulled into the unknown.

"Reno, is that you?" he heard his partner's voice and nearly screamed with relief. Rude was walking quickly toward the two of them with a huge smile, which was a rare occurrence. He tackled the bigger man, giving him a vise like hug as he laughed almost manically. "Hey, partner. Where you been, man?" he laughed with him, slapping him on the back with the friendly exchange.

"Long story. What's going on around here?" he asked, letting Rude go and looking around the area to see tents and equipment scattered across the grounds.

"After you disappeared, Rufus ordered the boulder to be guarded and examined."

"Reno, we need to find Odine," Squall said with urgency, speaking for the first time since their arrival. Rude looked him up and down with a slight frown, then turned his gaze on Reno questioningly.

"Oh, this is Squall. He's from the world I was....visiting." Rude nodded and lost his tense posture.

"I think we may have caught this man you're taking about," Rude said. "Some strange little dude, bald, annoying accent. We caught him snooping around. Must have been a lapse in security, cause nobody saw him come through here," he said, pointing at the boulder.

"Ohhhhhh, hell ya! Where is the fucker?" Reno asked, looking absolutely overjoyed with the news.

"Back at headquarters, locked up."

"Looks like our job is already done, Squall," he said with a grin and he smiled softly back with a chuckle. "I need a helicopter, Rude, now! That little lab rat is a menace. I need to dish out some payback, partner." Rude asked no questions and with a short nod led Reno and Squall to the nearest copter.

"The boss will want to know you're back. Check in with him before you have your fun," Rude said as the two men climbed inside the aircraft. "I'll be sure to do that," Reno drawled with a smirk. "Did the boss miss me?"

"He's been cranky," Rude answered with a half smile a shake of his head as he backed away from the helicopter. Reno only laughed as he started it up giving Rude a quick wave before lifting off the ground.

"Don't tell me you're fucking your boss," Squall yelled over the sound of the rotor. Reno grinned in response then put his attention back on flying. Squall wasn't really surprised and laughed silently as he looked down at the land below. His attention remained on the terrain as they flew and he was amazed how different this world was from his own. Both men remained silent, both lost in their own thoughts.

It was a huge weight lifted off Squall's shoulders to know that Odine had already been conveniently captured. He thought it would be weeks, or even longer before they caught the elusive scientist. He wanted to bring Odine back to his father, but wondered if Reno was going to hinder him from doing so. Reno wanted his revenge and he had earned it, but Odine also killed a man and needed to face Esthar justice. It would surly bring the penalty of death, he deserved no less.

He looked over at the redhead, taking in his profile that seemed delicate and almost innocent, but he knew Reno was anything but. He was an extremely sexual being as he already experience first hand, and from what Squall had seen in the Training Centre, he was a brutal and vicious fighter as well. Even now he knew he was going to miss having the feisty redhead around all the time. It was funny considering he had disliked him the first time he'd seen him.

Reno had brought out the sexual monster within himself that he hadn't even realized was there. He and Rinoa weren't shy about being experimental with each other by no means, but Squall never pictured himself being drawn to someone like Reno. He was crude, perverted, hotheaded, but managed to charm everyone he met into liking him to some degree. At least that's the way it seemed to him, but maybe he was even more of a pain in the ass here in his own world. He looked off toward the horizon as he thought and notice they were approaching a city.

"That's Edge," Reno yelled, getting Squall's attention. Use to be Midgar, but I'll tell you about that some other time." Squall nodded and looked back toward their destination. In minutes Reno was landing the helicopter with practiced ease on the roof of a tall building. Quiet filled the cabin as the rotor spun slowly to a stop and Squall grunted softly in surprise when Reno leaned over and gave him a searing kiss.

"What was that about?" Squall asked, feeling a little breathless when they broke apart.

"I'm just happy to be home and knowing I can visit you any time I want ain't such a bad fucking deal either," he said, sounding breathless himself. "That and I saw you staring at me out of the corner of my eye. Having dirty thoughts maybe...hmmmmm?"

"Later, Reno. We have something to do, remember?" Squall said, ignoring the stirs of arousal as best he could.

"Fine! I'm gonna have to teach you how to let loose, babe," he said, climbing out of the aircraft. "Get your hot ass out here so I can introduce you to my boss."

"You have such finesse, Reno. It blows me away," Squall said with the slightest hint of a smile.

"Damn right I do," he answered and led him to the door, nodding at the two Shinra guards that were posted there. Once inside they boarded a elevator that was taking them to a lower level. Reno wasn't shy to lean into him and start nipping at his neck. It was maddening to want Reno to have his fun, but he wanted to concentrate on the job they needed to do. The SeeD in him was screaming business first, pleasure later, but he wanted to ignore it. He was tempted to just accidentally hit the stop button and take the horny redhead right there on the elevator floor. Thankfully they made it to their destination before he had the chance.

"I'm only gonna be able to hold out so much longer, Squall," he said as they made their exit. "Do you think Rinoa would mind if you and I have a pre-party party?" he asked hopefully as they walked down a wide hallway toward a set of double doors.

"Maybe.....We'll see," he said as they stopped in front of the doors, noting the slight disappointment in Reno's eyes.

"You never get tired of teasing me, do you?" Squall only looked at him with fake innocence. "Hot bastard," he growled lowly and knocked on the door.

"Enter," they heard and stepped inside. Rufus looked up from his desk, eyes widening only slightly when he saw his missing Turk enter his office. "Well, well, my best Turk has finally come home," Rufus smiled. "Hmmm, and you brought a friend," he added and wasn't subtle when he looked Squall up and down with an approval that mirrored the way Reno looked at him. Squall pointedly ignored it, wondering if everyone in this world was so forward. "Are you going to tell me what's been going on, or are you going to make me sit here to just admire the view." he asked Reno with a smirk.

After being introduced, Squall let Reno relate the entire situation until it came to what Henry had discussed with him, then he took over, trying to explain the 'gateways'. Rufus listened intently, stopping them now and then to ask questions when needed. His eyes flared with anger when Reno mentioned the torture he had endured at the hands of Odine. When he discovered Odine was the one who was captured around the site he sat up straighter in his seat. The look on his face was enough to tell him he was going to have more problems with the Odine situation than he had originally thought. Now he'd have to deal with Reno's boss on the matter.

"Squall, could you leave Reno and I alone for a moment. I need to discuss something with him in private," Rufus said with a warm smile that Squall didn't quite trust, but he left without protest, shutting the door quietly behind him.

"What's up boss?" he asked when they were alone.

"Come here," he ordered, pushing his chair away from his desk to give Reno room for what he wanted him to do. Reno smirked, knowing the drill and walked around the desk to straddle his lap. "You've been gone too long, Reno," he said, pulling him down in a kiss of welcome. Rufus was eager to make up for every day he was missing, plunging his tongue into the depths of his casual lover's mouth. Not only did Reno do his job better than anyone, he also sated his bosses carnal desires when needed. He found it to be a perk actually.

"Go to the cells and take care of our problem, Reno. I'm sure Squall will be appreciative as well," Rufus said after a few minutes of re-acquaintance.

"Don't worry, the egghead is gonna be screaming by the time I'm done with him, but we gotta let Squall take him back," he said, still panting softly from their make out session.

"And why should we let him do that? He's in Shinra's custody now. You even said he tried to get information about me. Not someone I'd like to let go free, Reno."

"One, I don't want to get on Squall's bad side. Two, he killed someone in his world. Three, well....there really isn't a three, but trust me, he won't survive very long after he's taken back." Rufus still didn't look very convinced and shifted a little roughly under Reno with a slight scowl. He was a man that was used to getting what he wanted after all. "Come on, boss. This isn't a big deal. I'll even go back with them to make sure the fucker doesn't get free again."

"What do I get out of this if I agree, Reno? The man tortured my Turk and from what you and Squall told me, the man is dangerous. I don't like loose ends, you know that."

"What do you want, boss?" he asked with a smirk and had an idea what the answer would be.

"How close are you to Squall?" he asked, arching his eyebrows.

"Ohhhh, you thinking about a little playtime?" he drawled. Rufus chuckled lightly in response and that was answer enough. "I'll tell you what, Squall and I haven't even rolled in the sack yet, but give me some time and maybe I can convince him to have a little party with us. It took me forever just to get close to him, he's a tough one."

"Like Strife," Rufus mused with a slow smile.

"Exactly....I'm still working on him too by the way," he said with a wink.

"You're such a slut, Reno," he said with a strange kind of amused admiration.

"I know you love it," he said simply.

XXXXX

Reno wasn't very talkative about what Rufus had discussed with him and Squall asked no questions as they made their way to the holding cells to a lower floor of the building. All he wanted was to get Odine back to Esthar without a fight. He kept glancing at Reno, noting his change in demeanor the closer they got to their destination. He seemed detached and cold as he fingered his EMR with what looked like a caressing touch.

They moved past the cells, continuing down a darker hallway that had two burly guards posted by a strong steel door. They seemed to know that Reno was on the way and stepped aside, unlocking the door for he and Squall to enter. When they stepped inside, Odine's hands and ankles were handcuffed to a chair in the center of the room. He was staring down at the floor with his shoulder slumped. One glance at the small room was enough to tell Squall what it was used for. Plastic covered every inch of it, but the floor was made of concrete and had a drain to wash away anything that might be spilled.

"Vell, vell, look who ve have here," Reno taunted the small man with a crude imitation of his thick accent. Odine flinched at the sound and looked up at them with wide, terror filled eyes. "Don't piss yourself, man. I haven't even done anything yet," Reno said with a twisted grin. The scientist struggled in his chair with a high pitched whimper and he looked at Squall with pleading eyes.

"Pleaze, don't.."

"Shut up ya little bitch," Reno growled and backhanded him across the face with a loud smack. Blood dribbled down his chin and his whimpering intensified. Squall looked away from the pathetic lump of a man, really not wanting to be in the room. Squall could fight in the heat of battle, go one on one with any opponent, but he wasn't one for torture, he never was.

"You wanna wait outside, Squall," Reno asked, noticing his averted eyes.

"Pleaze don't leave me vis him," Odine's voice trembled as he begged. "Your father vouldn't vant zis."

"Get the information we need, Reno," Squall said coldly before leaving the room with an air of indifference.

"Looks like its just you and me, egghead. I prefer it this way, truth be told," Reno said in a pleasant tone of voice as he pulled a chair in front of Odine to sit. The trembling man tried to keep eye contact, but crumbled in seconds as he tried in vain to get loose again. "Like a rat in a trap," Reno chuckled with amusement.

"Don't do zis!"

"Who's helping you, Odine?" Reno asked.

"Vat are you talking about?" he answered, but Reno saw the slight change in his eyes. He was hiding something.

"Let me help clear your mind by answering one of your question you wanted an answer to, shall I?" Reno placed his EMR under Odine's chin and lifted his head up slightly higher with it as he spoke. "You wanted to know what this weapon did...well..." He hit the switch to the lowest setting and a current of electricity ran down its length and Odine was screaming as his body shook violently. The smell of cooking flesh filled the room before Reno took the weapon away from the squealing man.

"Anything coming to mind?" Reno sneered at the sobbing sack of worthless shit in front of him.

"Ze Mayor of Dollet. Mayor Travis....He's ze one," Odine sobbed.

"That's better....anybody else?"

"No." He pressed the EMR against his neck and upped the current to the next setting. Odine screamed so loud that Reno thought the man's throat might explode with its pitch. He kept the pressure on until he was satisfied and pulled it away, scowling when he saw pieces of his cooked flesh sticking to his weapon.

"Fucker, you got your rat skin stuck on my baby," Reno said with disgust.

"Zere iz no one else....No more, I vill do vatever you vant, just stop!" he sobbed hoarsely.

"You're lucky I like Squall so much, because otherwise I'd make you scream until you had no breath left in you fucking lifeless body. You're going back to Esthar and I'm sure you won't get a cheerful reception. But on the other hand, I still haven't had enough payback yet, far from it, fucker!" Reno stood from his chair, taking off his jacket and EMR, laying them aside.

"Don't...pleaze."

"Whining bitch," Reno growled coldly and proceeded to use the scientist as his own personal punching bag.

XXXXX

Even the thickness of the door didn't keep the screams out as Squall waited for Reno to get done. He felt a sick twist in his gut, but he couldn't feel sorry for the man. He had brought this on himself. Even the two guards that waited with him looked a little shaken. After what seemed like forever, Reno stepped out, blood covering his hands and shirt.

"Get a healer and take the piece of shit back to his cell," Reno ordered and beckoned Squall to follow him back the way they had come. Squall watched as Reno pressed the button for the floor he wanted and saw he left a bloody fingerprint behind. The redhead didn't even bother to try wiping it away. "I got what you needed. The Mayor of Dollet is who you want." he said after the elevator door slid shut.

"Shit," he muttered with a shake of his head. He looked at Reno's crimson hands then quickly looked away. "How can you stand that?" he asked.

"It's just part of the job, Squall. Not as much as it use to be, but sometimes its still necessary." He nodded, but said nothing. What Reno did in his job was none of his business and he wasn't going to ask questions. The elevator stopped and they stepped out to move down an elegant hallway. Reno led him to a door and they stepped inside what appeared to be a lavish apartment.

"You live here?" he asked as Reno shut the door behind him.

"Sure do. All us Turks live on this floor. That's why I don't bother locking the door. We're a close knit group. Have a seat," he said and left the room. Squall sat patiently and waited for Reno to return. He heard the sound of water running as he looked around the room. He wasn't waiting long and when the redhead came back. He was free of blood and as nude as the day he was born.

"You planning on coming back to my world like that?" Squall joked with a smirk and felt his groin stir as he took in Reno's lean muscled body.

"I need a shower. Wanna join me, babe?"