Two Letters and a Number

You don't have to read this for the rest of the story to make sense, but hey... it's Reno)


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Closing the door behind him, Reno frowned as he wandered towards Rufus’ office and winced as his bruised jaw made itself known again. Damn drunk. Couldn’t just let ‘em drink in peace and have a descent meal. Nope, gotta go and get all offended ‘cause a couple of Turks wanted a quiet night.

Sighing, he scrubbed a hand through his red hair and dug out a crumpled pack of cigarettes with a lighter. Placing the thin white tube between his lips, Reno flicked the lighter on but hesitated in bringing the small flame to the end as his mind whirled. This group needed a reason to trust Shinra despite everything they heard or at least believe that Rufus was trying to turn the company around. The business possibilities that were here were great, and if Rufus had to bring Reeve in on it to ensure that WRO kept its nose out of Shinra’s business. Rufus *needed* this to get Shinra back on its feet as a company, especially after the indirect commanding he had been doing, first when recovering from the Diamond Weapon’s attack and then later with the Geostigma.

“Boss needs ta get orders out to the offices,” muttered Reno, stalking out onto the porch and lighting his cigarette with a decisive snap. Inhaling the heat, he closed his eyes as he leaned on the railing, enjoying the feel of the casual craving being fed before forcing the smoke out between clenched teeth. There was so much to do now that Rufus was healed from the Geostigma the least of which was getting orders out the various Shinra offices located around the world to get them organized again.

He froze, the cigarette halfway to his lips as he mentally poked that idea and turned it around in his mind. Rufus needed to get orders out. Those Tau’ri guys needed to know more about Shinra from various, unbiased people. One person could be trusted to help with both tasks if they could convince him.

Cloud Strife.

But how to convince the blond after the mess with the psycho trio. Reno sighed and stubbed out his cigarette, deciding to get Tseng’s file on the ex-SOLDIER to see if there was an angle there they could use to get Strife to agree to this. The man was just as anti-social as Sephiroth ever was, and trying to convince him to not only work *with* Shinra but also cart around a complete stranger was going to be tricky.

A few minutes later, Reno found Tseng on the way to the temporary filing room and grinned at the dark haired Turk. “Hey Tseng, is that file on Cloud Strife still in the cabinet?”

“Why do you want it?” inquired Tseng even as he lead the way over to the metal cabinet and dug out a thick file.

“I have an idea to help Rufus with our guests but it involves Blond and Broody,” confessed Reno before outlining his quick and brief plan. “So I need ta know how Rufus can approach him best ‘cause after that last fiasco, Strife’s gonna be looking for any excuse ta take Rufus or Shinra down.”

Tseng didn’t say anything for a few minuets before handing over the file. “Be sure to put it back when you’re done and have a plan ready by breakfast.”

“Yes sir.” There was a quiet click as the door closed behind the dark Turk, and Reno sank into the one chair next to the lone table before bending his head to start reading.

Several hours and a full packet of cigarettes later, Reno had a decent idea of where to start. Private Cloud Strife had been honest, which had resulted in a couple of guys in his troop taking serious exception when he had been asked by a sarge if Private Strife knew who had glued the boxers to the ceiling. Said beefcakes decided to give short, scrawny Strife a tour of the chocobo pens in the middle of the night, not realizing that a First-Class SOLDIER was returning really late from a mission on his own chocobo, and that the feathered fluff balls rather liked the spiky haired private. The SOLDIER’s mount decided to take offense to the rough handling Strife was receiving, and the next day, Strife had been transferred to the unit often tapped by both SOLDIERs and Turks for back up and gophers. The official note was that his application to join the SOLDIER Program had been processed, but it was obvious that SOLDIER Zack Fair had taken a definite interest in the kid.

Which led Strife to being in Nibelheim when the shit hit the fan. Tseng had his own report quietly tucked into the folder about the two people carried out of the reactor after the Silver General went psycho. Strife and Fair. The only survivors of that crazy night delivered straight into Hojo’s hands because the President declared a cover up and they were loose ends. For about four years, ‘Specimen C’ was at Hojo’s mercy until ‘Specimen Z’ broke them both out. They were on the run for about a year, making their way back to Nibelheim when Fair was killed within sight of the city.

‘Probably where that damn big sword in the cliff is,’ mused Reno, slowly smoking his last cigarette.

After that, Strife got strange. Started calling himself an ex-SOLDIER First Class and joined AVALANCHE and then hooked up with that Gainsborough girl. Some bombings, some fights, and then Strife was taking on Sephiroth. Then he was helping in the Midgar ruins after Meteor and started a delivery service which took him away from people who knew him for days at a time, leaving Tifa to run her bar and watch over the two kids that were staying with her.

A faint plan was starting in the back of Reno’s head, and he glanced at his watch. He’d have just enough time to grab a quick shower before talking with Rufus before breakfast. He wanted to lay the outline of the plan in front of the Boss only before letting the Tau’ri join the party.

Thirty minutes later had him standing inside Rufus’ room as the blond looked at him curiously. “What’s on your mind this early in the morning, Reno?”

“I think I’ve figured out how to hit two chocobos with one stone,” replied the redhead, a slight smirk on his face. He repeated the Tau’ri problem from the night before and his own idea of using Strife to handle it.

Rufus silently got dressed as he listened and nodded as he buttoned up his white vest. “But after the incident with Kadaj and his group, I doubt he would be willing to trust us if we offered him a job.”

A grin stretched across Reno’s face. “You give him a reason to trust you,” stated the redhead before a serious expression fell across his face. “Yes, your normal attitude in dealing with people is to manipulate them into doing what you want, but the one thing Strife values is *honesty*. That goes back to his time as a private. If you’re honest with him, laying all the cards he believes you have on the table, then he’d be seriously tempted to take the job.”

“And convincing him to take one of the Tau’ri with him?”

The red haired Turk shrugged a shoulder. “I’d say offer him a favor, no questions asked, ‘cause you know he’d only use it at a time when he either really needed help from Shinra or to keep you from doing something *once*.” He smirked. “Besides, he’s too much of a good guy to keep meddling in your business once you get him as an ally.”

Rufus nodded absently as he slipped on the leather holster and slid his gun into it before scooping up his jacket. “I will take your advice under consideration when I speak with Mr. Strife about a job. Call his business and offer a job to him.”

Grinning, Reno saluted. “Yes sir.”
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