Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Between the Lines ❯ Reno's Rude Awakening ( Chapter 5 )

Between the Lines

 

Description: What happened to Reno and Rude in Advent Children during the times they were off camera. How and why they showed up where they did when they did. Rated T for language and descriptions of torture.

 

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII and its characters are the property of Square-Enix. Everything in this fic is just speculation on my part. I have no insider information. I also have no money, so suing me would be pointless.

 

Five: Reno's Rude Awakening

 

Very slowly, Reno's world returned to him. The pain came first: a dull ache in his head, sharper stabbing sensations in his side and arms, and an overall feeling of fatigue. Then light began to emerge in the space beyond his eyelids, and memories started to filter through to his consciousness.

 

For a few minutes, Reno just concentrated on his breathing: in and out, in and out. He was alive. He had been beaten into next week by a teenager, but the bruises -- and his pride -- would heal. Eventually.

 

A shadow momentarily blocked out the light, and Reno heard soft footfalls passing by him. Probably Rude come to get my ass up. Screw him. After all I've been through, I deserve a nap, damn it.

 

He was wondering how long he could successfully pretend to be unconscious when the shadow spoke, making him suddenly very glad he had not bothered to move yet.

 

"It's me. … No, no problems. I told you it would be fine."

 

The tone was light and gentle, but Reno easily recognized the voice. Kadaj was still in the room! What had happened to Rude and Rufus?

 

"No. He said she fell out of the helicopter on their way here. … Yeah, that was my reaction, too. … For now, let's just stick to the plan and keep it moving forward."

 

Reno sure didn't like the sound of that.

 

Kadaj had paused for a substantial length of time, probably to listen to an update from the person on the other end. Eventually he continued, "Okay, so where is he now? … All right, well, call him and fill him in, and Yazoo? Make sure you get them both. … Fine. I'm going to head back. I'll meet you there. … Yeah. … That's for sure …" A pause and then a light laugh. "I'll be fine. You worry too much. … I know, I know. I'll see you later. Bye."

 

Who was this guy? The way he talked to this Yazoo person, he sounded like a normal kid chatting with his friend. But a normal kid couldn't lay out two high-ranking Turks in a matter of seconds the way Kadaj had done.

 

As the shadow moved away towards the door, Reno risked opening one eye a peek. Kadaj had stopped a moment to put the phone away. His silver hair had fallen forward, completely hiding his face. But Reno remembered exactly what those eyes looked like; he'd never be able to open a door again without seeing them flash at him in his mind. Reno also noticed the long sword hanging from Kadaj's back. A nasty-looking thing that the kid hadn't even bothered to draw. If he could cause that much damage with just his fists and knew how to wield a sword too … . Reno stopped his despairing groan just in time.

 

Kadaj's head flicked up, and Reno quickly shut his eye, trying his best to appear unawake and uninteresting. Once he had heard the door open and close, he slowly counted to twenty before opening his eyes and sitting up.

 

Rude lay on the floor, face-down, a few feet away. Reno crawled over to him as quickly as his aching body would let him. Before he had reached him, Rude's head and shoulders moved ever so slightly, dispelling Reno's worst fears, but he remained unconscious even when Reno shook his shoulder gently. Reno was impressed in spite of himself. It took a lot to knock Rude out. Back when ShinRa was more than just a handful of loyal followers, Rude had earned company-wide fame for having a three-story building fall on top of him -- Reno had insisted it wasn't his fault; Tseng had mostly believed him -- and then not only digging himself out but also eliminating the target as if nothing had happened.

 

Reno shook his indestructible partner's shoulder again. "Rude. Yo, Rude! Wake up, man. You okay?"

 

Rude's eyelids fluttered, and a deep groan slowly escaped his lips. "Whu … Preh .... zdent …" he breathed.

 

"What?"

 

"Where's the … President?"

 

"Oh!" Reno had forgotten about Rufus. He turned his body to check behind him and saw the still figure hunched over in his wheelchair. "He's right here. In his chair still. Looks like the creep knocked him out, too."

 

Rude rolled onto his back and, raising a hand, began to probe his head and neck for injury. "Go check on him," he told Reno.

 

"I will," Reno responded, "as soon as I know you're okay."

His partner smiled, a sight Reno rarely saw. "I'll be fine. Rufus signs your paychecks, you know. I would have thought you'd be more concerned."

 

Yeah, but an employer can be replaced. He didn't say it though. After all, he had an image to maintain.

 

Reno tried standing up, found that he could, and walked over to Rufus. He had only gone a few steps, however, when the sight before him made him stop again in horror. Black. Everywhere. A river of it from the armrest all the way down the side of the chair, and a thick pool of it on the floor. Never before had he seen this much discharge from one attack. And the pain …

 

Side-stepping the Geostigma lake, Reno quickly knelt down in front of Rufus and moved the sheet so he could see his face. The President had lost most of his color, and his breath came in jagged gasps, but he hadn't succumbed to the disease, not yet.

 

Reno gently slid a hand next to either side of Rufus's face and carefully lifted his head to relieve the pressure on his neck. "Mr. President? Are you all right, sir?"

 

Rufus's eye gradually opened, its gaze clouded and unfocused. Reno removed his hands from the President's head, and to his relief, it stayed upright on its own.

 

"Sir? Are you all right?"

 

But his boss made no sign that he had heard; he showed no recognition, no response. Wondering what he should do next, Reno sat back on his heels. As he moved, he noticed two laminated cards on the floor. Tseng and Elena's ID badges, streaked with blood. Mechanically, Reno picked them up and put them in his jacket's breast pocket. I don't have the time or energy for any guilt right now. Maybe later, when all this ugliness has passed.

 

"Ugh."

 

Reno turned his head to see that Rude had recovered and come over to them. His usually closed face clearly showed his distress and concern. They both watched the President for a moment, looking for any sign of awareness in his vacant expression but finding none. Eventually, Rude left to fetch a rag so that he could clean up the mess on the floor. Reno turned over in his mind whether shaking or hitting Rufus would work and whether, if it did, it would also get him fired.

 

Then, with an abruptness that nearly made Reno fall over, Rufus's gaze snapped into focus, and he started to laugh uncontrollably.

 

Reno shot to his feet and took several steps backwards. "Um, sir?'' Holy shit. He's finally lost it.

 

"I can't believe it. I just can't believe it. I knew he was an amateur, but what complete idiocy!" The laughter overtook him again, nearly doubling him over with its force.

 

Reno shot a glance at Rude who had stopped his work to stare at the President. Rude's expression held mainly confusion. Reno wondered how he could be so calm when Rufus had clearly gone mental on them.

 

"To answer all my questions so readily, as if he wanted me to know his plans. Such arrogance. Such stupidity." Rufus placed a hand on his chest to help get himself under control. Once he had calmed down, he laid back in his chair, still ignoring the two Turks beside him, and commented, "'Remnants' … and 'Reunion' again. Hojo would've died of happiness if he had heard that." An evil smile twitched at his mouth, and his eye turned to Reno. "Good thing he's already dead. Hmm?"

 

Reno swallowed, still half convinced the man in front of him was insane. Rude apparently didn't think so for he had gone back to his cleaning. "Um, yes sir."

 

Still smiling in a way that made Reno very uncomfortable, Rufus reached up and pulled the sheet back over his eyes. He waved a hand to Rude as if to shoo him. "Leave that. I'll get someone else to clean it up. You two need to go find Cloud. I'll meet you at the hospital later."

 

"Sir, what if Kadaj comes back?" Rude asked, rising to his feet. Reno repressed a snort. We'll get beaten up again. What else?

 

"I'll be fine." Rufus raised his right hand and inspected the dark mark upon it. "I am his 'brother' after all." He chuckled to himself and returned his hand to the armrest. "Reno, call Morgan and have him send someone over to get me."

 

"Yes, sir." Reno stuck his hand in his pocket, but his fingers closed around only air. He blinked. Had it fallen out during the fight? He had half-turned around to look for it when another image popped into his head: a young man in black casually chatting while looming overtop him.

 

"That was my phone," Reno murmured in realization. Then he yelled, "That bastard took my phone!"

 

"Good," he heard Rude say quietly. Reno whirled on him, furious, but Rude had already turned to Rufus. "I'll do it, sir."

 

"Fine. Now get going."

 

"Yes, sir. Come on, Reno." Rude took him by the elbow again, but Reno quickly shook him off. He would be damned if he was going to let Rude push him around.

 

"Oh, no. This time you go first."