Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Between the Lines ❯ Storm Chasing ( Chapter 6 )

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.

 

Six: Storm Chasing

 

Rude instinctively braced himself against the dashboard as Reno slammed the car into gear and launched it onto the road. He had wanted to drive, but Reno had pointed out that Rude had a call to make and therefore, for safety's sake, he should not be behind the wheel. Rude had very reluctantly given in even though he knew "safety" was not a word that hung around anywhere near Reno.

 

He double-checked his seatbelt to make sure it had locked. Then he triple-checked it. From the other seat, Reno laughed at him and his nervousness. No, that sound would be more accurately described as a snicker. Reno had actually snickered at him.

 

Rude sighed and, trying to block out the sight of scenery screaming past him, took out his phone in order to call Morgan.

 

"Sonuvabitch," Reno complained when he saw what Rude was doing. "I can't believe he took my phone. Do you have any idea how many gorgeous women's numbers I had on that thing?"

 

"None," Rude replied promptly. "You don't bother to get their numbers."

 

A long silence passed between them. Then Reno muttered, "I need to get a partner who doesn't know me so well."

 

Rude laughed softly. If only Reno knew how easy he was to figure out. "So," he asked, "where are you going?"

 

"I dunno. Back towards Edge first. That paper Rufus gave me had an address, but Tifa said he's not there anymore. Maybe somewhere nearby?"

 

"Hmm. Somehow I don't think so." His mind brought up the memory of Cloud, listening to Rufus weave dreams of security, happiness, and a new world. Reno had managed to get himself locked out of the room, so he had not seen Cloud's face, the haunted look of solitude and pain. The heart that belonged to that face would not have found refuge in town. And if he did in fact have the disease, that would give him even more reason to stay away.

 

He said to Reno, "I think we should start somewhere where there aren't many people. Somewhere isolated."

 

"Isolated? Like the outskirts of town?"

 

"Or the ruins." That would be a perfect place to hide: empty of people, full of memories.

 

"The ruins?" Reno rolled his eyes. "Shit, if he's hiding in there, we'll never find him."

 

"We used to find people there all the time," Rude reminded him. Memories tugged at his heart, some good, some bad, all of them carrying a feeling of sadness. It had been two years, but Rude still missed Midgar. The way the city seemed to be alive. Its destruction had felt more like a death.

 

Reno continued their conversation, apparently unhindered by the past. "Yeah, but that was before it fell in on itself. And we usually had an idea what sector to start in, you know? If we have to --" Reno stopped. He sat very still for a moment, his eyes wide and bright. Then: "I know where to start looking. You call Morgan and order up that car. I know where I'm going."

 

"You do?"

 

"Trust me on this."

 

"All right." Rude opened his phone, brought up his contacts, and scrolled down until he found the right number.

 

A tired-sounding woman answered the other end. "Silvereave Hospital. How may I direct your call?"

 

"Dr. William Morgan please. A message from Rufus Shinra."

 

That woke her up as Rude knew it would. "One moment, sir. I'll transfer you directly."

 

As expected, Rude had to wait more than just one moment since no one could ever transfer directly to Morgan. The hospital staff bounced him around the departments for nearly ten minutes, including twice more to the poor woman working the front desk, before he found himself talking to one of the doctor's staff. Then he had to wait for them to find Morgan since the man always seemed to be in surgery or with a patient. Rude bore it all without complaint. This sort of thing happened every time.

 

Finally, the man he wanted picked up the other line. "Doctor Morgan."

 

"Morgan, it's Rude."

 

"Hey, Rude, what can I do for you?"

 

"The President wants to come see Tseng and Elena, but Reno and I are out on an assignment. He wants you to send someone to pick him up."

 

"Sure, no problem. He won't be able to see them for a while, but he's welcome to hang out here until they're stable. Does he want a car or the chopper?"

 

"I don't know."

 

"Then I'll send both. Anything else?"

 

"No."

 

"All right. I'll see you later." He hung up.

 

Rude closed his phone with a small smile. He liked Morgan. The man was fast and efficient. If anyone could crack Geostigma, he would. The only question remaining was would he be able to do it in time. Rufus's most recent attack had been dreadful, the worst they'd ever seen. It made Rude feel as if somewhere a button had been pressed and the countdown had begun.

 

For the rest of the trip, Rude sat in silence, content simply to trust Reno. The red-head surprisingly offered no conversation, driving with an intent look on his face that made his aggressive style even more frightening. Rude used the quiet time to think about Cloud and how they could possibly convince him to fight. The way the blond had acted earlier, Rude doubted that even a direct threat to his loved ones would motivate him. The difference between success and failure would probably come down to luck; Rude hated missions like that.

 

The car rounded a corner, and the top of what had once been ShinRa Headquarters came into view, stealing Rude's thoughts away. He gazed at the crumbling building as images and sounds flooded into his head. He could still remember every corner of his old office. Tseng's extension and the message on his machine. The view from the elevator. The streetsigns and storefronts on his walk home. The music that played in his favorite bar and the face of the barmaid who always seemed to smile more brightly at him. The way Reno would tease him once she had left. The lights that shone out from every direction even late at night.

 

We'll build it again. It might take years, but some day we'll have it back. And this time we'll do it right.

 

Rude glanced over at his partner and smiled.