Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ I Know What Lies Beneath the Snowfields ❯ Chapter 48 ( Chapter 48 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

"I Know What's Beneath the Snow Fields"
Chapter 48

At the far corner of some narrow sidestreet stood
"The Fleetwood", one of the many bars dedicated solely to the nightlife
in Midgar. A flight of stone steps led down to the main entrance, where
a broad, impressive guard stood watch.

The sign by the entrance read "The Fleetwood" in golden, rather
elaborate letters. Past these oak doors and down two more steps, the
corridor opened into a large, luxurious hall. Round tables of all sizes
scattered across the spacious room. A hazy sea of smoke hung overhead.

All lights had been dimmed greatly, if only to attract everyone's
attention to the entertainment up on stage. Some young singer in a
skin-tight, glittery dress basked under the spotlight with a hand-held
microphone. She sung some sentimental love ballad in an overly-sweet
voice, smiling or winking many times to her admiring audience.

Not surprisingly, most of her audience comprised of men: lonely
bachelors for a night out; bitter husbands on the run from their nagging
wives; even old men who fancied themselves still as young as before.
They smoke and drank deep, some murmured about any idle topic, others
simply enjoyed this pleasing sight (or the music, whichever they
preferred).

The magnificent bar spread itself down the middle of the hall, with
many high stools outlining its shiny, wooden counter. Plenty of
customers lounged around for drinks or a friendly chat. The old
bartender, a respectable gentleman nearly 60 years old, bustled about
like a bumble bee. He served up the alcoholic beverages, replaced filled
ashtrays, and hustled the waitresses to work faster.

Indeed, nightlife thrived so wonderfully at "The Fleetwood".
An oasis for anyone seeking respite from the mountainous troubles
outside, be they work, debt, loneliness, women (or men).

One particular young man sat slouched back against the bar counter,
swirling what little remained of his drink around in a glass. He was of
medium height, gaunt, and slovenly dressed in looses slacks, and an
untucked shirt. He had an amazing shock of pink hair, with a thin, long
pigtail dangling behind. One neat scar marked each cheeckbone, not only
accenuating the leanness of his face, but also the cynicism in his
sea-green eyes.

Another man sat on the stool on his right. This man lay slumped over
the counter, his bald head tiredly burried in both arms. He appeared
taller, older than his lean companion, certainly more muscular. Yet
despite the noisy bustling around him, the weary man never lifted his
head. He was either drunk or asleep.

The pink-haired man glanced a moment at his bald companion, then turned
his narrow eyes back to the dazzling singer on stage. He coolly finished
off his drink, while one foot beat along with the sweet music.

He hardly noticed anything else until a nervous voice nearby suddenly
addressed, "....Mr. Reno?"

Reno cast a languid look to the side. He found the entrance guard
standing there, his sweaty face red with evident irritation.

"Uh..Sir, there's someone who insists on seeing you now," informed the
vexed guard, "I tried my best, but..."

The man hadn't finished his complaint when suddenly a blond young woman
popped out from behind him. She glared so angirly at Reno, who almost
choked out his drink on recognizing her.

"So there you are!!" she exclaimed aloud, "I have just wasted the last
half hour trying to get this idiot to let me through!!"

"Hey! This is a private club, Missy!" retorted the incensed guard at
once, renewing the argument yet again, "You can't just barge in here,
bothering customers, like you're queen of the castle!!
I oughtta...."

The young woman opened her mouth for an immediate rebuttal. Luckily,
Reno intervened in time. With many assurances like
"Sorry, she's with me" and "Yeah, yeah, I know her", he managed to
appease the furious guard. So the man reluctantly retreated back to his
post, leaving Reno to handle this infuriated woman by himself.

The argument thus settled, Reno slumped back into his stool, then
leaned forward against the counter. He casually signalled the bartender
for another drink.

"Elena, what the heck are you doing here?" he frowned disapprovingly at
the woman.

Elena wore a smart business suit, with a posh handbag slung over one
shoulder, which gave her petite figure an air of immediate importance.
Her blond hair, carefully parted on one side, reached down to her chin.
The haircut, coupled with her impeccable make-up, suited her attractive
face perfectly.

She peevishly folded both arm across her chest. Anger marked every
feature of her face.

"I have been searching every bar, casino hall, and nightclub in Midgar
for you!" she scolded the lazy Reno, "You were supposed to come home
early tonight, remember?"

The man merely scoffed the obligation aside. When the drink had been
delivered, Reno picked the glass up to his thin lips.

"Ah...gimme a break, Elena," Reno dismissed so casually,
"Can't a guy enjoy a lttle drink out once in a while?"

"Not tonight! You were supposed to get the groceries, pick up that
payment bill from the bank," she angirly snatched the glass from between
his fingers, then cried, "...AND pay for this month's rent!!"

Reno blinked back at her, as if he'd never heard of the word.

"...rent?" he repeated.

"Yes! For the landlady!"

Reno thought a moment.

"Oh! Is it my turn already? Seems I just paid her and alredy the old
bat's screaming for more," he rubbed his temples, then sighed out,
"Alright. Whatever. I'll pay her later."

Elena slammed the glass onto the counter, at the same time giving Reno
such an angry look. She found his easy-going attitude far too
unbearable.

"You'll pay her tomorrow," she decided, "C'mon! It's midnight now! I'm
taking you home before you really get drunk!"

She began tugging at his arm to drag him away. All in vain; Reno easily
yanked his arm out of her grip. Not only did he lean further against the
corner, he picked up the glass again to show he would not leave just
yet.

"Now looky here, Elena. I've had a bad day, okay?" Reno complained as
he sipped his pleasant drink, "Everyone's been at my throat, hassling me
around for no reason. First that silly sales clerk, then this sourpuss
customer, then my boss. I just need a break."

"Hmph! They're probably hassling you because you never...what's wrong
with Rude?"

At last, Elena had noticed the older man slumped forward against the
bar counter, which instantly caught her concern. Indeed, Rude hadn't
flinched a muscle during the entire conversation.

Reno glanced askance at his slouched friend, then explained with
another sip, "Oh, Rude's had a pretty rotten day too."

"What happened?" Elena asked worriedly.

"His paranoid little boss-man was convinced (again) that someone wanted
to kill him today. So, he made Rude accompany him on every single
meeting he had....fifteen in all."

With a kind pat against his friend's heavy shoulder, he chuckled out,
"He was so damn tired in the end, he just fell asleep on the table. He
didn't even drink anything."

"Oh, poor man! That's horrible!" The tender Elena sympathised.

"Hey! How come HE gets all the sympathy here?" retorted Reno sourly, "I
had a bad day too, y'know!"

He pouted at her in feigned anger, the perfect resemblance of a jealous
child. In an instant, Reno had won her favor again. But rather than let
him see her deafeated smile, Elena tossed her head to the side.

"He's a hard-worker, you're just a silly slacker!" she accused
playfully, "Thanks to you, that 'old bat' will probably have us all
kicked out by...."

"Hey there, sweet thang!!" cut in an arrogant, gruff voice all of a
sudden.

Elena started at this rude interruption. On turning around, she found a
hulk of a man towering over her. He had a dirty black beard, and wore a
beaten leather jacket torn at one elbow (some sort of fashion statement,
perhaps?). An insolent smile stretched across his ugly face, showing off
the wide gap between his two front teeth.

Two other men, evidently his companions, lingered behind. they chuckled
like idiots or passed on a rude comment amongst themselves. They all
reeked of sweat and alcohol.

Elena, on the other hand, seemed quite perplexed.

"I been watching you from across the room over there," he announced
with a cocky motion of the hand, "Never seen you here before but damn!
You look hot!"

All three men exploded into coarse laughter, the drunken leader giving
her another meaningful wink.

In returen, Elena blinked back in confusion. She glanced back at Reno
for help, but he merely shrugged his shoulders and looked away.

"Name's Wallice," introduced the bulky man. He grinned more stupidly as
he shifted his impressive weight to the side, "but everyone calls me
King Wally, leader of the Fire Fang Gang. We own the whole sector! And
you are...?"

When he casually dropped his hairy paw on her slender shoulder, Elena
at last understood.

She instantly brushed his hand off with a curt,"Not interested"

However, the drunken man would not be so easily refused. Much to her
alarm, he roughly grabbed hold of her arm, then yanked her forward.

"What say you ditch scarecrow and baldy over there? Enjoy the company
of real men," Wallice invited with a drunken guffaw, " C'mon baby! Don't
you be playing no hard-to-get!"

"Ow! Let go of me!" cried Elena angirly. She squirmed in this painful
grip, "I just said I'm not interested! Let go!!'

"Hey, babe! you better show respect to our King!" demanded one of the
drunkards.

"Yeah! No one refuses King Wally!" laughed another.

"Let go! Let go, I say!" resisted Elena.

"Say pal," called Reno's cool voice suddenly.

Everyone looked at him, the stupid drunkards with a hateful glare,
Elena in surprise. Reno sat slouched in his high-stool, at complete ease
with this situation. A somewhat crooked smile twisted his lips as he
addressed Wallice.

Rude, however, remained slumped over the counter.

"What the hell do YOU want, little man?" thundered the brawny man. He
flung poor Elena aside, and faced the intruder in full view, with both
fists propped against his hips.

"The lady just said she wasn't interested," Reno remarked cuttingly,
"Now obviously, if she had wanted an *ape* for company, she'd have went
to the zoo. At least the ones over there smell better."

All three drunkards gaped stupidly at the insult until at last Wallice
understood. He bared his teeth in a raging fury.

"C'MERE, YOU GODDAMN...," he roared out.

The drunkard hurled one huge fist straight for Reno's face. However,
not only had Reno anticipated the attack, but had already decided the
counter-move. In the blink of an eye, he gracefully flipped back onto
the counter, just as Wallice savagely punched the stool instead. No
sooner had Reno touched onto the counter, than he grabbed hold of a
heavy ashtray nearby and swung it clear into the shocked assailant's
face. The blow knocked a tooth out of Wallice as it sent him flying to
the side, right into an empty table.

The violent commotion brought the entire hall to a confused halt. The
beautiful singer, who had been singing an encore, stumbled over her
words. The music stopped. Many customers turned their heads around
towards the ruckus. Even the entrance guard peeked inside to get a look.

Reno stood on top of the bar counter, hardly bothered by the odd stares
he received from every direction. The scornful smile had changed to a
most cold frown. His deep sea-green eyes were narrowed in cool
indifference.

Elena looked on in anxious concern. Surprisingly, Rude remained slumped
over the counter, right by Reno's feet. Nothing it seemed could awaken
him.

For a moment, Wallice's two drunken companions stared at their fallen
leader. He lay thrashed against the floor, the broken table and chairs
all heaped on top of him. A blind rage suddenly seized them.

"Asshole! Yer gonna pay!!" swore one man.

"No one does that to Fire Fang!!" thundered the other.

"With a cheesy name like that, I'm not surprised," remarked Reno
coolly.

This second insult would not go by unanswered. They both lunged
straight for him, roaring at the top of their voices for vengence. With
such easy nimbleness, Reno dodged the double attack by cartwheeling
aside along the counter.

One of the furious drunkards lunged at full speed right after him,
hoping to grab hold of this slippery enemy. However, Reno had foreseen
this attempt too. Therefore, he simply sprang high over the man's head,
which caused the latter to tumble wildly over the counter, and crash
into the wine bottles behind.

Reno, on the other hand, landed on the ground again, unharmed.

Outraged to insanity, the last drunkard charged like a bull straight
for Reno. But this time, Elena would not be an idle watcher. With a loud
"Reno, look out!", the woman swung her expensive handbag right against
the attacker's face, then flipped him up into the air by one incredible
sweep of the hand. The astonished man crashed head first back into the
floor, where he lay fully sprawled out without moving.

During the entire brawl, Rude hadn't lifted his head once.

Both Reno and Elena stood the victors, he in cool composure, she more
worried about the damage done to her precious handbag. Everyone gawked
in amazement at the spectacle. Some simply watched on, others muttered
faint exclamations like "cool!" or "What happened?"

In any case, Reno carelessly flicked his long pigtail back. He seemed
quite bored by the drunkards pathetic attempts.

"Honestly! Ganging up on a poor man like me," he drew out lazily, "You
guys are lucky I'm in such a generous mood, otherwise I would've killed
you."

The silly squabble thus concluded, Reno returned to the bar counter.
However, he stopped short when Wallice suddenly scrambled back up to his
feet in a perfect fit of rage. To him, this fight hadn't finished yet.

He savagely grabbed hold of the nearest chair, screaming out,
"C'mere, you scrawny little punk-ass!! I'll kill ya!! I'll kill ya!!"

Reno turned his head around. He onlt dignified the threat with a
composed, rather indifferent expression, then turned away again. Not at
all bothered, he stood at the bar counter to finish up his drink.

That was the final snub. Wallice charged straight at Reno, swinging the
chair around in a mad passion.

The old bartender, who hadn't dared speak all this time, suddenly
intervened from behind the counter.

"Hey!! Hey!! Wallice!!" the old man cried out in alarm, "Don't go
messing around THOSE guys!!! They're damn TURKS!!!!"

Wallice instantly halted, and stood agape at the warning. The news
spread like wild fire from mouth to mouth. The more cautious people
backed away; others crowded around for a closer look. Faint mutterings
broke out. Indeed, that one word "Turks" had caused a noticeable stir
amongst the shocked spectators.

Nevertheless, Reno remained at the bar counter with his back to the
crowd. Elena stood by his side, very discomforted by the dozens of
curious stares. Rude stayed slumped over as always.

Wallice stared another moment before suddenly exploding into the
coarsest, most loud bout of laughter.

"Turks?! HAH! Gimme a break, old man!!" he roared all over the hall,
"Turks ain't nothing no more!! Just a buncha wussy, push-over bums
without a job!!"

"What did you say?!" Elena snapped back at once. Anger instantly boiled
her blood.

Reno merely picked up his glass again in perfect easiness.

"Turks! Whadda joke!!" the drunkard spat out, glaring more venomously
at Reno, "Yeah! Not so hot now that you can't hide yer ass behind
ShinRa, huh? Yeah, on top of the world....doing anything you want, then
bam! Suddenly, you jes' low-life worms!! Huh! You must be the worst
piece of shit on the whole damn planet!!"

Amidst this insolent laughter, Reno gulped down the rest of his drink
without the least care. He didn't need to look behind. He could discern
the spectators' nervous stares change to hateful glares.

Wallice hurtled a few more drunken oaths, encouraged onwards by two or
three other spectators, until Elena could not bear it any longer.

"Ooh! How dare you, you...you...JERK!!" she retorted, "Why I.."

Much to her surprise, Reno gently grabbed her arm.

"Elena, let it go," he dismissed gravely.

"But..."

"Every underdog will have his day; evey sewer slime will have his say,"
he replied, indicating Wallice with a nod of the head.

The drunken man did not need to understand the wise proverb to realize
he had just been insulted.

He instanly resumed his mad charge with the wooden chair, shouting,
"Who you callin' sewer slime, you turkey!!! I'll friggin' rip ya ta...."

Everything ended in a flash, far too quick for anyone to expect. Before
the aggresive drunkard could even finish the threat, Rude suddenly
sprang off the stool for a swift rebuff. In one powerful sweep, he
kicked the chair out of Wallice's two hands. Without pausing, Rude swung
himself around once to deliver one mighty elbow clean into the man's
ugly face, thereby sending him flying back into another table. Wallice
did not get up again.

Reno stood in his same spot, totally indifferent to what had just
passed. Elena blinked is surprise, while all spercators lingered in
silent awe. Indeed, no one (except perhaps Reno) had expected this
sleeping man to leap up like that, much less for him to be such an
effective ally.

Imposingly tall with stern brown eyes, Rude studied the unconscious
Wallice another moment, then turned away in sour resentment.

"Bad enough you wake me up with that silly hollering," he muttered
tiredly, "..but to go on and insult the Turks?"

***********************************


The old bartender, always a strong advocate of peace, had been quite
upset by the brawl, more by the disturbance of his customers. The
entrance guard had been equally as furious, especially when he
discovered two tables, a chair, and countless wine bottles had been
destroyed. The guests had all muttered amongst themselves, and glared so
fixedly.

Elena, Reno, and his friend Rude had no choice but to leave.

It was one o'clock in the morning, dark, and extremely cold. The shops
and cafes had closed long ago. Houses stood in darkness. No lights shone
through their windows, the doors having been securely locked and the
inhabitants retreated to bed. The sidestreets stretched into empty
bleakness.

The three strolled down one deserted alleyway in total silence. They
were heading home.

Elena led the way, while both men trailed behind a few steps, their
pace being far more relaxed. Reno walked with one hand thrust deep into
his sidepocket, the other had slung the jacket over his shoulder. Rude
marched by his side, still rubbing the bit of sleep from his eyes.

Reno flexed out one arm, but instantly twitched it back in sharp pain,
"Owch! Damn it, I think I pulled something when I flipped backwards
(must be getting old)..."

Rude glanced at him. He remained silent for a moment.

"...we won't be able to go back there for a while," he stated softly.
Indeed, they had created too many enemies.

"Yeah. Thanks a lot, Elena."

"It's not my fault!!" she retorted against Reno's sarcasm,
"I only went there to look for you! And besides, that jerk deserves what
he got! I'm glad Rude broke his nose!"

Elena tossed her head away in silent vexation, refusing to have any
share of the blame. However, she had only taken two steps when Reno
suddenly skipped up to her side. With such friendly easiness, he dropped
one arm around her shoulder.

"Now Elena, I would've flung him off a cliff for you, but then,
there're no cliffs here in Midgar," he joked with a meaningful wink.

Elena's frown lifted into a reluctant smile, not at all bothered by his
arm. He had soothed her bad temper again.

For a long time, nobody spoke a word. They reached the end of this
bleak alley, where it led into a wider street outlined on both sides by
bleak shops. Soon, they emerged onto the main boulevard.

"But Elena, you shouldn't be wandering around Midgar by yourself," Rude
finally reproached in fatherly disapproval, "...it's getting pretty
dangerous now."

"What do you mean?" she asked him.

"Didn't you even hear about that big park shoot-out?" commented Reno as
he slipped his hand off her shoulder, "It happened like four..five days
ago. It's been all over the news!"

Elena turned back to him. She obviously hadn't heard of it.

"There was this really brutal shoot-out in the Midgar Public
Park...y'know, 'Snow Fields' Park. Bullets flying all around, and there
was even a bomb somewhere. So far, they've found eight bodies, but think
there's still more around."

"I heard it was some gangster shoot-out," Rude added, "...some kind of
criminal war between two rival gangs. Of course, there's no way of
knowing for sure. They're all dead."

"That's awful," Elena mumbled sympathetically.

Reno thrust both hands deep into his pockets, with the jacket tossed
under his armpit. A contemptuous frown marked his face.

"Sheesh! These gangsters are getting crazier every time!" he scoffed
out in scorn "First, they made that huge gas explosion at the ShinRa
Haunt...now this! And the police here are so damn stupid...can't even
put two and two together. Now if this had happened with the US around,
ah!"

They both watched Reno flick back his long pigtail, then cast his
narrow eyes down to the ground. They knew too well what he had meant,
yet neither the uneasy Elena nor the silent Rude cared to comment.

The three marched down the black road, past empty office buildings and
dingy sidestreets. Nobody spoke for a long time.

The long path led across a stone bridge which arched above some gravel
street down below. On reaching this lonesome structure, Reno suddenly
hopped onto the broad parapet, and walked along with his two silent
friends. However, he soon stopped in his spot. With hands still burried
deep into his pockets, he watched the grim skyline of Midgar from the
top of the parapet.

"But y'know, it's kinda funny what that guy back there said... about
us," he remarked coolly at last.

Both Rude and Elena stopped, then looked back at him.

"I mean, we used to be Turks, right?" Reno asked the bleak skyline
beyond. A touch of bitterness marred his playful voice, "The secret
service of ShinRa Inc. Watch out! Nobody messes with *those* guys.
They're damn Turks! They're professionals!"

Neither one of his friends spoke. Rude, in particular, seemed rather
uneasy with this man's strange tone. He ventured up towards Reno, while
Elena remained in her spot.

"But now, that's all changed. Everything's changed so much in such a
short time," Reno sighed out to himself, "It seems we pick up more dirty
looks and trouble once people find out who we were. It's like, they want
to get revenge on the company by taking it out on us. And he's right.
This time, we don't have any company to hide behind."

Rude stopped at the parapet, and leaned against it so that one elbow
lay next to Reno's feet. He fidgetted in an uncomfortable silence as he
listened to the strange soliloquy.

He happened to glance up at his friend. Deep solemnity marked Reno's
entire face. His narrow sea-green eyes had strayed off into the far
distance.

"Sometimes....just sometimes...I wonder what Tseng would say if he he
could see us now," Reno muttered softly into the air, "..or better yet,
what the President would think of us. His secret servicemen...one of the
highest-ranking jobs in all of ShinRa Inc., look at us now: an
electrician in a small-time comany; a bodyguard for some high-strung
loser; and a secretary in some unknown law-firm."

No one replied.

"It's just....not the same, is it?" he smiled weakly. His voice had
sounded almost regretful.

Elena beheld the two men from a distance, one perched up on the
parapet, the other standing by his side. They had always struck her as
rather....different. Neither of them posessed Tseng's "no-nonsense"
attitude or his cool professionalism. She recalled their fisrt meeting.
She had thought Rude "too quiet" and Reno "far, far too carefree". Yet
in time, they had proven themselves quite capable. They were life-long
friends, both dedicated heart and sole to their job.

It came as no surprise to her if they occasionally sunk back a moment
into their old memories. After all, they had shared so many precious
years of friendship as Turks.

After the historical fall of ShinRa Inc., these three friends had
somehow managed to still stay together, driven more by need than
anything else. All of them had been forced to seek new employment and
residence elsewhere, "turn a new leaf and start again".

Unfortunately, not only had their new jobs been disappointing, the
salary had been too meagre for a new, separate life.

Therefore, the three had wisely decided to share the costs amongst
themselves, thus cutting the expenses by a third. They lived together in
some medium-sized apartment, snuggled in one of the backstreets. They
alternated paying the rent and buying necessities. Each had a separate
bedroom and a private life. This was how they had lived for the past
year.

A very strange "family", to use the term loosely. To Reno, Elena took
too long infront of the mirror, even longer in the bathroom. She showed
ghastly poor culinary skills, and had absolutely no knowledge of tax
budgets or credit balances. She hassled him too much to do his chores.
Her mother, though a respectable gentlewoman, annoyed him with her
snobbish airs (she always referred to him as "that horrible
street-punk").

To Elena, Reno could switch from silly to serious regardless of the
situation. He never tidied up his room or folded his clothes, yet
surprisingly, stacked his beer cans into such neat piles. He forgot too
many things, like rent and chores. He always found some occasion to
drink, or if not, made one up himself.

Poor Rude seemed the only flawless one. By nature, he was quiet, tidy,
and so kind to his friends. He worked hard, and did his share of chores
without complaint. Of course, he too enjoyed a good drink with an
occasional cigarette or a poker game, but never to excess. He knew his
own limit.

Yet for all their differences, they were content enough. Both men were
quite protective of their Elena, Reno always being the quick one to
disperse her bad temper. He calculated all the complicated bills and tax
accounts for her. Rude repaired any problems around the home, from the
mysterious clog in the drain to the scary mouse under her bed.

In return, Elena tended to Rude whenever he had too long a day (like
massaging his sore back while he watched T.V). She reminded Reno if he
forgot, set his unsightly room into *some* reasonable order, and
defended him against her mother's vicious tongue.

How greatly this life differed from from their old lives. Everything
had changed too much. Indeed, what would Tseng or the President think if
either could see them now?

The three had resumed their journey down the boulevard in complete
silence. They soon turned into some dimly lit sidestreet, down a few
more stone steps, then onwards into another narrow street. At last, they
reached an apartment building, their home.

They silently entered the square reception hall, where one of them
signalled for the elevator. When it arrived, they all shuffled inside,
and Elena pressed the appropriate button.

For an awkward moment, no one spoke.

"A..anyway," stammered Elena at last, "..are you boys hungry?"

"Kinda," admitted Reno.

"Do you want me to make you some lasagna?"

"No thanks. I wanna live a bit longer."

Elena's eyes instantly flared up at the cutting remark.

"My cooking isn't THAT bad, you jerk!!" she defended, flashing one fist
into his dubious face, "I'll have you know, *Rude* loves my cooking!
Right, Rude?"

The direct question sent poor Rude into a flurry of confusion. He dared
not contradict her; then again, he dared not risk tasting her food.

"..er...well, Elena..," he fumbled out, "..uh...it's just, we hate to
bother you with cooking. It's late, you're tired. Why not just give
yourself a break and order some take-out instead?"

"Sweet-talker," mumbled Reno under his breath.

Nevertheless, Elena accepted the kind suggestion with a defeated
"hmph!"

The elvator soon came to a chimed halt, and withdrew its metallic
doors. They marched down the long corridor, where they stopped at one
particular door. Elena fumbled in her handbag for her keys.

"Fine! We'll order ramen noodles for tonight," she decided as she
opened the door, "But Reno, don't forget! First thing tomorrow, you must
pay the landlady and..."

Yet before Elena could step inside, Reno suddenly grabbed her arm to
stop her.

She looked at him in surprise. She found his deep eyes glaring so
suspiciously into the black apartment. All his muscles had tensed. Rude
glanced from his friend's face, then towards the source. His face too
grew icy stern. They stood in unnatural stillness, reflecting the
deathly silence inside the dark apartment.

"..w-what is it?" asked Elena.

Reno, however,hushed her by placing one finger agaisnt his lips

"There's someone inside there," he whispered ominously.