A Routine Mission...

OI!!! It's been ages since I have been here! *dusts off cobwebs* Goodness me. At any rate, here is a Final Fantasy VII fanfiction I've just finished! Just so that you know, this fic is a bit violent (you know me, I like to beat up my faves) and due to the world in which this story takes place, it's a rougher story than what you're used to from me in terms of dialogue. No swearing! Just more slangy. Alright! I'll say no more! Enjoy...hopefully. :)

DISCLAIMER:

Me: I do not own any of the characters, weapons, companies, or pretty much anything else in this story. As a matter of fact—

Reno: HEY! YOU.

Me: Reno! How are you, guy? *nervous laughter*

Reno: Ticked. I thought I was your favorite TURK!!

Me: You always will be!! But shut up before you ruin the story, will ya?

Reno: *mumbles under breath and walks away*



How’s it looking, guys?

“Clear so far. Target hasn’t made it to the building yet.”

It shouldn’t be long now, if Tseng’s intelligence is correct.

“Alright, Elena. We’ll keep looking.”

Keep me posted, Rude. I’ll be listening for you after – what is that? Reno, do you have to yawn in my ear?

“Aaahh…so sorry, but maybe next time you won’t choose 5 in the morning to start a mission.”

Take your sarcasm to Rufus. He gives the orders, not me.

“Right….”

Reno and Rude were staking out in a masterfully dark tinted car, courtesy of the Shinra Corporation. Well, the former Shinra Corporation. Three years after the Jenova disaster, the company was still having a hard time gaining any kind of support. But despite this, it was almost impossible to beat Shinra’s technological resources. This baby was top of the line.

The red-head ran a hand along the new leather and sighed satisfactorily. Sure, he was tired and miffed because Rufus had snapped his fingers, forcing him out of his nice, warm bed at such an ungodly hour. But with a beauty like this horse powered wonder to keep him company, it almost made up for it. Reno had a thing for cars, almost as strong as his thing for the copter.

Almost.

Unpleasant was a good word to describe the public opinion of anyone even remotely connected to the failed Shinra Corp. Underground groups and protesters, riots and occasionally acts of outright terrorism against the remaining remnant of the company popped up all over the place.

The target today happened to be the leader of a particularly problematic group of undergrounders. Several outbursts in the city and even one bomb threat had been traced back to these idiots. Had the explosive gone off, it would have not only taken out a whole section of the somewhat small building which now housed Shinra, but also a decent percentage of the shops and apartments nearby. This was no longer just about the company. These guys were willing to harm civilians in the wake of their frustration.

So now, it was up to Reno and Rufus to put an end to this little family by taking out the Big Daddy.

At five in the morning.

With no immediate backup.

Reno yawned again.

Any sign of them?

“What, getting impatient?”

Shut up, Reno.

“There!” Rude pointed, his arm passing right in front of Reno’s nose. The younger man’s eyes followed the line of direction and – Bingo. A man that fit the description was approaching the main entrance to the building they were posted outside of. Three others surrounded him…one on each side and one at his back. They obviously weren’t ones to take chances.

What’s going on?

“We’ve got a visual on the target.” Rude, the slightly more professional of the two Turks, preferred using terms by the book.

Excellent! Now, let me hear the general outline again.

"We go in through a service door on the left-hand side of the building. It’s the only one without a security check. We head to the fourth floor - making ourselves as scarce as possible, and take out the target,” Rude stated.

Alright. You're clear to proceed. I’ll be waiting to hear from you once you’ve completed the mission—and prepping a chopper in case you need any help. Good luck, guys!

Elena's voice cut out of their earpieces. The sun was just starting to decide it was going to shine that day, which didn't make for excellent lighting. Even the sun hated getting up so freakin' early, apparently. The two Turks gave it about ten minutes to let their soon-to-be dead man get settled into his morning routine.

"Are you ready?" Rude asked as he loaded the last cartridge of his gun.

"As I'll ever be." Despite his slightly moody outlook on life at the crack of dawn, Reno smirked. "Looks like it's showtime."

The two stashed their guns in their jackets and got out of the car. As discreetly as possible, they walked across the street at a leisurely pace, making ‘small-talk gestures’ that wouldn’t be read as threatening while they discussed some more of the details. They passed the front entrance, and then the service door they were looking for. To give the Turk duo some extra time to let things settle - and as an added precaution – Rude always insisted that they do a preliminary scan of the outside. So, they continued down the street.

After the first circling of the premises, the partners doubled back to the service door that would serve as their entry point. It was locked of course, but that was no problem for Reno. Within moments, the door swung wide open and to their relief, no alarm sounded. Reno waved an arm in the direction of the doorway.

“After you.”

Rude snorted.

Step one, gain entry, was complete.

No lights were on in the hallway they found themselves, so when they shut the door, it turned into a blind-leading-the-blind search for a way to the second level. Rude took out his phone and flipped it open, giving them a little more to go on. It wasn’t much in the way of illumination but it would have to do. They couldn’t risk drawing attention too soon. The hallway had three doors: one on the right, two on the left. Rude made for the first door on the left, Reno following at his side with his own phone.

“It’s locked,” the bald man said, keeping his voice low.

The red-head went over to the one on the right and tried the knob. “Hey, Rude…this one’s golden.” Cautiously, he began opening the door.

Thunk.

The Turks froze.

They stood there listening, unmoving, for a good thirty seconds. Something had shifted in there. But they heard no more sounds after that. Reno flicked his phone closed and put it in his jacket, silently retrieving his gun in the process. Rude’s right hand fingered his own concealed weapon while his left still held their only light. Reno caught Rude’s eye with a sideways glance that said

Three…two…one….

Reno flung the door open and immediately something struck Rude in the face. He jumped back, pulling his gun free and dropping his phone. The attacker landed in the floor with a loud CLACK. The two Turks fumbled around for a moment, groping defensively in the dark…before simultaneously realizing what had happened. Silence hung in the air for a long moment.

“Good job, Reno.”

“Oh, I see how you play. Like I knew it was a broom closet!”

“Keep your voice down.” After a moment Rude added, “Pick the ‘hostile’ up, genious.”

“Yeah, I’ll pick it up and shove–” Rude’s hand prevented any displays of sudden unsanitary language. Voices murmured above them in the direction of the second door on the left. Rude waited a moment before letting his comrade go; Reno had a tendency to finish his sentences and if he didn’t keep quiet they would both be in hot water sooner than necessary. To the first’s relief, the second had lost all interest in swearing.

“Looks like it’ll be Door Number 3,” Reno whispered. “Do you want the honors, or is it my turn? I forget.”

Rude headed for the third door and cautiously tried it. It wasn’t locked. Beyond they found a flight of stairs leading up to the second floor, which from what Tseng had said, consisted of an office-type set up: cubicles. And cubicles were an excellent way for two infiltrators to get themselves shot up if they weren’t careful.

“This is gonna be fun, yo,” Reno quipped as he and his partner scaled the stairs. “We just gotta go in classic Turk style: stealth, speed, and style. Am I right?” He grinned.

“Caution always helps,” said Rude. After a moment he added, “-especially in a maze of cubicles.”

“Too true,” Reno consented. “That’s a road we’ve crossed a few times before.”

Rude nodded. He pulled up short in front of the door to the second floor, listening. After Reno reached the top, everything was completely silent. No noises beyond. No workers doing their jobs. No friendly banter.

“This is just too easy,” whispered Reno. “Guess what that means.”

“Trouble.” The Turks readied their guns.

BAM

The door flung open, sending Rude back down the stairs. Four guards crowded at the top, unloading on the intruders. Lucky for the two Shinra men, the only light came from behind their attackers on the second floor, making it nearly impossible to spot and shoot right off the cuff.
Guns rang out, spattering bullets up, down, and sideways. The flashes of the shots added to the chaos. It took mere seconds for Rude to regain his feet, sending a barrage of heavy duty bullets back up the stairs. Reno had packed a pistol for this mission, besides his Electro-Mag Rod, and in quick succession the four guards found themselves returning to the Lifestream. Adrenaline surging, Reno and Rude rushed up the stairs. They took positions, one on each side of the doorway.

Cautiously, they assessed the situation. The room was laid out like a maze of cubicles, with the stairway acting as the entry point. At the far end and to the right was an open staircase that they assumed led to the third story. Fighting was going to be tight and tense; they were going to have to watch each other’s backs to get to their next objective.

“I’ll take left, you hang right. Ready?” Reno whispered, anticipation obvious in his voice. Rude pointed two fingers into the hallway in a Let’s Move fashion.

Making barely a sound the two swept into the hall space, reaching their first cubicles in tandem. Two soldiers waited in ambush for Reno, three for Rude. The bald Turk had chosen a compact machine gun. Shots fired in rapid succession, spraying the cubicle and its unfortunate inhabitants—even taking out another guard hiding behind an adjacent wall. The red-head dodged the first round from his assailants and with two well-placed shots took them out.

Before long the whole stretch of cubicles crawled with guards at every angle. Some were sprawled in the floor; others preferred to aim from the tops or sides—everywhere! Reno and Rude gradually carved a path to the stairwell…which hadn’t stayed open for long. Guards now poured from the third story, unleashing sheer havoc. The Turks dove for cover behind an overturned row of desks that their previous assailants had kindly left behind for them.

“Rude, you ok?” Reno yelled over the gunfire. “Your face!” The red-head pointed, and Rude put a few gloved fingers to the spot. Sure enough, they came away slick.

“Just a graze,” he yelled back. A bullet flew through the desk just between them, sending shattered fragments exploding in their faces.

“We gotta move!” Reno yelled, his face tense. Without further ado, Rude stood and hurled the desk they had been behind moments before into the immediate rank of guards. The domino effect took its toll. At least half of their problems now either sprawled on the floor or struggled to keep their balance, sending bullets in every direction—even taking out some of their own! The opportunity was not lost on the two Turks. The crisp cracking of Reno’s pistol and the roaring of Rude’s weapon of choice was the last thing that 16 unlucky guards blocking the stairwell heard.

The duo stood for a moment, winded and alive. But the clock was still ticking, and although a breather would have been nice, Turks weren’t paid to pause. Rude and Reno took off up the stairs, reloading their guns as they ascended the two spirals to the next floor. They didn’t even bother to formulate a strategy…their cover was blown and thinking just wasted time in situation like this.

An open doorway at the top led the partners into another office-like room…though perhaps a bit more formal. Organized desks and bookshelves took the places of the cubicles they had seen before. To their surprise, they were not immediately overrun by a swarm of angry guards. Instead, the opposition amounted to about five guys backing towards a bookshelf on the far wall, guns raised defensively. Reno did a quick second scan of the room, but found nothing. Just five unhappy guards left to fend for themselves.

The two stopped just inside the entrance and waited—showdown style. Taking his sweet time, Reno put his gun away and brought his trusty Electro-Mag into the game. He tapped it, slowly…steadily, several times in his hand. Rude smirked.

BA-BOOM

The building quivered beneath their feet as the sound of an explosion nearly burst their ears. It had come from outside. When Reno had regained his footing, he raced to the nearest window, a look of horror on his face.

“Oh, no, no, no!! MAN!! Did you have to blow up the car?! I didn’t even get to test her out yet!!” He turned, and if looks could kill, the opposition would have dropped dead then and there.

Ten seconds later, the guards were dead anyway.

“Elena, are you there?” Rude activated his earpiece. After a moment,

What’s up?

"They just blew up our car.”

Oh.

“Can you prep that chopper you mentioned earlier?”

No problem. There should be a small balcony on the fourth floor. You can make your way onto the roof from there. Just give me a shout when you’ve finished. It’s a shame about that car, Reno.

“You’re telling me.”

The earpieces deactivated.

“There’s supposed to be four floors,” Rude stated.

“Yeah,” Reno replied, still burned up about the car incident. “What’s your point?”

“My point is do you see any way to a fourth story?”

It suddenly occurred to Reno that he hadn’t noticed another set of stairs. In fact, there wasn’t any visible ways to enter another room. No stairs, no doors, nothing. He thought for a moment.

“Well…they seemed set on keeping us away from this.” The red-head walked up to the bookshelf on the far wall, his companion following. He wrapped his knuckled on one shelf, then another, and then a third one. He finally found it— “You hear that, Rude? Hollow in the back. How cliché.”
Rude chuckled…well, as much as he ever really chuckled.

“Now…which book would it be? Hmm…oh—you’ve got to be kidding.” He tugged at one particular volume and heard a click. Sure enough, the particular portion of the bookcase in question swung open.

“Which one was it?” Rude asked.

“LOVELESS,” Reno replied with a snort.“Two clichés in a row. After the reception we got, who’d a thunk he’d have been so…uncreative.”

The opening was just big enough for one man to get through, so they were going to have to do this single-file. Reno slipped in first, followed by Rude, who with his broad shoulders felt very claustrophobic. A tiny stairway climbed up and to the left. At the end of the line, the only thing that stood between them and their target was what looked to be a sheet nailed above the doorframe. Reno drew his pistol; Rude readed his gun.

Before they could make a move though, a voice called out,

“Come in, fine gentlemen. I don’t get many visitors from your side of town.”

Reno glanced back over his shoulder at Rude, his face full of suspicion. Rude nodded to proceed. What else could they do?

The pair emerged from the tiny passageway and into what looked like a studio of some sort. The sun, now a beautiful fiery red in the sky, cast its rays through the many paned windows and the glass door that led to the balcony. Reno squinted in the crimson light; Rude had his sunglasses.

A tall, gangly man stood off to one side, surrounded by a huge semi-circle of guards. There had to be at least thirty of them, all armed and ready. The target smiled grimly at the Turks.

“Poor Shinra dogs,” he growled. “Your Master feeds you, and because it does so you turn a blind eye to its evils. It beats you, enslaves you, kills you and those around you, and yet you return every time to it…wagging your pathetic tails behind you.”

“Sorry, pal,” Reno snarled. “But Shinra ain’t the same company it used to be. And you’re one to talk about killing those around you! That little explosion you were planning? It would have taken the lives of hundreds, and you call us dogs, you—”

Rude raised his weapon and suddenly the sound of thirty guns cocking filled the room.

“Try and destroy me if you must,” droned the target. “But you won’t get far.” He grinned an ugly, feral grin. “GUARDS, TAKE THEM OUT!”

Reno and Rude dove just in time to avoid instant slaughter as the room erupted with gunfire. Rude unloaded from the floor as he regained his feet, ducking, shooting, dodging, slamming, and on and on. Reno tossed his pistol into his right hand and grabbed the Rod in his left.

Pop-Pop SMACK Pop-Pop

The chaos was overwhelming. The two Turks found themselves surrounded by a massive tide of beings all intent on seeing them dead. It was crazy! Rude would blast holes through a group of them and turn just in time to find more right on top of him. Reno put everything he had into his attacks, but there were just sooo many. Both of them were losing steam fast.

As the intensity increased, the partners gave up any hopes of gaining headway. It went on for what seemed like a lifetime and a half…more and more and more without stop. Eventually they had room to spread out—although the floor was now a riddled mass of human bodies…making maneuverability close to impossible. Each took a few blows: a graze here, a bruise there. And despite the men that they struck down, in the back of their heads they knew it wasn’t officially over until Big Daddy was dead. So as if staying alive wasn’t enough, they had to keep the target in the corners of their eyes at all times.

“Where is he?” Reno shouted over the peppering explosions all around them. He popped off a shot or two, and then struck another man in the face with his Rod. Rude suddenly heard a CLICK. His gun stopped firing.

“I’m out!” he yelled. Reno jumped to cover him. As Rude frantically resupplied his weapon with ammo, he took a quick glance around the room. The target wasn’t anywhere in sight. His guards made sure of that. He knew one thing with certainty: they were in deep trouble if things didn’t change soon. He finished reloading and turned—face to face with the feral grin he was looking for.
“Surprise!”

BANG

Rude went rigid, his heart skipping a beat. The room seemed to freeze in his mind for half a second…just enough time to notice the lanky arm that had used his right shoulder to steady a pistol.

He looked back to the target as he collapsed, a bloody hole ripped through his gut.

Rude whipped around, his heart rate slowly steadying up. That had been way too close for his
taste. Reno had already engaged another guard in hand-to-Rod combat. Rude cocked his gun and took aim for the first hostile he spotted, taking him out instantly. Rude caught his friend’s eye amidst the chaos and nodded in gratitude. He was lucky to have Reno at his back.

With Daddeo dead, the ‘kiddos’ lost their gusto to fight back. Finally, the tides decided to turn. The floor was now more crowded than the room. When the guards faltered, the Turks took them out. At last one man remained. He had jammed himself in a corner, pointing his gun shakily in the direction of his adversaries. The two partners lost no time. They rushed forward with weapons raised, and just before either could pull their respective triggers, the disillusioned guard pointed his own gun to his head and did their job for them.

The silence that suddenly overtook the room was only broken by the sound of two Turks trying to catch their breaths. They stood, panting, for a long moment. Then, Reno and Rude looked at each other and started laughing in their own fashions as their adrenaline eased. They were tired and trembling from the overwhelming exertion but they had done it. Alive…they were alive and had pulled off the mission!

Reno let the Electro-Mag Rod drop from his hand as he wiped the sweat from his eyes. Grinning with satisfaction and relief, he gave Rude one of his patented Oh Yeeeah looks. He waved his gun sarcastically in front of him.

“Piece of cake, right?”

BANG

Rude’s jaw dropped as he watched Reno’s body jolt backwards, slamming onto the floor. It happened so fast that he barely had time to register what was going on.

“RENO!”

Rude whipped around, and to his shock and disgust saw the target, his gun still smoking. Rage boiled inside him.

“Filthy Shinra….dog,” rasped the twisted man, a demented grin spreading across his face. “Guess we’ll just have to…put him down.”

Rude cocked his gun and unloaded…and didn’t stop until the last bullet had been fired. With a roar, he hurled his useless weapon at the now unrecognizable body as a parting blow, swearing at the top of his lungs.

A wounded groan turned Rude’s attention to his friend. He knelt down, taking in the damage and assessing what he could do about it.

Reno lay sprawled on his back, a gaping hole in his chest where the bullet had exited. Blood already drenched his white shirt and had started pooling beneath him. His blue eyes were wide in agony. With growing dread Rude could actually see the color draining from his partner’s face. Each breath was a fight. He would gasp a few short puffs of air, as if trying to muster the strength to get in a full breath. He would finally breathe in—and cry out as his body exploded in pain, the sound cutting off as he ran out of air and then had to repeat the process over again.

The reality of the situation slowly seeped into Rude’s heart.

Reno was dying.

Are you two about done yet? I’m getting bored over here! Rude froze as the voice hit him.

“ELENA!”

Rude? What—is something wrong?

“Reno’s down. Shot!”

WHAT? Is he ok?!?!

“It’s not looking good. You’ve gotta get over here. NOW!”

I’m headed out as we speak. Move to the roof so we can get him in the chopper as soon as I get there!

Reno’s raspy cry hit the earpieces.

Oh, Reno…hold on, guy. You’ll be alright!

Her concern was cut off with the deactivation of the earpieces.

Reno was losing blood fast. Rude took off his jacket and used it to try and staunch the flow from his partner’s chest, applying as much pressure as he dared. Reno gasped, the pain spiking from even this slight strain on his wound. There was no way he could be moved safely. But the roof was their only ticket out of here.

Rude felt a lump rise in his throat at the thought of it.

Rude hadn’t seen his friend this bad…ever. He and Reno had been in some tight spots before for sure, but somehow they always managed. They’d had their share of blood and bruises. But now, this...this was different. It was too real.

“We’re gonna move to the balcony. -I’ll try to make it easy on you. Just…hang in there.”

To Rude’s surprise, Reno’s hand shifted into a trembling ‘thumbs up’ for just a moment before dropping back to the floor. Reno was Reno, no matter the circumstances.

How many times had the red-head’s carefree, sarcastic sense of humor driven Rude up a wall? It was amazing how things changed when you knew that your friend—no, your best friend—had maybe minutes to live. Suddenly jibes and complaints didn’t seem to matter nearly as much as they had before. Annoying quirks weren’t so annoying. Rude would have given anything at that moment for Reno to pop up and announce that it was all a big joke…and even roast Rude for seriously falling for it.

The other man’s lifeblood dripping from Rude’s hands vaporized any hope of that.

Rude contemplated the easiest, least aggravating way to get his friend to the balcony. Every possible scenario ended with Reno in worse shape. Finally he just gave up thinking and acted…he was better at that anyway. Blocking out the initial cries that tore from his partner, Rude hoisted Reno into his arms and headed for the door.

Blood poured down Reno’s back, making it difficult to keep a good grip on him. With every step, it became harder for Rude to block out his friend’s raw pain. Reno trembled beneath his fingers…his breath would catch at the slightest extra jarring. His eyes would shut tight for a few seconds as he tried to master the overwhelming hurt in his body, and then snap open—wildly searching for something…anything…to make it stop!

Hold on, partner. Just…hold on.

The moment they were outside, Rude set his friend down again. Now, he had to wait. He sat next to Reno in silence, heartbroken that his long-time comrade was in anguish and there was nothing he could do but wait. Behind his shades, tears welled in his eyes as he listened to the harsh sounds of breathing next to him. This couldn’t be their last mission together. But it was going to be if Elena didn’t get moving.

“Yo…”

He shouldn’t have been talking. He could barely breathe for Jenova’s sake! Rude looked down at Reno and could see the enormous effort it had taken just to get that word out. The red-head’s throat was hoarse and his breathing labored, but by now the strength it took to vocalize his pain was leaving him. He wasn’t looking at Rude; his half-lidded blue eyes had drifted off to the side and seemed to be staring at nothing. Moving had taken its toll on his broken body.

“Tough…luck, right…?”

“Yeah,” Rude replied, fighting the emotion in his voice. He knew Reno wouldn’t like to hear the pain Rude was feeling. Reno always liked to act as if nothing was ever wrong—no matter how ridiculous it was to do so. So Rude cleared his throat and tried to blink back the moisture in his eyes. “I took care of the target.”

“So I…heard.” Reno attempted to laugh but choked. Rude grimaced. After a moment,

“Elena. She…coming?”

“Sure,” finished Rude. “In the new chopper.”

Reno smiled.

“Perfect.”

Just on the edge of hearing, the beating propellers of a helicopter could be heard.

“…too slow.”

“Yeah. She’s cautious in the pilot’s seat. Unlike you.”

“It’s…too much…fun.”

“No, it’s crazy.”

“Got that—right.”

Reno’s eyes seemed to be having a hard time staying open. His voice had gone low and quiet. His chest rose and fell hardly at all. Blue tinged his lips and fingernails. Alarm pulsed through Rude.

“Reno—”

“Rude…”

The fading blue eyes drifted to meet his friend’s hiding ones.

“…gonna…miss me?”

A lone tear slid from behind the shades.

“Yeah.”

A weak, crooked grin played over Reno’s lips as he closed his eyes. The helicopter was fairly roaring in Rude’s ears by now, and the wind was picking up speed. Rude could see Elena’s worried face in the cockpit as she zoomed overhead and landed on the rooftop above them. Finally, she made it! He glanced down at Reno, opened his mouth to speak, and froze.

His chest.

No rise.

No fall.

“RENO!!”