Longtime Compansion 7th Anniversary Edition

Chapter 2

Rude awoke the next morning. His mind slowly confirming the dread he already felt in his soul. Reno was gone. Rude walked over to the closet to look for the duffel bag and jacket he already knew was gone. Why did he feel this way? He laid back down and tried to sleep. Tears threatened to burn his eyes as he searched the bed for Reno’s spot. He climbed painfully to his lover’s spot to sleep. He felt the first burn of tears on his face as he caught Reno’s scent on the sheets. “Be careful, my love. I don’t know what I would do if anything ever happened to you.” He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to sleep.
Reno walked out on the landing pad. He stepped up into the helicopter. His mind was not entirely on his mission. He thought about Rude, who would be undoubtedly lying there wide-awake worried about him. Reno found his seat and flopped into it. There was a rustling sound in the back of the copter. Reno turned his head and noticed that the Ancient was aboard. Reno looked at her for long moments before turning his attention to the window. She was small and delicate, but there was something about her. Something otherworldly. It scared Reno to see something like that. Reno looked out of the window, his fingers absently twisting loose threads he found in his seat. Rude. Reno felt tears build in his eyes. Someone taking the seat next to him broke his thoughts. Reno looked up quickly at Tseng. The older man looked back with visible concern.
"Are you all right?" Their leader said, leaning closer.
"Uh huh. Yeah, I'm fine." Reno smiled back. He hoped that this would disarm Tseng's curiosity. The older man nodded and all was silent, except for Reno's mind. Soon the small cubicle was filled with the sound of the helicopter. Within minutes, the huge pillar that supported the plate above the Sector 7 Slums was in view. Reno felt his breath hitch. Looking up at the pillar, he narrowed his eyes to get a better look. He could have sworn he saw people making their way up the narrow stairwell.
"What the hell?" Reno looked to Tseng, open mouthed.
“There you have it." The Wutan smiled and gestured to the leader of Avalanche now firing at them from the top of the pillar. Reno readied his nightstick as they made their final descent. When they were within feet of the top pillar, Reno leaped from the helicopter. He ran to the control board. Feeling his heart beating like a frightened rabbit, he punched the password in with numb fingers.
"There he is!! That Shinra bastard!!" Barrett screamed. Reno took a breath and readied his weapon. Then he ran into the fray with Avalanche. Cloud Strife struck first. The little spiky-haired punk missed Reno. Reno zapped him good with the nightstick. Barrett shot at him, catching him once in the leg and then again in the shoulder. Reno screamed, feeling the biting pain of the bullets. He closed his eyes and formed the pyramid in his mind. Then he moved it to encase Barrett.
The golden aura surrounded the man with a high-pitched whine.
"Fuck! What the hell is this? Help me!" Barrett cried out as he pounded his fists on the inside of the pyramid.
"Barrett!" Tifa screamed. She ran to him, pounding and kicking the golden pyramid. Eventually it subsided.
"You son of a bitch!" Barrett screamed at Reno and opened fire. This time one shot caught Reno in the arm. Reno was above the pain, his head spun and his senses were accelerated. Reno ran forward and struck Tifa over the head with the nightstick. It was a devastating blow. He followed by electrocuting her. The girl slumped to the ground.
"No!!" Cloud screamed. In his fear he used a powerful elemental spell, which was combined with a lightening materia. Reno howled in pain; his senses swam.
"Reno!!" Tseng screamed from the safety of the helicopter. Reno limped over to the helicopter. He jumped for the entrance. The Turk leader reached out and grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him in. Reno's body slumped like a rag doll in Tseng's arms. He had been shot multiple times but the lightening attack had caused stress on his heart. Thew Wutan ran his fingers through Reno's hair. "Reno, wake up. Reno? Reno!" He looked to the pilot. "He's in trouble, return to headquarters fast. Call for medical assistance." Tseng laid Reno on the floor gently. He took off his jacket and covered him with it. With blazing green eyes, he looked at Aeris. "It's your fault that this happened to him! If you would have come in the first place, none of this would have happened."
She flinched at the venom in his words. She diverted her eyes from his penetrating gaze to look at Reno's lifeless body. Blood was saturating the floor where he lay. Tseng growled and sunk his long fingers into the soft flesh of her arm. She cried out as he dragged her to an open window where her teammates could see her. They stared up at them in hatred. She yelled something to them but it was drone out by the loud wind of the blades. Tseng slapped her and dragged her back to her seat. He looked at Reno again; the sadness of seeing him in so much pain filled his heart. He vented his rage by slapping her again. Then he went to tend to Reno.
Aeris looked at the young man's injuries. He would more than likely survive. At that moment an explosion thundered above them. The pillar began to fall. She screamed that debris shattered her window. Another window was hit and sent glass flying all over Reno. Tseng covered him with his own body. The Wutan held the young man’s hand. He would be damned if he would lose such a good Turk like this. He focused deep in his mind and brought forth energy to keep Reno alive. The flight seemed to take forever. Tseng felt a few tears run down his face before he recovered his composure. He finally looked up at the Ancient. She had a few cuts from glass but nothing serious. As they landed, medical personnel ran out to the helicopter. The Wutan stepped out of their way as they made efforts to stabilize Reno. Soon he was carried from the helicopter on a stretcher. He walked slowly behind them. What would he tell Rude? Would Reno be all right? The man buried his head in his hands momentarily. He took a deep breath and continued on the way to his office.
Tseng sat in his office, his head spun with fear. He studied a great panther carved from jet that sat in the corner of his office. He pressed his hands together and brought them to his lips. After a few minutes he pressed his phone dialer.
"Dial Rude." He spoke into the machine.
"One moment." A mechanical voiced chimed back.
It was a long moment. Tseng could have sworn more than one. Soon a voice answered. "Yeah."
"Rude, I need you to come and see me." Tseng tried to sound casual.
"Uh, okay. Is anything up?" Rude sounded as if he had been caught off guard.
"I just need you to come and see me." He disconnected the call and ran his fingers through his hair.
Within minutes there was a knock at Tseng's office door. Rude entered. Concern imprinted on his face. "Sit down." The Wutan said quietly, avoiding Rude's gaze. Rude acted as if he were mechanical and followed the instructions, his eyes never left his superior. "Rude...I....um." Tseng ran a hand through his hair again. "It's about Reno...." Rude forced himself to swallow as his body went numb. "He got hurt on the mission today." He lowered his head and covered his face with his hands. The Turk Leader walked around his desk and knelt next to his friend. Tseng placed a comforting hand on Rude. He felt a drop of hot tears on his hand. He hugged Rude close as the man lost control of himself. He wept next to his friend for a long time. "Shhh....he will be all right. " Tseng patted Rude on the back. But nothing could console the anguish Rude was feeling. The Wutan never left his side until he has regained composure. Rude wearily got to his feet.
“Where is he?” Reno's lover asked, already knowing.
“In the hospital, Intensive Care.” Tseng swallowed hard again. He hated seeing one of his best men and his friend in such pain. Reno’s condition gnawed at him. His young lover was grievously wounded. But he knew that it had to be his longtime companion to be by his side now.