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I Don't Believe in Spooks	By : RikuRocks Category: Final Fantasy VII > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 738 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Final Fantasy VII or Kingdom Hearts, nor am I making any money from this work of fiction.

Chapter List
- 1-I Don't Believe in Spooks
- 2-Chapter Two
- 1
- 2
The boy began by asking a few innocent questions about their arrival as he led Rude through the long halls and stairs of the castle, but quickly seemed to understand that the large man was not one for conversation and the remainder of the walk was silent. The boy did not seem to require a light of any sort to manoeuvre through the large castle. The glimpses of the halls and rooms that Rude caught through doorways lit by lighting as they passed seemed lifeless and unwelcoming.

�In here,� Ienzo said quietly before opening a heavy door, which Rude passed through. The youth entered behind him and closed the door, throwing them into complete darkness. The large man could hear the storm raging outside, but the flashes of lightning that had lit up the halls and stairs leading here was somehow blocked from this room.

Just as the burly man was about to ask what the blue-haired youth was doing, he heard a match strike before he could see the boy across the room, kneeling by what appeared to be a fireplace. A fire came to life seconds later, to reveal what appeared to be a huge study. There was a large portrait of a regal old man hanging over the mantle, and several smaller portraits hanging around the room.

Ienzo lit a small oil lamp and motioned for Rude to come to him as he approached one of the portraits. It depicted a stately man with silver hair and amber eyes. �This is Xehanort,� the blue-haired teen stated, �Everything was fine until he arrived.�

�He was half mad and nearly dead when Lord Ansem and I found him during one of our walks in the woods a few years ago,� the slate-eyed youth explained. �He seemed to regain his senses as he healed but never his memories, or so he claimed. We felt pity for him and welcomed him into our home�

�Soon after, Lord Ansem started spending more and more time locked away in his chambers�he stopped asking after our studies and research, stopped joining us in games or walks, and even stopped joining us for meals. We thought he was simply feeling a little off-colour at first, but it soon became apparent that what ailed him was not as simple as that. Xehanort seemed to take it upon himself to look after the rest of us, and we remained united for a time��

Rude followed the boy as he moved across the wall, recognising a few portraits as they crossed the room. He assumed the paintings were a few years old, as Even�s hair was shorter, Dilan lacked facial hair, and Ienzo was still a mere child. Ienzo�s gaze moved over the familiar faces sadly; �But then, within a year of Xehanort�s arrival, Even started spending an unhealthy amount of time in his labs, Dilan grew more and more short tempered, and Elaeus stopped speaking unless it was truly necessary.� Ienzo looked sadder still as he made the last comment.

The boy paused by a painting of a man with wavy mauve hair and fine features. �Aluriam was the gardener here for many years and we always treated him as an equal. He seemed happy, but shortly after Xehanort�s arrival, he began acting contemptuous and bitter�to the point that most of us avoided him where we used to enjoy his company.�

Ienzo lead Rude to the next painting, which showed a young blonde woman. She was beautiful and petite, but something about her expression that suggested a fierce personality and unexpected strength. In a way, Rude was reminded of Elena.

�This was Nelaer; despite her delicate appearance, she was a stern steward and never feared getting her hands dirty. However, she was also just, and had a fair sense of humour�until he came, anyway. After that, she grew cold and malicious and came to enjoy the torment of others. ...So much in fact, that I started taking my meals in my study on the days she deigned to join us in the dining room.�

They turned to the adjoining wall, and the boy indicated two paintings. One showed a middle-aged man with long dark hair that was greying on top, and the other showed a young man with short blonde hair and bright blue eyes that shone with a smile even brighter than the one on his face. �The elder is Braig, who I mentioned before. The younger is Myde, who is the apprentice I mentioned would be occupying Braig�s attention tonight.

�They have been very close for some time,� commented the blue-haired youth, smiling sadly. �Myde has always enjoyed the fountains in the castle foyer, and the nearby river. He often takes his research to them to study�he says he finds the sounds of the water soothing.�

The wispy smile faded as the youth gained a distant look. �A year after he arrived, however, Myde drowned in the river. Dilan and Braig found him in time that we were able to revive him, but his lungs have been especially susceptible to illness ever since�that�s why Braig is with him tonight; the weather has not agreed with his condition.�

Ienzo looked up at Rude sadly before turning his eyes to the fire; �I suppose you�re wondering why I�m telling you all of this�and what this has to do with the others� interest in Reno.�

The brawny man nodded, not wanting to say that he was also wondering why Reno�s appearance had actually frightened the young man and where Elaeus� warning came into play. It seemed that the boy planned to explain everything at his own pace. Finally, Ienzo moved to another portrait, and Rude�s breath caught when he saw it.

It depicted a thin young man with fiery red hair and bright green eyes. He had fine features, pale skin, and a familiar �I-don�t-give-a-damn� grin that Rude was used to seeing on a near daily bases from his partner. Were it not for the eye colour and hairstyle, one could have easily mistaken it for a painting of Reno.

The bald man finally found his voice, �What the fuck is this?�

�This,� the petite youth answered without looking at the portrait, �Is a portrait of Lae. He was another apprentice here. Before everyone started changing, he was always full of life and good-natured mischief. He acted as though this castle was his playground and each of us his siblings�and we treated him as a brother in return.�

Slate eyes hardened as they stared into the fire, �Lae�s mischievousness turned dark after he came. As I am sure you�ve noted, we were nearly all divided soon after�too soon, actually. It makes me wonder if our bonds were ever as strong as I believed them to be.

��But I suppose that�s neither here nor there now.� Ienzo turned to Rude. �Aluriam was the first to die�there was a fire in his greenhouse and the door had been blocked, by accident, or so we hoped. Nelaer had been close to Aluriam before all of this, and part of her old self must have survived even then, because she certainly mourned his passing�but soon all she wanted was revenge.

�Some of us tried to convince her that we could not be sure it was not an accident, and placing blame would only cause further harm, but that would just make her angrier. After experiencing a particularly violent response, I decided to return to my habit of avoiding her, as did most of the others. That�s when she confronted Lae.�

Rude frowned, �She decided to blame him, then? Why?�

�He was fond of fire?� suggested the youth with a slight shrug; �I cannot honestly say, because she did not survive the confrontation. Lae was injured as well and since she had launched the assault, Lord Ansem decided that punishment would not be necessary.�

If the burly Turk were the type, he would have been gaping. �No questions asked?�

�None, and we were instructed to let the matter rest as well,� replied the boy coldly. �We did�until Myde drowned. After he awoke, he claimed that the last thing he recalled beforehand was speaking to Lae. They had gotten on well before all of this started, so he had been happy that Lae took the time to sit and talk with him again.�

�Did Ansem finally talk to him then?� questioned Rude dryly.

Ienzo shook his head slowly with and apathetic expression. �We decided not to bring Lord Ansem or Xehanort into the matter, as the former had been growing more distant and we were each uncomfortable with the latter in our own ways. Braig was too angry to speak to Lae, and Dilan�s temper had already grown so short. Even cared only for his experiments and Elaeus was busy with some repairs, so I decided to speak with Lae.�

The petite apprentice turned his gaze to the fire once again, his shoulders hunched slightly. Rude took the opportunity to look the youth over more closely. His expression was closed, his eyes were haunted, and his posture uncomfortable. The blue-haired boy was completely covered below the neck, but the Turk suspected the hairs on his arms would be standing on edge�he practically radiated discomfort.

�That�s why you were frightened by Reno,� the bald man commented softly.

�I was not frightened by Reno,� the slate-eyed teen corrected, �I was�disturbed by memories brought on by his resemblance. It�s different for the others you�ve met; they never had to endure his madness first hand��

Rude nodded slowly and waited, knowing that the words �what happened� were hanging in the air thickly enough that he did not need to voice them. He was proven correct a moment later when the blue-haired youth sighed and turned to face him.

�I won�t give you all the grisly details; in truth, I cannot even remember some of them fully. It was well into the small hours of the next morning by the time Elaeus found me, and when he did, he thought I was dead. Lae disappeared; we still do not know where he is�

�The details get fuzzy after a few hours into the confrontation, but I remember Xehanort being in the room at some point. He claims he interrupted; that Lae fled and he gave chase, thinking I was dead. That does not fit with my recollections, but Lord Ansem would not hear a word against him; he blames Lae�for all of it.�

Rude�s eyebrows arched, �And you don�t?�

�Not exclusively,� the boy frowned. �Remember, the rest of us were all together for years before Xehanort came along. I think he was the cause of the sudden malcontent in the castle. The others became suspicious of him after Lae�s disappearance as well�and we have started healing our old bonds. Lord Ansem still will hear none of it, and spends all his time locked away with his research, as does Xehanort now.�

�Wait�Xehanort is still here?� Rude frowned as the boy nodded. ��And you�re pretty sure he had something to do with Lae hurting you?� Another nod followed. �Why don�t you leave?�

�I can�t,� Ienzo replied simply before turning his gaze to the large portrait of Ansem across the room. �Lord Ansem is my guardian and anyway, where would I go; what would I do? Besides, I could not simply leave the others behind and they won�t leave for their own reasons.�

The large Turk�s frown deepened, �Let�s say you�re right; how could this Xehanort guy influence all of your friends like that?�

The blue-haired teen looked to the portrait of Xehanort with an expression of distrust. �He is not a normal man�I don�t know what he is.�

Rude�s brows furrowed. He was not sure how to respond to that.

Ienzo looked up at him again, �You should take your friend away from here as soon as it�s safe�this is not a safe place for h-�

�Ah, there you are, Ienzo.� A cool, deep voice interrupted. Rude could hear Ienzo�s jaw snap shut as he turned his head toward the door.

Xehanort stood there with a composed but slightly friendly expression as he looked Rude over. �You must be one of the guests I heard Luxord complaining over�not that he minds your presence. He simply dislikes extra work. I hope you have felt welcome here in any case.�

Rude simply nodded; one did not work for ShinRa for as long as he did without knowing how to be discreet or tactful around someone you were not sure about�and he certainly was not sure about this man. Even if he had not seen the expression on Ienzo�s face as he spoke of the amber-eyed man, Rude would have had his guard up. Something about him just felt wrong.

�Your associates have been very accommodating,� the burly Turk replied. He then noted the way the other man�s eyes hardened threateningly as his gazed turned to Ienzo, and the boy�s eyes met the challenge even as his muscles tensed. Fortunately, years with Reno had taught Rude a thing or two about intervention. �Ienzo here was even good enough to offer me a tour of the castle.�

�Did he?� asked Xehanort as he returned his gaze to Rude, this time with a calculating edge. �How very thoughtful of you, Ienzo� Might I suggest, however, that you postpone your tour until the light is better?�

The teen�s eyes hardened and narrowed slightly. His voice was carefully even when he replied, �Of course, the time must have gotten away from me.� He turned to Rude, �I�ll show you back to your room�you should make sure your friend doesn�t sleep too long anyway.�

�I�ll see our guest to his room,� Xehanort offered in atone that suggested it was not wise to refuse. �It�s past time you were in bed anyway�Lord Ansem will worry if he should hear that you aren�t sleeping again.�

�Why should he?� questioned the slate-eyed youth levelly, �I was merely caught up in the excitement of having someone new in the castle.�

�Ah yes,� Xehanort smiled wickedly, �I remember my own arrival here.� The smile softened as he turned to Rude, but did not reach his eyes. �You�ll have to watch this young man; he has an insatiable thirst for knowledge and will pick your mind at the first chance. Now really, Ienzo, it is high time you turned in. Come mister-?�

Rude was growing tired of having to introduce himself. He normally left that task to Reno for a reason.

�This is Rude,� Ienzo stated before he started for the door, �We�ve put him in Aluriam�s old room. Be mindful not to disturb his friend. He needs rest.� He wished Rude goodnight as he left, and seemed to move away from Xehanort as quickly as he could without running.

The two men stared at one another for a brief moment before Xehanort offered another unwelcoming smile, �Shall we?�

�I don�t need an escort,� the Turk replied as he left the room.

�It�s no inconvenience,� the amber-eyed man replied as he caught up to the burly man. �I heard your�companion�was injured; nothing too serious, I hope?�

Rude recognised the request for more information than the question asked directly and his guard went up immediately. �He�ll be fine after he�s rested up.�

Xehanort nodded and watched Rude through the corner of his eye as they walked. �How fortunate� How did he come to be injured though?�

�We crashed.�

The strange man offered an expression of false concern that would have looked genuine to most. He continued to scrutinize the Turk as indiscreetly as possible. �That�s a shame�did your carriage suffer much damage?�

�Yes.�

Xehanort waited for a pause, as though expecting Rude to add more before he seemed to realise he was not going to receive an expanded answer. �Pity; I hope that does not postpone any plans of great consequence. What brings you to the area?�

�We were just passing through and got caught in the storm.�

�Hmm, were you travelling for business?� the silver-haired man asked curiously.

Rude realised that, unlike Ienzo, this man would not be respectful of the fact that he clearly did not wish to speak. Therefore, he felt no need to be respectful in return. �That�s none of yours.�

He felt a tinge of satisfaction when he saw Xehanort�s eyes narrow before quickly masking it with an apologetic expression. �Please excuse me. I suppose it has been a tiring day for you. Perhaps we can continue this discussion in the morning.�

Rude said nothing and the rest of the walk to his room was spent in silence. Once they reached the door, he turned to Xehanort before the other man could say anything. �My partner needs rest, so this is as far as you go.�

�Very well,� the amber-eyed man replied with a forced smile. �I look forward to meeting him in the morning.� With those words, he turned and disappeared down the dark hallway.

The bald man waited a moment, until a flash of lightning showed that no one was in the hall, and then unlocked the door with the key Ienzo had given him. He locked the door behind him once he closed it.

�Hey, Aibou, wh-�oh. That bad, huh?� Reno commented from the bed. His blue eyes were looking somewhere to Rude�s left.

The burly man did not bother asking how his partner could already tell that he was disturbed. Reno somehow managed to track his partner�s movements as he approached the bed. �So, are we stuck in Hell House or what?�

�Close enough.� Rude sat down on the bed and looked the redhead over before glancing around the room. Nothing had changed since he left. He raised a hand to Reno�s face and brushed his fingers over it, noting that his features were slightly softer than those in the eerie portrait he had seen, and his blue eyes were welcoming to Rude, unlike the fierce green in the painting.

�Rude�?� Reno frowned lightly, then placed his own hand over Rude�s and slid it up his arm and neck until it was resting on his partner�s face as well. �What is it? What did that kid tell you�and who were you talking to before you came in, yo?�

The bald man closed his eyes for a moment as his lover stroked his head and sighed before opening them. Then, he stretched out on the bed beside Reno and recounted everything that had he had seen and heard since he followed Ienzo out of the room. Afterwards, the room was silent for several minutes before Reno spoke.

�Damn�I got a bad feelin� about this, Aibou.�

�So do I,� the burly man agreed. �Now, what do we do about it?�

�Well, even if we split in the mornin�, we aren�t gonna get far if this storm doesn�t let up, yo.� The redhead furrowed his brows, �Hey, did you see a phone or anything out there? I tried callin� the boss-man while you were out, but I�m still not getting any reception.�

�I didn�t see one, but I didn�t think to ask either.�

�Gee, wonder why,� Reno smirked lightly. �We can ask in the morning�, yo. Maybe the weather will be good enough to send out another chopper.�

�When will Tseng notice we�re MIA otherwise?�

�I�m supposed to report to him first thing in the mornin�,� the redhead answered before yawning and continuing sleepily, �But Rufus asked me to call �em once we got back�he�ll know something�s not right within the hour and you know Tseng�ll move on that.�

Rude nodded and then set his cell�s alarm for three hours. �Let�s try to get some sleep then. We can work out what to do tomorrow in the morning. How�s your head?�

��Bout the same,� Reno shifted as Rude joined him under the covers. �It�ll probably feel better after I sleep. Oh, an� watch out for the gun under your pillow, yo�and the EMR under mine.�

�You remembered to leave it off this time, right?�

�Yeah, and it�s retracted� and that only happened once, you know��

Between the storm raging outside, having to wake a rather lethargic Reno every few hours, and the general sense of unease hanging in the air, the night seemed to pass especially slowly to Rude. When the sun finally rose in the horizon, its rays could scarcely break through the dark clouds overhead. It was still raining and windy, but the worse of the storm seemed to have passed.

Rude dressed and returned to the bed to wake Reno, noting that he still seemed slower to wake than usual. As soon as the redhead�s eyes finally fluttered open, they squeezed closed.

�Ah, shit.�

�Light sensitive?� Rude asked, stroking his partner�s hair out of his face.

�Yeah�and m� head kills, yo,� he muttered. �I fuckin� hate concussions.�

�At least this is only your second this year,� Rude commented, �Remember that year you got six of �em?�

�I�m never gonna live that one down, am I?�

�No. How well can you see?�

Blue eyes opened slowly and blinked often before settling, but not focusing. �Too blurry to make anything out, yo. I can see light now and sort of make out a few spots that are darker than others are. Is there somethin� over there�like big ass hole in the wall?�

Rude turned his head and saw that Reno was pointing to the window. �No, that�s a window�and the armoire is next to it.�

�Oh, that must be the darker blotch next to the big lighter one�� Reno squinted and then closed his eyes.

�Here,� the bald man took off his sunglasses and placed them on his partner. �Your goggles must have come off during the crash.�

Reno thanked the larger man and then Rude assisted him in getting dressed. They had just finished tucking their weapons away when there was a firm knock on the door. Rude answered it to find a middle-aged man with golden eyes, one of which was covered by an eye patch, holding what appeared to be a crutch.

While the hair was longer and had more grey than the portrait he had seen the night before, Rude could still recognise the man. �Braig, right?�

The man smiled, showing abnormally sharp canines, �Yep, good memory�the kid said he only got to show you the study for a minute. Anyway, breakfast is ready and Even wants to check up on your friend. Did Ien get around to the dining hall during your tour last night or do you need me to show you the way?�

�We didn�t make it that far,� the bald Turk answered, making a mental note that, while the boy had spoken more warmly of Braig than the others the previous evening, Ienzo had obviously stuck to his cover about the tour with this man. He was not sure if that was a sign that the youth did not trust him, or if he was just shrewd enough to stick to his story regardless.

�All right then, follow me. Here, Even said your friend would need these,� the shorter man offered the crutch and a sling as Rude moved to help Reno. Once they joined him in the hall, Braig paused to stare at the redhead for a moment, although his gaze was less disturbing than some of the others had been. �Damn�he does look just like him. I thought Dilan was exaggerating.�

Reno�s brows furrowed slightly as he tried to pinpoint the owner of the voice, while Rude simply continued down the hall, he knew they needed to reach the main landing before they had to know where they were going. Seeing that neither Turk was going to respond, Braig rolled his eye and then caught up to them before taking the lead.

The dining hall was a large, imposing room with a table long enough to seat at least twenty people. Two thirds of the seats had no settings, including the head chair. Xehanort sat at the opposite end by himself, looking pleased. �I�m afraid Lord Ansem was called away early this morning�it seems one of the towns in his domain suffered greatly during the storm. Naturally, Luxord and Saïx left with him.�

Rude and Reno sat at the opposite end of the table, along with the other apprentices. Even was reading a book, while Dilan and Elaeus were sitting silently, and Ienzo was absent from the table, though a seat seemed to set for him. Braig took a seat next to Myde, who immediately took interest in their guest.

�Hi, you must be Rude and Reno�Ien told me that you arrived last night. I�m Myde. I�m-� A coughing fit interrupted the young man�s statement. Braig turned to the blonde and began patting his back.

�Ienzo, how�s that tea coming along?� Braig called.

Even looked up at the commotion and seemed to notice that their guests had joined them for the first time. �Oh, Mr Rude, and -Reno, right�? I�m pleased you could join us. How are you feeling today?�

Reno looked slightly confused and did not respond, so Rude recounted the changes in his condition. Even arched an eyebrow and stood to approach the redhead. �So he�s lethargic and, it seems, somewhat disorientated? That should last for a few more days at least, and the pain will likely persist for several weeks yet. I should check his pupils, nonetheless��

The bald man frowned when the doctor took out a small mirror to direct light into Reno�s eyes. A smaller door then the one they had entered through opened in the corner and Ienzo came through, pushing a large breakfast cart. The blue-haired youth looked at Rude as he handed a teapot to Brag. �We don�t have any electricity out here�the others claimed it took them some time to get used to it.�

Taking in the lack of technology, their surroundings, and the other men�s clothing, Rude felt as though he and Reno had travelled back a century. �You said the others told you it took time to get used to? What about you?�

�I was too young when I came here�I don�t remember anything else.� The boy began placing platters of food on the table. He offered a small smile to Elaeus as sat down a tray of sausages. �Good morning, Elaeus. I made some of those scones you like.�

The large man nodded once as the teen set a basket of said scones down in front of him, but said nothing. Ienzo sighed quietly and then sat down beside the silent man, looking disappointed. After the russet-haired man took a couple of scones, Rude took one himself and took a bite.

�These are good,� the bald man commented, looking pointedly at the other brawny man before turning his gaze to Ienzo, who was looking down at his plate as he pushed some eggs around. �Thank you for breakfast.�

The slate-eyed youth murmured a response while Rude served Reno. Even returned to his seat and began serving himself as well, �You�re very fortunate�Reno, yes? It appears that you have not suffered any serious damage to the brain. Just be sure to get plenty of rest over the next few weeks and do not strain yourself.�

The redhead sighed and glanced at his partner and mumbled, �I am not stayin� in bed for weeks, yo.� His voice lowered even further as he added, ��Specially here.�

The corner of Rude�s mouth twitched up slightly. �We�ll find the nearest phone or transport today and head home; just take it easy while we travel. Once we get home�between me, Rufus, and Tseng, you aren�t going to have much choice.�

�I�m afraid travelling today will be out of the question,� Xehanort�s voice travelled across the long room. �Lord Ansem has taken his carriage and the other was damaged by the storm. The phones lines the area aren�t functioning and it does not appear that your friend will be able to walk to the nearest town with working phones.�

�Where is the nearest working phone?� Reno asked, clearly irritated by the fact that Xehanort had chosen to speak on his behalf.

�It�s only a day�s ride, but it takes three days on foot when you aren�t suffering a serious injury, and you�d be out in�� The amber-eyed man paused in the process of gesturing to the window. �Oh, you cannot see outside, can you? It�s still raining and windy.�

�Lord Ansem should only be gone for the day, and Elaeus and Dilan are going to work on the damaged carriage today,� Myde chimed in cheerfully. His eyes moved over Reno curiously, but his interest seemed to be harmless. �You should be able to leave sometime tomorrow either way, and we don�t mind having you here in the meantime.�

�It would be better for you to rest an additional day or two anyway,� added Even. �The worst of your symptoms should have reduced to a more manageable level by then or the injury will have proved itself more serious than we believe. In either case, it would be wiser to wait.�

Rude had to admit that the doctor had a point, but as soon as he looked across from him, his eyes met Ienzo�s cautioning ones and the boy shook his head minutely. The Turk turned his gaze to his partner, who leaned toward him and lowered his voice again.

�What if you go for a little walk today and see if you can get a signal somewhere nearby? It looks like we�re stuck here for a while otherwise�just take your gun, yo.�

The bald man was not sure which idea he loathed more�being stuck in a creepy castle with what were likely a bunch of lunatics, or leaving Reno alone in said castle with its lunatics while he went for a hike that might amount to nothing.

The redhead discreetly moved his uninjured hand from his lap to Rude�s thigh and gave it a gentle rub. �I�ll be fine, Aibou. I just wanna get out of here�I�ve got a bad feelin� about this place.�

Rude sighed. It never boded well when Reno said he had a bad feeling about something.

Even was the first to excuse himself from the table, stating that he would be in his laboratory if anyone needed him. Shortly after, Myde started feeling unwell again, and Braig decided to escort him to his room. Dilan and Elaeus left soon after to start repairing any damages the storm had caused.

Xehanort finally left, and Rude could have sworn the room grew a little warmer upon his exit. Reno sighed beside him, �I know I can�t see him an� all, but that guy creeps me out, yo.�

The bald man nodded, �I think I�m gonna take that walk after all,� the brawny Turk stated as they headed to the room they were occupying. �You sure you�re going to be all right?�

The redhead smirked, �Yes, Aibou, I�m sure.� Rude stood and guided Reno as the smaller man moved to leave the dining hall as well. �Let�s go see if we can find our room again.�

�Do you want me to show you?� Ienzo asked, pausing in the middle of clearing the table.

Both Turks paused, wondering how they had forgotten the kid was still there. Rude glanced at Reno and leaned down to speak into his ear, �Would you be pissed if I asked the kid to keep an eye on you? You are supposed to be supervised for a few days.�

The redhead rolled his eyes, but then winced and grabbed Rude�s shoulder as though dizzy and in pain. Once it passed, his eyes found Rude again. �All right�I suppose it�ll less boring than sittin� there by myself and who knows? Maybe I�ll be able to get more information out of him.�

The bald man nodded and turned to the boy to accept his offer. They headed for the room in silence, until Reno suddenly paused near the base of the stairs, looking confused. �What happened to the stairs, yo?�

Rude and Ienzo both frowned, looking at the staircase themselves and seeing nothing out of the ordinary. The burly man then turned a concerned gaze to his partner. �What do you mean, Reno?�

�They�re�broken. There�s a big ass crack going through �em.�

The blue-haired teen turned a worried gaze to Rude and whispered, �Should I go fetch Even?�

The large Turk looked over the stairs. The room was very dim due to the cloud coverage outside, and the barrister broke the candlelight from the chandelier hanging overhead. �No�with his vision being so bad, the shadow there probably looks like a deep crevice.� He rubbed Reno�s back, �It isn�t broken. It�s just your concussion.�

Reno muttered a few obscenities as they continued up the stairs, and Rude took the opportunity to ask Ienzo about Reno. �Would you mind keeping an eye on him for a while this morning? I want to take a little walk to see if my cell phone will work, but I don�t want to leave alone like this.�

�Sure, I can sit with him; I was just going to be reading anyway.� The teen looked pensive for a moment before speaking again, �You should take the footpath through the eastern gardens. It leads to the bridge over Myde�s river�you might have some luck past there and you should be able to make it back before lunch.�

As he had not been able to get a signal in the woods the night before, Rude decided that the boy�s suggestion was worth trying. Upon Reno�s insistence, Rude retrieved his gun once they got to the room, while Ienzo left for a moment to get an umbrella for the large Turk. After the youth returned with the umbrella and a few books, the bald man headed off.

The wind had died down to a breeze with only a few gusts, so the umbrella did a fine job of keeping Rude dry as he hiked through the rain. The path was overgrown, but still easy to manage, and would probably be beautiful in better weather. Rude turned his cell phone on long before he reached the river, but he did not get a signal until he was a few meters past it.

The signal was weak, but enough that Tseng should be able to get a fair idea of his location, so Rude called. His superior answered on the first ring. Tseng�s deep voice was broken by static, but the bald man was still thrilled to hear it. �Ru�where are yo�? Sauchou�s been�orried�Reno. �Was supposed�call last night. What is� ur condition?�

�The chopper is dead. Reno has sustained injuries, including a serious concussion. I�m uninjured, but we�re essentially trapped. We have shelter in an old castle, but some of the inhabitants are suspicious. We need a pick up.�

Rude hoped that the Wutain man had understood enough to understand the situation as well as he needed to for now. He figured he and Reno could offer a full report later. He felt some relief when his superior�s broken reply came through.

�All right�copy. Stay on the�or�nother fifteen minutes�while I track�location. I�ll get a team together�send them�you.�

Rude waited silently for another ten minutes before Tseng spoke again. �We cannot pinpoint�exact location�close enough to see�castle from� Stay with your partner�arrives�approximately six hours.�

The bald man confirmed that he had heard and ended the call before turning back. He felt very relieved that they would be leaving soon. The feeling did not last long, however, as the sound of a gunshot rang through the valley�one that was muffled, as though it had been fired indoors.

Rude ran along the path as quickly as he could.
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I Don't Believe in Spooks