Thicker Than Blood - Chapter 5
Title: Thicker Than Blood
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Cloud, Rufus, Reno
Summary: Cloud Strife never returned to Nibelheim. AU
Author’s Note: This one’s a short chapter but no matter how I played with it, it insisted on ending earlier than I was expecting. At least you get to meet another PoV character.
Previous Chapter
"My baby! My honey!" Reno cried as the helicopter landed at Fort Condor.
The tornado of dust surrounding it did nothing to deter him as he dashed towards his beloved. Reno simply pulled his goggles over his eyes and kept on going. Soon enough he was busy clambering all over the craft checking the tiniest sign of damage.
"Did the bad man hurt you?" he cooed at the aircraft.
Predictably Tseng was not amused. Climbing out the cockpit, he fixed the younger Turk with a particularly stony look, his eyebrows practically touching his nose. "Contrary to popular belief," he stated, "I am not that bad a pilot."
"Who said anything about you being a bad pilot?" Reno retorted. "I just said you were a bad man."
Most folks would never have said such a thing about a Turk, let alone to the Turk in question. Even other Turks tended to get squeamish when it came to admitting what kind of people their job required them to be. They danced around it like a pole, only the result - in Reno's experience - was way less sexy.
Tseng's lips twitched once. Twice. Then turned into a genuine if small smile. Yeah, he was like Reno. Maybe Tseng wore a tie, tucked his shirt in and changed his underwear more than once a month, but at the end of the day? They were two peas in a rotten pod.
You didn't do Turk work and stay a saint. Let the kiddies with their rosy cheeks and skinned knees tell themselves bedtime stories. Reno and Tseng knew better.
"Director!" Speaking of kiddies.
A tiny figure was swiftly climbing down the ladder that led into the mountain. Unlike the first two in their fitted navy suits, the new arrival was dressed in a deep red one which was at least two sizes too big for her. Once about ten feet up, she jumped, landing lightly on her feet.
Show off.
"Elena," Tseng said as she approached them, "you are looking well today."
"Thank you, sir," the intern said, blushing. (Rosy cheeks. Check.) "May I say you are also looking verywell as well." The words had apparently burst out on their own as no sooner had she said them, a look of horror dawned on her features.
If Tseng noticed how flustered the kid was, he gave no indication of it. "Thank you, Elena. The compliment is greatly appreciated."
Reno half expected the kid to faint at this. Instead she nervously ran a hand through her hair. For another female the action might have caused some movie cliché. The wind caused by the slowing rotors of the helicopter would've made her hair float for a few seconds causing it to shine the colour of ripe corn. With Elena's all that happened was it fluttered back and forth like it was waving at someone. Her hair was still cropped close having not quite recovered from being shaved off during boot camp. For the life of him, Reno still hadn't figured out how she'd survived the experience.
"Laney, take the back," he ordered as they began to go back to the fort. Tseng might not be a bigwig like the President, but there still were plenty of suicidal types that'd like to get a piece of him.
"Yes, sir," she chirped and scurried into the end of their little procession while Reno took the front. "But if you don't mind. I prefer Elena. I've mentioned it a couple times already, sir."
"What's that, Laney? You think you can tell me what to do?" he barked.
"I didn't mean it like that. It was just a req - "
"Well?" he half-sneered.
The intern's mouth clamped shut immediately. It stayed that way. To her credit, she didn't make puppy dog looks in Tseng's direction begging for help. It wouldn't have helped her anyway.
As they entered Fort Condor, Reno kept an eye out for problems. While now it was more known as tourist attraction or for its mako reactor, there'd been a time where it had been known as a fort in truth as well as name. The bulk of the population lived in rooms and tunnels carved directly into the mountain. There had been lots of hidey holes designed to repel invaders, meaning there were lots of places a troublemaker could lurk.
It gave Reno a headache just thinking about it. Especially considering the VIPs arriving in a couple days. With any luck Rude was having a better time securing Kalm.
They reached the fort's inn without incident. The Turks had 'borrowed' it, turning the biggest bedroom into a temporary command center. Numerous computers filled the chamber, many of which displayed video feed of the mountain. The artwork that had once adorned the walls was replaced by maps. The largest one, a map that spanned all of Gaia had a dozen flags pinned to it with red strings crisscrossed the continents. Meanwhile the inns' beds had been shoved into one corner.
"Laney, get us some coffee, will ya?" Reno said.
The coffee machine sat on a tall desk in the middle of the room. The machine itself was meticulously cared for, the dark plastic of its controls clear of even the ghost of a fingerprint, while the pot was polished spotless. The machine sat on its pedestal gleaming as if its was a gift from the Planet. Elena approached it reverently.
"Not that ancient stuff," Reno snapped.
"But I made it only fifteen minutes ago," she protested.
"There you go. You trying to poison us?"
She started to reach for fresh beans when he added, "Not any of that guck either. I want a cup of coffee I actually like."
"Yes, sir. Right away," she said tightly then left.
No sooner did the door close, then Tseng slumped onto the nearest bed and Reno poured him a cup of coffee and handed it to him.
"She'll be gone for a while," Reno commented.
"You're hard on her," Tseng noted.
"She needs it." The kid was a nice one. That was part of the problem.
"It wasn't a critique, merely an observation."
"Uh huh." Reno could feel some part of himself go on alert. A phantom dagger in his gut that hinted he wasn't going to like where this conversation was going. He kept things casual though. Freaking out wouldn't help. Besides he wasn't one of the gods, his instincts had been wrong before. "I still don't get why you recruited her. Anyone who actually appliesto the Turks ought to be tossed out on principle."
Well, okay Rude had applied. But Rude was Rude. Trying to figure him out just gave you a headache.
"She graduated the Shinra Military Academy near the top of her class. I believe her thesis on the effective use of small explosives in combat stirred some interest," Tseng said.
"So? I don't care if she could blow up half the army. She's another above-Plate kid who's never missed a meal in her life."
"Her older sister was a Turk," Tseng pointed out. "I believe she did well in school as well."
"Big emphasis on the 'was' part, Tseng. 'Sides unlike big sis, Elena didn't get caught dealing drugs." That would've been a mark in the kid's favour.
Tseng sighed, rubbing his temples. "There are only three of us left, Reno. You, myself and Rude."
"So what? We need a girl to make us more diverse? Are we fucking equal opportunity employers now?"
Despite the comment, Reno didn't mind working with women. He'd worked with and under them before, and in a pinch, they had been as good as the gents. There'd been one lady Turk in particular who he'd respected, a pretty little auburn-haired thing with a clever tongue. That Turk would have made him eat his own balls for breakfast if he'd crossed her. So far Elena hadn't shown a hint of that kind of grit.
"There are benefits to having a woman in the organization. There are places they can go, jobs they can do without drawing as much attention as a man."
"Is this a sex thing? 'Cause I can set you up with some mighty fine ladies if necessary." It was a shot in the dark, but considering that Ancient Tseng mooned over, it was pretty clear he liked the goody-two-shoes type. He wouldn't be the first Turk to let his weapon take the lead.
"I have no need to take advantage of my subordinates," Tseng answered briskly. "My sex life is quite satisfactory."
Uh huh, and Scarlet made weapons that fired daisies.
Reno rolled his eyes. "And when are you finding time for this illustrious sex life of yours?" he argued. This was about as polite and safe as asking the President about his diet plan, but sometimes a little danger got you somewhere. "Been screwing a member of the board of directors, have you? I know you prefer brunets. So is ol'Degger any good?"
"Enough," Tseng broke in, his voice steel. "As I was saying before, there are only three of us left and that is not enough. The department has paper pushers, hackers and informants. What we need is Turks."
"Then look at the typical folks," Reno shot back. "Thieves, orphans, vets, whores… They all know what life's really like. No pink, frilly illusions floating in their eyes."
"And what about their backgrounds? If they have any conflicting loyalties?" Tseng pointed out. "The President has too many schemes that require our attention for us to take the time to research other candidates. Hopefully in the future that will be difference, but for now we have to make do with some whose background we know."
"Look, I know she ain't dumb. She knows I only send her for coffee when I don't want her 'round," Reno explained. "She just hasn't had the guts to call me on it or even try to listen in." Not that interns were supposed to do the latter, though it showed initiative. Besides it was practically tradition to kick the crap out of the ones who tried.
Tseng must have heard something he liked, because all of a sudden he turned affable, neatly folding his hands across his lap. He mildly looked up at his subordinate with the demeanour of a tutor who was pleased that his student had gotten the right answer. "So you agree she's intelligent," Tseng stated pleasantly. "I'm glad we agree on that point."
Oh shit, Reno could see where this was going. He really shouldn't have said the last bit. "What I'm saying is she's coddled and timid, plus she ain't screwed up enough for the work."
As if Reno were in the crosshairs of a sniper rifle, he could feel Tseng's assessing gaze zero in on him. "Then perhaps she needs a mentor in such matters," Tseng suggested. "You seem to know exactly what she lacks."
Yep, Reno had practically offered to do the job. Fuck.
"She doesn't have what it takes, chief," Reno said quietly. It was one last stab at freedom
At this point one of the monitors beeped and there on the screen was Elena, a bag of fresh coffee beans with her. By the time she arrived, Tseng's mug had disappeared, a report in its place, and Reno was busy flicking cards into a garbage cans.
"It's Dao Chao blend," she announced, gently cradling the bag with all the care of a hardened caffeine addict. "It's one of the best."
"You planning to make that here?" Reno asked.
"Uh, yes?" she answered tentatively.
"With that crappy old thing?" Reno pointed at the spotless coffee maker.
Elena stared at Reno, then at her beloved coffee machine, then at Tseng and finally back at Reno. "Apparently not," she said tightly before leaving once more. Reno figured he'd bought them a bit more time. It'd be a while before she found someone who'd let her use their coffee maker.
Tseng watched her go before turning back to Reno. "Maybe she has what it takes. Maybe she doesn't. But my previous point stands." he said. "Between the President's current schemes and our normal duties, we are stretched too thin. There are simply too few of us to actively look for recruits."
Reno snorted. To think there once been dozens of them. "Yeah, thank you very much, Rufus Shinra," he grumbled. "So how is His Shiny Assness? Has he gotten himself killed yet?"
"The vice president is in perfect health."
"Well ain't that wonderful," Reno said and shuffled his remaining cards in his deck. Acting as if he was focusing on this, he clandestinely scrutinized Tseng.
The vice president was a sore point of the chief's. Not that you would've noticed looking at him. You would've thought the brat was any other spoiled executive for all the difference it made in his face. Still, everybody had a tell, a little hiccup that tended to rear its head when something was bugging them. Most people wouldn't have even noticed Tseng's reaction at all.
Reno wasn't most people.
Tseng's tick was a verbal one. A minute one at that. While the head Turk always spoke like he had a stick up his ass, when something was especially bothering him, the stick got driven in a bit deeper. He tended to pronounce things a bit more exactly. He shed the normal slang and abbreviations. You could tell he was needing to think a bit harder when it came to blabbing. It was the only sign in Tseng's otherwise fluent speech which hinted that Continental wasn't his native language.
"So basically you ran all the way to Junon for nothing. Ol'Degger's gonna be thrilled about the fuel cost." Heidegger's budget meetings were infamous.
"It easily could've gone otherwise," Tseng stated.
"Do I care? It ain't your job to keep him in diapers. Or kiss his booboos. Not anymore. Hell, it would do the spoiled brat good to get knocked over the head a couple hundred times. A bit of brain damage might do wonders for his personality."
"Or it could kill him altogether. Or damage him to the point he would be unable to perform his duties."
"Duties?" Reno scoffed. "What duties? His pop took all his real authority away when he tried to take over. Still don't get why Old Man Shinra didn't cut him lose then and there."
"And leave the company without an heir-apparent? The company's enemies would see that as a weakness."
"Then give the job to someone else."
"Who?"
As much as Reno hated to admit it, he had a point. Heidegger had an ego the size of HQ but was only competent when it came to middle management. Scarlet would end up blowing the Planet up. Reeve was a nice pipe dream but he was too sentimental. The President would have to pushing up daisies before he allowed that to happen. Palmer? Just no.
And Hojo? The very thought made Reno nauseous.
"Well forgive me for having a bit of a fantasy. But only choice or not, Rufus has trouble written all over him," Reno said, "or have you forgotten what he did to Veld?"
"I have not."
Have not. Not haven't. Yeah, get pissed, Tseng. Better that then going all mother hen over Veld's backstabber.
"Make sure you don't. 'Cause framing the head of the Turks ain't exactly something we want to encourage now, do we? I mean maybe you enjoy the office with a view, and the pay is pretty awesome. Next time it might be you… Veld might have been able to outrun the bullet. Do you think you can?"
"I am well aware of the potential consequences, Reno," Tseng replied coolly.
Reno hated doing this kind of thing. He wasn't the chief here. This was the sort of pompous speech that Tseng was supposed to give to him, not the other way around. Talking this way made him feel like he ought to sit up straight and put his fucking tie on.
Had to be done. Couldn't have Tseng deluding himself.
"Are you?" Reno persisted. "Maybe you ran after Shinra Junior 'cause of the job, but I ain't so sure." Yeah, any second now his tie was going to fly out of his pocket and start strangling him. "You knew the brat since he was barely out of diapers."
"You believe this compromises me?" Tseng asked. He was calm, so utterly calm. Reno wondered how much of it was real.
Not letting it get to him, Reno pushed onward. "Maybe. Maybe not," he said evenly. "I was there when Veld was framed. Saw all that evidence pile up. All the way to sky. But you? …You didn't even blink."
"He was innocent."
"'Course he was. That ain't the point. What if he had betrayed us?" Reno said. He definitely hated doing this. Between his fingers he fiddled with a King of Spades, wondering if ripping it apart would make him feel better or worse. "You were his little protégé. He spent a whole lotta time grooming you, didn't he? Could've told you to jump off a cliff and you'd have done it.
"Now we have got our illustrious vice president. You've known him longer than me and Rude. You taught him to talk the talk. Walk the walk. All Turk-like and everything. He learned a decent bit too… Must've made you proud. That's gotta leave one hell of a mark. Problem is he ain't a Turk. He's a power-hungry little tit and it's only a matter of time 'til he pushes too far and Poppa Shinra decides to push him right off a cliff," Reno said.
With that, Reno's flippant manner eased, the little cocky grin that normally adorned his face fading. He leaned towards his boss, making sure the older Turk took in every word he said. "So what are you going to do then, chief?" he asked.
Tseng didn't answer for a long time. It was if he'd stepped out of his own body for all the expression he showed. Finally, he slowly got up, brushed a bit of lint from his trousers and straightened his tie in a smooth, well-practiced motion.
"You mentioned Veld. You asked me what I'd do if he'd truly betrayed the company," he said calmly. "Please understand I cared very much about him. Without his influence, I would be nothing. He was my friend, my mentor and more..."
"And?"
"I would've made it quick."
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Cloud, Rufus, Reno
Summary: Cloud Strife never returned to Nibelheim. AU
Author’s Note: This one’s a short chapter but no matter how I played with it, it insisted on ending earlier than I was expecting. At least you get to meet another PoV character.
Previous Chapter
"My baby! My honey!" Reno cried as the helicopter landed at Fort Condor.
The tornado of dust surrounding it did nothing to deter him as he dashed towards his beloved. Reno simply pulled his goggles over his eyes and kept on going. Soon enough he was busy clambering all over the craft checking the tiniest sign of damage.
"Did the bad man hurt you?" he cooed at the aircraft.
Predictably Tseng was not amused. Climbing out the cockpit, he fixed the younger Turk with a particularly stony look, his eyebrows practically touching his nose. "Contrary to popular belief," he stated, "I am not that bad a pilot."
"Who said anything about you being a bad pilot?" Reno retorted. "I just said you were a bad man."
Most folks would never have said such a thing about a Turk, let alone to the Turk in question. Even other Turks tended to get squeamish when it came to admitting what kind of people their job required them to be. They danced around it like a pole, only the result - in Reno's experience - was way less sexy.
Tseng's lips twitched once. Twice. Then turned into a genuine if small smile. Yeah, he was like Reno. Maybe Tseng wore a tie, tucked his shirt in and changed his underwear more than once a month, but at the end of the day? They were two peas in a rotten pod.
You didn't do Turk work and stay a saint. Let the kiddies with their rosy cheeks and skinned knees tell themselves bedtime stories. Reno and Tseng knew better.
"Director!" Speaking of kiddies.
A tiny figure was swiftly climbing down the ladder that led into the mountain. Unlike the first two in their fitted navy suits, the new arrival was dressed in a deep red one which was at least two sizes too big for her. Once about ten feet up, she jumped, landing lightly on her feet.
Show off.
"Elena," Tseng said as she approached them, "you are looking well today."
"Thank you, sir," the intern said, blushing. (Rosy cheeks. Check.) "May I say you are also looking verywell as well." The words had apparently burst out on their own as no sooner had she said them, a look of horror dawned on her features.
If Tseng noticed how flustered the kid was, he gave no indication of it. "Thank you, Elena. The compliment is greatly appreciated."
Reno half expected the kid to faint at this. Instead she nervously ran a hand through her hair. For another female the action might have caused some movie cliché. The wind caused by the slowing rotors of the helicopter would've made her hair float for a few seconds causing it to shine the colour of ripe corn. With Elena's all that happened was it fluttered back and forth like it was waving at someone. Her hair was still cropped close having not quite recovered from being shaved off during boot camp. For the life of him, Reno still hadn't figured out how she'd survived the experience.
"Laney, take the back," he ordered as they began to go back to the fort. Tseng might not be a bigwig like the President, but there still were plenty of suicidal types that'd like to get a piece of him.
"Yes, sir," she chirped and scurried into the end of their little procession while Reno took the front. "But if you don't mind. I prefer Elena. I've mentioned it a couple times already, sir."
"What's that, Laney? You think you can tell me what to do?" he barked.
"I didn't mean it like that. It was just a req - "
"Well?" he half-sneered.
The intern's mouth clamped shut immediately. It stayed that way. To her credit, she didn't make puppy dog looks in Tseng's direction begging for help. It wouldn't have helped her anyway.
As they entered Fort Condor, Reno kept an eye out for problems. While now it was more known as tourist attraction or for its mako reactor, there'd been a time where it had been known as a fort in truth as well as name. The bulk of the population lived in rooms and tunnels carved directly into the mountain. There had been lots of hidey holes designed to repel invaders, meaning there were lots of places a troublemaker could lurk.
It gave Reno a headache just thinking about it. Especially considering the VIPs arriving in a couple days. With any luck Rude was having a better time securing Kalm.
They reached the fort's inn without incident. The Turks had 'borrowed' it, turning the biggest bedroom into a temporary command center. Numerous computers filled the chamber, many of which displayed video feed of the mountain. The artwork that had once adorned the walls was replaced by maps. The largest one, a map that spanned all of Gaia had a dozen flags pinned to it with red strings crisscrossed the continents. Meanwhile the inns' beds had been shoved into one corner.
"Laney, get us some coffee, will ya?" Reno said.
The coffee machine sat on a tall desk in the middle of the room. The machine itself was meticulously cared for, the dark plastic of its controls clear of even the ghost of a fingerprint, while the pot was polished spotless. The machine sat on its pedestal gleaming as if its was a gift from the Planet. Elena approached it reverently.
"Not that ancient stuff," Reno snapped.
"But I made it only fifteen minutes ago," she protested.
"There you go. You trying to poison us?"
She started to reach for fresh beans when he added, "Not any of that guck either. I want a cup of coffee I actually like."
"Yes, sir. Right away," she said tightly then left.
No sooner did the door close, then Tseng slumped onto the nearest bed and Reno poured him a cup of coffee and handed it to him.
"She'll be gone for a while," Reno commented.
"You're hard on her," Tseng noted.
"She needs it." The kid was a nice one. That was part of the problem.
"It wasn't a critique, merely an observation."
"Uh huh." Reno could feel some part of himself go on alert. A phantom dagger in his gut that hinted he wasn't going to like where this conversation was going. He kept things casual though. Freaking out wouldn't help. Besides he wasn't one of the gods, his instincts had been wrong before. "I still don't get why you recruited her. Anyone who actually appliesto the Turks ought to be tossed out on principle."
Well, okay Rude had applied. But Rude was Rude. Trying to figure him out just gave you a headache.
"She graduated the Shinra Military Academy near the top of her class. I believe her thesis on the effective use of small explosives in combat stirred some interest," Tseng said.
"So? I don't care if she could blow up half the army. She's another above-Plate kid who's never missed a meal in her life."
"Her older sister was a Turk," Tseng pointed out. "I believe she did well in school as well."
"Big emphasis on the 'was' part, Tseng. 'Sides unlike big sis, Elena didn't get caught dealing drugs." That would've been a mark in the kid's favour.
Tseng sighed, rubbing his temples. "There are only three of us left, Reno. You, myself and Rude."
"So what? We need a girl to make us more diverse? Are we fucking equal opportunity employers now?"
Despite the comment, Reno didn't mind working with women. He'd worked with and under them before, and in a pinch, they had been as good as the gents. There'd been one lady Turk in particular who he'd respected, a pretty little auburn-haired thing with a clever tongue. That Turk would have made him eat his own balls for breakfast if he'd crossed her. So far Elena hadn't shown a hint of that kind of grit.
"There are benefits to having a woman in the organization. There are places they can go, jobs they can do without drawing as much attention as a man."
"Is this a sex thing? 'Cause I can set you up with some mighty fine ladies if necessary." It was a shot in the dark, but considering that Ancient Tseng mooned over, it was pretty clear he liked the goody-two-shoes type. He wouldn't be the first Turk to let his weapon take the lead.
"I have no need to take advantage of my subordinates," Tseng answered briskly. "My sex life is quite satisfactory."
Uh huh, and Scarlet made weapons that fired daisies.
Reno rolled his eyes. "And when are you finding time for this illustrious sex life of yours?" he argued. This was about as polite and safe as asking the President about his diet plan, but sometimes a little danger got you somewhere. "Been screwing a member of the board of directors, have you? I know you prefer brunets. So is ol'Degger any good?"
"Enough," Tseng broke in, his voice steel. "As I was saying before, there are only three of us left and that is not enough. The department has paper pushers, hackers and informants. What we need is Turks."
"Then look at the typical folks," Reno shot back. "Thieves, orphans, vets, whores… They all know what life's really like. No pink, frilly illusions floating in their eyes."
"And what about their backgrounds? If they have any conflicting loyalties?" Tseng pointed out. "The President has too many schemes that require our attention for us to take the time to research other candidates. Hopefully in the future that will be difference, but for now we have to make do with some whose background we know."
"Look, I know she ain't dumb. She knows I only send her for coffee when I don't want her 'round," Reno explained. "She just hasn't had the guts to call me on it or even try to listen in." Not that interns were supposed to do the latter, though it showed initiative. Besides it was practically tradition to kick the crap out of the ones who tried.
Tseng must have heard something he liked, because all of a sudden he turned affable, neatly folding his hands across his lap. He mildly looked up at his subordinate with the demeanour of a tutor who was pleased that his student had gotten the right answer. "So you agree she's intelligent," Tseng stated pleasantly. "I'm glad we agree on that point."
Oh shit, Reno could see where this was going. He really shouldn't have said the last bit. "What I'm saying is she's coddled and timid, plus she ain't screwed up enough for the work."
As if Reno were in the crosshairs of a sniper rifle, he could feel Tseng's assessing gaze zero in on him. "Then perhaps she needs a mentor in such matters," Tseng suggested. "You seem to know exactly what she lacks."
Yep, Reno had practically offered to do the job. Fuck.
"She doesn't have what it takes, chief," Reno said quietly. It was one last stab at freedom
At this point one of the monitors beeped and there on the screen was Elena, a bag of fresh coffee beans with her. By the time she arrived, Tseng's mug had disappeared, a report in its place, and Reno was busy flicking cards into a garbage cans.
"It's Dao Chao blend," she announced, gently cradling the bag with all the care of a hardened caffeine addict. "It's one of the best."
"You planning to make that here?" Reno asked.
"Uh, yes?" she answered tentatively.
"With that crappy old thing?" Reno pointed at the spotless coffee maker.
Elena stared at Reno, then at her beloved coffee machine, then at Tseng and finally back at Reno. "Apparently not," she said tightly before leaving once more. Reno figured he'd bought them a bit more time. It'd be a while before she found someone who'd let her use their coffee maker.
Tseng watched her go before turning back to Reno. "Maybe she has what it takes. Maybe she doesn't. But my previous point stands." he said. "Between the President's current schemes and our normal duties, we are stretched too thin. There are simply too few of us to actively look for recruits."
Reno snorted. To think there once been dozens of them. "Yeah, thank you very much, Rufus Shinra," he grumbled. "So how is His Shiny Assness? Has he gotten himself killed yet?"
"The vice president is in perfect health."
"Well ain't that wonderful," Reno said and shuffled his remaining cards in his deck. Acting as if he was focusing on this, he clandestinely scrutinized Tseng.
The vice president was a sore point of the chief's. Not that you would've noticed looking at him. You would've thought the brat was any other spoiled executive for all the difference it made in his face. Still, everybody had a tell, a little hiccup that tended to rear its head when something was bugging them. Most people wouldn't have even noticed Tseng's reaction at all.
Reno wasn't most people.
Tseng's tick was a verbal one. A minute one at that. While the head Turk always spoke like he had a stick up his ass, when something was especially bothering him, the stick got driven in a bit deeper. He tended to pronounce things a bit more exactly. He shed the normal slang and abbreviations. You could tell he was needing to think a bit harder when it came to blabbing. It was the only sign in Tseng's otherwise fluent speech which hinted that Continental wasn't his native language.
"So basically you ran all the way to Junon for nothing. Ol'Degger's gonna be thrilled about the fuel cost." Heidegger's budget meetings were infamous.
"It easily could've gone otherwise," Tseng stated.
"Do I care? It ain't your job to keep him in diapers. Or kiss his booboos. Not anymore. Hell, it would do the spoiled brat good to get knocked over the head a couple hundred times. A bit of brain damage might do wonders for his personality."
"Or it could kill him altogether. Or damage him to the point he would be unable to perform his duties."
"Duties?" Reno scoffed. "What duties? His pop took all his real authority away when he tried to take over. Still don't get why Old Man Shinra didn't cut him lose then and there."
"And leave the company without an heir-apparent? The company's enemies would see that as a weakness."
"Then give the job to someone else."
"Who?"
As much as Reno hated to admit it, he had a point. Heidegger had an ego the size of HQ but was only competent when it came to middle management. Scarlet would end up blowing the Planet up. Reeve was a nice pipe dream but he was too sentimental. The President would have to pushing up daisies before he allowed that to happen. Palmer? Just no.
And Hojo? The very thought made Reno nauseous.
"Well forgive me for having a bit of a fantasy. But only choice or not, Rufus has trouble written all over him," Reno said, "or have you forgotten what he did to Veld?"
"I have not."
Have not. Not haven't. Yeah, get pissed, Tseng. Better that then going all mother hen over Veld's backstabber.
"Make sure you don't. 'Cause framing the head of the Turks ain't exactly something we want to encourage now, do we? I mean maybe you enjoy the office with a view, and the pay is pretty awesome. Next time it might be you… Veld might have been able to outrun the bullet. Do you think you can?"
"I am well aware of the potential consequences, Reno," Tseng replied coolly.
Reno hated doing this kind of thing. He wasn't the chief here. This was the sort of pompous speech that Tseng was supposed to give to him, not the other way around. Talking this way made him feel like he ought to sit up straight and put his fucking tie on.
Had to be done. Couldn't have Tseng deluding himself.
"Are you?" Reno persisted. "Maybe you ran after Shinra Junior 'cause of the job, but I ain't so sure." Yeah, any second now his tie was going to fly out of his pocket and start strangling him. "You knew the brat since he was barely out of diapers."
"You believe this compromises me?" Tseng asked. He was calm, so utterly calm. Reno wondered how much of it was real.
Not letting it get to him, Reno pushed onward. "Maybe. Maybe not," he said evenly. "I was there when Veld was framed. Saw all that evidence pile up. All the way to sky. But you? …You didn't even blink."
"He was innocent."
"'Course he was. That ain't the point. What if he had betrayed us?" Reno said. He definitely hated doing this. Between his fingers he fiddled with a King of Spades, wondering if ripping it apart would make him feel better or worse. "You were his little protégé. He spent a whole lotta time grooming you, didn't he? Could've told you to jump off a cliff and you'd have done it.
"Now we have got our illustrious vice president. You've known him longer than me and Rude. You taught him to talk the talk. Walk the walk. All Turk-like and everything. He learned a decent bit too… Must've made you proud. That's gotta leave one hell of a mark. Problem is he ain't a Turk. He's a power-hungry little tit and it's only a matter of time 'til he pushes too far and Poppa Shinra decides to push him right off a cliff," Reno said.
With that, Reno's flippant manner eased, the little cocky grin that normally adorned his face fading. He leaned towards his boss, making sure the older Turk took in every word he said. "So what are you going to do then, chief?" he asked.
Tseng didn't answer for a long time. It was if he'd stepped out of his own body for all the expression he showed. Finally, he slowly got up, brushed a bit of lint from his trousers and straightened his tie in a smooth, well-practiced motion.
"You mentioned Veld. You asked me what I'd do if he'd truly betrayed the company," he said calmly. "Please understand I cared very much about him. Without his influence, I would be nothing. He was my friend, my mentor and more..."
"And?"
"I would've made it quick."