FicWad

Reno tilted his head up, looking back at his partner, and leaning into the arm nearest. "Mum.. .I looked like Mum, got her build too." He took a photograph out of his wallet, the picture was old, yellowed, and somewhat dogeared, telling of its age. In it was a tall man, built a lot like Rude, tall and muscular, the man had a cap of military-cut rust-colored hair, but he had the same mint-green eyes as his son. The woman was tall as well, and very slender, her hair the same fire red as his own, but her eyes were more an emerald color.*

Rude grunted, acknowledging Reno's words as he carefully took the photograph into his hand. The picture looked strangely empty to him. "Any siblings?" he asked, being reminded of his own. His elder brother had taken up the family business when his father fell ill, and his younger brother, as far as Rude knew, was still involved in that motorcycle gang. There were no family pictures, other than school ones, that had less than three people in them, be they him and his brothers, his parents, or other family members.

Reno's eyes took that hooded look again, but he nodded. Had told his partner everything else, might as well share this too. "Had a big sister. ..she tried to protect me an' mum when she could when Dad got drunk...She was 7 years older. ..when I was 9 and she was 16. ..she was killed in a car wreck. No one ever knew if it was an accident or intentional. Me, I think she just got sicka watching Dad beat on us." under the photo he had handed Rude was another one, the girl in it looking much like their mom, but she had their father's hair.*

Rude grunted again, keeping his comment of how Reno's sister was kind of hot to himself. That was neither the time, nor the place for such comments. He carefully handed Reno back the photographs, looking across the parking lot as he took another hit from his cigarette. He was still just trying to process Reno's life story.

"m'tired." and his eyes were showing that slow blink again, he'd begun falling asleep on Rude's arm. "Think we should go back in, fallin' asleep on ya here." His words were slurring very sleepily as he said this.

Rude nodded, finishing his cigarette quickly and flinging the butt into the parking lot. He carefully arranged Reno's IV bag so he could push it and his wheelchair without jostling the redhead too much. He needed his sleep.

Reno settled into the bed, his eyes closing. ..but he didn't waken even when the tray was brought in for supper, the smell of food almost always woke him up. . .something that would probably have Rude somewhat concerned.

Rude's nose twitched as he smelled food. He picked his head up from where it rested on Reno's bed. He blinked; Rude didn't remember falling asleep in the chair with his face on the bed. The last thing he remembered was thinking how boring it was to watch Reno sleep a drug-induced slumber. "Thanks," he said to the nurse that had brought the food, voice a little rough from sleep. He stood up, joints popping in protest of being forced to rest in such uncomfortable positions, eying the food that had come in. "Reno," he said, touching his partner's arm.

No response, not so much as a twitch, then the monitor next to him began showing a few occasional blinks on O2 meter, as if his body would sometimes "forget" to breath for a few seconds at a time, then would return to normal. he lookoed so serene and peaceful, there, though, his face completely free of the lines that normally settled along his brow.

"Reno," Rude said a little louder, poking Reno's arm a little harder. "Get up. Food's here."

Again, not even a twitch, and a gentle moan rose from the still form. Something wasn't right here.

"Reno. Get up." It was a command that time, and at Reno's lack of response, Rude quickly went to the door, summoning the nurse.

The nurses immediatly came into the room, and at the patient's lack of response called in a doctor, who had a gurney with him, down to the imaging room once more, but this time he turned to Rude "You may accompany us if you wish."

Rude nodded, grabbing his tie and jacket from the chair before he left. As he walked with the group, he straightened his shirt, put on his tie, and put on his jacket. In the room with Reno, he could be casual, but outside the room... he was a Turk, afterall.

It took an hour total for them to get the whole scan, and it soon became apparent why he had fallen into a coma between morning and sppertime, and the doctor pointed it out. "There were subdural bleeds here" He pointed at a spot in the front "and here" one toward the back and a bit frighteningly close to the brain stem where all autonamic function rested. "quite likely caused by the jostling of the brain against the skull itself during the attack. These things quite often do not make themselves apparant until the next day, and they are quite often missed on initial examinations as well. This is why with suspected head injuries folk are normally kept overnight, so things of this sort can be caught before they become too dangerous."

Rude nodded, silently wishing the doctor would get to the point. All the explaining did nothing if it meant Reno was going to not recover.

"We are going to place him on a course of drugs that should reduce the swelling, though if they do not work a hole will have to be surgically drilled into the skull itself. Action always must be taken quickly with this sort of injury, however. Damaged brain tissue can repair itself, but any that has died in there won't replace itself. if it can be done quickly he should make a full recovery, though some impairment is likely at any rate, most likely in the form of reading difficulities." He gave the paperwork that gave the permission for the drug treatment and possible surgery to Rude, h e was after all officially the one to make decisions in Reno's care, Reno had signed the forms to have it so after the mess at the plate.

Rude, for once, didn't bother reading through the paperwork and just signed it, realizing that the doctor's statement of time being of the essence was very true with head injuries. He'd had a few himself in the old days. Nothing as serious as what Reno was dealing with, but a few minor concussions and a plate in his head from a fight gone bad. "Whatever it takes," he said to the doctor, tone implying that if anything were to happen to Reno's wellbeing, Rude would hold the doctor completely responsible whether it was his fault or not.

"Yes sir" and with that the redhead was taken back up to his room, the bags with the drugs placed above the bag with the hydrate solution in it. Reno's eyes would twitch on occasion, as if he was dreaming, which with the muddled state of his head at the moment was entirely possible. "Dad" he mumbled "No' her fault." before falling silent again. His entire life was swirling around in his head all at the same time, images too fast for him to absorb.

Rude indicated to the nurse that if Reno did anything other than mumble incoherantly, he was to be notified immediately. With that, he walked outside the hospital, lighting a cigarette and taking his phone out of his pocket. It was time to call Tseng with the good news.

Tseng answered with a very tired sounding voice, as if he had half-expected something to go wrong. One could also hear the Vice President's voice in the background. "Report"

"If you're busy, sir, I can call back," Rude offered, trying not to smile as he heard Rufus ShinRa's voice asking 'Who is that?'

Tseng made a noise over the phone, one that sounded almost like a sight sigh. "No sir, report, please, I know you'd not call if it was not serious."


Rude figured he might as well skip all the pleasantries. Seemed Tseng was in a mood. "Reno's in a coma," he said. "Head trauma from the protest. A pair of possible ex-SOLDIERs jumped him. They have been..." he paused, "warned."

Tseng gave another sigh then placed Rufus on the phone at the blond's gesture. It was well known to the Turks that though the VP would never admit it, he saw Reno as like a kid brother almost. "I want you to stay with him, Mr Urar, until he recovers, and not leave his side if at all possible, I will send Elena over with the laptop, you can enter their physical descriptions into it, and when you have the names I will send Tseng to handle the situation. . .personally."

"Yes sir," Rude acknowledged. "Are there any other orders, sir?"

Rufus could almost be heard to smile over the phone, as if he knew and this was why the two partners had never been seperated. "Make him feel safe to come back to us, that is all."

"Yes, sir," Rude repeated, hanging up the phone and finishing his cigarette. He walked back inside the hospital, pausing at the nurse's station to question Reno's status since he stepped outside.

"No change sir, though something he mumbled did sound like YOUR name, though we were not sure, and you looked to be on the phone, so we did not retrieve you."

Rude rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses, not faulting the girl for assuming he had important business to attend to, but he did tell her to alert him if anything happened... oh well. "Thank you," he said, nodding to her as he returned to the room.

Reno's head lay on the pillow, his face a bit paler, the respritory therapist came in with an oxygen tank and nasal cpap tubing. His breathing hadn't gotten poorly enough to require a ventilator, something that if Reno were awake enough would be grateful for, and Rude likely as well, the full tube down the throat was a frightening vision that didn't suit the normally vibrant young man at all.

Rude returned to the chair that still sat next to the bed. He took off his jacket and tie, setting them on the back again. Reno looked terrible. He pushed a few stray hairs out of his face, not entirely sure what he was supposed to do.

Elena stood in the doorway with the laptop now, she lowered her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Rude. ..we all know what he means to you, and this. ..it's not right." She'd hit the nail in the head, right off. It wasn't right for Reno to be laid up, to be forceed to face the thing he had feared so badly since he was a boy.

"Thanks," Rude said, standing up. His mother had always drilled into him on standing up from your seat when a lady entered the room. However, he could only imagine the look he'd get from Elena for calling her a lady. He smiled slightly, taking the laptop from her. "I'm sure he thanks you, too."

Elena nodded "Anything you need, anything at all, just call me, Big Guy. You know I'll do everything in my power to make it happen" She knew what he'd say if he could realistically wish it. .. for this day not to have happened. ..and she shook her head at herself, wishing herself she could make it so.


"Thanks," Rude said again, gently placing his free arm around her shoulders in a slight, gentle hug. "Now, get going. Tseng can't afford to have both of us watching Reno sleep." He tried to make light of the situation, something he'd learned from Reno to help make it seem less devastating than it actually was.

"He'll bounce back, Rude, you know he always finds a way."

"I know," he said, squeezing the girl gently before turning to walk back to his chair with the laptop. He supposed it was as good a time as any to write up that report.

Elena strides back out, the dark eyes sad.

Rude opened up the laptop, watching Reno in the fading light as the machine booted up.

Reno's eyes opened. ..blinking once. ..then twice. They held no true awareness as yet, and how much remained would not be known until he awakened fully, right now he floated in the half-aware state between sleeping and waking.

Rude stood up quickly, laptop forgotten as it fell to the floor with a crash. "Reno?" he asked, "Reno, can you hear me?"

Reno just stared at him, eyes still clouded and hazed with fog, as one would expect after being comatose even for as short a time as he had been, his mind still caught in that maelstrom of memory from the past.

"Reno?" Rude asked again, then frowned slightly. He leaned over the bed, tilting his sunglasses up to rest on the top of his head as he looked at Reno's blank face.

He blinked twice again, then tears touched his eyes, though his face still remained emotionless, it was like chinks appearing in an expensive bit of armor

"Hey," he said softly, leaning down to rest his head on Reno's chest. "It's okay. It'll be okay."

A doctor stood in the door, but didn't enter. It almost felt sacriligious of him to see this but he spoke softly "I see the medications have done their work. I had not expected him to awaken if they did so at least until tomorrow, though. He is stronger than any of us could have imagined."

Rude stood quickly, the appearance of all Turks to keep up. "Thank you," he said, only a hint of the weight of his emotions in his voice. "When do you think he'll regain full consciousness?"

"Quite soon, if the speed of his recovery now is any indicator, mayhap in a few hours."

"Thank you, doctor," Rude said, trying to put more than just words into those words. He sat back down, taking Reno's chilled hand into his own as he watched the redhead like a hawk.

The green eyes have some of the fog melt from them and a whispered sigh comes out, he gestures toward the nightstand idly with his right hand, where a pad and pen sat, he attempted to ask for them, but only a few garbled syllables came out.

"You..." Rude asked, only a little confused. "You want to write something? Are you okay enough to do that?" He knew how Reno could be, knew that the redhead would try to do something even before he should just so he could say he did it.

Reno nods, closing his eyes, As they squeezed shut the tears that had been resting along the lashes fell.

Rude did as Reno requested, as if Reno could request something Rude wouldn't do... Other than that thing with the potatoe masher. He was still totally against that. "Here," he said, placing the pad and pen in Reno's hands.

He scrawled across the paper quckly "Every time I try to talk it all comes out garbled. What the FUCK'S happening to me?"


Rude looked at the pad, then turned on the small table lamp on the stand next to the bed. Reno's writing normally was terrible, but this chicken scratch was worse. He could only make out the words "I", "all", "FUCK", and "me." At least, he thought he could make them out. Rude frowned, then looked at Reno. "Do you want some water?"

Reno nods, then tries again, this time more carefully, forming each word in a hand that was at least legible.

Rude got a cup from the bedside table, walking into the adjoining bathroom to fill it with cold tap water. He helped Reno take a small drink, a little water dribbling down his chin. He took the tablet from Reno, again trying to read the writing. "You were in a coma," Rude said, finally able to make out the majority of the note.

Reno shook his head. No way in Hell had that happened, and he wrote as much. "I was sleepin' on you last I remember. I mean I was hurtin' yeah, but a coma? No way." His shook his head emphatically to emphasize the point. "You wanna know what happens when I try ta talk?" He opens his mouth, his tounge and lips trying to form the words "I love you" but the words are all jumbled, and it can be heard to be a stutter so pronounced as to make anything he said sound like a garbled mess.

"Don't push too hard," was all Rude could come up with to say. "You're still recovering."

"What if it never comes back?" He just shook his head. "Everything else seems intact, but shit, you know me I'm always talking." He punched the bed in frustration.

Rude grabbed Reno's fist, gently kissing the knuckles before setting the hand carefully back on the bed. "It'll come back," he said evenly. "Don't worry about it."

He nods, but his eyes show a certain wariness and when he writes again it says "Rude.. .I want you ta kill 'em for me. When ya do. . .I want ya to bring me back their heads, They damage mine. .I'm gonna crush theirs."

"The Vice President has it covered," Rude stated, looking for the first time down at the dropped laptop. He picked the piece of machinery up, making sure that it was still intact. "I need your help describing them," he said, sitting down and straightening the laptop on his lap. Before Reno could make another noise or write anything down, he interrupted. "I'm going to read what I'm writing. You tell me if I'm missing anything or get anything wrong, okay?"

He nods slowly, his chest rumbling with an inartiulate roar of frustration that he keeps buried, again much to his credit, and it shows his growth in the self-control department since Rude came into his life.

Rude returns Reno's nod, opening up a document template and beginning to type. "Two attackers, both of which were warned before force was used. Attacker One... I didn't see him when he first hit you. What happened?" he asked, setting the laptop on Reno's lap to let the redhead type.

Reno types quickly and it says when he is through "He grabbed me from behind by my ponytail and then pinned me down, didn't even see him until I'm staring up into his face. His eyes even glowed brighter 'n Strife's yo. That's when his buddy came in and started spittin' out shit about how fags had no place here an' how Shinra didn' either and just started whalin' on me while the other one held me down. Shit, those bastards were strong."

Rude turned the laptop to face him, fixing a few of Reno's spelling mistakes and adjusting a few of his sentences, then reading it outloud. "Attacker One grabbed Reno from behind by the hair, then pinned him down. Attacker One's eyes held a familiar Mako glow, indicating that he had, at one point, been in the SOLDIER program. Attacker Two said several sexual epitats in regards to Reno's and my sexual preferences, which degenerated into several verbal attacks on ShinRa Electric Power Company. Attacker Two proceeded to hold down Reno while Attacker One assaulted Reno." Rude paused. "Sound right?"

Reno nods then gestures for the laptop again. his eyes are narrowed now, tounge flicking around his teeth and lips in concentration. He was in full Turk mode now, and fury broiled under the surface, covering the fear that was still there, but he was going to make sure these two bastards got what for.

Rude sat back, watching Reno work. When Reno actually worked, he was a damn fine Turk. Well, Reno was damn fine anyway, in Rude's opinion, but that was neither here nor there. Waiting for Reno to finish, he took a small sip from the cup of water he'd gotten a few minutes earlier.

Reno passes the laptop back to him, and when he does he'd combed the shinra database. the names read "Douglas Marshall, First Class" and had the photo of the one who'd held him down. The other said "Kenneth Strife" and it was the one who'd beaten him. underneath was a notation about Ken being Cloud's cousin, who had left Nibelheim shortly after Cloud but had actually gotten THROUGH the training. .. the other. . .the other was Elena's cousin. he typed out on the notepad "Laney's gonna shit a brick and prob want in on this kill herself when she finds out one of 'em was her cousin."

Rude was speachless. Of all the people... He'd known Douglas Marshall from a long time ago, but, with the name being so common, it never even occured to him that Elena's cousin in SOLDIER and that narc were one and the same. The useless sack of flesh still owed him 1000 gil for the pound of pills he fronted him. Not that 1000 gil meant much to him now, but it was the principle of the thing. Small world, it seemed. "I'm going with Elena," was all he said.

"Bastard got farmed out for a failed drug test. Least that's what it says here. Fuck. . ." and he remembered what else had been said as well. "They ain't the only ones, yo. ..Not even the boss is gonna be safe. ..we gotta take the head of the group out, but he didn't say who it was."

Rude was torn, the emotion of it showing on his face. On one hand, he wanted to stay with Reno until the redhead recovered, but on the other, he had a few people to pay back, for more reasons than one. Decisions, decisions...

"Go on, yo. they need you." A slight shiver could be seen in his hand as he typed this, he didn't WANT to be left alone, but he wanted his boss safe. ..he wanted everyone he cared for, those of whom he owed his very LIFE, safe.

"You need me," he said, standing up and taking his phone from his pocket. He dialed Tseng's number again, not paying attention to the time of night it was.
"What is it, Rude?" Tseng asked over the phone. "We have names, sir," Rude replied. "Kenneth Strife and Douglas Marshall." He paused to look at Reno.
"Elena's going to want Marshall, but I want a piece of him, too."

Rustling could be heard in the background, Rufus' voice sounded a bit gravelly, as if Tseng had awakened him. "Cloud is going to want in on the first one, guaranteed. You of course may have in on the kills, I would feel the same were I in your place and Tseng in Reno's."

"Yes, sir," Rude said, mentally adding how he and Marshall had a history, and a score to settle. "Sorry to wake you, sir." He paused, looking at Reno again. "Reno is awake, but it will take a while for him to fully recover."

"He is very quiet, I expected him to be screaming over the phone." His voice has a slight amount of humor leaking into it. He obviously did not know about the disability from the injury, one that not even the one who had had it inflicted upon him knew the full extent of as yet.

"It is... part of his injuries, sir," Rude explained without really explaining anything. The subject was still too close to Reno, and Rude didn't want to upset him more than he already was about it.

"I see. ..tell him. ..no matter what occurs from here, his place with this company and at my side will never be taken from him. No matter WHAT that blimp in charge has to say about it." with that the phone was given back to Tseng, and Rufus' high giggle could be heard in the background for a moment, as if Tseng had tickled him.

Rude had to resist the urge to laugh. Of all things the Vice President didn't do, it was giggle. Instead, he just smiled, waving off Reno's quizzical look with a mouthed 'I'll tell you later.' "Yes, sir. I will do that, sir." Rude dropped back into a more serious mood. "I'm sending over the report, along with Reno's findings. Let me know when you find Marshall."

Tseng is holding back a laugh as well as he speaks "I will do so, though something tells me it will not take long." Then Rufus saying "Oh, you are SO right" before the line clicks in his ear.

Rude blinks twice at the phone in his hand, closing it and putting it back in his pocket. The look on Reno's face says it all, and Rude can't help but laugh. "Tseng..." he started, a small chuckle breaking through his demeanor. "Tseng tickled the Vice President... and he giggled."

Reno's chest could be seen shaking with laughter, though it doesn't come out audibly then he writes. "I think he was doin' more than ticklin', yo. Man, if the Pres found out. . .but I ain't tellin' him."

Did he mention that before Reno, Rude's sex life had amounted to nothing but vanilla? It took him a minute to realize what Reno was saying, but when he did, his smile widened. "Log on to the hospital's wifi and send that report before we forget," he asked, looking at the bedside clock. "And it's late. We should get some sleep."

Reno grins, shipping it off to them with his chest still shaking. then he grabs onto Rude, pulling him down, burying his face in the bigger man's neck. He wanted to ask him. . .even if he never talks again would Rude still love him just as much? But he thinks he knows the answer.

Rude pulled away, stopping Reno's silent protest with a kiss to the nose. He walked over to the door, closing it as he unbuttons his shirt. If he was going to be staying in the hospital for any amount of time, he'd need a change or two of clothes. He carefully folded his shirt and placed it on his jacket and tie, toeing off his shoes as well. He climbed onto the bed with Reno, careful of the smaller man's condition. The last thing he wanted to do was aggrivate anything.

He clings to him. ...his chest shaking again not with laughter but instead with emotional release, Now that the fury had fled what was underneath it was bared.

Rude just held him, wrapping his arms around Reno tightly, but not too tightly. He made a small shushing sound, only barely loud enough for Reno's ears to hear. "It's okay..." he muttered. "Just get some sleep."

He falls asleep exhausted against his partner. ..this had been an insane whirlwind of a day. ..and he needed the rest.

Rude felt the little twitch as Reno fell asleep. Reno always had one last twitch before finally falling asleep, and Rude was happy that at least that had remained intact. Not realizing how truly tired he is, he nods off quickly as well.

As the morning light played against the window he floated from deep sleep into that place of muted awareness where sounds and smells came to him slowly. . .his eyes not yet open, it was how it had always been, he always awakened slowly and with much reluctance, usually curled up around Rude's back, who by that time would already be sitting up and waiting Reno's awakening so they could share a cup of coffee and begin their day.

The day's events had exhausted Rude more than he cared to admit. However, there were no admissions from the still sleeping man who lay on his side with a nice warmth at his back. He heard the hazy chirp of birds outside through his sleep, but chose to ignore them in favour of staying by the nice warmth. A slight snore left his lips, daring the sun's light to try to wake him.


Reno of course tried to speak his customary "good morning", in his half-aware state forgetting completely about the prior day's events. ..when it came out as "g-g-g-ood M-m-m-orning, l-l-lover" the reminder was there againh. .. at least he could be understood now, which was a distinct improvement, but the stutter still brought a red flush of shame and embarassment to his cheeks.

Another snore left Rude's lips, along with a low rumble. The warmth behind him was speaking to him, so he guessed it was time to get up. "Mmm... just a few more minutes," he mumbled, rolling over to face Reno. "Actually," came a female voice from the doorway. "I need you to move so I can check his IV." Rude's eyes were instantly open, and he was nose to nose with his redheaded lover.

"H-hey? ugh, n-n-needle sh-shi-shifted." The back of his wrist was an angry red where during his little "excursion" the previous day he had pulled it a bit to one side without realizing it. "f-f-fuck, s-sore." He is obviously pushing himself, sudden determination flaring in his eyes. ..he was going to beat this no matter what it took.

Rude quickly, yet carefully slid off the bed. A slight flush tinted his face and chest, darkening when he tried to adjust his tie, only to find that it wasn't on his person. He wasn't into casual partial nudity, and he had seen how the nurse had given him the once over as he stood, straightening his pants and trying to get the wrinkles out of them. The nurse left them for a moment, returning with a tube of cream. "Numbing cream, then we're going to reset that IV and change your bag," she told them.

"Wh-why w-w-w-wouldn't she l-l-look, y-yo?" He slaps Rude's ass with a resounding "thwack", a bit of his humor returning despite the circumstances.

Rude's eyes were as big as saucers as he fumbled for his shirt, throwing it on but leaving it unbuttoned as he searched for his sunglasses. He cleared his throat, throwing an unheated glare at Reno for the smack. "Hard not to," the nurse said conspiratorily to Reno, applying the cream then changing the IV bag while she waited for it to soak in.

He smirked, his eyes meeting his aibou's in a way that said he'd be glad to pay for that smack once the nurse was gone. then a soft inaudible curse as Rude's phone rang. "N-n-not al-already d-d-dammit. N-now I w-w-won't get ta." and his cheeks flushed even more red as he realized what he had ALMOST said out loud.

"Yes... yes, sir," Rude answered, still a little off from Reno conspiring that that nurse. Besides, he didn't even have to look to know that only two people would call that early in the morning, both of which warranted a 'sir'. "I'm readjusting the IV now," the nurse told Reno. "You don't have to look if you don't want to."

"We've found him, Mr Urar. and his home is as of now surrounded, he will not be leaving any time soon."

Reno meanwhile had his head tilted to one side, it is common knowledge that the only needles he could stand were self-administered, and even then he didn't look.

"Where is he?" Rude asked, commiting the address to memory. It wasn't that hard, seeing as how the address was right up the street from where Marshall had asked for the front all those years ago. "I see, sir. I'll be there in 20. Thank you, sir." He hung up the phone, eyes hard behind his sunglasses. He turned to Reno, leaning over and pressing his lips to the redhead's. "I'll be back in a few," he said gently. Rude turned to the nurse. "Keep an eye on him. Call me if anything changes," he looked over at Reno. "Give her your cell," he looked back to the nurse. "My phone's speed dial number..." Rude paused, coughed a small cough, and silently cursed Reno's sense of humour. "69."

Reno nods and smirks now, his eyes still held just a TINY bit of that haunted look, but they were hard as rock beyond it, determination turning them to steel. "B-b-b-be c-c-c-careful, y-y-yo. Y-y-you d-don' c-c-c-come back t-t-ta me I'll n-n-n-never forgive you."

Rude nodded, a dangerous smile crossing his face. Even the nurse could tell that whatever he was going to do, he was going to enjoy it immensely. "Have fun," she said, finishing fixing Reno's IV. "Give me an hour," Rude said, "If I don't call by then, call me." With that, he grabbed his jacket and walked out the door, reaching into his back pocket for his leather gloves.

He smirked, his emr was checked into the locker downstairs. ..he wanted to go, Gods, did he want to, but he knew if he sprang himself like he had after the car wreck Rude would likely tie his ass down.

Rude was a man on a mission. He managed to make it to the address in exactly 20 minutes, and as he stepped out of the car, he saw Elena's blonde hair through the sea of navy suits and ShinRa uniforms. He walked up next to her, hearing her bark orders the entire time. "So, he's in there?" Rude asked her, knowing he startled the younger Turk just a little.

Elena nods. "Yeah. ..Man, am I pissed off." She barks something to Cloud, who as Reno had predicted had wormed his way into the takedown. "They're both in there. . .Aunt Maybel has officially disowned the bastard." She didn't even flinch when he spoke from behind her, all business, though her stance radiated her fury in a way you wouldn't think it would from the giddy schoolgirl demeanor she had displated in the Mythril Mines.

"I want Marshall," he stated. At the blonde's look, he added, "We have some unfinished business from a long time ago."

Elena shrugs. "As long as I get to beat on him some you can have the kill."

Rude nodded in acknowledgement, then began cracking his knuckles. "Whenever you're ready. This is your show." Even though he was the senior officer, he let the girl have command. It was her operation after all; he was just there for some serious payback.

She nodded and slammed the door open with her foot, she knbew HE knew she was out there, and she had a huge group of SOLDIER with her as backup in case things went sour. Which of course they did. as soon as she slammed open the door a can behind it gave a soft explosion and gas flooded the room., "Shit, GAS!"

Rude pushed forward, past the SOLDIERs spreading out in the quickly fogging front room. "Elena!" he called, reaching for the girl and pulling her back out the door behind them. Before she could protest, he pointed to the second floor of the house. "We go in up there."

She nodded, though she had begun to feel a little strange from the gas, dizzy, her reactions slowed a bit, but she wasn't going to tell him that, simply compensate the best she could. "and hope the windows aren't booby trapped too."

He stalked around to the back of the house, pointing to the covered back porch and the window above it. Rude helped boost Elena up to the roof of the porch, himself climbing up the post. "Ready?" he asked, facing the window.

She nodded, then opened the window, only to pinwheel her arms wildly when a crack sounded accompanied by the whiz of a bullet, she yelled Rude's name, as it had ricocheted off the windowsill and bounced in such a way that it whizzed right for his side. "Get down!"

He'd heard Elena's yell, and it seemed like time had slown down to a crawl as he watched the bullet wizz towards him, himself unable to move fast enough to avoid it. All he could think of was how he'd lied to Reno about coming back. Time returned to normal as Rude's head hit the top of the covered porch. Pain lanced through his side, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle... yet. He sat up, pushing towards the window again with a loud, inarticulate yell.