FicWad

The following morning with less events to cloud their mind Rufus and Reno opened the bar door and stepped out in to the street. The damned place was still raining ash and there were no signs of the abominable creatures that had littered the streets like slugs after a good rain fall.

"I think we can move on Reno." Rufus said attaching his materia band to his arm and securing his gun. "We have to assume it is just us."

"I wish Tseng were here. Something about the swords kinda comforting." Reno admitted swinging the EMR over his shoulder and leading the way on.

They had made the decision to head over to the hospital to try and find out more. They had been unable to find the locations for a police station in the A-Z but then again half the pages were unreadable and neither men ventured to question what the substance was.

"So Rufus," Reno drawled as they wandered along, "if we are like the only survivors here and we come across the last living pretty woman..."

"You can happily help yourself." Rufus nodded. "She's gonna be mad most likely. Wouldn't you go mad here?"

"Damn it." Reno grumbled. Why did his boss have to be such a smart arse? He headed around the corner and they could see a signpost to the school, a large park, a museum and a hotel. Reno followed the sign mentally noting a church that seemed to be out in the distance too.

They moved on. Reno wondered about the church briefly. He'd never had cause to go all religious. Hell, that was his destination and the less time he thought about it the better. He signed in to the Turks and they'd sign him out. He swung the EMR around his wrist and sighed. Well that was a downer on an altogether downer trip anyway.

"I can't help but notice for the first time in what seems like forever you are not really making comments or talking inanely at me." Rufus said with a grin.

"Sorry boss." He muttered. "Just planning things in my head. I mean if we carry on going on the wild tour of Silent 'Freaky-ass creature' Hill surely we can expect to get some idea of how to get home?"

"Profoundly useful." Rufus said grimly. "Perhaps our scientists are working on it. We can but hope."

They followed the directions and ended up outside the hospital. It didn't need to be said the place looked abandoned too. Reno figured that maybe they should look for a newspaper or some clue as to what the hell was going on? Maybe everyone suffered from some kind of plague?

The hospital doors weren't locked at all and though it looked filthy and dilapidated they were able to make out directions to the reception and surgery areas. Reno jumped over the desk, a set of files lay on the top and he looked over them. He idled over a couple of them and Rufus made a loud coughing sound, Reno turned and spilt a load of the files on the floor.

"Reno!" Rufus pointed at the file and a photograph that lay on the top of it. "That's Rude!"

Reno leant down and picked up the file and flipped through the notes. It certainly looked rather strangely like Rude but as a child. He looked about ten or twelve but he certainly fit the Turks description well enough to have made it a likely match.

"Dude he's from like Midgar." Reno said reading the file. "This kid was called Alex and states he came in here after a big ass fire."

"So..." Rufus took the picture. "It looks like him don't you think?"

"I think this one looks like Elena too." He said holding up another one. "Seriously look." He held the photo closer and Rufus grabbed it. "Jenova's head that's scary."

"Less of the profanities." Rufus said looked at her. Certainly he could not escape that they looked rather similar.