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Rookie in Junon ************************************************************** The bar was empty, except for the Turks, but that was hardly surprising. People preferred to avoid the blue-suits, especially when they were drinking. Elena sighed as she looked around the bar, wishing there was someone else to talk to. Rude had gone off to his favourite watering hole, but Tseng had ordered Reno to stay with Tseng and Elena. And the red- head was not happy about it. He was drinking too much too fast, and glaring at Elena the whole time. She really wished he'd just pass out already. Tseng was up at the bar, ordering more drinks, when Reno finally spoke up. "Damn Rookie, you ever touch my suits again, they ain't gonna find what's left of you when I'm done." She glared at him. "It was a joke, Reno. You know, a practical joke? Surely you've heard of those." /Never mind pulling a few yourself,/ she added silently. Obviously he was one of those kind that could give 'em but not get 'em. Reno glared. "Don't pull that shit with me, bitch." If Tseng hadn't motioned her over to the bar just then, she would have decked Reno. As it was, she got up, waving one hand at him. "Talk to the hand," she muttered. Reno kept glaring. "Yeah, boss?" she said with a sigh. Tseng's face was as unreadable as ever. "He giving you a hard time?" She glanced back over her shoulder. The red-head was stretching out with his boots up on the chair she'd been sitting in. She snorted. "Nothing I can't handle. Is he always this ... childish?" Tseng smiled. "Only when he's drunk, alone. He'll get over it." "Hey! Where's my drink?" Reno hollered. Elena spun around. "Come and get it yourself!" she snapped. Reno's eyes widened briefly. Shrugging, he hauled himself to his feet and ambled over to the bar. "Is he here?" Tseng asked softly, ignoring Reno. Elena nodded. "By the commotion in the harbour a while ago, I'd say so. I think he encountered that... monster-thing below the tower." Tseng sipped his drink as Reno tossed back another shot. "Good. He should be wandering in any time now." The bar door hissed open. Boot heels thunked solidly on the tiled floor. Tseng nodded at Elena. It was a Shinra soldier - or at least someone dressed like one - and he wandered up to Reno first. "The President's safety is secure because we're here," the red-head said. "Go on back to your patrol, soldier." Elena sighed and rolled her eyes, muttering, "The minute you think the job is boring, you guys start messing around." Tseng turned toward the soldier. "Stay out of this," he said. "We're only here to protect the President." A long tense moment passed before the soldier nodded curtly and left the bar. Elena breathed a sigh of relief. Reno ordered another drink. "Was it Strife?" she asked. Tseng considered his glass. "Probably. Nobody else would be stupid enough to be wandering around town while the President's parade is forming up." She nodded. "True. He's liable to blow his cover this way, though. And won't Heidegger be pissed at us for not stopping him if he does get caught?" Tseng shrugged, but she could sense the concern behind it. "Heidegger's got too much on his plate at the moment. He's edgy and irritable, but he's not that stupid. Rufus won't let him take it out on us." He sighed and swallowed the last of his drink. "Privilege of being the President's bodyguards, ne?" Setting the glass on the table, he smiled tiredly at her. "Let's get Reno onto the boat before he passes out." *** Elena completed her circumspect rounds of the freighter and returned to Tseng's watchpoint on the heli-pad. "They're all aboard, sir," she said softly as she stepped up beside him. He didn't move from his place at the railing. "All of them?" She described to him the locations and disguises of each of Strife's companions. "And the leader of AVALANCHE, he keeps peeking in the helm windows at Rufus and Heidegger." Tseng snorted. "I'll inform Rufus." As he turned to go, Reno and Rude strolled up to them. Reno was squinting furiously, shading his eyes with one hand. Rude seemed to be smirking. "What happened to your sunglasses, Reno?" Tseng asked curiously, glancing from one Turk to the other. Reno growled an oath. "They're ... gone. I found these where I left them." He held up a pair of kid's pink, heart-shaped, plastic sunglasses. Rude snickered and even Tseng couldn't restrain a smile. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you, Rookie?" Elena turned her picture perfect innocent look on him. "Who, me?" she asked sweetly. Reaching into the breast pocket of her uniform, she pulled out Reno's shades. "Do they look like these?" Reno glared and swore. For a moment, she thought she'd pushed him too far, but then he started to laugh. "Damn, you're good!" Stepping forward, he pulled her into a quick hug, startling her into dropping his glasses. Tseng stooped to pick them up. "Congrats, kid, you're in," he said softly to her. Handing Reno his shades, Tseng smiled at Elena and headed off to find Rufus.
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