Turning





"So, it's the ex-Turk and the current Turks, hm?" Reno gave a short laugh. "Look out, world."

Vincent rolled his eyes. "Right. I'm glad you're serious about this."

Reno raised an eyebrow. "Look, I'm serious. I'm as serious as I ever need to be. What's life without constant humor? Dull, that's what it is."

Vincent said nothing, and Reno flushed.

"You have a remarkable ability to make people feel self-conscious," commented Elena dryly from where she stood. The four remaining members had assembled in the room that the Turks shared.

He shrugged. "It's a talent as well as a skill," he remarked sarcastically.

"So, where do we go from here, oh mister boss-man?" Reno asked.

"I don't know...I honestly have no clue."

"Great. That's helpful."

"Would you like to know my opinion on this?" Vincent asked. "I think that this is all a futile effort. It's going to be pretty near impossible to find Marlene. If it weren't for my affection for the girl and my commitment to my friends, I would have given this up a long time ago."

"Spoken like a Turk. Dispassionate - no, emotionless, just stating the facts."

Vincent glared at Reno. "Could you stop returning to the fact that I used to be a Turk already? Do you think it will cause me to hold any affection for you?"

Reno grinned. "That would be nice. Too bad you're such a cold bastard, huh?"

"Yes," agreed Vincent, returning his gaze to the ceiling. "Too bad."

"Anyway, as we were saying...?" Elena trailed off meaningfully.

"Right. We'll continue looking around the area. If it turns out to be unsuccessful, we'll look in Midgar. If we find nothing, well then, I guess...I guess you can leave." Vincent glanced over at them. "And you better be honest."

"You can trust us," said Rude simply.




Reno rubbed his arms, glaring around at the town they were in. "This one is even...cuter than the last." He grimaced. "Cute towns scare me." He looked at the snow-dusted, pointed roofs and painted shutters with disgust. "Oh, well, just as long as they have a bar, I'm happy."

"Ah, ye of simple needs," sighed Elena. She called up to Vincent, who, as usual, was quite a ways ahead, symbolizing his isolation from them. "Does this town have a Shinra station, or do we have to pay for the inn?"

"Inn, I think," he replied without looking back.

"Great," Reno muttered. "As if our funds aren't low enough." He sighed, then followed Vincent into the building which he had entered.

"Lovely place," he muttered. "Isn't anything ugly in this town?" He turned to Rude. "C'mon, let's hit the bar."




Vincent was dreaming when a confused sort of muttering sounded outside. It occurred to him in his sleep that it wasn't normal, but he unconsciously ignored it. It got louder, and he finally opened his eyes a little bit. He got to his feet when a yell sounded from directly outside his door.

"Get the murderer!"

He threw his clothes on, then flung the door open. The hallway was crowded with bodies, many of them holding crude, homemade weapons. A typical mob.

He spoke to one person. "What is happening?"

The man's face was alight with angry fervor. "Someone was killed last night. We know who did it! It was those damned outsiders, those who worked for Shinra. It was those damned Turks!"




"Look, if you're taking them in, you have to take me with them. I'm a Turk, too."

Elena's eyes were radiating fury at the burly man who stood in front of the town jail. He chuckled. "Yeah, right, miss. You may have the suit, but you obviously aren't one of 'em. You obviously couldn't kill."

She considered proving the man wrong then and there, but a voice spoke from behind her. "Of course not. Elena here is just upset, that's all."

She turned around to see Vincent. He wore an amiable smile, and his red eyes beamed kindness at the man. He pulled Elena away, his face returning to its normal impassivity.

"What are you trying to do?" he hissed at her. "It's fortunate that you aren't in jail with them! How could you help them if you too are suspected of murder?"

"Yeah," she replied in a trembling voice. It's just...We've always worked together in the past. I don't know what to do if I'm alone."

"Maybe we can visit them." Summoning up his mask of friendliness, he went over to the man. "Excuse me, sir. May we possibly see them?"

The man grunted. "Yeah, whatever. Just remember, if you try to help 'em escape, you get thrown in with 'em."

"Of course," said Vincent. The man grunted again, then opened the door for them. They walked into the gloom and waited for their eyes to adjust.

"Hey, is that you?" Bright blue eyes peered at them from one of the small windows on the doors of the cells. Reno laughed. "Looks like we managed to find the one place that isn't cute. It never fails."

Elena was on the brink of tears. "You...How could you go killing that man! I mean, I know you were wasted, but that's no excuse. You could be killed, do you realize that? All because of-"

"You talk too much," interrupted Reno as he smiled gently at her. "Elena, I didn't kill him, I swear. We..." He shrugged. "Well, as cliché as it sounds, we were framed."

Rude's voice came from deeper inside the cell. "You should go, Elena."

"What?! But- I have to stay here, and help you-"

"No, you don't." Vincent spoke for the first time. He laughed bitterly. "I had hoped I'd never have to abuse my status as 'hero,' but I convinced the mayor to postpone your trial for when we get back. Or after two months, whichever comes first."

"But I will stay. It says in our contract that if one of us stays, all of us stay."

"Go, Elena." Reno smiled at her again. "I must say, I'm quite curious about this. I want you to go, and tell us what happens when you get back."

Elena broke down and cried.




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