Reflections of Reno Chapter 14

Bars, Blades, Steel Cells, and Suites

By Christina Bruno

"I almost fell into that hole in your life
And you're not thinking about tomorrow
'Cause you were the same as me
But on your knees"
-Black Balloon, Goo Goo Dolls

Reno attempted to speak but the ability seemed to have escaped him. Words were not need however, his facial expression told Vance all that he needed to know. The torrent of emotions swirling within him was printed all over his face, scarred on his cheek. The faded mark of the Gin bottle remained permanently etched on Reno's face. But that wound was far from only skin deep.

His father had barged into his life. He flung him back into the past he had attempted to escape. Just when his life was about to turn around, when he could look at himself and see a new man - he saw his reflection looking back at him the same old scarred and confused man who had been irreponsible enough to drink himself into this trouble. He was an echo of another man, his father

Then there was also the figure that always loomed behind him. The figure was his father, an image that haunted him for all of his days. He was so busy abhorring him; he was ignoring the indisputable truth that he had become just like him. He vied for success, and when he had lost it he turned to anything to would dilute the harsh truth that was his reality.

"Why the fuck, are you here?" Reno finally allowed himself to stammer. The words escaping his thorat were almost painful.

Vance tapped the tips over his fingers over the desk. He smiled at his success and began to drown in his thoughts. After his wife had died, thanks to the boy (it was what he had told himself everyday. It was the only way he could possibly live with himself. The man was the shit under Reno's shoe, but in truth, he did love his mother.), he still had the house to himself. The authorities questioned his actions, but he had told them that his wife had fell down the stairs. The authorities were a bit skeptical, but they really didn't care. They worked for Shinra, and this guy was an ex-employee. They didn't want any aggression, they let it go.

Vance had no way of finding a job, but he had always had an interest in gambling. His innocent wife had kept his desires under control, but now that she was gone he turned his basement into an underground game room. Gambling was illegal in Midgar, in fact no where on the Planet had gambling actually been aloud. It was to be permitted on Cosmo Canyon, but the inhabitants preferred science to slot machines.

At first, it was just a local fad. People from the neighborhood would flock there, and Vance would make ends meet. But soon, it became a bit of a craze. People from all sectors of Midgar came to try their luck. The risk was intoxicating to them. It was unbelievably desirable.

Of course, such bliss never did last long. The Shinra found out. Vance was taking money that should have been spent of their tax-stamped goods were being spent in some ex-guards basement. Dio was vexed solely by the fact that the Midgarians preferred hard gil over GP. The two combined forces and shut Vance down. He made a new life in Corel Prison.

He collected all of the gil he could there. He never wanted to race Chocobos, he was never any good at it. Strategy was his talent, and he was moving up. Even Dyne wanted a piece of him, but Vance was untouchable. He held everyone's precious belongings in his hands. When the Shinra fell, and Corel began mining again most of the jail birds became miners. Very few fled, all they knew was a criminal life style.

Vance pawned all of the items he had saved and bought his own small hotel. His hotel complete with a Casino. His place was the most preferred in all of the land. Many others copied his trend, but they were no match. He was ahead of them all. The more money he made, the bigger his place got. He turned his hotel into the mother of them all: The Paramount.

"Answer me…Vance."

Vance never followed Reno much. He tried to forget him, but the frail image of a tiny boy was always in the back of his mind. Whenever he saw a pair of shocking blue eyes, he saw Reno. But his blame on the boy had turned him even colder. The Corel prison had frozen him over. He had to be tough, or die instead.

Vance had seen Reno's face. Many of the people in that prison had been caught by the Turks. He remembered the first time he saw it. A man had put Reno and Tseng's faces on a dart board, and tossed darts at them. In a rage, he took the picture. He looked down at his boy in disdain; he had made it farther than him. It was as if they were in competition. He ripped it in half, putting Reno in his pocket. He was applauded; the criminals thought Vance was tearing it for the same reason as them.

"Let's just say I made it farther than you boy." He looked down at him. He was his son, but he was his scapegoat. All of these years forged a line between them - And neither cared to cross it. Reno's glittering blue eyes were filled with venom, his jaw firmly clenched. If he wasn't restrained Vance knew Reno would have killed him with his bare hands. In a way, Vance felt bad for what had happened. The boy looked so much like his moth, the same delicate features, although Reno's of course were more masucline and chiseled he owned the same innocent and yet wild look. So decieveing, Reno was far from innocent. He brusehd these thoughts off, the boy meant nothing, he wasn't his only offspring. He was rich, swimming in filth and gil. He got laid, but not as much as Corneo.

"I am a man, and you are a murderer." He had said it, slowly and dangerously. The propulsion of his words hit his father in the heart. They were words that he wouldn't have been able to say, without her.

Vance would never be able to let his feelings show. He knew it was the truth, but he would never allow himself to see it that way. He didn't want to.

"I wanted you, not your mother as you well remember."

Reno shut his eyes for a moment. He could see his mothers face, so innocent and beautiful. A completely lovely complexion, one that would be forever intangible. He could feel the guilt begin to grow inside of him, but then he saw Tifa beside her. Tifa…she let him see the light. She held his hand, flung him into the present. He was grateful.

"I'm more of a man than you'll ever be."

It was the truth.

Vance did not want to elaborate. He didn't want to bicker, it would be worste to dwell over past thoughts. He could no longer look upon him.

"Take him away."

Tifa remained strapped beside the Mako eyed man that had taken her. He didn't talk much; his eyes were fixated on the road. She wondered about his origins - So many of the Corel authorities had eyes full of Mako - even the man who had shot Reno. Mako eyed men were looked down upon because they were of the Shinra. Mako was seen as an abuse to the planet, and anyone with Mako filled eyes were shunned, looked upon with fear, hate, or mockery - which is why they made such great cops.

However, this man was no policeman. He was a bounty hunter. He had a dark complexion, and jet black hair. He was actually quite handsome, but he refused to speak to her. She stood back in her chair sighing.

"Where are we going?" She whispered in her gentle nature. It was a desperate attempt to get him to like her, only to let her go. So then she could promptly beat the crap out of him.

"Nowhere," he muttered. And she thought Rude was laconic.

Tifa glanced through the car window. They were approaching a huge, unkempt building. It was completely dark, bars on each window. It was Dio's New Corel Prison. When the people of Corel decided on a revival they guaranteed Dio a prison so he would have somewhere to put whoever he saw fit. So this was what she had gotten for helping Reno? The rest of her life in jail.

The Mako eyed man stopped the vehicle abruptly. He got out of the car, and tossed Tifa over his shoulder. She didn't even put up a fight. She couldn't. Her wrists and ankles were still tied, if she tried to wiggle she would still be helpless. She closed her eyes tightly as they entered the prison, it scared her.

There were no questions asked as the Mako eyed hunter walked past the guard. Tifa looked upon him sadly as she was carried past him. There was no pity there in the darkness. As they entered, she could hear the cries over the prisoners. Banging and clanging against the bars, knowing that they would never leave. The desert prison was better; at least they would have been able to move around.

She was tossed into an open cell. She felt loneliness come over her at that moment. She looked up to the see the man's Mako eyes shine in the darkness, as he shut the metal bars before her. She weakly slumped back against the brick wall. She felt helpless she hated it. So many times had life rendered her helpless, how could she overcome anything if her defenses were always knocked down.

But the real reason she hated this prison was because she knew she would never see Reno again. She thought about him. He was a name and face that she had hated for many years in her life. But now those cruel eyes had softened and turned into the source of something else besides malice. They gave her a sort of comfort, one that she had never known. It burned warm inside of her, not with pain as it had been with Cloud, but with pleasure and peace. She longed for his touch, the soft kiss of his lips, to feel the gentle outline of his scar beanth her finger tips. She closed her eyes tightly, as a single tear rolled down her cheek. She wasn't ashamed of them, they were not tears forged in weakness anymore.

"Reno…" She whispered, as the tear reached her lips filling in the cracks.

She recalled a promise. It was one that Cloud had made to her by the well many years ago in Nibelheim. He promised to save her if she were ever in trouble. Tifa never truly felt saved by him, but perhaps Reno would be able to fulfill that promise and in doing so finally mend what had shattered inside of her. She shivered in the cold damp air of the cell, and curled her body to conserve heat. Her hands reste against her heart trying to use the blaze he created as a source warmth. She cried herself into a restless sleep thinking of his eyes, and the promises of hate and love she and others had made and broken. While images of flaming aqua orbs and soft tender lips plagued her with peace, one question sought to deny her any serenity. Why does anyone make promises? It asked, and Tifa didn't know the answer, she just prayed that unspoken vows were stronger than those thoughtlessly blurted out. She sank into the cold and dark praying, hoping, and pleading for that one thing to be so.

Reno on the other hand, had received much more comfortable accommodations. It paid to be the boss's son. He was put into a top floor suite. There was a king sized bed, a balcony, and the room was set in beige. The guard stood outside of the door, leaning against it. He was half asleep, sipping his coffee nonchalantly. Vance had let them untie Reno because there was no way for him to escape. He was several stories in the air. But he knew there had to be a way.

He sat on the plush bed for a moment. He had to hand it to the bastard; the stuff here was top quality. He wanted to retreat to slumber. However, he knew this was only temporary. They were doing this so he would be no where near Tifa. Reno stretched out his legs, he rolled his wrists. He felt mobile again.

He sighed. At least he could take a damn piss in this place. He made his way over to the bathroom, furnished in marble and tile. It was just lovely, a heaven and a prison. Reno made his way over to the toilet, throwing up the seat and unzipping his pants. As he was about to whip Reno junior out, he glanced over his shoulder at the complimentary razor blade on the sink counter. How fucking dumb are these people?

Reno zipped up his pants. He would leave the urine release for another date. He quickly picked up the razor, running the rough of his thumb over its soft rubber.

And now, the ploy of course - the sick prisoner routine. How could the guard let the boss's son go through an illness without giving him some sort of assistance? He ran to the suite's door and pounded on it incessantly.

"Help…I'm so sick." Could you see it in your mind? Someone as cool as Reno, it was quite unbelievable. There was no response. He let out a sigh, it would be necessary for him to raise his voice.

"HELP DAMN YOU!" He gagged, pounding on the door. He threw himself against it brutally.

Fortunately, the guard was no stickler. And so the foolish guard, let his guard down and entered the room. Little did he know that step would be his last. He let out a sigh stepping on the soft carpeting and looked around for Reno. Reno lunged at him from behind the door with his trust self made blade in his hand.

Does this fuck deserve to die? Reno didn't know if he should kill again, but he would have to be merciless. If he let him go, he would shoot him. He was forced to take his life. Reno took the blade and slid it across the guard's dewy-skinned throat. The blood came rushing from the wound. The guard's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he quickly slumped down unto the floor.

Reno watched, as the man's coffee flew from his hands and stained the beige carpeting. What a pity, he mused as he spit on it. The man stood as an example. They touched Reno, they would have to pay. This man exerted his willpower. Reno stripped off the man's uniform and put it on himself. It smelt of sweat and old cologne. Reno felt he should have taken Aramis*' approach and said a prayer for the man's soul, Tifa had that affect on him. He did nothing wrong, did he? Yes. He imprisoned him. He kept him from Tifa.

Reno took the man's sunglasses from his pocket and masked his eyes. Those eyes were trademarks and if anyone recognized them, he would be caught. He casually walked down the hall, nodding to the people passing by. He decided not to take the elevator, there were cameras. He preferred not to be seen.

He had reached the lobby, he took in the fresh scent of freedom. No one questioned him there, he could hear the money be tossed about. He craved the game, as he stepped out of that hotel. But he left there clean - leaving the past and the Paramount behind him.

(Author's NoteL My best friend, Eve, who is an awesome writer is my BETA writer for this fic. She added a lot of stuff where Tifa is in jail and thinking about Reno. Just need to give her credit, she's great!)

Chapter 15