Reflections of Reno Chapter 6
Shot in the Wallet
By Christina Bruno
"It's a no where road and tired.
It's a nowhere job and I'm fired.
It don't matter what they say,
You can't get there,
Going this way…"
-Fastball, No Where Road
"No." It was a simple reply but it firmly expressed how she felt. Why the hell would she ever want to help Reno? What had he done for her besides cause her pain? Yet she did have to admit, she hadn't expected him to be so blatantly honest with anyone, especially her. Tifa admired honesty above things.
Reno stumbled towards her. He grabbed her arm tightly without saying a word. Tifa looked into his bright eyes and recognized the emptiness of desperation within them. She knew it all to well. She had seen it in the mirror. He squeezed her arm with what little strength he had left and looked back over his shoulder, the authorities were approaching. He could hear their screeching sirens in the distance.
Tifa sighed obeying the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach and acted on complete impulse. Reno hardly comprehended the fact that she was dragging him into the kitchen and slamming the door behind them. Tifa shifted her gaze to Reno who didn't even attempt to thank her, he was far to angry and confused with the entire situation to talk. He leaned over the metal table that stood mid-kitchen breathing hard in an attempt to control himself. A deafening bang caused Tifa to jump. He slammed his hands down on it again mercilessly, grinding his teeth. He had failed once again.
"What's going on?" Tifa demanded, as she tried to comprehend exactly why she had helped him. Maybe because she hadn't felt a man's touch for so long no matter how gruff and hardhearted it was. The way he had touched her and the look in his eyes spoke to her soul, he had needed her to hold onto his sanity in that one moment. Tifa knew all to well what it was like to need an anchor when you were a lurching ship on the world's waves. She couldn't deny someone that she considered even vaguely human that simple need.
Reno was so paralyzed by fear, he could not intake her words.. Those wine colored eyes were staring straight through him, he could feel his knees knocking. Never in his life had he been chased, it was usually the other way around. The last time he ever had run in fear, it was from his father. He stared ahead coldly. The weight of his body began to strain and his elbows began to bend slightly , god he could no longer carry himself. He had as much as his father did: nothing.
"This is all your fault." The statement shot from his lips harshly, he had to use her as his scapegoat, he had to find somewhere to channel all the self hate. How had she known about his past? Her words had been perfect, the prefect weapons to injure his most vulnerable side. It was foolish to blame her though, how was she to know that her words had pierced his heart and penetrated his soul?
"I'm not a fucking drunk…I'm not…I'm not." He continued to deny her prior accusations, losing the battle with his anger and confusion.
The numb feeling that spread through his body suddenly turned into excruciating reality when he felt a swift sting. Tifa's hand crossed his face with force. The strike had brought him back to the real world, back to the smell of disinfectant and cooking oil, back to the pain. For that he was thankful, yet he didn't respond. He didn't know how, it would just marr her image of him further.
"Snap out of it!" She demanded angrily her smooth cheeks flushed with agitation, "What is going on?!"
Reno hung his head in shame as he recounted the events of that night...
Tifa's words about his mother had taken their toll on him, but when the hooker revealed that her name was Tiffany it was more than he could bear. He knew in order to stop the torment he had to confront Tifa again, had to prove to her that she was wrong. He couldn't become his father, he'd rather be dead.
Reno had run from his room and down to the lobby where he headed straight for the bar. Drowning himself in aqua vitae the pain had dulled. He didn't know what to say anymore, he just made excuses to himself that resulted in inarticulate mumbles. When the bartender told him that he had drunk enough, Reno responded violently by tossing the remainder of the booze in the tender's face. The Casino's guards escorted him outside and they tossed him in the street, his face scraped the black pavement. When they scoffed and referred to him as a drunk he thought he would go ballistic.
And so, he ran to the Eastern end of Corel hoping to find Tifa and give her a piece of his mind. The alcohol had decreased his common sense and stability. It had reduced him to a more frail emotional state. The people in Eastern Corel continued to stare and he growled at them.. He even punched a few of snobby women, rendering them unconscious. The only thing he cared about at the moment was to prove her wrong.
The only way he knew to get to La Cucina was through the Paramount. He decided her would Gamble his troubles away first, it was the only thing he was good for now a days anyway. Reno's ability to make decisions was at an all-time low; in fact he was in rare form that evening He continued to gamble, and he continued to lose, more than he lost earlier that day. When Reno saw Dio of Gold Saucer walk into the Casino there was no stopping him.
Reno despised Dio in every way possible. He despised his success; he had become even more successful after Shinra's fall. After Meteor all everyone wanted to do was party. He hated the way Dio walked, clad in his undergarments, with his shoulders back and with a stick up his ass. He was so goddamn robust and so goddamn arrogant. After all, his name did mean God.* Reno played One Card Draw with him and could not stop losing. His senses were fully diluted and he didn't give up even when his funds were reduced to a negative number. When it was time for Reno to pay up, his debt was more than negative. All of his money was gone in a single evening.
Now usually in any Corel Casino the guards would chase after the loser who didn't pay up, but Dio knew better. He informed the Casino that Reno was the former Turk. He was a force to be reckoned with, they immediately called for reinforcements.
And so he had run once more, he ended up going to Tifa, because there wasn't anyone else he could go to. He figured if Tifa had helped Cloud for all these years without anything in return, she'd help him. He knew that he was better than Cloud, in brains and brawn maybe he could convince her he was a worthy cause.
"…The cops…Dio…the Paramount…" He muttered, "You seriously screwed with my head."
Tifa put her hand on her hip and cocked an eyebrow, "I screwed with your head? You know, I was almost going to give you a second chance. Good thing you reminded me of what an asshole you are."
Yet he still hadn't answered her question. He probably wouldn't until he was sober, hopefully he would remember everything completely then.
"Look," Reno thought for a moment of what exactly he could say to convince her that he wasn't that bad. He thought what he could say that would make her help him, without making him sound completely pathetic. "I don't have shit left, and looks like you don't either."
It was quite an eloquent way to convince her. But he wasn't part from the truth; she had a crappy apartment downtown. She was saving up to buy a house, and now she'd lost her job. Tifa was ripped from her self pity when she heard the authorities pounding on the door, and she saw it being bent out of shape underneath the force. Her impulsive nature took over, she knew it was time to move on. Feeling the suppressed need for adventure finally break free she grabbed Reno by his arm and ran.
They ran through the empty restaurant, as the cops knocked the back door down. They ransacked the kitchen for Reno. He just cast all thought and doubt from his mind and followed Tifa. Her black SUV was parked on the street, Tifa let go of Reno and hopped into the front seat. Reno attempted to open the door but it was locked. She wasn't going to let him in that easily.
Tifa rolled down the tinted window and smiled sardonically.
"You gonna let me in?" Reno said, his eyes glowing in contrast with the darkness.
She smirked a bit, "Apologize to me. I want to hear you say you're sorry."
"For what?" He said, looking back. Not even his wit and sarcasm could help him now. He knew very well what for - for Sector 7, for just being him.
The police had reached the curb by now. They had their faces masked by black wool; all he could see was their eyes. Some of them had regular eyes, but many of them had eyes full of Mako. They were ex-soldiers and they very well knew who he was.
There he is! The one who seemed to be the lieutenant cried, raising his gun. He would tell them to fire at any moment.
Reno gulped, would he stoop so low as to apologize to a member Avalanche? He would rather express some form of phony regret to Tifa, than spend the remainder of his washed-up life in jail.
"I'm sorry." He muttered, looking down ashamed of what he had said. He had never thought it would come to this.
Tifa cocked her head to the side with a laugh; she turned the key in the ignition. She ignored him, that wasn't an apology it was a whisper of a man drowning in his own pride and self-pity.
Aim! He could here the soldiers loading their guns. All of their eyes were fixated on him and they were ready to blow him to bits.
"I'm sorry, TIFA!" He said louder, pounding on the car desperately.
Would she let him have such an easy end? She didn't think he deserved it.
Tifa unlocked the door. Reno's finger's fumbled as he opened it. His head jerked to the side quickly as he heard the sound of a gun go off. It happened in a spilt second, and before Reno knew it the bullet had penetrated his gut and buried itself there. Reno bit his bottom lip to prevent it from quivering as he took in the immense pain. He could feel the bullet's intensity burn inside of him. It wasn't the first time he'd been shot, but experience doesn't dull pain and his body went into a shock of sorts.
Tifa reached over and grabbed Reno by his shoulders flinging him into the seat beside her. He stared blankly though the window. Distantly he could hear the lieutenant hollering at his shoulder faintly. Tifa leaned over him; he could feel her body brush his gently as she closed the door beside him. She didn't comment for there wasn't anytime. She just hopped back into the driver's seat and slammed her foot on the gas. The tires screeched and the car jarred forward.
Reno imagined that he was smiling. The booze numbed the pain, but in away he was glad they were gone. He had left Corel behind him, and all that remained there of him was a few specks of blood and a plume of exhaust smoke. Unconsciousness began to claim him and he surrendered.