Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Final Fantasy VII: Reverie ❯ Reno's Good Day ( Chapter 35 )

This was one of the happiest days in Reno's life. Not only was he going to be able to see Leira again; he had also picked up his brand new black Shinra Motors Hightime Stealth. It was well worth the sixty thousand gil he pulled out of his savings…not to mention holding his Glock 21 sidearm to the dealer’s head in order to get the all leather interior, suede headliner, the pearl paint finish and detail, and his beloved floodlights at a “reduced price”.

"Nothing like free accessories." he leered and kissed the steering wheel.

Two other Hightimes had passed by him on this populated road. They were nothing compared to his new baby. Being deluxe models, the other cars were mere hatchbacks. "I could afford the last two doors." he chuckled and waved at one of the other drivers. He was also willing to bet that neither of the other engines could pound out six hundred and thirty horsepower.

The café where he was supposed to meet his coworkers was in sight. "Time to look professional." he grinned as he pulled the tails of his white dress shirt out of his blue trousers. Reno prided himself on being able to stand out from his fellow Turks. It is not that he was trying to look like a slob; he just liked feeling comfortable as well as sticking out from a crowd. He casually lifted his shirt collar out from underneath the neck of his jacket.

"Hmmm. On or off?" he pondered as he looked at his face in the rearview mirror. The redhead tried to decide whether to keep his sunglasses over his blue eyes or put them back on their usual perch above his brow. "Ehhh…off." he lifted them from his nose and set them on top of his unruly red hair. "Too hot." he chided as he admired the black leather shooting gloves on his hands and his own reflection in the mirror.

Tseng held his head in his palms. Reno was running over fifteen minutes late and the native's were getting restless.

"Candy mint…" Leira said as she pushed her right palm into Rude's face.

The Turk head rolled his eyes and slapped a hand over his face. He dragged it down and tugged at his lower lip. What had he done to find himself saddled with people such as these?

Rude was a man of few words unless he felt like he was being provoked. He sat with his stomach against the back of his chair and his legs straddling the seat. "…Flavor mint…"

The Elite got up from her chair and flipped it around. She began to imitate the bald man's posture. "…Candy mint…"

Tseng punched the round white aluminum table with both fists and launched himself to his feet. The two of them had been at their argument since five minutes after Reno was supposed to make his original appearance. "IT'S BREATH MINT!” he shouted at the two verbal combatants. After realizing his outburst, he rolled his eyes again and covered his face with both hands. They got him doing it. "For the love of Leviathan!” he growled furiously in his native Wutai language. He only spoke in that tongue when he found himself unable to think of better words in the basic language.

Rude and Leira were expressionless when they stared at their employer.

"Oh, for crying out…" he put his back to them and shook his head. “Why me?!"

"…Flavor mint…" Rude slowly added.

BEEP BEEEP BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

Reno had made his arrival. "PRAISE SHINRA!” hollered Tseng as he threw his arms above his head. As soon as Reno pulled up to the curb and turned off the engine, the Turk boss walked over to his window and leaned inside. "Nothing like being fashionably late?!" he said, before he opened up the left rear door and got in.

"Thanks, boss, it is a nice car." The redheaded Turk ignored the man.

"Candy mint." Leira stated firmly, as she got up and walked over to Reno's car.

Rude found himself confronted with another more pressing issue as he gazed at the graceful slopes of the black car's body. "Nice car." he said flatly, as he entered and closed the door behind him. "Don't understand how your paycheck is that much different from mine…"

Tseng casually looked out the window and pretended as if he had not heard Rude's comment.

Leira was the last to enter. She was forced to wear her Elite black and blues when she had to appear in public. Reno could not help but marvel at her curve hugging attire and thigh high black leather stiletto heeled boots, as she stood in the doorway.

Leira paused. Something was telling her to glance behind her. She causally looked over her left shoulder in time to see a man wearing a green woolen cap walk over to a yellow pickup truck parked three cars behind Reno. She watched as he offered two coffees to the bed of his vehicle.

"Hey, girl, what's wrong?" Reno asked, trying to drag his eyes from her large…

The Elite raised an eyebrow as one of the coffees sailed through the air and missed its owner. She could have sworn that she heard the truck yell, "Damn you, old guy! I like my coffee light and sweet like my women!” Just before she finally entered the Hightime, she noticed a gloved hand stick out from the truck with its middle finger extended at the driver. The poor man walked around to the driver's side door and got inside.

Leira sat down in her seat and closed the door.

Tseng was concerned. "You saw something."

Leira turned herself around in the leather bucket seat and faced Rude.

The balding man with multiple ear piercings was hard at work studying his old paycheck stubs. He was still trying desperately to determine how Reno could afford such a car on his salary.

The tall brown haired woman did her best to keep an eye on whatever part of the other vehicle she could.

The redhead smiled to himself as the truck finally pulled away. He was too busy watching Rude stress. Before the yellow vehicle passed by, she was able to get a glimpse of the license plate. "That's him!” she bellowed and threw her left hand out, nailing him in the face. "That's our guy!”

Tseng got a better look at the truck from his window. "Well, I'll be." he whispered.

Reno started up the car and dropped his sunglasses down over his eyes. He had entered his "pursuit mode". Carefully, he pulled his newborn out into the busy street right behind the yellow dented pickup truck.

"Any sign of our query?" Rude asked as he shoved his paycheck stubs into his jacket pockets.

"Get closer!” Leira demanded.

"I'm tryin'! You can't get close enough in this kind of traffic!" he barked defensively.

The Elite was just about to slap her redheaded coworker when spikes of black hair began to rise from the yellow pickup's tailgate.

The next thing any of the Turks knew a complete human face was staring back at them. The SOLDIER known as Zack grinned sheepishly at them and wriggled the fingers of his right hand loosely. After a couple seconds, another head emerged. The Shinra officer known as Cloud Strife was wearily studying the car before him and the actions of his partner.

The tall black spiky haired SOLDIER put his hands on his friend's head and pushed him out of sight. The youngster than stood up and balanced himself in the moving vehicle. He slowly turned his back to the car full of Turks and shouted something inaudible to the man behind the steering wheel of his getaway car. After waving angrily at the nervous driver he looked over his shoulder one more time before he dropped his pants and mooned his pursuers. He yanked them back up just as both drivers decided to accelerate.

The Turks were flabbergasted by the young man's actions…all except for Leira. "I've seen better…" she muttered.

Just as Reno began to press harder on the gas pedal, a car cut him off. He slammed on the brakes as hard as he could to avoid hitting the car in front of him. "SON-OF-A-BITCH!” he spat while waving his left arm out the window and smashing on the car horn with his right.

Rude lowered his own sunglasses. "Did anyone else get the plate number? Maybe we can tail it later?"

Everyone was silent.

"We could probably send word to Heidegger and have him put troops out to search the area within a number of blocks.

Leira shook her head. "Give me the wheel,” she told her lover.

"Okay, let me stop first." He began to tap the brakes and signal that he was going to pull over. "Just be careful. I've only had her a couple hours and she was just detailed."

"Her?" Leira formed with her lips. Men and cars…"THERE'S NO TIME!” she growled and grabbed the steering wheel.

"Looks like Leira's gonna be driving." said Rude to his boss. The two men watched the battle in the front seats and calmly buckled their seat belts.

Reno put a hand to Leira's shoulder and tried to push her back. "WE'VE GOT TO PULL OVER FIRST!”

"NO WE DON'T!” she shot back.

Before the redheaded Turk could counter, he ended up with a face full of Leira's chest as she climbed over him. Sensing his loss, he grudgingly pulled himself out of his seat and worked his way over to where Leira had once occupied.

"You know better than to argue with her." Rude scolded Reno.

The car darted madly from left to right, missing one vehicle than scraping against a street lamp.

"My car!” Reno cried as he caught glimpses of more street obstructions.

"QUIT CRYING!” Leira bellowed unsympathetically. Once seated comfortably, she was able to drive the speeding Stealth without unnecessary swerving. She dodged other cars on the street effortlessly.