Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Mark of the Phoenix ❯ Chapter 1

“Mark of the Phoenix”

Chapter 1

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*Disclaimer: The world that this story is set in and all characters therein belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters.*

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“You paged me, boss?” Reno shut the door to Tseng's office behind him and stood expectantly in front of his superior's desk. The Wutaian looked up from his paperwork and nodded, setting his pen in the holder. He stood up and rounded the desk, frowning at Reno's typical lack of uniform.

 

“How many times do I have to tell you to dress properly when you're on the clock?” Tseng looked pointedly at the open collar of Reno's shirt. His own suit was immaculate; the jacket was zipped up, the shirt was buttoned to the collar and the black tie was straight. He expected all of the Turks to wear their uniforms the same way, but Reno always ended up without the tie, with the top three buttons of his shirt undone and his jacket hanging open.

 

“I'm off the clock, yo,” Reno shrugged, smirking at the black-haired man knowingly.

 

Tseng pressed his lips together and held back a sigh. He should have known, really. Reno knew it drove him mad but the redhead was clever and he was careful to wear his uniform properly around Tseng when he was on the clock. He seemed to take delight in doing otherwise when he was away from the Wutaian on assignment or off for the day…even going so far as to pull his tie off and undo his blazer and shirt buttons as soon as he clocked out. Truthfully, Tseng had never actually caught the impulsive man out of uniform while on the job…he heard about it through other people.

 

“Cissnei's work has been dropping in quality since the incident with Zackary Fair,” Tseng began, brushing off his annoyance. “Since she's under your direct command now, I would like you to see to the problem. I know she's grieving but it will eventually get her or one of her partners killed, if she remains distracted like this.”

 

Reno nodded and frowned, having noticed how distant and lethargic the pretty little brunette had been over the past six months. He'd been promoted to second in command of the Turks and he was still getting used to the added responsibilities. For once, he didn't mind one of them because he genuinely liked Cissnei and he'd been concerned for her too.

 

“Any suggestions?” Reno asked after a moment's thought. Tseng possessed and uncanny ability to see into people's hearts. Reno respected that even as he guarded his own feelings around the man carefully.

 

“Keep her in line and attempt to distract her from her angst,” Tseng suggested, his dark eyes roving the redhead thoughtfully. “You seem to be the only one that can make her smile, these days. That's invaluable in a situation like this. When is her next assignment scheduled?”

 

“Today, actually,” answered Reno as he scratched his head in thought, “she's got a plant job with some rich gangster in Wall Market.”

 

Tseng mentally reviewed the documents he'd been going over earlier and he remembered seeing the assignment. “Oh yes,” he murmured, “the courtesan assignment with Corneo. I'd forgotten about that.”

 

Reno's expression changed at the mention of the rich lecher's name. He obviously hadn't paid attention to the details of Cissnei's assignment and he didn't seem to like what he was hearing. “'Courtesan assignment'? Yo, what's that about?” His voice betrayed a hint of dread.

 

Tseng made a mental note of the faint lapse in Reno's cool. “The President occasionally makes use of Corneo's influence in the lower city and as a result, Don is privy to some classified information about our organization. President Shinra wants him to be checked in on once in a while to be certain that he isn't revealing company secrets, and as you know, the man has a weakness for young ladies. In the effort to impress a woman, men like him could be prone to bragging about things they oughtn't even mention, understand?”

 

Reno felt his anger rising and he swallowed it with effort. “You got the assignment file?”

 

Tseng nodded and turned around to leaf through the papers on his desk. “Honestly Reno, you should pay more attention to the assignments that your own subordinates are sent on.” He found the file and handed it to the redhead, studying him with interest as he snatched it and went over it with narrowed, sea green eyes.

 

Reno ignored his superior and read through the assignment to see what exactly Cissnei was ordered to do to carry it out. He relaxed a little when he got to the part that said she wasn't required to sexually interact with Corneo. Her job was to flatter him and basically tempt him to slip up, so that the company could be reassured that he wasn't blabbing to every whore he took to his bed. They had it set up so that the Turks would give Don a call to interrupt his intentions and give Cissnei a chance to get out. In theory, Corneo wouldn't dare blow off a phone call from the organization, even if he were in the middle of trying to get into a cute girl's panties. In theory.

 

~I don't like this one fucking bit. If they think that fat pervert might get a loose tongue when he's getting some action, what makes `em think he'll have the sense to stop what he's doing and take a call from the Turks? Once he gets his hands on Cissnei he might just decide it's worth the risk to blow us off.~

 

“Is something the matter, Reno?” Tseng was regarding him with interest.

 

Reno shrugged as casually as he could manage as he handed the document back to the Wutaian, knowing he'd already given away his reservations about this assignment. “I just don't like the thought of this backfiring and Cissnei ending up raped, yo.”

 

Tseng smiled slightly. “She's a grown woman,” he reminded softly, “and she's a Turk. You've given her more than one glowing evaluation since your promotion, Reno. Surely you don't believe she's incapable of handling an overweight, soft lecher.”

 

Reno had all the respect in the world for the young lady in question, but he couldn't help but think of her petite frame compared to Corneo's heavy one. He wasn't sure HE could break free if a guy with that much mass got him pinned, let alone Cissnei. Sure, as long as she had room to maneuver she could kick the man's ass in two seconds flat, but if he got her pinned she'd be in trouble.

 

“I know she ain't a damsel in distress, yo,” explained the redhead, “but sometimes training and skills aren't enough. I know a few people with the emotional scars to prove it, too.”

 

“I understand,” Tseng responded sincerely. “Which is why I think you should go with them on this mission. You'll have full permission to intervene if a situation arises in which Cissnei needs help. The only rule is that Don Corneo isn't to be killed unless you're given the word, is that clear?”

 

“But I can maim him, right?” Reno asked with a smirk.

 

The corner of Tseng's mouth curved subtly. “If you must, but only if the situation warrants it. He's presently of use to the company and we're to take all measures to ensure he remains that way, unless he's found wanting in the ability to keep secrets.”

 

Reno shrugged. “If it comes down to that, he'll live…he'll just wish he was dead when I'm through with him, yo.”

 

Tseng nodded, choosing not to comment on Reno's protective attitude toward Cissnei.

 

~************************************~

 

Cissnei was surprised when Reno slid into the back seat beside her as she and the three other Turks assigned to the mission got ready to leave. “What are you doing here?” She asked before thinking. She bit her lip when he smirked at her. “Sorry, I keep forgetting you're my boss now.”

 

Reno started to order the driver to go, but he ended up doing a double take at Cissnei instead. The deceptively delicate brunette wore her chestnut hair coiled into an elegant twist at the back of her head, leaving two long strands free to frame either side of her face. She wore light makeup that accented her pretty features. The earth tones of the eye shadow and the terra cotta colored lipstick suited her coloring. The slinky dress she wore was what made him nearly give himself whiplash. It was a chocolate brown, strapless velvet garment that revealed her slender legs up to the mid-thigh and dipped enough in the chest to tantalize without looking trashy.

 

“What?” Cissnei asked as the redhead's stare made her cheeks warm. She'd never seen Reno look at her quite like that before…but then; most of the time she wore a suit that hid her petite curves. Suddenly she wanted a blanket to cover up with. She wasn't used to wearing “feminine” clothing. Most of her casual outfits were composed of jeans, t-shirts and tank tops. Her dressy clothes were modest compared to what she had on now. She was even less used to getting looks like…that…from her coworkers. The other three Turks in the car were also shooting appreciative glances her way and she crossed her legs and put her hands in her lap.

 

“You clean up nice, yo,” Reno said with a sly grin. “What's wrong, doll?”

 

Reno was one of the few male coworkers that could get away with calling her “doll” and various other feminine pet names…mostly because before he'd been promoted, the two of them often teased each other with nicknames and terms that bordered on flirtation. From him it was an endearment, not a put-down. She supposed now that he was her superior she should talk to him about that, because even if she didn't consider it sexually harassing someone else observing might.

 

“I'm afraid I'll fall out of this getup if I bend the wrong way, or I'll flash someone by accident if I don't watch how I sit. How does Scarlet dress like this all the time?” Cissnei glanced down at her cleavage—which wasn't particularly impressive compared to Scarlet's but was there nonetheless. Her breasts were small and perky but they could still pop out of the dress if she didn't pay enough attention and got too active. The spiked heals on her dainty feet were another problem…she'd practiced walking in them for days before the assignment but she was still afraid she'd break her neck.

 

“Well, if anything like that happens I'm sure nobody's gonna mind, yo,” Reno winked at her and chuckled when her cheeks reddened further.

 

“Can we just go, please?” Cissnei begged softly, her melodious voice slightly panicked.

 

Reno sobered and directed his eyes elsewhere with a shrug. “You heard the lady,” he said to the driver, “let's get going.”

 

As they drove to the highway entrance, Reno's eyes kept shooting sidelong at Cissnei of their own accord. He caught himself staring at her legs and admiring their length and shape. She was a small woman but her body was proportioned so that her legs were long and slender, without being boney. He forced his eyes to look away but a moment later they rebelled and shifted to her lips, instead. He'd always liked her lips—they were pouty and just full enough to be luscious without being too wide or too big.

 

A realization came to Reno as he struggled with his testosterone and considered how reluctant Don Corneo would be to take his hands off of Cissnei once she was in his grasp. “Shit, I'm gonna have to kill the fucker.”

 

“What?” Cissnei asked with a frown.

 

“Nothing,” Reno said quickly.

 

Cissnei didn't persist but she gave him a look that clearly said she thought he was losing his mind. Reno pulled his clove cigarettes out of his blazer pocket and started packing them—though he had no intention of smoking one until they arrived at Wall Market and he could step out of the car. People usually didn't complain about the clove smoke because it didn't stink like tobacco, but not subjecting people in close quarters to his smoke was one of the few courteous habits Reno had picked up.

 

“You're not going to smoke one?” Cissnei asked, pointing at the pack as he dropped it back into his blazer.

 

“Just getting `em ready, yo,” Reno answered.

 

“Hmm, that's too bad. I like the way they smell…like incense.” Cissnei gave him a small, nervous smile. “Maybe I could try one to calm my nerves.”

 

Reno gave her a level stare. “Over my dead body, sweetheart.”

 

“You're a hypocrite,” Cissnei accused softly.

 

“Damn right,” Reno shrugged. “It's a bad habit and trying to quit is a real bitch. I'd say the same thing to anyone thinking of taking the habit up, so don't go getting pissy and start accusing me of patronizing you.”

 

She raised her eyebrows at him. What he said might be true, but in the time she'd come to know him, she'd noticed that he didn't treat any of the other Turk women the way he treated her.

 

~Oh well…at least I know it's not a sexism thing. Maybe he just thinks I'm not tough enough to take care of myself.~

 

The thought was more depressing than comforting to her.

 

~**************************************~

 

“Okay, you go inside and play the role, then you get out as soon as the call is made and his back is turned, got it?” Reno's long, blue-green eyes were uncommonly serious as they gazed into hers.

 

“I know my part,” Cissnei said dryly, smacking him on the arm. “Do you think I'll just sit there and let him get me?”

 

Reno smirked and rubbed his arm where she'd struck it. “Yo, I'm your boss, little lady. Smacking ain't nice.”

 

Cissnei gave him an annoyed look but it was fabricated. “Why are you rubbing your arm, huh? Did a smack from such a `little lady' hurt?”

 

“Only in my heart,” Reno said dramatically, putting a hand over his chest.

 

One of the other Turks cleared his throat and the two of them remembered that there was a job to do. Reno grimaced, berating himself for letting his urges to play with Cissnei interfere with his work. He could entertain her later, after she got safely through this mission.

 

“Check your wire and earpiece,” the redhead ordered the young woman.

 

Cissnei dutifully turned around to reach into her cleavage and turn on the monitor hidden in her dress. “Check,” she said softly. Her voice echoed on the transmission frequency inside the car and her coworkers nodded at each other in satisfaction. One of them spoke into the mic inside of the car and she nodded and gave the thumbs-up to show she'd received it through the tiny earpiece she wore.

 

“Okay, looks like we're ready,” Reno said as he looked at the gates to Don Corneo's mansion. He grabbed Cissnei by the arm as she started forward. “I mean it, doll. Don't even give this guy a chance to back you into a corner. Now that I think of it, let's think up a trigger word you can say if you think you're getting in over your head.”

 

She almost refused, thinking he was going overboard with the protectiveness. Then she remembered how she'd nearly gotten herself killed a week earlier because she'd started thinking about Zack's death instead of concentrating on her job. Even if she wouldn't admit it out loud, she could at least admit to herself that she wasn't in top form.

 

“Fine,” Cissnei agreed. “What about….um…” She stared up at Reno's handsome face and studied it, taking in the red crescent tattoos on each of his cheekbones and the vivid red hair that fell in a long ponytail down his back. She smirked, remembering her first impression of him. “Phoenix. I'll say `phoenix' if I think I need help.”

 

Reno grinned at her in such an ironic, secretive way that she almost looked over her shoulder to see if there was an actual phoenix hovering there. “Is something funny about that?”

 

“Maybe I'll tell you later,” the redhead answered, still holding his grin. “Let's get this job done, yo.”

 

~*****************************************~

 

Cissnei took a deep breath as the butler showed her to Corneo's room. She'd come close to stumbling on her way up the stairs but she caught herself just in time. Reno's soft voice was a reassurance to her as he talked her through it. Normally she'd resent being babysat like this but her confidence was severely diminished since she failed to save Zack's life.

 

“Here we are,” the butler said as he pushed open the door to Don's bedroom. “He's been waiting for you.”

 

“Thanks,” Cissnei replied softly as she stepped through the threshold. The bedroom was large and frankly gaudy, with a mixture of Wutaian hanging lanterns, neon lights and a hanging disco ball.

 

~Is this guy for real?~

 

Her eyes fell on the huge bed, where Don Corneo reclined with a lecherous grin. He puffed on an expensive cigar as he eyed her and Cissnei couldn't contain her flinch when the door shut and locked behind her with the finality of doom. Corneo was obviously bald but he wore a tacky blond toupee that sat badly on the center of his head. He was fat and slovenly, middle-aged and even from the distance she could smell the brandy on him. He wore nothing but a pair of briefs and poor Cissnei was torn between amusement and disgust. On the one hand, she wanted to laugh at how ridiculous he looked but on the other, she wanted to claw her way back out the door she'd come through. He was disgusting.

 

“Well, well,” Corneo said with a lusty smirk, “they sent me a real nice chickie! Come closer and let me have a better look at you, doll.”

 

Cissnei suppressed a shudder of loathing and wondered how the word “doll” could sound so flattering from one man and so repulsive from another. She took a couple of steps forward, making sure to keep some distance between herself and the bed as Corneo sat up and peered at her hungrily. She felt like a prime rib steak but she forced a smile, trying to remember to keep it seductive like she'd practiced.

 

“Do you like what you see?” Cissnei asked, pitching her voice to a lower, huskier tone than usual.

 

Reno's voice suddenly spoke up through her earpiece. “Holy shit…where'd you learn to talk like that?”

 

“Shhh,” Cissnei hissed impulsively. Immediately realizing her mistake, she continued making the sound and did what she hoped was a sexy flourish, blowing a kiss to Corneo.

 

“Hooboy,” Don said enthusiastically, devouring her with his eyes as he started to crawl over the bed toward her, “Daddy like! Gimme some more, baby!”

 

~More, he says…damn…I don't really HAVE any more than that! I'll have to improvise.~

 

The words that came next tasted like bile in her mouth as she daintily leaned against the foot of the bed and fluttered her lashes at the man. “Tell me a story, Daddy. I'll be a good girl if you do.”

 

~***************************************~

 

Reno's mouth fell open and the other three men in the car followed suite.

 

“Oh no she didn't,” he said, shifting uncomfortably and flushing. Cissnei was always…cute…and innocent—despite her career. Pretty and appealing, certainly, but he'd never pegged her as a sex kitten before. He glanced at his fellow Turks and grimaced. Suddenly the danger wasn't just in Don Corneo, but also the car full of horny men Cissnei would be getting into once she was finished.

 

~I'm gonna end up having to kill these guys too if they don't cool it.~

 

“Come closer, cutie,” Corneo's voice said over the transmission.

 

Reno tensed and impulsively gripped the handle of his EMR, his finger hovering over the charge activation switch. Fortunately, Cissnei kept her cool.

 

“Not until you tell me a story,” she countered in a breathy voice, giggling with intoxicating feminine allure.

 

“Oh man, this is like listening to porn,” the Turk that was driving said.

 

Reno's reaction was faster than his common sense. He reached out and cupped the back of the guy's head and he slammed his face down hard against the steering wheel. The victim hollered in pain and clutched his nose.

 

“By dose,” he whined incoherently, “you broke by dose!”

 

“Shut the fuck up.” Reigning in his temper, the redhead yanked the other man's hand away from his bleeding nose and examined it. It was swelling rapidly and there was a nice flow of red coming out of it, but there was no evidence of breakage. “It's not broken, just bloodied,” Reno announced while the other two men gaped. “That's a reminder for all of you. Cissnei's a Turk and she's part of your team. Unless an undercover role calls for it, you don't EVER talk about her like a piece of meat, got it?”

 

His hands were clenched into fists and his eyes were narrowed and bright as he looked each of them in the eye in turn. He was distantly surprised by the anger he felt, even as he felt a stab of guilt for thinking the exact same thing. However, thinking it and disrespecting her by saying it out loud and behind her back were two different things. The other men stared at him with a mixture of fear and surprise, but Reno was second in command of the Turks and none of them dared to argue with him.

 

Don Corneo's voice broke through the silence and they returned their attention back to monitoring the situation.

 

“What sort of story do you want to hear, sweetheart?”

 

Cissnei's voice replied: “Well, powerful men turn me on. I want to hear a story about the things you could do with that power.” She did something that made Don groan and the listening Turks wisely kept whatever they were imagining to themselves.

 

“I'm a powerful man,” Corneo said, “I can give a chickie anything she wants, if she makes me happy. I run this part of town, see. I've got friends in high places, too.”

 

“Ooooh,” Cissnei responded enthusiastically. “What sort of friends?” Her question was followed by the soft rustle of cloth and everyone in the car—including Reno—gaped blindly at nothing as they imagined what part of her body she might or might not be revealing.

 

Corneo's voice was practically wet with drool when he answered her. “Real powerful friends. They could make or break a man on a whim, sweetie. Come closer…come to Daddy.”

 

Reno grimaced. Hearing that old pervert use the term “Daddy” compared to hearing Cissnei say it was like comparing rotten, maggoty meat to a luscious ripe peach. He heard Cissnei's breath quicken and he tensed again.

 

“You haven't finished your story,” the young woman said in a seemingly calm tone. Reno could detect the fear beneath the surface, though.

 

“I didn't pay to entertain you,” Corneo shot back, “It's the other way around. Now get that sweet little ass in this bed, darlin'. It's time for us to make our own story.”

 

“Call now,” Reno ordered grimly. One of the other Turks fished his cellphone out of his blazer and hit the speed dial. Reno listened tensely while they waited for the butler to answer and interrupt the encounter.

 

“But I work so much better when I'm entertained,” Cissnei argued, her voice beginning to quiver and lose its seductive drone.

 

“If I told you the rest of this story, I'd have to kill you,” Corneo said with a laugh.

 

Reno took his electro-magnetic rod in hand and powered it up, opening the passenger-side door. He waited for a moment to see if the diversion would work and give Cissnei a chance to get out of the situation on her own.

 

“Mmm, mysterious,” Cissnei replied, somehow making her fear sound staged, rather than real. “So you'd be a wanted man?”

 

“Can't tell,” Corneo answered with a smirk in his voice.

 

There was the sound of someone knocking and Corneo growled an inquiry. The butler informed him that a representative of the Turks was on the line for him and for a moment, there was silence.

 

“Tell him I'm on the shitter,” Corneo said. “I'll call back when I'm finished here.”

 

Cissnei suddenly yelped and Don laughed with lusty pleasure. “Don't play coy, chickie. Ow! Ooooh, I like the slapping! That's it, put up a good fight for Daddy! Hey…what's that?”

 

There was the sound of a scuffle and a metallic “click!” that the Turks were all too familiar with.

 

“Ooooh, gun-play! You're a kinky little minx, aren't ya? You gonna shoot your Daddy, you little whore?” Corneo's tone indicated that he didn't take Cissnei's action seriously.

 

“Only if he doesn't get me a pet phoenix,” Cissnei answered in a strained voice.

 

Reno was out of the car and charging for the mansion before the other Turks could even react.

 

~*****************************~

 

All that Cissnei could think about was when she saw Zack dying and she couldn't do a damned thing to intervene. Corneo had gotten out of the bed as she backed away and he was grinning at the gun she had trained on him like he thought it was a water pistol. Her mind's eye kept replaying the scene of Zackary Fair falling to his knees, with her aiming her weapon with shaking hands at her own company's men and failing to even fire one shot.

 

Cissnei's vision blurred with tears as the bulky rich man approached her. Ordinarily she could take someone like him down without blinking an eye, but her self-doubt was clouding her judgment and her aim.

 

“Stay away from me, I mean it!” Her voice was quivering humiliatingly and she knew that Corneo still thought it was all a game. She couldn't make her finger pull the trigger as the big man descended on her and she cried out as his weight crashed down on top of her.

 

“Man, that escort service trains your whores to act good!” Don said with excitement as he yanked Cissnei's dress up and shoved his hips between her thighs. She cried out and tried to hit him with the gun, but he grabbed her wrist and slammed it to the floor, making her hand go numb and lose its grip on the weapon. “That real enough for you, baby?”

 

The humiliation of defeat was nothing compared to the horror of what she knew would happen next if her backup didn't catch her trigger word. Cissnei was a strong, nimble fighter but only if she could use her limbs. Currently, her opposition had her pinned down with his bulk and all she could do was writhe and screech furiously as Corneo laughed and reached down to yank at her panties.

 

~***************************************~

 

Devon stopped on his way to follow Reno into the mansion when his phone rang. He put it to his ear and panted; “Devon here.”

 

“This is Tseng,” answered a familiar voice on the other end. “What's the status of the mission so far?”

 

Devon gulped and watched Reno club a house guard violently over the head with his EMR. The redhead was advancing into the mansion with furious intent. “Well sir, I think Reno's about to kill Corneo. Cissnei's in trouble and I don't think Red's gonna ask questions before he pops him.”

 

Tseng was quiet for a moment before responding. “Did the target say anything significant before this occurred?”

 

“No sir,” the Turk answered, “He hinted a little to make himself look good, but he didn't say shit.”

 

“Then contact Reno immediately and tell him to defuse the situation without killing him,” ordered the Director.

 

“Yes sir.”

 

~***************************************~

 

Reno tore through the rich man's hired thugs and bodyguards with a savagery that surprised even him. The two following Turks yelled for him to wait up, but he didn't slow or stop as he took the stairs two steps at a time. His companions ended up fighting off more house guards and thugs while he hurried up to Corneo's bedroom.

 

“I fucking warned him,” the redhead panted as images of Cissnei being ravaged flashed unwillingly through his mind. “If she gets hurt…”

 

Reno kicked the butler in the face as the man tried to stop him outside Corneo's bedroom door. The man crumpled like a rag doll and Reno backed up and charged at the door, slamming against it with his shoulder. He groaned in pain and his brain screamed at him to aim his impact near the knob area where the door locked. Adrenaline lent him strength and he kicked at the door hard enough to make the wood crack. It gave after a moment and he backed up again and plowed ahead, throwing his slim weight against it as hard as he could.

 

In the back of his mind, he realized that if he'd taken the time to think, he might have just shot the damned lock and saved himself a lot of effort and bruises.

 

~*********************************~

 

Cissnei screamed with a combination of rage and fear as her panties were torn off. Corneo was grinning as he fumbled with his underwear and she squeezed her eyes shut with the realization that all of her training couldn't stop this. The commotion outside in the hallway was distant to her and she didn't react even when something heavy slammed into the door several times. She was already leaving her body, pretending she was sitting in the forests of Gongaga and chatting with Zack.

 

“What the hell?” Don growled, pausing in his efforts. He looked up just as the door slammed open, to see a man in a familiar suit glaring down at him with wild green eyes and a long, crimson red ponytail hanging over one shoulder. The young man held a rod in his right hand that was as long as his forearm. Electric sparks danced over the surface of the weapon as the Turk surveyed the situation and lowered his weapon so that it was mere inches from Don's nose.

 

“Get off my ho,” the young man said in a low, dangerous tone.

 

Corneo knew for certain that this part wasn't some sort of role-playing game. He knew Reno and he knew by the furious look in the redhead's eyes that his life depended on complying. He eased off of the escort beneath him and stood up.

 

“Hey, I paid for her—” He began, only to be cut off when Reno brought the sparking weapon close to his throat.

 

“She didn't clear it with me,” the redhead growled. He looked down at the hooker and sneered. “Thought you could turn tricks without paying the pimp, slut? Get up, straighten your clothes and get outside, yo.”

 

Corneo gulped. “L-look, I didn't know she had anything to do with the Turks! I didn't know you guys pimped whores, too! H-here…take the money—“

 

Reno punched him in the face, making the older man crumple. Cissnei scooted away and dragged herself to her feet, staring at the redhead like he was a stranger.

 

“I don't want your fucking money,” Reno spat as he kicked Don in the stomach. The older man nearly threw up and the Turk gave sharp, predatory smile and knelt beside the rich man. “I saw what was happening, you fucking maggot. My girl was saying `no' and you weren't listening, were you?” He looked over his shoulder at Cissnei, who had gotten to her feet and stood by the door. “Good thing for you I came in when you got your senses back and realized what a huge fucking mistake it is to screw me out of my money.”

 

Cissnei stood frozen, her mind scattered and confused. She saw the fury in Reno's eyes and for a moment, she thought it was directed at her. Then he turned back to Corneo and raised his EMR and she realized who it was directed at and why.

 

“I'm gonna bash your sick fucking skull in,” Reno promised the cowering man. Just as he was about to cut loose, his cellphone rang and years of training was the only thing that kept him from completing the job he so desperately wanted to finish. He kept one eye on Corneo and reached into his blazer for his cellphone with his free hand.

 

“Yo, Reno here.”

 

“Reno, this is Tseng,” responded the voice on the other end. “I don't know if the others have managed to relay my orders to you or not, but you're to leave Corneo alive and unharmed if it's possible to do so without endangering Cissnei. What is your status?”

 

Reno was breathing heavily and his lips were pulled back in a snarl as he held his weapon over the cowering lecher that had just tried to rape Cissnei. “I'm in the fucker's bedroom now, yo.” He paused for a moment and improvised. “He came close to screwing us out of our money.”

 

Tseng digested the information and interpreted it quickly. “Is she safe?”

 

“For the moment, yeah.” Reno struggled to hold back his urge to bash Corneo's head in.

 

“Leave him, then,” Tseng ordered firmly. “Take her home and let this go, for now.”

 

Reno's hand clenched tighter around his weapon but he didn't disobey. “Yes, sir.” He deactivated the charge on his weapon and replaced the cellphone in his pocket as he looked down at Corneo. “It's you're lucky day, shithead. Maybe now you'll think with your brain instead of your boner.” He straightened up and looked at Cissnei. “What are you staring at, bitch? I said get outside to the car!” He smacked her pert little bottom with regret and she gave him a look of Death before complying. Still trying to contain the unexpected anger, Reno put his weapon away and exited the room.

 

~****************************************~

 

Cissnei was mad. No, not mad…she was furious. She stomped her way out of the mansion and broke one of her heels on the way to the car, but the sound of Reno's voice calling her a whore echoed in her mind and she hardly noticed.

 

“Yo, wait up doll!”

 

Cissnei rounded on the approaching redhead and as soon as he got within range, she slapped him across the face hard enough to whip his head to the side. He stayed frozen for a moment before turning his face back to regard her with bewildered eyes.

 

“Don't…you…EVER…call me a WHORE again!” She knew her eyes were too wide and too bright as she glared at her superior, but she didn't really care. Her whole body was shaking with what had almost happened and hearing Reno talk to her that way…even in subterfuge…was too much.

 

“Hey, hey…whoa,” Reno said cautiously, holding his hands out and spreading his fingers defensively. “I had to improvise, you know?” He ignored the other Turks, who were glancing at them with interest as they hurried back to the car. “Look, I had to hold cover in case they wouldn't let me kill the bastard. You ain't a whore, Cissnei. If I thought you were I sure as hell wouldn't have played a fucking knight trying to defend your honor, yo.”

 

She stared at him, fighting the dull, foggy memories of her past and trying to reconcile them with the present. “I…it hurt. Hearing you say that. It made me so…MAD!”

 

Reno took a couple of steps closer and gave her a little smile. “You think I wanted to talk to you like that? Listen toots, if Tseng hadn't ordered me to back off, Corneo's brains would be splattered all over the walls of his bedroom right now. It was just part of the job, Cissnei. Just an act. Don't you ever think for a minute I'd…think like that…about you.” He grimaced at the end of the sentence, as if the very thought of it made him ill.

 

“I'm a fuck-up,” she sighed, taking her ruined heels off and leaning against the car.

 

“You're not a fuck-up,” Reno countered as he came up beside her and lit a clove. He inhaled deeply and blew it out, his sea-green eyes looking at her sidelong. “You're going through some shit right now and you're pushing yourself to do things you shouldn't be doing, that's all.”

 

“I'm a Turk,” she said miserably, drawing invisible patterns in the concrete with her toes. “I should have been able to—“

 

Reno interrupted her, an expression of anger flashing over his fair features. “Be able to what? Predict the future? Be unstoppable? In case you haven't noticed, you're human like everyone else, cutie-pie. Maybe it's time you took a vacation so you can deal with this Zack business and move on.”

 

She looked at him with teary eyes. “I've never felt so…Reno, has anyone ever made you feel like your heart could leap out of your chest?”

 

He swallowed and nodded. “Yeah. The thing is, you can't let that get in the way of your job. If it starts to, it's time to call it a day and take a break, yo.”

 

She gave him a tragic little smile, missing the connection. “I lost him before I ever had him. Maybe you're right…can I take a little leave of absence?”

 

Reno reached out and squeezed her shoulder lightly. “You know you can, doll. You've been plowing on but we've just been waiting out of respect, yo. I didn't want you to break before you admitted you need the break, if you catch my meaning.”

 

“Thanks, Reno.” She sucked in a sharp breath and he opened the door to the car for her.

 

~***************************************~

 

“I don't want you to ever use her like that again.”

 

Tseng stared at Reno with surprise he couldn't quite contain. “I beg pardon?”

 

Reno put his hands flat on his superior's desk and leaned over, fixing the Wutaian with narrowed eyes. “Find someone else to play the role of the hooker if you need to do that again,” his voice was carefully controlled as he spoke, “Just don't assign Cissnei again. You know what she's done with this week of her vacation? Sat at home, man. She just sits there.”

 

Reno's cell rang before Tseng could answer and the redhead tore it out of his pocket and barked: “What?” without seeing who it was.

 

“Oh, sorry partner,” Reno said with a grimace when the person on the other end responded. “Yeah, it's just been a rough day. So how's your assignment going? Yeah? Oh shit, no way!”

 

Reno caught sight of the annoyed look on Tseng's face and despite his earlier demands, he had enough sense to know when the boss was reaching the end of his patience. “Hey look Rude, I've gotta let you go. I'll catch you later, yo.” He hung up the phone and replaced it, then looked at his boss with raised eyebrows and waited for the storm.

 

“First of all,” Tseng said with deadly calm, “I agreed to employ Cissnei to that assignment because I knew that she was competent. Not that Elena isn't, but you know how she likes to talk, and you know her temper. Cissnei isn't out to climb ladders or impress…she merely wants to do her job.”

 

Before Reno could respond, Tseng held up a hand for silence. “Secondly,” continued the raven-haired man, “I assigned you to supervise because I knew that you wouldn't allow anything to happen to her. Don't accuse me of not caring for my people, Reno. You know that would be a falsehood.”

 

Reno struggled with words and finally nodded, pressing his lips together. Tseng tilted his head and studied his colleague with interest.

 

“Honestly, it was you who acted out of term last evening,” the Wutaian stated bluntly. Reno lifted his head and Tseng caught his eyes and held them. “I suggest you focus primarily on easing Cissnei's suffering, because it's affecting your work performance as well.”

 

Reno tried to think of a counter-argument to that but it was useless. Tseng's eyes said it all: in order to serve the organization, he had to take care of Cissnei and therefore take care of himself.

 

“Anyone ever tell you that you're an asshole…sir?” Reno muttered.

 

“I'll pretend I didn't hear that,” answered Tseng with a smirk.

 

~*************************************~

 

-To be continued