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Reno and Rude were detained because they didn’t have a valid license for the helicopter they came in. That in itself was weird. This shouldn’t happen, it hasn’t happened. They would have just forced their way to the heli but there were armed SOLDIERs and they were in a SOLDIER base. It wasn’t worth it.
All in all, it sucks when their own personal information had to be censored. Elena had trouble but she still had her old license and it was still valid. She didn’t realize she still had it until she went through her cards. Elena managed to wrangle some legal jargon and they had to let her go.
She came back with a few Shinra lawyers and they settled the paperwork then and there at Junon.
“Glad that’s over with.” Elena said as they finally got out.
“Nice save, Elena.” Reno commented as he stretched. “Ready to get back HQ?”
“Uh, about that.” Elena began.
Rude stopped in his track as Reno growled. “Tell me, is he alive or the gang is searching for us?”
Their mission was to neutralize a saboteur. He was in a gang of sorts but only he, was the target.
Elena deflated. “The network is still active.” Reno sighed, his suspicion confirmed. “And there’s a probability that our heli is sabotaged.” The bugs she setup at the assassination spot was active when she was getting the lawyers. They talked about vengeance and they knew where to locate their helicopter.
Rude scoffed in disbelief adjusting his sunglasses. “They sure have guts.”
Reno threw his hands up. “Y’know what, let’s do a cleanup.” He said rather hysterically. “I’m gonna need their balls and heads for wheels because I ain’t gonna go back home walking.” Between vicious monsters and mountainous terrain, walking is not a good idea.
Elena smiled. “I think you might want to see these.” She said as she held her phone up and tapped it a few times.
Both their phones ping and upon opening the link, they had a bunch of red dots moving on a map of the harbour. “I got them all bugged, just in case.”
Reno smiled as Rude gave an acknowledging nod.
“You’re getting good, rookie.” Reno complimented with a particularly savage smirk. ”This is gonna be fun.”
o-o
It took a bit more of work but they managed to gather them all in one place.
Elena had to be bait while Rude dressed up as a bouncer. He gotten in contact with one of them and said he wanted to be part of the action and how he hated Shinra, too. The typical speech and all.
Reno was hiding in the ceiling.
“How do we know you’re not a spy?” One of them said suspiciously.
Reno perked up at this.
“Would this do?” He said as he went over to where Elena was and was about to kick her when one of the other stopped him.
“Wait, there’s no need to be monsters.” Said the one with a conscience. “We can just dump her at Fort Condor. It’ll her a few days to find her way back to Shinra…if she survives.”
One of the other snorted.”Or just whisk away to your room?”
“Oh come on, as if you guys would care.”
So much for a conscience, Reno thought as he heard them laugh.
“So how about it, am I in?” Rude asked again, rather sternly.
“Yeah, you’re in. Gonna wait for a couple more guys.” Said another guy.
“That’s it?” Rude asked.
A few of the guys laughed. “Yeah. The job is where we need people. We’re not Avalanche.”
“Oh, there they are.”
“Clarence, the fuck got you late.”
“My hip, y’know.” Complained an old guy. “That heli had me kneeling longer than it took me to get my lady off.”
There was a round laugh as greetings were shared with a few more. Looking at the phone, all of the red dots were in the room.
‘Operation sacrifice to the leviathan god is a go.’ Reno messaged, despite the fact that no one will be reading it.
There’s ping from both of them below him.
“Hey, no phones during meet-“ There was a sound of a punch landing on someone and a fallen body.
Reno grimaced as he threw the flashbang. Rude got first blood. Elena wouldn’t have the time to free herself from her rope.
Once it went off, Reno dropped from the ceiling and joined his partners. It was over before it even started as they made quick work of smashing faces.
o-o
They finally got another helicopter for them to return to HQ. All three of them did checks to make sure it wasn’t booby trapped or sabotaged.
Once in the helicopter, they breathed a sigh of relief.
“Finally going back!” Reno said enthusiastically as he started up the rotor and checking the gauges.
“Yeah. Almost worth the claims for legal reps.” Elena said.
“You can claim for legal reps?” Rude asked in confusion.
“Wait, did you use your own cash to get them?” Reno asked this time.
Elena gave an uncomfortable shift in her seat. “Had to do something quick. I was the only one with a legal license. Managed to convince security that you guys were my passengers and I left the piloting to you.”
Both Rude and Reno stared at her.
“Ok…But you have a legal piloting license?” Rude asked in disbelief.
Elena nodded. “Managed to get it while in the Academy.”
At that that Reno had guffaw while Rude gave her a sympathetic smile.
At that, Elena’s jaw dropped as she realised the possibility of the Turks not having a formal license. “But…you guys…”
“We’ve been doing it for years and crashed it just as many.” Reno said as he recovered. “Don’t worry babe, you’re in good hands.”
“We didn’t get questioned too much as Turks.” Rude shrugged.
Elena gave them a look of disbelief. “Then what happened in Junon?!”
“The other team got to us. I got from one of them before they kicked the bucket.” Reno explained. Rude nodded. “Found out a bit more for the boss, too.”
Elena grimaced.
“It’s ok. They didn’t talk until the monster fishes got to them.” Reno waved it off. “You didn’t miss too much.”
On second thought, she was glad she was assigned to burn the meeting place down.