Don't Play with Fire (Turks FF7)

25) Trusting Elena

"Theoretically, it's perfect," Rude says, looking up at the Sister Ray, the giant weapon having finally been delivered.

"Theoretically? How 'bout nontheoretically?" Reno asks in a serious tone that we hardly ever hear.

"It leaves me concerned."

"Then I'm relieved."

"What do you mean?" I ask, studying all the pipes and wires. The size and height of weapon, not mention its weak support, make me dizzy.

"I thought I was the only one worried. Are we seriously going to fire this thing? Don't we have to test it out first? What about Midgar?" Will it all look like Sector 7?

"Would you be reassured if I said it'll be alright?" Rude replies irritably in response to Reno's torrent of questions.

"Hey, don't get mad."

I cringe as a soldier that was putting a tube together falls to his death in the slums below. Reno merely glances in the direction of the movement his eyes caught and shakes his head.

"Scarlet's crazy, man."

"I agree."

"Meteor's getting so close," I note. In fact, it looks like I could just reach out and touch it. The whole city of Midgar glows a blend of green and dark red, casting spooky shadows on buildings and making all three of us look scarlet.

"Yeah."

"Should we go inside now?" I ask as another two guys drop. Reno frowns at the fluids that splatter his shoes and Rude nods.

"We can." One more person, this time a woman. "If you don't want to watch it rain bodies anymore," Rude adds.

"I'd rather not. Besides, I kinda want to find Elena."

"Why's that?" Reno asks as we start back toward the building we've come to call home.

"I just need to talk to her about something," I say distantly, my eyes never leaving the cannon. What if we all die because of this thing? In the distance and past the heavy smog of this city, I swear I can see the Highwind zipping away toward the Crater. If they don't move in time...

I shake the thought away. I'm putting all my trust in mismatched pair of kids, an animal, a ninja, a mechanic, my mopey great uncle, my friend's robot, a giant man with a gun arm, and a dead Ancient that summoned Holy way back on the day of her tragic death. The death that tore the certainty Cloud had of himself. The death that made Reeve realize that more goes on in the world than Shinra, that money can't fix everything. The death that made me see that they're the ones I should be betting my life on, not an electric company that's working for the people's support. What will support do? It's not going to kill Sephiroth or take Meteor out of the sky.

"Girl stuff?"

"Not really. You guys know. I need a little womanly input, and Amelia's busy because almost everyone on her floor's quit."

"Oh that."

"Yeah."

"You're doing alright with it all?" Rude asks with a frown. I give him lopsided smile and nod.

"Mhmm. It was just a little shocker, that's all. And now I'm a little scared, thinking of the future. Not being a Turk, now that I've been one, seems like a scary thought."

"No one said you had to quit," Reno shrugs. "Not that I would want my kid seein' everything I do in my daily life."

"Reno, we don't know who's..." Rude starts. Re shakes his head quickly.