damned_institute | Nightshift 23: M11-M20 Hall

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Nightshift 23: M11-M20 Hall

Gin sat quietly on the edge his bed, hands folded in his lap as the doors unlocked. The knives were still beneath his pillow, where he'd stuffed them before Naoe came in for dinner. He'd prefer the man didn't know he had them, but if Ran arrived before Naoe left, well, it wasn't that important.

He still didn't know if she was going to show up at all. He'd wait a few minutes, check and see if her spirit thread was getting any closer, if not... there were plenty of other things he could do tonight. Jack was reliable if nothing else and wouldn't be too difficult to find. The disembodied voice of the announcer was right though. It was possible, terribly likely in fact, that he was not on the grounds. That he was somewhere else entirely. It would help if he knew a little more about how their announcement system worked. Obviously the Head Doctor wasn't the only one who could use it.

Regardless, he had to focus his thoughts on the here and now and then proceed forward. He sat patiently, for now at least, waiting for his visitor.

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In all honesty, Elena had been expecting this. She knew that the President wouldn't be very hot on taking kid along...hell, he didn't even trust her yet, and he...(well, it was a bit more complex a relationship than she would have liked, what with breaking the fabric of the time-space continuum and all)...he knew her! Sort of.

But she couldn't just let a kid go wandering off on his own just because her (future) boss didn't really like the idea. If worst came to worse, she'd just go with Ritsuka for the night. It wasn't like she was really bound to Shin-Ra. Not yet, anyway.

Especially because the President had just said something to that exact effect.

"I wouldn't dream of taking Reno away from you, sir," she said softly, looking at the ground. Rufus Shinra had a talent for making her feel like slow, stupid little girl. There was just...something about him that always reminded her of her age, and it was extremely disheartening. "If Dean comes, and if he's willing to go along with us, I'd love to have him. If not, we can go alone. The last thing I want is to throw a wrench into the works."

Much more subdued, she accepted the gun from Reno and handled it expertly...far more expertly, in fact, than a girl her age should have. "Huh...never seen this make before. It looks really old...but I gotta hand it to Junior." She smiled a little. "Kid knows how to take care of his weapons."

Ejecting the magazine, she examined the bullets. "Only three left? Bummer. I wonder if the alchemists can make more?" That would be ideal. The gun would be pretty useless otherwise. Elena frowned and brought her flashlight up to get a better look at the round in her hand. It felt...off, somehow. And she had handled a LOT of bullets in her short lifetime, so she was a pretty good judge. "Reno? Does this bullet seem...off to you? It could just be a trick of the light...but it's looks kind of...shorter and wider than a normal nine milimetre round."

He'd expected the reaction as well, but that expectation didn't stop his hopes from being dashed a little in the end. He understood the reasoning behind it, though. If the group was going to get much larger than what they already had, then it was reasonable that Rufus wouldn't want more people (strangers, at that) to tag along. Ritsuka nodded, accepting Rufus' decision. He should have known that he'd be a third wheel - not everyone was the rescuing strangers type, after all. Otacon had been wrong.

The boy nodded, looking away slightly as he apologized to everyone, "I'm sorry for intruding and I understand the situation." It was time to switch plans then. He couldn't sound like he needed any more help than absolutely necessary. "I only need someone to show me where they take people at night, and then I can go it alone."

After all, Elena had even gotten in a bit of trouble because he had tagged along. Rufus' displeasure was obvious. Ritsuka was about to suggest that Elena remain with her companions once upstairs when the conversation changed into talk of telepaths, alchemists, and guns - with that very same gun waved about right in front of him.

He was definitely out of his league here. These people were used to violence and war, and talked about people who didn't even exist in his world. Elena seemed like a different person with a gun in her hands. Ritsuka had been sure she was only a few years older than him, and yet she was holding the gun like it was a familiar toy rather than a deadly weapon. He didn't like it. On reflex, he stepped back from Elena now that she had a weapon, but he stopped himself before he went too far. Clenching his hands by his sides, he hoped that this "Dean" and the "telepath" would arrive soon so he could leave. Every second he stood waiting was another moment of torture for Seimei - the very thought sickened him.

Rufus' comment was met only with a raised eyebrow, enough to let the President know to maybe ease off those two. If they were alone, Reno might've said something more, but surrounded by other people, he didn't want to take it much further. It wasn't his place. In any case, he did agree with Rufus - he was just willing to play nice, and let Ritsuka follow along. He hadn't intended to take it much further beyond that, but he didn't quite want to dump the kid out cold on his ass, either.

"Dean might be coming," he said. "If he does, he can help you guys. I'd rather stay here."

There was no way he was leaving Rufus alone. On the other hand, in light of recent events, he didn't exactly want Elena off alone, either. Which meant that Dean had better fucking come. He suspected Dean would have no objections, given how readily the man had put himself in danger for Elena when he'd barely known her.

"Pistol's unloaded, kid," he said, noting the way Ritsuka scooted a bit back. "It's not gonna accidentally blow your head off."

Reno squinted at the bullet as Elena held it up. He hadn't noticed before given he'd been in a hurry when unloading it earlier, but she was right. It wasn't a regular nine millimetre.

"Hunh. That's funny." After a moment, he shrugged. The gun had come from a different world, after all. "What the hell. As long as it kills what it's supposed to, I'm happy."

No. He didn't just look at me like that, did he? was the first thought that flashed through Rufus' mind at seeing that raised brow from Reno.

That was probably the moment that pushed him there. That raised brow from Reno as if the Turk were questioning him. Questioning him, the President of Shin-Ra. A Turk. Was questioning him and his judgement. No. That didn't just happen, did it? And for what? A kid they didn't know in the least. But that really wasn't it, was it?

Frustration flared again, Rufus' nerves already worn by the telepath and chancing another encounter with Pyramid Head. He probably would have snapped at anything like a dog teased too much.

Not even your Turks are listening to you much anymore, are they?
They are still with me.
You're not nearly as sure of that as you'd like, are you?

No, he wasn't. Schuldig had seen right through him on that count. He wasn't. These weren't, in truth, his Turks. He liked to tell himself that his Turks would have been at his back no matter what, never questioning in public or in front of strangers, knowing how critical Rufus' public image was even if it was only to himself in a place like this. The truth of that thought might have been something completely different.

"Reno will go with you, Elena. He can show you more about that weapon on the way. Schuldig will have little difficulty finding me, and Dean will most likely be here soon enough."

It wasn't that he liked arguing with Reno or putting them in direct contention (and this was sure to start another one), but a single look could be taken a million ways, and Rufus took it in his own. It was with sour humour that he asked himself if Elena had any idea how many arguments she started among the two of them. In his mind, this was just Reno further siding with her instead of himself.

One really would think Schuldig had deliberately picked this moment, with nerves wound so tight one could have played a tune on them, to saunter up to the group. As it was, the timing was sheer coincidence; then again, happy coincidences such as this cropped up so often around the telepath that it was enough to make one wonder.

He had gone to some trouble in his approach to be able to appear practically at Rufus' elbow, almost putting himself between the man and Reno. But that was just advanced strategy.

"Well, I see the party's started without me," he remarked, amused gaze sliding between Rufus and Reno. Elena and Ritsuka were noted, but only peripherally; how could he pay much attention to them with this fascinating display unfolding before him between the dog and its master?

More than happy to add fuel to the flames, the telepath afforded Reno a grin that - despite intentions - was more mocking than reassuring. "Don't worry too much about it, Reno. I brought some backup of my own, thinking Rufus - " He dropped the first name entirely casually; he doubted Rufus would like it, but he wanted to drive home the fact that he didn't have to answer to Rufus yet, and thus could take more liberties to everyone in earshot(Rufus included). " - would be as interested in his talents as he is in mine. We can look after him."

The implications of this interjection were many and delicious. By backing up Rufus' orders, Schuldig had established himself on Rufus' side against Reno. Further, it suggested that he had some sort of say in the decision, made over Reno's head; he didn't, not really, but it couldn't hurt to help Rufus and Reno forget that key fact. And if Reno did go off with Elena and the catboy, then Schuldig had the whole night to cement his alliance with Rufus unhindered. His justifying his reasoning in bringing Crawford as having possible benefit to Rufus made his choice in bringing a companion seem as though he had Rufus' interests in mind - as opposed to, say, Elena. And, of course, there was the blatant implication that Schuldig could easily supplant Reno as Rufus' bodyguard for the evening.

And he did it all while seeming to want to be helpful.

Though Schuldig had informed him of the basic goings-on and relationships he'd formed in his short time being here, Crawford was still unsure of what kind of hell, exactly, his companion had been raising. Throughout the day, when Crawford himself had been stricken in his room, Schuldig was sure to have made and broken more alliances than could be counted. But how many of them had been cemented (however loosely) in previous nights? How many people could actually be counted on to not simply be humoring the telepath, even if he could read their minds and figure out if it was all a ruse?

Did it even matter now? Without their powers, almost any alliance would be worth it. Crawford trusted Schuldig's judgement for the time being, realizing that making his own alliances would be his foremost goal the next time the sun rose. Hopefully, he wouldn't be hit with another damned headache.

The tension in the air was violent, and Crawford almost believed that Schuldig was its cause - but the tension had been there before the two of them had approached the group. He looked at the small collection of people: a woman with blonde hair, a young boy with dark hair, a man with hair a shade of red almost comparable to Schuldig's own, and a final man, with short blonde hair and an authoritative air about him Crawford could recognize with ease. He was used to being in control, being in charge. A leader of some sort ... a very high-ranking one, most likely. Crawford was sure he would find out shortly.

Schuldig was very good at what he did, and what he did was disrupt. Crawford could tell that with those few sentences, a rift tore open in the relationship between the authoritative man and the red-headed one. While it may not have been a very large rift, it was one nonetheless, and he had no doubt that it was Schuldig's intention to see how much further the two men could rend it open on their own.

He resisted the urge to rub the bridge of his nose, as there was no real pressure there to relieve (yet). Crawford simply remained silent and watched, golden eyes fixed on the group before him, studying and analyzing every word that passed him by.

Elena blanched. This was all her fault. The President was mad at Reno, and it was because of her. Had there...had there been other arguments like this before? Was she just in the way?

She suddenly felt very small. And very alone.

Carefully reloading the gun, she pushed it back into Reno's hands. "With all due respect, sir," she faltered, "Reno's a Turk. An actual, trained Turk. Protecting you is his job. I...I don't have that obligation, and the last thing I want is for him not to be able to do his duties on my account. Ritsuka and I will go alone."

She turned around and was about to do just that when a violently red-haired man appeared--almost out of no where--at the President's elbow. That was all she needed to know that this was the telepath from the bulletin board. The man he had in tow was much more normal-looking...almost like a young Hojo (though there was already one of THOSE running around the hospital). But she stopped caring about the other guy as soon as the telepath spoke.

"Rufus?" Who did this bastard think he was, to throw around the President's name so casually? Why was he suddenly trying to supplant Reno as the person the President trusted most?

This was all very, very concerning.

"That won't be necessary," she told him coldly. ELena hated the bastard already. "I was just saying that I wouldn't dare come between the President of Shin-Ra Electric Power Company and one of his Turks. Either your 'backup' can come with Ritsuka and myself, or we go alone. Reno stays with the President."

This was what "opening a can of worms" must look like, he thought, watching the drama unfold. First Reno jokingly tried to reassure him that the gun wouldn't kill him, then Rufus's tone said everything his words hadn't, then another redhead showed up followed by a quieter man whose eyes said he was far more calculating than he appeared, and finally Elena. Ritsuka's head was spinning from how quickly everything had happened. Really, just what had he gotten himself into? Power plays were not his forte and they left a bad taste in his mouth.

He hated how he'd been the start of it all, too. He was certain there were a lot of former problems he didn't know about, but this current one stemmed from his arrival into the group - an intruder on an established routine. - and he couldn't help but feel a little bit guilty. Perhaps this was what Seimei meant by spending too much energy on making friends. Not that these people were friends, but - oh whatever.

Of course, it didn't help any that they weren't even consulting him on any of these plans. With all the problems, he would have been happier just to go on by himself. He doubted this new person was "Dean," meaning he was the telepath they'd been talking about earlier. Ritsuka didn't particularly like the way he talked, instigating more tension when there was far more than enough in the air already. He didn't want to spend more time around him than was absolutely necessary.

Staying out of this situation seemed best, so Ritsuka shifted his weight back a little - just enough to slip out of the inner circle and detach himself from the storm brewing. He cast a glance up to the quieter man, the "backup" as people were calling him, before returning his gaze to the group.

The air shifted almost at once, and it wasn’t hard to figure out what had caused it. In a way, Reno wasn’t surprised on hindsight. There had been a mistrust between them from day one. He could never place his finger on it, but it was there. And while back home, he was pretty sure his look wouldn’t be taken that hard, things were evidently different here. Hell, he hadn’t even been questioning anything, just suggesting that they not beat a kid up over wanting to save his brother—and even if he had, it’d hardly been the first time.

Although...no, that wasn’t true. He’d questioned Rufus, yes, but the difference was, he’d always done it through Tseng because Tseng had been the main coordinator between the executives and the Turks. And maybe that was the problem here. Tseng usually twisted his arm into doing the job in the end—Sector Seven had been an especial point of contention between them—and so the President never found out that his orders had been argued to shreds.

The President was the President, but he wasn’t God. Reno had never believed that anyone could do no wrong. Respect didn’t automatically denote blind devotion.

And it irked him that Rufus was willing to be accompanied by some telepath he hadn’t even met over his own Turk because eight years of putting his goddamned life on the line, and what the fuck else did Rufus want?

His head snapped around at Schuldig’s fucking perfect timing. He noticed the telepath’s buddy, too, but gave neither more than that initial, cold glance. Maybe it was a good thing Elena hadn’t reloaded the gun yet. He might’ve just put all three bullets into Schuldig right there.

He took the pistol as she pushed it back into his hands and gave her a grateful, albeit discreet, look.

Taking a drag on his cigarette, he looked at Rufus. “I need to speak with you. Can I speak with you?”

He stepped inside Rufus’s room and shut the door. Granted, Schuldig might even be able to hear the conversation through whatever telepathic powers he had, but he didn’t really give a damn.

“I wasn’t disagreeing with you,” he said quietly. “And even if I was, it doesn’t mean it’s an automatic defect to the other side."

Whoever the hell "the other side" even was. Who did Rufus even think he'd defect to? Elena?

Chrissake.

"Look, I want to stay with you. I’m sorry if you don’t trust me, but I think we can both agree that you at least trust me more than the telepath, yeah? Because if we can’t, then I’m not sure where to go from there.”

Rufus Shinra grit his teeth at hearing himself being addressed by his first name so casually. Anyone who ever used that name for him had generally known him a very long time, had him owing them a favour, or was about to engage in something carnal. Other than that, no one ever called him 'Rufus'. Unfortunately, as he had pointed out to Schuldig earlier, he had very little the man could want. Swallowing his reply, Rufus took a deep breath and forced himself to step away from the edge.

The fact that the telepath had brought someone with him who also had such abilities helped a good deal in that. A measuring look was given to Brad Crawford, the blond's cold eyes sweeping him head to toe and back up again as if expected the man's talent to be written on his face. Rufus didn't say anything just yet, not trusting his voice right now but approving. Unlike Schuldig's thin frame, this man had the look of one who could defend himself if necessary. That in itself could be useful. Even if Crawford did stand taller than himself. In Edge, fve foot eight was not a bad height. Here he seemed to be the shortest man around.

And people wondered why his ego was suffering.

He was cut off from replying to either Schuldig or Brad when he found himself hustled in a most Tseng-like manner back into his room and the door shut behind him. For the space of a few seconds all he could do was blink at Reno. This was the same man who regularly set off Porn-tedos in the Shin-Ra database, wasn't it?

"That was remarkably Tseng-like, Reno."

Rufus rubbed a fingertip to his forehead, trying to phrase this right. Reno didn't fully deserve his anger, but that didn't ease him any.

"Reno, we don't know them, and I can't let Elena go happily off on her own because you'd be useless to me then. You know it and I know it. Your mind would be more on her than on me or what's going on. She boggles me, Reno. I keep expecting this mature and intelligent woman that I know and end up with a Kadaj-baiting, flirting little girl. It irritates me to no end. Yes, the boy might need help, and I offered a solution that would work for all of us. As for Schuldig, I don't know what his game is. I don't have anything to pay him with, and all I've gotten out of him is that he likes blonds. I doubt he wants payment for his services in sex. He brings another one with him as well. I don't trust him, no. Like he said, that's earned. Either way, we need to do something. We need to get moving and see what we can find. I said it before, Reno, and I'll say it again: I don't want you divided. I want and need you at my side, but I can't force you. It's your decision. I know you... like her, but I need you to do your job and not call me on something in public. That's not good for either of us. i don't mean to take it out on you, but you're not my Reno. You're you. I'm just used to mine being at my side and not divided."

That was as close as he came to an apology. opening the door, Rufus stepped back out in the hallway, nodding to both Schuldig and Crawford. What Rufus wasn't aware of was the many times his orders were debated among the Turks. He fully thought that he gave the order and it was done, no arguing. Elena was given a cold look, his anger rising at the sight of her until he tamped down on it hard.

"Elena, you can go about this mission you've made for yourself with us until we reach the upstairs where you two said you were going. Should Dean not reach us by then, Reno will go with you or you'll have to abandon this. We need to get metal tonight. That is foremost. I did speak to your brother once, but..."

Rufus cut himself off there. The catboy had ignored him since then so Rufus owed him no allegience.

"Regardless, we have things to accomplish. Reno, I don't want to lose you, but if Elena is intent on this, we may have no choice. I will continue on with Schuldig and his friend if necessary to find some metal or information."

In the situation, that was the best he could offer.

He anticipated the day when his hunches were of a paranoid premise. The intercom had him anxious and uneasy in a disturbingly short lapse of... ten seconds? He'd dropped the matter that was Kasady immediately. Like he could give a shit if something was up with his roommate when these people were performing experiments on their prisoners. The thought alone that Sam had avoided him all this time and had in fact been of the few selected for trials was a subject that lucratively gripped the huntsman on the trip from M38 to M17.

Processes hushed as he noticed there was quite a party going on outside the previous night's meeting point; he also wondered if he'd been invited to this one. He didn't wait for a cue to declare his presence to a bunch of silhouettes. With his flashlight flicked off as precaution, he wasn't expecting an enormous salutation in the infrequent chance someone detected him advancing.

The President swam into view. This gave Dean what he needed to feel obliged to cross an imperceptible threshold and join the group without appropriate introduction. He sauntered about the borders of the gathering until he deciphered an opportune space next to Reno.

At least, whom he assumed to be Reno...

"Hey man, I'm here!" He mustered strained buoyancy in his greeting, pushing memories of the asylum he and his brother had endured aside; the Institute surely granted him redundant reminders of that particular setting. Boy, was he glad rage-driven Sam had been gullible enough to seize that empty-chambered gun. ... Anyway. "Mind if I adhere to you guys again?" Presenting a luminous grin toward the red-haired, six-foot man – c'mon, who else had he met here fitting that description? – Dean was about to learn what it felt like to have your steadily-building spirits not only descend, but crash and burn.

"Irrelevant to our interests," Schuldig replied languidly, giving Elena an amused look. "That's a lot of animosity for a little friendly suggestion, isn't it?" He must not have struck the 'friendly' tone quite right, given how even Ritsuka was suspicious of his motives...he'd expected Rufus and Reno to harbor doubts as to his intentions of being helpful, but they were naturally paranoid mindsets so that hardly reflected on his acting ability. "We're here to help the president, not rescue stray cats." Another wedge driven home, right where it hurt - saying that he was here to help Rufus underlined the fact that Elena's current mission had nothing whatsoever to do with that and suggested she didn't have his best interests in mind...and referring to cats also was a less-than-subtle warning to Ritsuka that he had no secrets, as well as probably throwing off everyone who wasn't aware of what he used to be.

He'd probably need to do some damage control with Elena and Reno tomorrow; he was making headway in all the wrong directions with them tonight, but his ultimate goal was to get Rufus on his side. The Turks were a secondary objective, and as such if it came down to their goodwill or Rufus', he'd gladly sacrifice their opinions of him. Anyway, he could probably patch things up with them one-on-one later; he already had plans for Elena, and once he had Elena and Rufus on his side, Reno would be stuck either accepting him or being the odd man out.

Schuldig wondered if he could win Reno over; he'd prefer to, as Reno was the one whose protection the telepath was angling for as Rufus' ally, but if the man was already looking to put bullets in him...still, they had enough in common that perhaps he could work that kinship to his advantage later - when he wasn't making a point of trying to show up the man in front of his boss.

He wasn't in the least bit perturbed when Reno and Rufus vanished into a nearby room; listening in on supposedly private conversations (and the even more secret thoughts that never even managed to be said) was what being a telepath was all about. Point in fact, there wasn't anything particularly interesting in it - he'd been hoping for a bridge-burning argument, not a low-key differing of views; nor had he needed telepathy to know that Rufus didn't trust him yet - but knowing that he knew what the others didn't was satisfying.

And there was Elena, stewing in her guilt and worry, not knowing what the president and his useful Turk were discussing out of her earshot - over her head. If he couldn't figure out a way to use that later, then he didn't even deserve to be called the Mastermind.

He grinned at Rufus when the man emerged from the room again, deciding for the moment not to let on whether or not he'd overheard his and Reno's conversation. Let him wonder. He actually even bowed slightly. "My apologies, Rufus...sir." This was a blatant, almost mocking concession to the obvious discontent he'd raised - even more with the Turks than with Rufus himself - at using the man's name so casually. He'd be damned if he didn't stop flaunting the fact that he could use the man's first name and no one had the right or authority to protest it, but he could at least allow for some form of honorific if it'd keep from ruffling their feathers anymore than he actually intended to. "I forgot to introduce my partner. This is Crawford, a precognitive...and," he added, sensing more than mind-reading the fact that Crawford probably wasn't pleased with Schuldig referring to him as backup when it was usually the other way around, even if the German was running this particular show ~~into the ground~~, "the leader of Schwarz, our group. The Tseng to your Turks, if you need the comparison."

He'd straightened then, and fallen briefly silent, as he sensed Dean's approach; it had actually made him a little wary as he knew the man had a score to settle with him and he wasn't sure how Dean's reaction to his being part of the little group would affect the delicate balance he'd been working on striking. But once the shock of the man's jovial greeting wore off, amusement positively bloomed within Schuldig as he investigated the why and realized he'd actually been mistaken for Reno. He knew they looked a bit similar, but even from behind he'd never contemplated the possibility of actually being thought to be someone else.

He hardly needed to cement the man's animosity towards him any further, and it was almost certainly a bad idea to antagonize him in a group that apparently valued Dean as an ally, but Schuldig wouldn't be Schuldig if he passed up a golden opportunity like this. He turned his head and smirked at Dean. "Little Winchester, have I got a nasty reality check for you."

Crawford hadn't felt this much tension since the day Schuldig and Farfarello had come back from the mess that resulted in the death of their then-employer's daughter. He was waiting for the first blow to be struck, but it seemed that nobody was quite in that type of mindset ... yet. And because he wasn't directly involved in the situation (again, yet), he didn't offer any input; this was a clearly more personal involvement between the two men, and unless it became an opportunity to gain something, Crawford would avoid involvement. (After all, disrupting was Schuldig's game.)

He was still silent when Schuldig introduced him, meeting Rufus' gaze with a cold look of his own. Every time Crawford had been introduced to a would-be employer, he had given the same stance and the same look: firm, authoritative, and calculating. It had made a good impression in the past, enough that he had no trouble finding work within or outside Rosenkreuz (and besides, with the ability to see the future, who wouldn't want to hire him?). This situation was hardly different. Likely Schuldig had described him before, spoken of his abilities to Rufus and others; he would live up to what was said, or he wouldn't be the leader he had built up a reputation for over the years.

The arrival of yet another person and the apparent confusion of Schuldig with the other redhead make Crawford smirk. He would admit that, had he not known either Schuldig or Reno, he might have gotten them confused, as well. But the idea of it happening, especially because Schuldig did seem to know this new arrival, was entertaining. As such, Crawford fixed the young man with a sardonic smirk, wondering just how the rest of this would play out.

When the President reemerged from his room with Reno and started to bark orders, Elena flinched like she'd been hit. She was just trying to help someone, and all she got for it was abuse. It wasn't fair.

"Animosity? Yeah, but it's not undeserved," she snapped at the telepath. "And I don't give a rat's ass what you think is relevant or irrelevant. Prick." He was enjoying this. She was wriggling like a worm on a hook, and he loved every minute of it. Hot tears were starting to prick at the corners of her eyes, and there was a lump the size of a softball in her throat, but she would not cry. Not here. Elena wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of knowing they were getting to her...even if Schuldig knew already.

She breathed an almost audible sigh of relief when Dean arrived. Good. They could get the hell out of there.

"That's not Reno, Dean. Just some cocksure bastard who copied his haircut. Can you...can you come with me and Ritsuka tonight? We're looking for his brother, and we don't really have time to waste."

She wanted to get as far away from EVERYONE as she possibly could.

Stray cats. That had been a pointed remark and Ritsuka gave Schuldig a startled but guarded look. How did he -- Telepath, right. He didn't like it - he didn't want to be near them anymore. What if the telepath knew more about his own head than he did? His head was a private place and Schuldig was invading.

With all the tensions hitting a high point, Ritsuka didn't want to be there anymore. He was thankful when the President suggested a new plan, but even more thankful when "Dean" finally showed up. Reno could stay with Rufus, Schuldig and Crawford, and Ritsuka and Elena could escape now. It was comforting and Ritsuka visibly relaxed when Elena suggested the same thing he'd been thinking.

Looking to Rufus, he said, very politely, "It's my fault that my brother hasn't been keeping up with the people he knows here. Please, don't think ill of him."

Especially not when all of this was going on. Ritsuka turned to Dean and looked up at him. He hoped that this man would be kind enough to at least help them get upstairs, but having been shot down once, Ritsuka didn't let himself get too optimistic. "My brother was taken from me - I think he might be in the experimental trials... I just need someone to get me there, then I can do the rest on my own. I"m sorry to ask you, when we don't even know each other, but..."

He had nowhere else to turn. Soubi was gone. Seimei was gone. Elena was already on his side, but getting hammered for it. He hated being this desperate, but that's exactly what he was.

All comments about Elena went ignored. Reno suspected jumping to her defence wasn’t the way to go here, and in complete truth, there was nothing to defend in that regard. He was willing to let her faults go because she was a close friend, but it didn’t mean he was oblivious to them. And if he had to be frank, he, like Rufus, would’ve preferred the older, trained Elena to the teenager now. Because then none of them would be having all of these fucking problems in the first place.

“Just because I’m worried about her doesn’t mean I can’t do my job. I’m always worried about all of them. I can’t shut off who I care about, but I can and I do push it aside. I did it with Aerith, and if nothing else, I did it in last night’s explosion.”

Reno stopped, running a hand through his hair. There was really no time to get into this. And at any rate, he knew Rufus well enough to recognize his subtle way of apologizing.

“Fair enough,” he said. “Calling you on it was out of line.”

And that was his own apology back to Rufus.

He said nothing as Schuldig blathered on, only locked eyes with the telepath. It wasn’t until Dean appeared that he shifted his gaze in that direction. He was definitely glad to see Dean dropping by, although that feeling sort of fell flat about two seconds later.

Oh, hell...

He’d known Dean for about a day, but he doubted being called “Little Winchester” would’ve sat well with the man. While a part of him did hope Dean would break Schuldig’s nose, a larger part was just overall pissed off at everyone, right down to Dean, who hadn’t even done anything except greet the wrong person because dammit, he’d had two run-ins with Sephiroth, Rufus had just pulled out an issue he thought would stay at rest for at least longer than this, Elena looked like she was going to cry, and then there was Schuldig, and Christ, but the next goddamned person to say a single hostile word to anyone was going to lose their fucking kneecap.

He exhaled a violent cloud of smoke.

“Maybe we don’t waste time harassing other people, yeah?” he said, lighting a second cigarette with the end of his first, and stubbing the butt out with more force than necessary. “Dean, you mind going with Elena and the kid? For the rest of you, can we get moving or do we have anything else we want to say?”

That sneer was all too familiar, and he identified from the moment the redhead spoke that the deriding tenor didn't complement Reno's disposition. He rocked on one foot then settled back on both, as though temporarily uncertain how to react. Head turning to the side, it was palpable he wasn't delighted by this outcome, brow knit in frustration.

"Oh God, not you." He didn't set vision on Schuldig again, his lips tightening and reinstating his composure and trying not to promote fumbling over the error any longer. Instead, he focused on a recognisably troubled Elena and a kid. The boy's terms caused Dean's previous musings to return, an outstanding request the hunter would never have thrown off responsible for his abruptly augmented poise, especially after swift judgment of how edgy the child seemed about it.

Happily shifting away from Schuldig, he inclined slightly to be on better level with Ritsuka as he heard him out. A warm smile graced his features. He placed an encouraging hand on his shoulder.

"I think I know how you feel," he concurred, nodding receptively.

He then straightened and revolved a few degrees to take in the teenager, revealing more of a grimace than a smile. She evidently didn't enjoy the telepath's company either. He attempted to arrest his gaze from wandering to the gun in Reno (he was sure it was Reno this time)’s hand to no avail.

"Don't worry, we'll find your brother," he said sternly, addressing the pair.

Lastly, whilst motioning to the young 'uns to follow, he bobbed his head at Reno. "Just take care of yourselves." He disregarded the initiative of shooting Schuldig a final glare.

"Enough, Schuldig."

Rufus didn't respond to Schuldig's changed poise as he listened to him and the others. In truth, it never registered with him. In his world, he was used to such, and he didn't know Schuldig well enough to know that such was about as far from normal as Schuldig ever got. The telepath had mentioned having other employers. Perhaps that training was finally coming through. Either way, he couldn't have snarking between his people and ones he hoped to make his.

Brad Crawford's measured look was returned, Rufus' chin lifting slightly to meet that gaze head on. A pre-cog? And he had thought a telepath was valuable. Well, a telepath still was damned valuable, but a man who could see the future was as well. Interesting to say the least. He could use both, especially if this man was anywhere near as much his right hand as Tseng had been although he sincerely doubted that. Tseng was irreplacable. The question was how to keep them with him, especially since he caught Elena's words and had to fight the urge to hold his head.

The whole abusing thing made much more sense now.

Offering Brad a nod, he waved the two 'Schwarz' members towards the hallway.

"Elena and Dean, be careful. I would prefer not to lose either of you. Young man, I do hope you find your brother. He was... interesting at one time. Dean is quite good, and Elena is on her way to such."

Like apologies, that was about as close as Rufus came to attempting to comfort or praise someone. It wasn't something he did on the whole. If he were wrong, Rufus didn't give a damn about who he had pissed off. If he were right, then it was their fault. Giving them a nod, his gaze did stay on Dean and Elena a moment longer before he turned away. Despite his frustration with her, he did find her mildly entertaining at times, and that was more than what he found most people. He wanted to see her tomorrow undamaged, Dean as well. Unless the man had ethical issues, he would have made a decent Turk from what little Rufus had seen.

"Let's go," Rufus said quietly, leading his group down the hallway. "We'll be taking the backway. With everyone pouring out of their room, the main way is most likely going to have others."

Rufus Drags them Here (http://community.livejournal.com/landels_damned/100422.html)

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Nightshift 23: M11-M20 Hall

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