The next day came about, usually calm and even dangerously quiet. The Shinra Headquarters seemed desolate, almost eerie from lack of presence. Reno wandered the empty hall way, listening to his own footsteps bouncing off the walls and ceiling and stalking him relentlessly. Occasionally paranoia would overcome the redhead and he would shoot a glare over his shoulders, left then right, find that he was perfectly alone and move on.

Sliding his card to enter the exclusive Turks' lounge room, he peered inside. Finding the room to be completely empty save for a janitor in the corner, he reluctantly entered. Taking a seat on one of the leather chairs in the far right corner, he glanced about the room once again, as if expecting monsters of some sort to attack him. Still, the room was dead silent, and he drew out a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket. Lighting one, he took a deep drag from it and blew out a stream of smoke, filling the room with the scent of fresh tobacco smoke. With each additional drag, he examined the room again, trying to make sense of the utter emptiness. When his cigarette was burning half way through, he finally grew uneasy; he went to put it out and left.

Retracing his step back to his room, he entered, expecting to find Rude still asleep. However, much to his surprise, their room too, was empty. Now a silent panic growing in his chest, he rushed out of the room, and with quickening steps, he ran to Rufus's office. The door was locked. Trying again and again to open it with his card, and failing again and again as he tried, Reno grew increasingly frustrated and fearful. It was not normal for the Shinra building to be this empty. It seem almost as though people were vanishing, at least the Turks, anyway.

Turning to his right, he found one of the guards patrolling the wing. Hurriedly grabbing him, he drew the other man to himself and with a twisted tongue, began to interrogate.

“Where is everyone?” Reno asked, trying his best to prevent his voice from shaking.

The guard shrugged, saying that he did not know. And after persistently questioning the poor man and still not getting an answer, Reno gave up, deciding that the man really did not know. Apologizing, he released the guard to be on his way. Returning his attention to the door, he attempted to unlock it once more before his temper caught up with him and he began kicking and beating at the door with his mag rod. The alarm sounded, much to his surprise, and before he knew it the guards were sent after him. His ranking did not matter for they now saw him as an intruder. Surrounded, Reno dropped his mag rod, and with his hands in the air, he sneaked a slow step backwards. The rifles aimed at him were ready to fire, and he froze in his spot.

“Hey, you guys better put your weapon down, if you know what I mean,” Reno threatened, though it sounded much more like a suggestion than anything else. All he received was silence and the rattling of shifting metals. With his cocky grin still on his face, he swallowed nervously, though not obviously. Glancing about at the masked facing, he decided to steal another step towards the door, but this time, the guard in front of his open fired.

“Fuck!” Reno screamed, grasping at his side. Falling to one knee, he winced, tears involuntarily welled up in his eyes.

“What's going on here?” A solid voice from behind him asked.

Reno glanced up behind him to find his partner standing in the doorway, arms crossed about his chest, his usual pose. The distorted and painful expression on the wounded redhead's face transformed into on of surprise, or rather, shock. Thoughts ran through his head at the moment, crowding his mind like a traffic jam, honking and screaming, and cussing. He wanted to know why Rude did not open the door if her was there the whole time. Better yet, why he had to wait until he got shot to make an appearance. His brows furrowed at his partner, though his entire expression changed again as he let out another piercing cry, clenching his side tighter, blood oozing out from under his hand and staining his jacket and shortly, his hand.

Without answering or even glancing down at his partner, Rude simply commanded, “Stand down. He's permitted...now.” Watching to make sure the guards leave, Rude stood firmly behind the redhead, assuring that no more stray bullets would come his way. He cussed under his breath for a moment, and as the last one turned to leave, he too turned to return into the office.

“Wait...!” Reno managed to call out, his voice cracking as he did. And as Rude reluctantly looked down at him through his dark shades, Reno gasped for breath before coughing, a bit of blood surfacing from his mouth. His red brows knitting together, a sense of distress clouded his green orbs. “Please...don't leave me?” He pleaded, all pride set aside. He was in so much pain he could not stand; he could hardly speak. And as he observed the silence between them, he saw his own reflection in Rude's shades, and immediately he began to hyperventilate.

He was so preoccupied with the pain he was in, he did not realize the fear in his own heart and his suspicions. Why would Rude simply wait for him to get shot? Why was he so hesitant last night? Why was everyone gone? Reno saw the fear in his eyes, and he suddenly began to cry. “Why aren't you...saying anything?” he gasped.

At the sight of Reno's tears, Rude turned away, seemingly in pain as well. Pushing his shades up, he shook his head. “I...I can't. The boss won't allow it anymore.” Taking a step forward, he hesitated and stopped. However, he could not bring himself to look back at his wounded partner, who was losing too much blood all together. “This is...all a trap. I'm sorry I got you into this, Reno,” the solemn bald Turk managed to utter, a faint softness in his voice. Clenching his fists, he proceeded back into the office.

“Rude...!” Reno choked, one arm outstretched as to grasp at the leg of his partner's slacks. “Please...don't go back inside...” he continued to beg, voice shaking. “Please?” Biting his lip, the bald Turk put on his strongest face, turned off his ears and continued walking. However, when he heard Reno's last desperate cry to him, “I don't want to die!” He began to turn around, but when he did, all he saw was the heavy metal door that now separated him and his partner, dying on the other side.