Disclaimer: if I owned this it would have been made into a game by now.

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Reno was headed to the new training facility that Rufus had installed for the Turks. He had a trying week as it was.

Tseng had told him due to the lack of active Turks, they would be training new ones. And furthermore, Reno and Rude would be split and each train their own new partners.

Sure it wasn't anything that Reno couldn't handle…but he and Rude had enlisted together…although Rude made it in first.

It was the end of an era.

As he entered the new building he saw the dreaded plethora of newbies. Kids that had no idea what was to become of them…they just wanted to be famous.

What they didn't realize was that in the Turks, they would become something more along the lines of infamous. It would take weeks to weed out those that wanted just to be the center of attention from those that would do what it took to get the job done.

He just hoped he got one that could listen when he needed to…or she. Reno knew that girls were pulled from the army as well as boys for the Turks and that they could be just as effective…Maybe it was because Cissnei scared him a little at times. Maybe it was the way she would go from all friendly to trying to take his head off with that giant pointy boomerang she chucked about in a matter of nanoseconds

But it really didn't matter…he would still have to train said newbie on how do all that the turks do…and that made him slightly irritated.

Sure, he was a good Turk, but it wasn't like he knew the handbook back to front. That's what Rude was for…make sure he didn't do anything too stupid. Maybe he would get a similar partner, maybe one that was a little more fun…

"Reno, since you're the newest, you get your pick." Reno was pulled out of his musings by the ever stern voice of his superior. Well that's good, if I gottago trough this hell, at least I get my pick.

Reno looked at the 4 kids infront of him as they stood and lined the wall. Three guys and a girl-

"Excuse me Reno, but ladies first" and with that Reno lost his chances of hooking up with his recruit as Cissnei stole the only girl…a blonde one too. Damnit

The other three…a huge doofy looking black guy...not a chance, after all you have to look cool to hang out with the all fabulous Reno. An average size Wutain boy…having Tseng around was enough…and a small blonde with hair crazier than his and the most piercing blue eyes he had ever seen…and the story they told was not glamorous…Kinda reminded Reno of himself. Sure there were more than that in the room, that he hadn't even looked at, but something about that kid just seemed…right…

"I'll take the blonde,"

The boy actually look surprised…like he had never been picked anything but last…if only Reno knew.

He walked over to Reno and they exited the room and onto Reno's new office.

"Well what's your name Spiky, or would you just prefer that?"

"Cloud"

Blink. "…Look I don't care about the weather-"

"No, my name's Cloud…here"

Reno stared at the cadets file in a minor state of shock…someone actually named their child 'Cloud.'

"Were your parents crackheads?"

"Not that I'm aware of sir"

"…Okay so why do you want to be a Turk." Either the kid had no sense of humor or he didn't know how Reno was…the latter was probably more likely. Reno just wanted to get this over as quickly as possible…most recruits left after they learned what the turks really do

"I don't"

"Uh…then why are you here?" This was beginning to be another one of those days.

"The president deemed it that I quote 'knew too much for a mere trooper' after a few missions with 1st class Zack Fair. And I already failed the Soldier exam cuz of some mako absorption problems or something. So here I am."

"Oh you're that trooper that always was with Zack" Why is it all of the cool people have crazy hair

"You know him sir"

"Yep…Only cool soldier out there…all the others are too stuck up…Especially Sephiroth…You know Turks are required to have mako injections as well…"

"The doctor said something about Turks taking more of them but in less amounts so it would be safe or something to that extent sir"

"Okay stop with the 'sirs'. It'll drive me crazy if you say it again…Just call me Reno."

Cloud just nodded and sat opposite of Reno at the lone desk in the room.

"Well if you're as promising as Zack said you were, then we'll get along just fine…Now let's go get you into the Yoke of Oppression!"

"Huh"

"The suit…the uniform of the Turks and constrained and lame business men everywhere…Don't worry you don't have to wear it all pristine like Tseng does. Hell look at me…I'll get you somethin good.

At this point Cloud was starting to look forward to this new partnership. The guy seemed a lot like Zack, nice and cheerful, and he knows Zack so they don't have to be split forever…But Cloud was brought out of his musings by Reno grabbing his arm and pulling him along to the dressing rooms…He might be a little too much like Zack…maybe they're related…

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An hour later, Cloud stepped out of the Turk changing room in his new suit. But he came out different than most Turks due to the knee length…well calf length on Cloud…trench coat, optional to the uniform for people who wanted it, though most didn't because it was temperate in Midgar year round. He had his tie undone much like Reno…Cloud was never one for tight neck ware. He had his shirt unbuttoned slightly and had on the Turk issue sunglasses…he was the most badass 15 year old in the joint.

"Wow you look good in that. Come on Spiky, to the Armory!"

"Zack has been training me with the Buster Sword so…"

"Yeah, he told me… sorry but you can't have one…too big and noticeable and all...kinda against what we're goin for. But I'm sure we can find a sword of some kind to fit your style…and you'll need a long range weapon…"

They started out to the armory, Reno with a little spring in his step. He always like going to the armory until he got banned. It really wasn't his fault they set explosives in the room…it was a firing range after all. Don't know why Tseng was pissed either…got us a new building…

"Where you from spiky?"

"Nibelheim"

"…And?"

"And what?"

"Well what about the place. What'd you do?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"K…fine." If the kid didn't want to talk the he would. "I was a gang leader here under the plate…it's not really a secret. All the Turks know about it. I got caught after stealing materia from a Shinra warehouse and they sent the Turks after me…turns out they were specifically for the great General in Wutai…took down two of them before they got me…Met Rude in the holding cell…never found out what he was there for…I should ask him sometime. Anyway they said 'be a Turk, or prison.' Hard choice right?"

Reno actually found humor in his previous life…at how stupid he was to think he had things figured out. At how he thought leading his gang would put him on top of the world…At thinking the world was so small…He often caught himself laughing that self depreciating laugh people get when realizing just how stupid they were. Hell he was doing it now.

Cloud was taken back by his openness with his past. How could someone who had it harder than he did be so cheerful and open about it.

"That's rough…"

"It's not so bad when it's all you know…"

"How can you be so open about it?" Cloud was answered by a simple shrug from the taller redhead. Then it hit him. This is his partner now, they had to build trust…Just like he did with Zack but even more so because they would be equals one day. Besides, its not like he was proud of it…Cloud could tell in his tone of voice. If he can be that open about THAT then so can I.

"I born and raised in Nibelheim. Had no father…Mom never told me about him either. Didn't really matter why he wasn't there, just that he wasn't. The kids found it amusing to use me as their punching bag since I didn't have a dad. Kinda the town tradition. If anything went wrong, blame the blonde. Eventually the parents got in on it too after I couldn't save my friend from falling off the mountain bridge…she almost died. They all blamed it on me when I tried to save her. I wasn't strong enough, so I thought I'd join SOLDIER so I could be stronger to protect her and prove them all wrong. Turns out I can't even do that."

Reno was startled by that…Sure he'd had it hard but at least he fit in…this boy what shunned by everybody and had no one to turn to…probably why he was a quiet child.

"Tell you what…Once you make it to full Turk and we get some off time…We'll take a little trip to Nibelheim and you can repay them in kind…We can pick up this girlfriend too if you like" Cloud's jaw dropped at the statement while Reno smirked and wagged his eyebrows.

Shock was quickly replaced by anger in the blonde "She's not my girlfriend"

"Oh so she's open huh…she hot?" Reno was only answered by a glare that could match that of the silver haired Nazi that ran the soldier program.

"Well YOU certainly can't have her. I'd love to see how her dad would react to that one…"

"Oh…the overprotective type…gotcha"

"You have no idea." Cloud wasn't really sure how they got on this subject at this point, but it shocked him to notice how at ease he was with the redhead…

"Ah here we are. The Turk armory of firearms and explosives…Also known by some as Reno's playpen"

A small chuckle came from the youth as he entered the fabled room. Reno knew by now not to walk in behind most trainees as they had a tendency to stop and gawk right in the doorway at the phantasmal amount of weapons available. Cloud on the other hand simply walked in…not really his nature to look surprised…

"Ooh…brave little squirt." Muttered a suddenly amused Reno as he turned into the doorway and saw Cloud with a giant rocket launcher on his shoulder that was at least twice his size, and currently aiming at the blonde girl that Cissnei had picked up who had a look of utter fear etched in her features. Oh yeah he'll do nicely.

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Well I think it's a start…See that button…its not there for decoration…USE IT (otherwise ill send a Scottish version of Cid to you so he can cuss you out endlessly and you never understand a word he says...what you've never tried drinking with a Scotsman? Suffice to say it comes out as something entirely different than English…)