I know I said I would not start another story while still working on Rise, but here I am. I have hit a bit of a speed bump with Rise with connecting major events without rushing things, so I have been "persuaded" give in to this plot bunny and let it grow a bit too. But never fear, Rise will continue! Along with this story.

Without further ado . . .

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything related to this franchise, characters, etc.

Warnings: Cloud can't go a first chapter without getting beat up.

Chapter 1

The blaring of the nearby alarm clock did nothing to encourage Cloud to finally release his grasp on the sleep that he had finally obtained mere hours ago after a long struggle. Without opening his eyes he sluggishly raises his arm and guides it towards the approximate location of the annoying sound. He fumbles around for a moment before finally catching the ringing item with the back of his hand and knocking it off of its perch and on to the wood floor.

The ringing seems to become louder as if the clock is protesting its harsh treatment that morning and it begins to vibrate across the floor with each sound it makes.

With a pathetic whine in the back of his throat, Cloud finally cracks open his eyes and wiggles towards the annoying ringing. He glares at the loud device for a moment before reaching out to hit the snooze button, knowing that he will not be able to return to the realm of dreams anytime soon, but still willing to wish and hope that he could.

Reluctantly he picks up the clock and wiggles around more to free his other arm that he had been lying on top of. Once freeing it and wiggling it to get blood flowing to the tingling limb, he turns off the clock before it can disturb him again before returning it to its original home on the box next to his bed.

He gives the clock another half-hearted glare before submitting himself to the reality of getting ready for work that day. He kicks off the blankets and slowly eases himself into an upright position. He slowly slips on his slippers before making the trek across the room to begin his morning bathroom ritual.

Slowly rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he starts running the water to heat it up for a shower he turns his attention to his PHS as he beings to dig through his cabinet for his daily medication. After taking a moment to relieve himself, he sets about fumbling about for his toothbrush. Soon he finds himself brushing his teeth, knowing that any attempt to make breakfast at this point would be a futile and probably disastrous effort. He takes a moment to scan through the breaking news of the day before he pauses, his toothbrush halting its movement.

He sees what the time is.

Cloud had not bothered to look at the time, assuming that he had been rudely woken up by his alarm clock just after it had started its daily protests.

He had not bothered to even take a glance.

In that moment he has five minutes to take the twenty-minute trip to his work, grab an assignment and be halfway to his first destination of the day.

He ran.

Forgetting the hot water now streaming up his bathroom from the running shower, Cloud hurries to rinse out his mouth and throw on some work appropriate clothes before rushing out his door, slamming it back on its hinges as he scrambles to lock it.

He practically flies down the stairs of his apartment building, not bothering to wait for the elevator and choosing to run down the five flights of stairs instead. He hardly pauses his actions, nearly running into the door in the process.

Once outside he runs frantically over to the small banged-up motorcycle he has been using as his main source of transportation to, from, and during work. Finding it thankfully still in one piece and still there, he makes quick work of starting the engine and climbing on before defying the speed limits and flying down the road as fast as he can to the main base of his courier job.

Ten minutes later he hardly has the engine turned off and the bike secured before he is running through the warehouse hoping that he is not the last one to clock in so that maybe there are a few good jobs left and not just the bottom of the barrel jobs that are often not worth the pay he would receive for his time and efforts.

Luck however, is not on his side this time.

There is only one task left on the board for the day. It sounds simple and harmless enough, a group of deliveries to a school that needed to be divided and given to the correct office, half to the school's administrative office, and half to the dorm office. But like the rest of his day, there is a catch. These packages are to be delivered to one of the schools reside in the high-income districts. Such schools have been put in place to find and begin training GIFTED.

These GIFTED schools are made for and frequently used solely by the elite and wealthiest of the populace, most of those elite being Alphas. Meaning that the people who went to and were able to go to places like that have no time or patience for people like him who are lower on the food chain of life.

A part of him wants to just ignore the order and either demand another job or ask for the day off.

A larger part of him knows that if he wants to keep his job and actually have money to spend on important things like food and gas for his motorcycle later on, he needs to push back his personal biases and take the job.

With reluctance he signs his name for the job on the computerized instruction board and pulls up the details of his job, forwarding the information to his PHS.

The job was really simple and straightforward and for once luck was on his side, according to the order nothing could be accepted from the delivery until about two hours from the current time, when the initiation process for the current group of hopefuls would be starting. And once there, he would have an hour to make all of his deliveries before he needed to be off the campus.

A simple order with ample time to be carried out.

Cloud decides that since he suddenly has an abundance of time he will pack up his bike and make a stop to see his friend Zack before he heads for the other side of town.

With a quick message to his friend to meet him at their favorite breakfast spot, Cloud packs up the small load of boxes and takes his time following the required speed limits as he heads towards a greatly welcomed moment of peace filled with good food and friends.

Within a few minutes he managed to squeeze his bike into the parking that was provided by the alley next to the somewhat rundown bar. After making sure that his bike and packages are secure, he heads into the establishment, slipping into a faded booth two in from the door.

The menu is in his hands before he even settles into the seat, his eyes scanning through all of the offered items, but his stomach already knowing what it wants.

The soft sound of the bell tinkling over the front door puts Cloud at ease as he begins to set down his menu only to see an identical menu facing away from him hiding all but black spiky hair of the newcomer in the seat across from him.

"You know, I don't know why you bother to look at the menu. You already know what you're gonna' get. Don't you Spike?" The menu flops forward reveling the grinning face of Zack.

Cloud cannot help it and gives a small grin in return. "Who knows, maybe one day they will have something new that is just as good. So I have to check each time just to be sure."

Zack lets out a barking laugh as he stands and makes his way over to the counter, both of the menus in his hand.

Cloud watches his friend as he tries to flag down a server to take their order. Something seems a bit off about his friend. Zack seems tenser than normal, more stressed, and more on edge than Cloud had seen him in a long time. His dark purple eyes seem more guarded and troubled than Cloud ever remembered seeing then. They had known each other for years, and very rarely did Cloud feel like there was something off with his friend, and usually when he did, something was very wrong with Zack.

He could see Zack trying to flirt with the female server behind the counter who looked like she must have been up all night with the drunks and was not amused by Zack's antics this morning. In a brief moment, Cloud wrinkled his nose as he smells Zack release a small amount of his Alpha sent, probably trying to sway the server. Seeing the server look even more unamused sends a small smile to Cloud's face.

He quickly hides the smile as Zack heads back to the table, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry about that Spike. I didn't even realize that I did that until it was too late. Maybe 'Geal's right and I need to take more time trying to practice keeping my scent in check instead of just thinking I can already." He ceases his rubbing for a moment and looks like he has had an epiphany. "Or maybe this is what I get for working with all of those kids, I must be picking up on their bad habits."

Cloud snorts. "Yeah right. Blame your mystery job and your mysterious mentor all you want Zack, I know the truth."

Zack narrows his eyes and leans forward. "And exactly what truth would that be?"

Cloud leans forward in kind, their faces inches apart. "That you aren't really an adult. You're really just a very large puppy in disguise."

Zack's mouth twitches trying to hold back a smile while his eyes stare back at Cloud, all emotion hidden. Cloud returns the gaze in kind.

"Ok guys, you either need to break it up, or this food is going to someone who actually cares to pay attention to the staff around here."

Zack breaks the staring contest and flashes the irritated server a winning smile. "Sorry, old habits die hard with good friends, right?" The raven-haired server looks ready to throw him out of the place. The server is unamused. "How much do I owe you today?"

The sever rolls her eyes. "It will be 16 gill for the two stacks of pancakes and bacon. As always."

Zack digs in his pockets for a moment before pulling out an over stuffed wallet. After a moment of digging he pulls out a wrinkled 20 Gil note. "Keep the change as a tip. Or as payment for putting up with me. Which ever excuse you want."

The server snatches the bill out of his hand before turning away. "Just leave your dishes here when you're done."

"We always do Tifa!" Zack laughs a bit as he turns back to Cloud who is digging out his own wallet and is carefully counting notes. "Put that away Cloud, breakfast is on me this time."

"Zack, let me pay you back. It's not like one meal is going to make me completely broke." He makes the mistake of looking Zack directly in the puppy eyes.

It only takes a moment before he has to look away, a feeling of guilt festering in him. "Fine" he mumbles, "I'll let you get it this time, but that means I'll pay for us both next time."

Zack merely laughs before taking an oversized bite of his steaming pancake.

Cloud picks up a piece of bacon and begins to chew his way down the crispy strip.

The last of the strip is hardly in his mouth before the alarm on his PHS is going off, a reminder that he needs to be leaving to make it to the school for GIFTED immediately to make it in the assigned time window.

He lets out a groan and begins to stand up before Zack raises a hand to stop him. Zack reaches over, and begins piling Cloud's remaining bacon in the middle of one of the untouched pancakes before folding it over like a taco and passing it to Cloud.

"For the road my hardworking friend." He gives a slight bow as Cloud takes the stuffed pancake.

Cloud merely nods as he grabs the stuffed pancake and makes his way outside and back to his bike. He chokes down the mass as quickly as he can so that he can have both hands to drive.

Once his hands are free and some of the grease rubbed off, he starts the motor and he is off through the now slower midday traffic to the richer part of town that holds his destination.

With less traffic to contend with, it takes Cloud very little time to reach the gates of the institution he has deliveries for. There is a grand gilt gate blocking the entrance and Cloud pulls up to the guardhouse to present his orders and get directions to the correct buildings on the campus beyond.

When Cloud knocks on the glass of the guardhouse, the man inside does not even glance his way. It is only after two more loud attempts that the guard begrudgingly opens the window to speak to Cloud.

"Orientation started ten minutes ago, and seeing as someone of your standing could not possibly afford to attend such a prestigious institution such as this, I suggest that you leave at once before I call the authorities." By the end of the short speech, the guard was practically sneering down his nose at Cloud.

Used to this type of response and behavior on assignments like this, Cloud simply pulls out his company's delivery tablet for the guard to read through and sign. The guard sneers at him a moment longer before ripping the device out the smaller man's hands.

After a moment, the guard scribbles a signature and thrusts the device back to Cloud. "The administrative building is straight head and the dorms are on the far east side of campus. You have two hours to make your deliveries and be off this campus. If I don't see you come through here again I will call the authorities on you. Is that clear?"

Cloud gives a small nod. "Yes sir. I'll be gone before then."

The guard grunts before turning around to push the button that opens the school's gates and slamming the window to the guardhouse shut.

Cloud is through the gates in a moment and in just a couple of minutes had managed to find a spot to park his motorcycle while he takes the packages inside.

Once inside he nearly scoffs at how clean and expensive looking the entire place is. White walls, sharp edges, and marble floors fill the open space making every step he takes in his combat boots echo back ten fold. Thankfully there as signs posted everywhere in the building and it takes little time to find the correct office for his packages.

When he enters the office he can hear the harsh undertones of the red haired woman behind the desk who seems to be arguing with someone over phone. After a moment she acknowledges his presence with a nod of her head and a look of apology.

Cloud nods back and moves to stand away from the door and wait for the call to end.

The call drags on and on.

Eventually the woman screams at the person on the other end to shut up and stop complaining to someone who cannot change anything before slamming the phone back on its receiver.

The woman takes a moment to regain her composure before turning back to Cloud. "Sorry about that, how can I help you?"

Cloud hands her the tablet and waits for her to read and sign the screen.

It only takes a moment, and soon the tablet is exchanged for the packages.

As Cloud is heading out the door he hears the woman speak up. "You might want to hurry, it will take a while to reach the dorms and get back to the gate, but you only have half and hour. Be quick and stay away from any stray groups who have broken away from their assigned tour groups. Too many pumped up alphas in one place is not for the rest of us.

Cloud turns back to give her a small nod before hurrying back out to his bike.

Once he is on his way to the dorms, it quickly becomes apparent that there are many small groups of alphas that have broken away from their assigned groups and are freely wandering the campus.

Once he reaches the dorms he rushes inside to the desk to get the packages handed off. The attendant there looks stressed and frazzled but is quick to make the exchange so that they can resume their last task, leaving Cloud to make his way back to the gate with only a few minutes remaining.

When Cloud steps outside he finds a small group of five alphas surrounding his motorcycle and messing with it. He growls in the back of his throat and straightens himself, trying to seem more intimidating.

He is nearly to his bike before he barks. "Step away from my bike."

The alphas turn to face him, the surprise on their faces quickly giving way to something more feral and sinister. "What are you doing here? It's obvious that you don't belong with the likes of us." Feral grins begin to emerge one by one, and a sense of dread begins to grow in Cloud.

"I was here to do a job, and now my job is done. Move so that I can leave." Cloud tries to keep his voice level and nonthreatening, hoping that the alphas will let him leave and a confrontation can be avoided.

One of the alphas gives a barking laugh. "Are you really ordering us around? Don't you know who we are you piece of shit?" The alpha strides forward and grabs the front of Cloud's shirt. "We are alphas, and you are the dirt beneath our feet. We're the only ones giving orders around here, and we don't take any from the likes of you."

The alpha releases Cloud's shirt, only to reach up and grab his blond spikes and begins to tug, dragging Cloud to a space between the dorm and the neighboring building.

Cloud tries to struggle out of his grasp, the pain in his scalp being overridden by the fact that if it came to a fight Cloud would not stand a chance against five alphas despite the training Zack had been trying to drill into him lately.

Once all of the other alphas have joined him between the buildings he throws Cloud to the ground and lands a swift kick to his jaw.

Cloud feels himself bite his tongue and blood floods his mouth while pain blooms in his jaw. He tries to stand and regain his footing and equilibrium but his arms are grabbed and held behind him by two of the other alphas.

Cloud struggles to break free, but they only apply more pressure and their scents flood his nose, his instincts begging him to submit so that they might leave him alone and no longer see him as a threat.

A different alpha steps forward and grabs Cloud by the jaw. "Still don't get it do you, you piece of shit. We are your betters. You should be giving us anything we want. You don't make demands, you only serve." He kicks Cloud in the stomach, the air leaving his lungs in a rush. "Submit."

Cloud could tell that this one was trying to use an Alpha Voice, one that would make him submit in an instant, but they did not have that Voice to use against him.

"Submit."

Another blow to the head, this one near his temple with enough force to make his vision go spotty and his eye begin to swell.

"Submit."

His legs are kicked out from under him, he is now lying on his stomach on the cement.

One of the alphas jumps on top of him and pins him down. The alpha leans down and takes a moment to scent Cloud.

"There is obviously something wrong with you when you don't know to submit to your betters. But your scent smells like you're sick. If you're sick and still won't submit then there is no use for the likes of a broken beta like you."

A kick to the face, blood is streaming out of his nose. Cloud is finding it hard to breathe.

"Submit."

His hair is grabbed and his head is slammed into the pavement.

"Submit."

His vision is getting spotty again.

"SUBMIT!"

He thinks he can just make out shadowy figures making their way towards the group. But he figures that they must be part of his imagination.

"SUBMIT!"

Cloud's head does not meet the pavement.

He squints and manages to look up and see what is surely a figment of his imagination.

A tall Alpha with long silver hair is holding his attackers at bay with a single look. The calm Alpha takes in the group for a moment, all of the attackers are suddenly nervous and edgy.

The strange Alpha gives a brief look at Cloud before turning back to the group. In a voice so quiet Cloud is not initially sure he heard it, "Submit."

With that one command, Cloud feels like he has been freed from himself and he lets the peaceful blackness sweep over him.

And here we go again. Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave comments, questions, or reviews below!