A two-part sequel to Fancy Meeting You Here that I was suddenly inspired to do in the dead of the night. I say, I must be insane. XD
Here's the first chapter - second will be along shortly. I promise all of you this, that this one will be finished ASAP!
Quiet evenings in Radiant Garden were rare; there was usually something to be restored, something else to be fixed, yet something else to be cleared of debris. But today, today was special. Leon could not remember what occasion it was, but after discussing it through with the others - that is, Aerith, Cid, Yuffie, Merlin and a few other civilians who were new to the committee - he had agreed that the work could wait a few days. As was, many of the workers had taken the opportunity to stay home with their families, and those who had lost their families in the invasion, had the committee for now.
Thus, on this quiet evening of rare occurrence, Leon was alone in Ansem's study, filing away the last of the reports; after all, even in the town was vacationing, some work still had to be done. And it was also at this point that his phone rang in his pocket. Pulling it out, he flipped it open and held it to his ear.
"Leonhart speaking."
"Where is Cid?" Cloud's voice came over the line.
Leon raised an eyebrow. "...excuse me?"
"I'm not asking to talk to him. I just want to know where he is," came the curt reply. Leon played along.
"...he went back to Traverse Town for a bit. He says there's-"
"Where's Aerith?"
"...she's with the physician, they're trading home remedies."
"Where's Yuffie?"
"Babysitting for Cid."
"Where's Tifa?"
"Are you honestly asking me that?"
"... Where are you?"
"In Ansem's study."
"So you're alone?"
"... Yes?"
"Stay there, please. I'll be around in about five minutes to kill you."
"Alright." And then his mind caught up and screamed at him in exasperation. "...wait, what?"
"I did warn you, Leonhart," Cloud continued. The sound of his heavy boots echoed somewhere in the background.
"I wasn't taking you seriously," Leon answered. The slightest worry started to quiver in his gut as it moved on into the evolution toward fear.
"Your loss. You really should know better," Cloud countered. Suddenly the footsteps stopped. "Fine. You have a hundred steps."
"...what do you mean?"
"I'll be in the study within a hundred steps. You have until then to try and get out of this one."
And then the footsteps echoed again.
"Now, just one-"
"Ninety-five steps," Cloud interrupted coolly.
"Hold o-"
"Ninety."
"But-"
"Eighty."
"Did you just skip eight or nine steps?"
"I might have. It's been a while since I was last here."
"You're a damn cheat."
"And you have seventy-one steps left. Keep thinking."
As Cloud counted steps in his ear with a consistency, Leon's mind raced desperately for another option. He wanted to kick himself badly for leaving the Lionheart in the library. How it had possibly gone through his mind to think he'd be back for it in a moment...there would be no such moment if he did not hurry up and think.
There was a pause in the echo of footsteps, and he swore he couldhear that smirk. "Lucky thirteen, Leonhart. Feeling lucky yet?"
"Screw you, Strife," Leon growled venomously.
"In your dreams, Leonhart. Twelve." and the footsteps started again.
This was it, Leon decided. He was going to die. Perhaps the faint hope that his remains would be given a proper cremation was out of the question. He imagined a few of the resident animals would not be too pleased with what they found in the dumpsters soon enough either.
"Seven steps."
He could hear him just outside now!
"Four."
A blind thought flashed through his head as he hastened to reposition himself.
"Two."
That was it. If he was going to die, he would not die there. Not this day.
The door flung open, and Leon struck.
There was a surprised grunt as Cloud found himself assaulted quickly. The door slammed shut with a misplaced kick, and there was a series of angry grunts and growling as the two soon made their way to the center of the room as they struggled for dominance. At last, with a loud "thump", Cloud found himself experiencing déjà vu. Leon, on the other hand, was too concerned with the fact that he was still alive to notice.
"Is this honestly it?" Cloud growled out, glaring vehemently at the other.
"...what do you mean?" Leon testily asked, wary for any sudden attempt to turn the tables on his person.
"Is straddling someone on the floor in compromising positions your answer to everything?"
And then it clicked, and Leon realized that - for a second time in his recollection - he had Cloud pinned under him as he hovered on all fours with their faces just inches apart. He had just doomed himself all over again.
"... Well?"
Licking his lips uncertainly, Leon sought to just answer the question. Under him, Cloud looked ready to murder without remorse.
"...not that I think of, no. You don't see me making the forty-yard dash at any Heartless."
"So what you're saying," Cloud continued in a deathly cold voice, "is that once I'm in the equation, the solution is 'jump, tackle and wing it'?"
"...it works?" Leon suggested feebly. From the intense growing aura of death, he figured it was the wrong answer.
And then the door crashed open again.
"I heard a scuffle down here! Is something wrong? Are there more Heartless in here? Let me at them! Where did...oh, by Shiva!"
In the door stood a surprised yet morbidly fascinated Yuffie. Behind her, the two boys that were Cid's apprentices caught sight of Leon and Cloud on the floor as well. Both promptly flushed a very bright red. The little pink glob that followed young Jim around warbled confusedly, and the lance that young Pride was holding hit the ground with an ominous "clang".
Yuffie, on the other hand, wasted not a second as she promptly spun around and pointed at them. "You! You!" she ordered sharply. "I need a camera, and I needed it yesterday! Go find me a camera! Get me a camera!"
Jim Hawkins promptly took to his feet and sped down the hall, Morph but a pink blur trailing after him. Pride somehow recovered his lance and vaulted out the nearby window. Leon cringed as a muted "crunch" was heard later. If Cid had taught that boy anything about Jump, then that balcony was going to need restoring all over again.
Meanwhile, Yuffie stalled at the door, just staring at them as she flailed indignantly.
"Well, don't just freeze! Not now!" she protested. "Keep going! Pretend I'm not here! As a matter of fact... Don't stop while I'm gone!"
And then she was gone as the door slammed a fourth time, probably also on the search for a camera of sorts.
As long as man-on-top-of-man was concerned, Leon decided, Yuffie was just plain crazy. His train of thought was interrupted as he heard a low growl, and then was bodily lifted back up as an incensed Cloud rose to his own feet.
"Slow and painful, Leonhart," Cloud hissed. "Slow and painful. And in a manner as inhumane as I can think of."
Leon had the decency not to cry for mother.
What can I say? Cloud is the kind that deals with embarrassment in a really angry way. XD
The characters Jim Hawkins, Morph and Pride Akahara are actually cast from the still-under-construction story When Keyblades Rust (actually, the physician is from that story as well... I really, really gotta get it done). Jim and Morph belong to Walt Disney. Pride was created by Flypipe/Damion, and has been kindly donated to me for the story. I like these two kids hanging around a messy garage, especially around an angry mentor like Cid. He's a great Dad figure, not just to new kids, but also to the ones he saved from Hollow Bastion that first night. Good on ya, Cid.
Story to be concluded in chapter 2...I hope.
