A/N: Couldn't help it. The song 'Price of Freedom' from Crisis Core does odd things to me.
Disclaimer: Kandi is the only thing I own.
Zack grabbed Kandi's hand and entwined their fingers together as they left the restaurant, heading back to the Shin-Ra building for the rest of the work day. Lunch had been just the two of them since Reno was out on a mission and Sephiroth had barricaded himself and Akalara in his office for the hour break. The black-haired SOLDIER doubted that they would be eating, however; well, food anyway.
Grinning, he pulled his secretary closer against him, releasing her hand and wrapping his arm around her shoulders instead. He planted a chaste kiss to the top of her head, breathing in deeply of the red-streaked locks. Their relationship was a comfortable one. Nothing complex about it. They were best friends who worked together and did each other. And both were happy with the arrangement. It meant they could act like a couple if they wanted to without the pesky 'what ifs, does he or does she's' popping up. Very nice relationship indeed.
As they approached the Shin-Ra building, Zack groaned. The protesters were back. Since the war in Wutai, people had become uneasy with the military presence in and around Midgar. And, since Shin-Ra was the one behind the war, they saw fit to voice their disapproval with picketing signs and sometimes rather violent means outside of the building. Which would, inevitably, force the SOLDIER's they were protesting against to have to take action and bodily remove them before innocent civilians were hurt. And now, with the disappearance of Genesis and Angeal, two of SOLDIER's First Class, things were starting to look a little grim. People feared war and so they lashed out at those who fought; SOLDIER.
Pulling Kandi closer against him, Zack began making his way through the protesters, thankful that there were only a handful this time. Any more than this and he would have had to call into Seph that he wasn't coming back after lunch due to an act of intolerance to the militarily inclined.
"Shin-Ra lap dog!"
"Murdering son-of-a-bitch!"
Zack gritted his teeth and continued on through the barrage of verbal attacks against him; all of them false, all of them cutting.
"Why can't you just mind your own concerns? Why do you have to kill?!"
"Blood-thirsty bastard!"
Zack focused his eyes on the doors to the building and to freedom from the insults. Nothing else mattered right now except to get Kandi and himself inside the building to safety. He'd seen what could happen when peaceful protesters turned violent. A couple of the guys were still nursing black eyes and busted lips from the last time.
His path was suddenly blocked when a woman stepped in front of him, hands gripping a sign that read 'Stop the Killing, Stop SOLDIER'. Her face was set as she stared him down. "Rapist," she snarled. "Going to other countries and raping their children for your own gratification. Heartless bastard!"
Zack tried to ignore her and go around, but she stepped where he stepped, not allowing him into the building. "Please move," Zack told her firmly.
The woman crossed her arms, still holding the sign. "Make me, you murdering son-of-a-bitch," she hissed before spitting in his face.
Zack stepped back, wiping the saliva out of his eyes. When he could see again, he stared in shock as Kandi sat on top of the other woman, slamming her head repeatedly into the concrete.
"You know nothing!" she was shrieking through her tears. "You don't know what he has to go through! You don't know!"
The red-streaked woman scrambled to her feet and took the sign, tearing it apart with a scream. She turned angry eyes to the other protesters. "Not one of you has the right to lick this man's boots!" she said pointing at Zack. "Or any of the other SOLDIER's. The men and women you protest against are the ones who gave you the freedom to verbally attack them. The wars aren't their fault! They're just the ones who are forced to fight them out."
She looked down at the bleeding woman at her feet. Walking swiftly to Zack, she reached into his armlet and pulled out his Cure materia, casting the spell over her. "If you wanna protest something, protest the guy forcing them to fight," Kandi said harshly. "SOLDIER isn't to blame." She pointed to Zack. "They're the heroes, not the villains. Get your fucking facts straight before you start your bullshit again."
Zack watched as the woman was picked up by the others and they slowly dispersed, several of the picketting signs tossed in the trash as they left. He'd joined SOLDIER to become a hero, to be like his idols Genesis, Angeal and Sephiroth. But since discovering the horrific truth behind the glory they enjoyed, his confidence, his hopes and dreams, had been shattered. He doubted he'd ever achieve the status they had.
He walked over to his secretary and reached his hand up, cupping her cheek and wiping away the tears that had fallen. Leaning forward, he captured her lips softly in his in a gentle kiss of appreciation.
But if he could only be a hero to just one person, it was good enough.
A/N: Who loves Zack? (raises hand) I LOVE ZACK!