Zack sat quietly on the back of the truck staring into Clouds eyes. Zack was, for once, deep in thought. It confused Zack to no end as to how Cloud could keep such an empty, dead look on his face. Even if he was in a coma, Zack was pretty sure that he could crack a smile every few minutes.
Deeming it impossible for someone like Zack, he decided not to spend any more time pondering how to keep a serious face. Zack stood up and began pacing back and forth. Zack's patience was not one of his strongest points, and this truck was painfully slow. "Aaargh" Zack growled as he felt the sand in the wind start to get stuck in his hair. Scratching his head he thought "Man this is dull, I need to do something"
He walked to the front and leaned on the roof of the drivers cabin deciding to bug the driver for fun. "Hey Gramps. C'mon, surely we can go faster than this right?" Zack shouted with a smug grin on his face. He loved to bug people. "I mean hell, my comatose buddy here could outrun this thing" Zack's smile was widening with each comment. "Shut it kid, be grateful I'm even giving you a lift, you wanna walk the last thirty or so miles to Midgar?" Zack opened his mouth to protest but thought better of it. "I'll be good" Zack mumbled.
He didn't really want to get kicked out of the only transport for who knows how many miles. Zack's Buster Sword was lying at his feet. In this much heat, Zack didn't want to have to haul it around on his back. He looked down at it in appreciation. He loved that sword, but more than that, he loved showing off with it because no one believed that such a ridiculous lump of metal could be used effectively.
Zack looked back to Cloud, he was concerned about how he was going to wake him. Zack's speciality was fighting, not healing. Then he remembered the main reason he was returning to Midgar. "Aerith" he whispered to himself. The thought of being reunited with his Angel dramatically cheered him up. Then he remembered he still had to figure something out for Cloud.
He put both arms crossed on the drivers roof and rested his head on his arms with his eyes closed and the biggest yet goofiest smile he has ever had on his face. Everything will be fine he thought. His joyous day dreaming did not last long, as now that Zack had closed his eyes, a ShinRa sniper decided now was his best chance. Before the bullet had even left the barrel of the rifle, Zack had already realised what was happening and was mentally punching himself for being so careless.
In a series of swift movements, Zack kicked his sword to his hands and thrust it across Cloud, just inches from his head. Thankfully, Zack's lightning reflexes meant the bullet pinged harmlessly off the blade. The driver was shouting now. Unaware of what was happening on the back of his own truck.
Zack had not yet spotted the sniper, but he knew that wherever he was hiding, he would be in a state of panic. When a top class SOLDIER is out to get you, you can be pretty sure you won't survive one more day of your life. This time Zack was ready and deflected the next shot with ease. "Amateur" He muttered to himself. Far ahead, on top of a large pile of rocks, Zack spotted a small shine.
He immediately realised this must have been the glass lens of a scope reflecting the sunlight. "Alright" Speaking to himself. "Now how do I get you from here?" He looked around for something he could use, anything. "Dammit, why did I throw away Cloud's machine gun?" He smacked his forehead then sidestepped to avoid another wasted shot. But they were getting closer to the sniper, much closer and the ShinRa assassin would be more than capable of hitting Zack.
He grabbed Cloud's longsword and began to think. "Haven't done this since I was back training in the SOLDIER academy" He looked over the shape of the sword "Oh well" He thought. He took a step back and stretched his arm behind him, then flung the longsword with great power and accuracy. It spun through the air like a boomerang and sliced into the ground just below the snipers emplacement causing it to give way.
Most of the top part of the cliff collapsed and dragged the sniper down with it. Zack sighed and hoped that this was ShinRa's last attempt to stop them. He couldn't understand why ShinRa tried so hard, it would be impossible for the likes of ShinRa guard to even slow Zack down, let alone capture him. And the only other SOLDIER who outranked him was Sephiroth. And he wasn't about to help ShinRa.
Zack hated the idea of killing these men. They were just doing their jobs. But Zack would not be taken down. He had earned his freedom and was not about to give it up, no matter what. Zack tapped on the cabin roof. "Hey Gramps, you can let us off here, least then you won't be in danger if we get shot at again" The driver chuckled nervously but agreed.
Zack turned to Cloud "This is our stop buddy" He didn't know why, but even though it was likely Cloud couldn't hear a word Zack said, he felt compelled to talk to Cloud anyway. He grabbed his Buster Sword and slung it over his back, then took Cloud's arm and hung it across his shoulder. "the sooner you wake up the better, I'm tired of carrying your sorry butt around" He hopped off the back of the truck and walked to the drivers window.
"Thanks Gramps, you've been a great help" Zack shook the drivers hand. "And the in flight movie was so realistic, those bullets were so real looking, I swear I nearly felt them coming right at me" Zack laughed as he imitated a bullet whizzing past his head with his finger. The driver chuckled. "The names Kevin by the way, and you should be more serious about these things. You're gonna get killed with such a lax attitude."
Zack simply smiled. "I wouldn't worry about that, I'm the great Zack Forrester SOLDIER 1st Class." Zack was now grinning like an idiot and sticking his thumb up. "Alrighty Kev. Hope we meet again someday" Kevin waved and set off on his own travels leaving Zack to carry Cloud the rest of the way. "You know Cloud" Zack said playfully. "This will be a long, long trip if you don't start contributing to the conversation" But as Zack expected, Cloud remained silent.
They were moving for at least two hours in the blistering heat when Zack suddenly stopped. "Ah, HAHA! There it is!" He shouted as he stood on the edge of a cliff overlooking Midgar. "Heh, not too long now. But I don't feel like going around the long way" Zack smirked as he looked down along the cliff face. It was slanted rather than a straight drop. "Hmmm, what do you think Cloud? I'm pretty sure we might survive. Say something if you think this is a bad idea" Zack waited a few seconds then smirked again.
"Didn't think so." He grabbed both of Clouds arms and wrapped them around his waist, then tied them to his belt so Cloud was secure. "Here we go!" Zack jumped down and started to slide along the rough ground at high speed. "YAAA-HAAHA" He was having the time of his life. "uh-oh" He said in a quiet, shaky voice. Looking further down, he saw that the terrain becomes a lot more jagged and it wasn't long before his legs slammed into a rock sending both men through the air.
Zack was launched at a downward angle but Cloud was separated from Zack's grasp and flew slightly further. Zack hit the ground face first and was left with many small cuts all over his face, arms and chest. And his clothes were pretty torn too. Cloud had landed a few feet ahead and was, to Zack's astonishment, seemingly fine. "Aww man" Zack sighed as he looked over his clothes. Looking at Cloud's unscathed form, he felt like he should kick Cloud. Just so he didn't come out of this unharmed. "Nah" He thought. "I'll kick him when he wakes up" Zack said as he lifted Cloud onto his shoulder again.
He made his way up to the main entrance but it wouldn't open. "Hey, now that's not much of a welcome home" Zack lay Cloud on the ground and drew his Buster Sword. Thrusting the blade into the door, he began to wedge it open. "Sheesh, I come all this way and they lock the front door"
Taking Cloud again, Zack went into the Slums. Zack took a long, deep breath. "Ahh smells just like I remember. Dirty, wet and full of rats" Despite how he described it, Zack seemed extremely happy to be greeted by such a stench. "Slumsies, I'm home!" Zack shouted to the whole area. Only a single nearby homeless man even bothered to look up, thinking this new guy to be crazy. Why would anyone be happy to be here? But Zack was almost skipping as he made his way through the rubble and ruins that made up most of the slums.
Zack knew exactly where he wanted to go first.