I don't own these guys, just the cracktastical brain that lets me come up with the story ideas. A/N at the bottom.
Of all the things that bothered Zack the most with this, it was that he was alone that made him wish for something to happen.
Oh, he doesn't wish Spike was here. That much was very clear in his head. It'd be nice to know if the kid was okay, and what happened. He doesn't remember much after spotting the glow of Midgar, and hurrying for it, all his reserves stripped and them being hunted more than ever. Cloud was a heavy weight on his shoulder. Years of mako and treatment hadn't really bulked him up anymore than the military had already done, but it made those muscles denser, heavier.
He remembers pain, though he can't remember why he hurt. It was an odd feel, and he found he did not care for it at all. Still, if he knew what had happened, he was sure that more things would make sense.
It had hurt, and he was sure he had heard Cloud screaming, but that might have just been a hallucination. Spike hadn't really talked in over a year, since long before he had finally broken them out. Too long, too long, waited too long, a voice whispered at him. And it had been. If he had done it sooner, maybe Spike would have still be talking, be aware. Maybe they could have made it to Midgar, to Aeris, and others. Maybe it would have done some good.
But it didn't seem to have done so. He wasn't sure if the blond had gotten away, or if they were just holding them separately. Separate rooms, separate labs, just away from each other. Out of sight, out of mind, right?
Well, if they thought that, they were nuts. He wasn't going to forget Spike. Was going to get out of here and get his friend and get the fuck away from Shinra.
Not that he had seen any scientists in a long time. Zack was sure it had been a long time, anyway. Mako and the labs were hard on his time sense. He remembered when he had found out years had passed in the labs the first time. Years. Not the months, or maybe even one or two years that he had thought possible on the outside edge. Years. Four years of their lives, gone. Nibelheim was repaired, and people moving around, acting as if their town had never burned. He was surprised as many survived the disaster as it seemed had. Remembered so many bodies, so many people who Seph had killed.
His mind shied away from the scene, and he grimaced. Another effect of the mako. Not only did it fuck with his time sense, it made it hard to keep his focus at times.
Absently, he wondered when the scientists would come back. He couldn't remember the last time they had come and dragged him out of the mako and did whatever to him. He didn't like the idea, but he needed out of the mako. Things were getting too fuzzy at times, and at others he found it hard to breath. Poisoning, maybe. They had always warned about that, and he remembered seeing Spike, eyes green and the pupils just little points.
He wondered how the kid was.
He wondered if he had found Aeris. Aeris would take good care of him. She'd feed him up right and make sure that he got better. That was good. Maybe the kid would remember some of their talks and get a message to Rufus.
Gods, another kid who was going to kick his ass after this was all over.
Zack was going to get out. He just knew he was. And when he did, he was going to go visiting all those people who were important to him. Take Aeris with him, go visiting. She'd love his parents, and he just knew that they'd be nuts for her. Probably start pestering him about grandkids.
But that was all for later. After he got out of this lab, again. Then he had to make sure that Spike wasn't in a lab somewhere else, and he really hoped he wasn't. Spike didn't deserve that. He was a good kid, and he had done what he had to do. Did better than Zack had.
He wondered if his cousin was still mad at him. She had been a little spitfire back then, and furious at him joining SOLDIER.
Probably. She always did know how to hold a grudge. Well, he was done with Shinra. Maybe she'd forgive him. Though he never did find out what he had joined to find out. Got to meet Seph, though. That had been worth it.
He wondered if he would ever find out what had caused his friend to lose it like that?
He wondered if Spike was doing okay?
And so, trapped in mako, Zack's thoughts wandered in circles yet again.
TBC...
Well, this is one of those stories that I just had a write. Don't worry, Zack'll be having a better time of it in the next chapter. And remember to review. I love it when people favorite or alert my stories, but what really gets the characters talking is hearing back from people about if they like the story. The more you guys actually comment and say anything, the faster I write. Reviews are the only sort of reward I get for writing, and they definitely encourage me to write faster. Not a demand, but definite encouragement to let me know what you guys think.
