Chapter One
"Block! Punch! Block, Block! Punch! Sideswipe, turn, jump, down, down, jump." A voice barked commands. The teenage boy tried to keep up, but failed. He put his hands on his knees, panting. "Failure! You'll never have what it takes-" "-Shut up! I don't care!" The boy shouted back. "And what about the folks back home!? You gonna tell them you were a Soldier reject?" "Ain't anyone who cares." The boy mumbled. The older man gave the young boy a murderous glare. "Hit the showers. You wanna make yourself usefull.go be a Shin-Ra guard." He said, walking away. The boy grabbed a gym bag off of a chair, and stormed into a locker room. He opened a locker, pulled out a white towel, and shoved the bag in. He slammed the locker, and began to shed his clothes. The young boy went into the showers and turned on the hot water. Within moments, the room filled with steam. He brought his hands through his blonde hair, rinsing the sweat off of his body. He slathered soap on his body, and rinsed himself clean. The boy turned off the showers, and grabbed his towel from a bench across from the room around his waist. He returned to the locker, and pulled some jeans out of the gym bag. The boy dressed in some blue jeans, brown leather boots, and a white muscle shirt. He attached to it a nametag, which read 'Cloud Strife-Soldier Trainee Class B.' "Hey, Cloud! How'd training go?" A voice came from the entrance. An older boy, probably by a year or so entered the locker room. Cloud continued to gather his things, combing through his spiked hair. "Not good, I take it? If you want, I can help you out-" "-No you can't! They kicked me out of classes. I failed. I'm going over to be a guard. A fricken' security guard for the Shin-Ra. I can't believe it." The older boy looked at him, opening a locker near Cloud's. "Well, you still get to go on some missions and stuff with Soldiers, I mean, it's not all bad." ".Zack. How would you know? You kick ass without giving an effort. What do you know about failure?" Cloud shot back. "Gee, Cloud. I'm just tryin' to make you feel better." Zack wrapped a towel around his waist, and went into the showers. Cloud watched as Zack walked out. Zack, tall, strong, dark, handsome, popular, Zack. Cloud felt that he would always be left in his shadows. He thought about Tifa. What would she say if she knew he didn't make it as a Soldier? Cloud vowed to himself, silently, that she would never know.that none of the people from his small hometown would ever know. No one could ever know. He went to show how great he could be, and couldn't even make it through basic training. Cloud grabbed his bag and towel, and headed towards his room.
"Block! Punch! Block, Block! Punch! Sideswipe, turn, jump, down, down, jump." A voice barked commands. The teenage boy tried to keep up, but failed. He put his hands on his knees, panting. "Failure! You'll never have what it takes-" "-Shut up! I don't care!" The boy shouted back. "And what about the folks back home!? You gonna tell them you were a Soldier reject?" "Ain't anyone who cares." The boy mumbled. The older man gave the young boy a murderous glare. "Hit the showers. You wanna make yourself usefull.go be a Shin-Ra guard." He said, walking away. The boy grabbed a gym bag off of a chair, and stormed into a locker room. He opened a locker, pulled out a white towel, and shoved the bag in. He slammed the locker, and began to shed his clothes. The young boy went into the showers and turned on the hot water. Within moments, the room filled with steam. He brought his hands through his blonde hair, rinsing the sweat off of his body. He slathered soap on his body, and rinsed himself clean. The boy turned off the showers, and grabbed his towel from a bench across from the room around his waist. He returned to the locker, and pulled some jeans out of the gym bag. The boy dressed in some blue jeans, brown leather boots, and a white muscle shirt. He attached to it a nametag, which read 'Cloud Strife-Soldier Trainee Class B.' "Hey, Cloud! How'd training go?" A voice came from the entrance. An older boy, probably by a year or so entered the locker room. Cloud continued to gather his things, combing through his spiked hair. "Not good, I take it? If you want, I can help you out-" "-No you can't! They kicked me out of classes. I failed. I'm going over to be a guard. A fricken' security guard for the Shin-Ra. I can't believe it." The older boy looked at him, opening a locker near Cloud's. "Well, you still get to go on some missions and stuff with Soldiers, I mean, it's not all bad." ".Zack. How would you know? You kick ass without giving an effort. What do you know about failure?" Cloud shot back. "Gee, Cloud. I'm just tryin' to make you feel better." Zack wrapped a towel around his waist, and went into the showers. Cloud watched as Zack walked out. Zack, tall, strong, dark, handsome, popular, Zack. Cloud felt that he would always be left in his shadows. He thought about Tifa. What would she say if she knew he didn't make it as a Soldier? Cloud vowed to himself, silently, that she would never know.that none of the people from his small hometown would ever know. No one could ever know. He went to show how great he could be, and couldn't even make it through basic training. Cloud grabbed his bag and towel, and headed towards his room.