Author's Note: Some of you are new to my work, and others are here because of "Causes Stain, Stay Away". This uses the class system found in CSSA, but this story should be fine to read on it's own if you've never read, CSSA. I've decided that instead of writing a long one shot, to make this a short chapter story. I'll try to put a chapter out with each update of CSSA. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this!
Disclaimer: I don't own FF7CC at all. I do hope to go to the Square Enix showcase this fall and take a picture with some ShinRa guards, though.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Zack stared in awe at the SOLDIER First in front of him. Could it really be true? Angeal Hewley had chosen him from all the graduating cadets to take on as an apprentice. A one-on-one mentor. With a SOLDEIR First. And he was an S class, to boot. Zack's mind wasn't working right at all, and he could barely hear what the Second that was his teacher was explaining. When Angeal brushed past the teen and left the room, Zack stayed rooted to the spot. His former instructor gave him a strange look before shaking his head and turning away.
"Aren't you coming?" Angeal asked, amused. Zack whipped around, his eyes big and a blush fighting its way to his cheeks.
"Y-yes, sir! Of course!" Zack stuttered as he walked to the door. Angeal chuckled as he began walking again.
"You weren't paying attention at all," the SOLDEIR first said, teasing.
"I'm sorry, sir. It's just that I'm too overwhelmed that you picked me," Zack replied, a bit nervous.
"At least you're modest about something," Angeal teased.
"W-what's that supposed to mean?" Zack asked, terrified about what his superiors were spreading about him.
"Do you have dreams?" Angeal asked, completely avoiding Zack's question.
"Uh… yeah," Zack replied, not sure how to respond to the question.
"What are they?"
"Well, mostly about home and fighting."
"Not those kinds of dreams," Angeal said, his voice taking on the flavor of a teacher.
"Whaddaya mean?" Zack asked puzzled.
"To be a SOLDIER you must have three things," Angeal said. He stopped at the elevators and pressed the up button. He didn't continue, and remained silent as he waited for the elevator.
"And those would be…?" Zack finally asked, tired of waiting.
"Well, you might need more than three things to make it as a SOLDIER," Angeal chuckled. Zack's jaw dropped at the jab, taken aback.
"What's that supposed to mean?" the teen whined. The elevator doors dinged open and Angeal stepped inside; Zack followed suit. Angeal slid his ID card in the terminal and pressed the button for the 49th floor. It was Zack's first time going there, as the SOLDIER cadets shared space with the ShinRa Guard cadets and Turk trainees on a lower level.
"Class B3 Zack Fair SOLDIER Third, do you trust me?" Angeal asked as he watched the numbers go up on the digital readout.
"Of course, sir," Zack replied without a beat of hesitation. The elder man just smirked, seemly amused by the response. The doors opened to the 49th floor, and Angeal motioned for Zack to step out first. Zack took his first steps onto the floor reserved especially for SOLDIER. He had done it—really done it! He'd made it into SOLDIER. He was living every boy's dream. Angeal copped him on the shoulder as he passed him by.
"This way," the SOLDIER First directed. As they walked through the hall, the nearby SOLDIERs greeted Angeal warmly. They stopped in front of the room labeled "Training Room". Angeal pressed the button beside the door, and it slid open. Once inside, Angeal handed Zack a visor pointed at the glass wall. "Put this on and go in there," he directed.
"Why?" Zack asked, confused.
"I thought you said you trusted me," Angeal said credulously.
"I do, I do!" Zack said as he placed the visor on and walked toward the glass door of the hologram room. Once inside, Angeal's voice came over the speaker.
"Once I start the program, I'll send your instructions to your PHS. You do have that, right?" Angeal asked, his voice once again teasing.
"Of course I do!" Zack huffed, pulling it out of his pocket.
"Right. Then I'm starting the program," Angeal said. As soon as he finished speaking, pixels began flowing from the floor and began building a world around him. It was strange. Zack knew it wasn't real, but the affect was mind blowing. He felt like he was actually in the town he saw. His PHS vibrated in his hnad, so he flipped it open, and selected mail.
"There are thirteen cats stuck in trees throughout the city. Find… one of the three things you must have in SOLDIER?" Zack read. "What the hell! What's this supposed to mean!" Zack's PHS began to ring. The caller ID read Angeal, so the teen pressed the accept button and lifted the phone to his ear.
"This is your first lesson. There are times when SOLDIERs must perform duties that make no sense. It's up to you to make sense of it," Angeal explained, then cut the line. Zack sighed, looking at his phone.
"Oh man," Zack whined. What kind of mentor was Angeal?
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
After three hours of running around the simulated town, find all the cats, getting praised by some townspeople, and admonished by others, the digital world around Zack finally began to dissolve. The glass door opened to Angeal, who remained in the doorway. Zack removed his visor and walked towards his mentor.
"Did you learn anything?" Angeal asked, as the teen got closer to him.
"I learned that cats don't seem to like me. And that some people have sticks up their asses," Zack muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "I still don't get the point of that exercise."
"What were your instructions?" Angel asked.
"To find one of the things I need to be a SOLDIER," Zack grumbled.
"Why don't you think about it and tell what the point of that exercise was when you've reached your own answer," Angeal said, a smile spreading across his lips. "You worked hard, though. Enough training for today. Let's go out to celebrate you making it into SOLDIER."
"Out, sir?" Zack exclaimed, his eyes widening in excitement. "You mean I can leave the compound?"
"Yes, Zack," Angeal confirmed, obviously amused at the teen's excitement. "But first you'll need to change into a SOLDIER Third uniform."
"Yes!" Zack cried out in excitement. Zack bounded out of the training room and stood bouncing in the hallway. He hadn't been out of the compound except for missions. He'd barely gotten to know the Midgar streets at all. Angel lead him to the briefing room and pulled a blue Third uniform from one of the pods. Excitement boiling over, Zack eagerly changed on the spot, completely unabashed. "Alright! Let's go!" he exclaimed as soon as he fastened the SOLDIER belt around his waist.
"Do you have you ID?" Angeal asked. Zack patted his pockets, then nodded. "Then let's go."
The two returned to the elevator. Angeal remained calm the whole ride down, but Zack was bouncing in place, too excited to sit still. When the doors finally pinged open at the lobby level, the teen jumped out and practically ran down the stairs to the front door. Angeal followed at a more sedate pace, enjoying making his puppy of an apprentice wait. Once they left the building, Angeal took the lead. He made his way towards Loveless Avenue, Zack bee-lining behind him. The elder chose one of the family restaurants on the main street. After showing their IDs tot eh greeter, they were seated at one of the more secluded tables. Zack looked around his surroundings with the upmost curiosity.
"It's so much nicer than any restaurant at home…" the teen said in awe.
"Yes, it's much better than anything from my hometown too," Angeal agreed. "I tend to refer the more homey types of restaurants, but this one is fine for today."
"Homey? What do you mean?" Zack asked.
"Like the restaurants you'd find in a small town. There are plenty of them, below the plate," the mentor explained.
"Below the plate… Can we go sometime?"
"When you're ready," Angeal replied, his voice a bit terse.
"But I am ready, sir!" Zack protested.
"Not until I say you are," Angeal pushed back. Zack backed down, knowing he'd over stepped his bounds. When the waitress came, Angeal ordered for the both of them, then turned back to his pupil. "Once you figure out what you need to be a SOLDIER, I'll recommend you for a class promotion. When you make B2, I'll take you to the slums."
"Really?" Zack exclaimed, excitement crawling back into his voice.
"Really."
"Alright!" Zack cried, fist pumping. "I better get thinking!"
From that point Zack plunged into his thoughts. The mission Angeal had given him had just two sentences: Cats, and finding the things he needed to be a SOLDIER. Obviously, he didn't need cats to be a SOLDIER. Was it his sword? His uniform? He never saw anything like that in the simulation while he was looking for the cats. But the mission didn't specifically say he had to help the cats, either. He'd just done it, because it had seemed like the logical thing to do at the time. Maybe it had something to do with the cats after all? The first cat he rescued belonged to a little kid that thanked him. The second cat belonged to a middle aged house wife that said she wouldn't have known what to do without his help. The third belong to a crotchety old woman that cursed him. The fourth cat belonged to a young scientist, and it jumped back and forth between three trees, eluding Zack's grasp every time. The scientist would berate him almost every time the cat got away.
Every other situation he'd encountered was similar to the first four. At times he had wanted to give up. At times, he wanted to sock the ungrateful people, but refrained. Despite that, he kept going because he knew it was something that needed to be done. Then it hit him—despite the hard time some of the townspeople gave him, despite the damn annoying cats that wouldn't cooperate, and despite the ridiculousness of the mission, Zack wouldn't have been able to continue if he hadn't had some pride in himself. If it wasn't for the fat that he felt the need to prove to those people that SOLDIER was out there doing good, and that he was SOLDIER and it was the right thing for him to do to help, he would have just given up.
"That's it!" Zack exclaimed, slamming his hands on the table. The plates and silverware rattled. He hadn't even noticed that his food had been served.
"Did you figure it out?" Angeal asked as he lifted a fork full of steak to his lips.
"To be SOLDIER, I have to be Proud of what I am and what I'm doing! And I can't just not do things because I think they're stupid, or the people don't deserve my help, either. I was sent there for a reason, so I have to make the best out of it and prove that SOLDIER are doing some good!" Zack exclaimed. Angeal chewed his food thoroughly before swallowing, drawing out Zack's anticipation.
"Exceptional, you should really eat some before it gets cold," Angeal said, motioning at Zack's plate with his fork. The teen deflated.
"Am I wrong?" he cried, exasperated.
"Now, I never said that," Angeal chuckled. "You got one and a half. So I'll give you two."
"For real? Yes!" Zack exclaimed.
"To be a SOLDIER, you must have SOLDIER Pride and maintain your honor, just one more to go."
"Don't I get a hint?" Zack asked, cocking his head to the side.
"I already gave it to you when we first met," Angeal said, smiling he lifted another piece of steak to his lips. Zack groaned, holding his head in defeat. "You should really eat your food before it gets cold."
"Is there a reason you're being so hard on me, sir?" Zack asked, peeking up at the older man. "Or are you this mean to all your apprentices?"
"Never had another apprentice," Angeal answered after he swallowed. "But I guess you could call me SOLDIER's mentor. Sephiroth's never been much for maintaining his men's morale, and Genesis always locks himself away to study literature in his spare time. Before I knew it, everyone came to me when they needed advice. I wouldn't say it was something I chose, but everyone needs someone to talk to at some point in their life."
"Then why did you suddenly decide to take me on as your apprentice?" Zack asked, picking up his silverware.
"I saw you on the training fields a couple of weeks before your final entrance exam. You reminded me of a stray puppy I fed when I was a kid," Angeal answered. Zack's knife slipped and cut the plate, making an awful noise.
"I reminded you of a puppy? So you took me as an apprentice? How weird can you get, sir?"
"Zack, you have great potential, but, like a dog, without training, you won't get very far."
"But I've already had my training! And the mako injections!" Zack whined, miffed at Angeal's reasons.
"And that's fine and dandy if you want to stay a Third. Zack, I know you can make First. And to do that, you need to be trained by a First," Angeal explain. Zack felt his anger melt away at the compliment.
"You really think so?" Zack prodded, cocking his head to the side.
"Right now, my dream is to see you make First. I'll make it happen, but you're going to have to use a lot of elbow grease yourself."
"Your dream, huh…" Zack murmurmed. Then it hit Zack—the third thing he needed. "My dream since I was little was to be a SOLDIER, but I've done that now."
"You can have more than one dream, Zack," Angeal urged, giving the teen a knowing smile. "Is your next one to become First?"
"No…" Zack said quietly, thinking it over. "No… my dream is… to become a hero. I want to become a hero!" At these words, Angeal busted out laughing. "Hey! What's so funny?" the teen demanded.
"That's a swell dream," Angeal responded when he got his laughter under control.
"Yeah. I think so too, sir," Zack said, relaxing back into his chair.
"One more thing, Zack," Angeal said.
"Was I wrong about the dream being the third thing?" Zack asked, scared that he would have to face another of Angeal's puzzling trials.
"Don't call me 'Sir'. Makes me feel old." The older man smiled as Zack visibly relaxed.
"Then what do you want me to call you?" the teen asked, laughter seeping into his voice.
"Angeal."
"Alright, An-geal," Zack agreed. With his trails out of the way, the teen picked up his silverware once more and cut into his steak. At the first bite, his face wrinkled in disappointment. "Dammit. It's cold."
"I warned you," Angeal hummed.
"Oh, shut-up."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Zack tentatively pressed his lips to Angeal's. The older man stayed still until the teen pulled back on his own. Zack's face was flushed. He quickly turned away from his mentor, mentally stressing over his actions. Angeal didn't react, nor was he saying anything. The atmosphere was incredibly awkward.
"Zack, what was that about?" Angeal probed, his voice merely curious.
"I, uh, well…" Zack stusttered.
"Yes?" Angeal pushed again.
"I saw a lot of the other Thirds and Seconds kissing and even more stuff—not on purpose of course, it's not like they're just doing it in the open—it's just that I always seem to stumble across the make-out spots, I guess. And, well… I was just wondering what it was like. Kissing a guy, you know," Zack stumbled to explain, turning beat red to his ears. Angeal chuckled at the teen's reaction.
"You were kissing at 12?" the First questioned.
"Ah! J-just once. It was a girl that confessed to me before I left for Midgar. I didn't really know about anything beyond that until I joined the cadets," Zack explained, placing his hands behind his head and kicking one of his legs. He was trying to play it cool in front of the man that he seemingly developed a crush on.
It had been a little over two months since Angeal had taken him under his wing. The First had recommended him for a Class Promotion, but his case was still being reviewed. During the wait, he had undergone a series of microsurgeries and injections. It was all part of a series of SOLDIER conditioning—he had found out rather quickly that only a small part of the conditioning occurred before he was fully inducted into SOLDIER. This was to weed out the weaklings, the ones who were not physically capable of absorbing mako. After being fully inducted, each new SOLDIER underwent a series of further surgeries and injections to enhance each person to their fullest potential. As a Class B3, he received 8 of these procedures in total. The officials handling Zack's case wanted to wait until the teen had completed the conditioning to make their determination. If he made B2, Zack was eligible for further conditioning when he was promoted to SOLDIER Second.
Between the surgeries, Angeal had been taking him out on long training missions to help him adjust to his newfound capabilities. The missions were obviously too easy for Angeal, but they were challenging for Zack. Despite the fact that he had learned how to properly fight and use materia, he found that the control and precision he had at graduation was less. Angeal patiently helped Zack hone his new strength. Occasionally, Zack found himself unconsciously screwing up on purpose—he wanted Angeal to correct his form, to laugh at his stupid mistakes.
"Well, it is true that SOLDIER has a rather strong sexual culture," Angeal conceded. "I remember when I was a cadet. Someone would always sneak in a porn mag, and everyone would huddle around it. It seems to be like some right of passage for cadets to experience that stuff."
"Really?" Zack asked, dropping his hands to his sides. "Is that why almost everyone I know seems to be screwing around?"
"I guess you could say that. There is a lot of skinship within SOLDIER, within most of the upper classes in Midgar really. But I suggest that you be careful. While no one will down on you for relations with multiple people, it's not an open invitation to go crazy. Sex as a means of creating bonds must be used sparingly," Angeal explained. Zack's heart began to beat faster again.
"Then, Angeal, can you teach me? The art of negotiating sexually in ShinRa?" Zack asked, his cheeks turning pink once again. Angeal's eyebrows knit together in discontent. He stared at Zack for a few long moments before opening his mouth.
"I'll consider it," he said. Zack's heart leapt, and his body was about to follow, until he realized that Angeal was still talking. "when you reach Second."
"Why?" Zack whined, stepping forward and grabbing Angeal's shirt.
"You're too immature to go all the way," Angeal responded curtly.
"Am not! I can handle it!" the teen continued to whine.
"Right now, you're just a horny fourteen year old boy. When you get a bit bigger, and your hormones settle a bit more, if you still want me to teach you, I'll indulge you," Angeal said, his voice half harsh and half teasing. Zack grumbled in disappointment. Now he had a clear goal—achieve Second in as little time as possible.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"You're new puppy is quite adorable," Genesis called as he strode across Angeal's apartment to the living room. His voice carried a tone of disinterest, but Angeal knew that the brunet was teasing him. Genesis laid down on his friend's couch as Angeal began to stirs the noodles in the fry pan.
"You took the time to watch him?" Angeal called back.
"He's a cocky, overconfident mutt, that one. You sure you can train him?" Genesis teased.
"He seems to be responding well enough," Angeal quipped back. He grabbed the bowl of steamed vegetables that were left over from his lunch and mixed them into the noodles.
"You need to teach him to stay. He follows you everywhere," Genesis quipped back. Angeal laughed, knowing that it was true to an extent.
"Not quite everywhere. He's not that bad—"
"Yet," Genesis finished for Angeal. "You've created another fanboy."
"As long as he learns something. He has the attention span of a two year old. Even if he's following me around, he's thinking of other things."
"Why did you choose him?" Genesis asked, his tone turning serious.
"If he can get rid of his attention issues, he could make First. He's incredibly talented," Angeal answered honestly. He shut off the stove burner, lifted the skillet and divided the noodles onto the two plates he had prepared earlier. Genesis stood and quickly strode across the apartment. The brunet stopped behind Angeal and grabbed the ravent's ungloved hand with his gloved one. He lifted the appendage, spatula and all, to his lips and kissed the back of it gently.
"All that awaits you is a somber morrow," Genesis quoted. Angeal swatted the brunet away, managing to bop Genesis on the nose.
"Sit down," Angeal snapped. Genesis chuckled at his friend's reaction and backed up until he was at the kitchen table. He took a seat and waited for Angeal to serve him the food. The ravenet place both plates, as well as two beers on the table. Genesis waited until Angeal was seated to pick up his fork. Te two began eating in silence. After several bites, Genesis reached for his beer and took a long swig.
"I still can't believe that you took an apprentice at the height of the war. Are you trying to get out of leading grunts to their deaths?" Genesis said, breaking the silence. Genesis himself, had just returned from a two month long operation in Wutai a few days before. It had been his first opportunity to observe the puppy and his owner.
"That isn't the reason. I really do believe he can make First. He seems to be the type that would make a good leader. Despite being a bit naïve, Zack has a good head on his shoulders. He has a very good fighting sense, and he has lots of pride," Angeal insisted.
"You seem quite taken with this pup. I've never understood your infatuation with the lower classes," Genesis sniped, twirling his noodles around his fork.
"They're people too, Genesis," Angeal responded, less than thrilled at his friend's reaction. "Though lately, he's been worrying me."
"Why is that?"
"He seems to have taken an interest in ShinRa's sexual politics."
"So?"
"He's too young. I think it's too soon for him."
"I was already giving you head by that age. Let him be," Genesis sniped, picking his beer up again.
"Don't you have any morals?" Angeal asked, though he knew what the answer would be.
"I do. I have very sophisticated and high class ones. Let him experiment," Genesis answered, exactly as Angeal had predicted.
"Zack seems to be brimming with wild untamable sexual energy. I worry that if he starts before he learns better judgment that he'll make some very unwise decisions," Angeal explained his concerns.
"Then sleep with him yourself. Wrap him even tighter around your pinky, put a leash on him and ravish him. Make him so enraptured by your sword that he'll never be able to consider anything but your Buster again," Genesis suggested, getting caught up in the dirty poetics.
"I told him I would teach him if he made Second," Angeal admitted, grabbing his beer and chugging it down. Genesis just started his friend in disbelief before breaking into a grin.
"You are attracted to him," Genesis teased.
"No more to him than I am to you," Angeal replied.
"That only makes it worse." Genesis smiled naughtily as he rested his head on his fist. "Mind if we skip the shower? I wonder if I can pick out the puppy's scent from yours."
"We're taking a shower."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Author's Note: So should I continue? Drop me a review to tell me your thoughts, please!