One Week Later
Sephiroth had long since blocked out the buzzing of the creature behind him. Why Angeal had felt the need to accept a mission and deposit his puppy on a very unwilling comrade, the world may never know. What Sephiroth did know, was that he was looking forward to his friend's return. The worst part was that not only did he have to put up with this annoyance following him around all day like the puppy it was after its owner, but he also had to make time in his schedule to attempt to teach it. That is why he was currently escorting Angeal's student to a training room.
It was expected that the puppy would find some sort of trouble to get himself into. It was not, however, expected that he would run from Sephiroth's side, screaming something about a spike.
Sephiroth, of course, wasn't happy about this.
"Third Class Fair, what is the problem?' he barked, thoroughly annoyed.
Zachary was panicking. The puppy was kneeling beside a cadet with bright yellow hair. "Something's wrong with Spiky! Seph, help!"
Sephiroth blinked. "Zachary, do not call me Seph. My name is Sephiroth," was the automatic response, but he soon added to it with, "The cadet's name is Spiky?"
Zachary actually looked sheepish, the situation temporarily forgotten. "That's not his real name, and I don't know it so don't ask, but I call him Spiky." Sephiroth gave him a blank look. "You know, 'cause of his hair."
Sephiroth shook his head slightly before approaching the pair. There did seem to be a problem with the cadet, as he was laying on the floor unconscious and Zachary's rigorous shaking had not woken him. "Zachary, stop." The puppy looked at him questioningly. "The cadet is not enhanced. You do not want to hurt him." He pried Zachary's fingers off the cadet, his own brushing against the unconscious boy's arm in the process.
The cadet's eyes snapped open. Startle, Zachary took a step back. When the boy's eyes focused on Sephiroth, he jumped back, ripping himself away from The General. Sephiroth continued staring at him. What was this about? Most cadets would love to be in his presence, even if they were intimidated by him. When he looked into the eyes of this cadet, he didn't see awe, or even nervousness. Instead, he saw hate and fear, akin to some looks he had been given in Wutai. Was this cadet a Wutaian spy? No, he decided, this cadet was much too pale to be from Wutai, and what information could be gathered as a cadet? First Classes' favorite colors?
The cadet waved an arm behind his back, as if to reach for a weapon, but grasped nothing but air. His eyes flicked between Sephiroth, the closest door, and the hallway to either side of him.
Zachary looked confused. Not that that was unusual.
The SOLDIER Third waved at the cadet, trying to get his attention. "Hey Spike!" he called, most likely trying to snap the cadet out of whatever haze he was in. Unfortunately, the cadet did not calm down. The boy snapped his head towards Angeal's puppy and froze, getting even paler.
The cadet opened his mouth speechlessly for a moment, the sound delayed as he struggled to make his voice work. "Za-ack?" Sephiroth took this chance to lunge forward and rap the cadet's head with his fist, knocking him unconscious again.
Zachary caught the boy as he slumped to the ground, lifting him bridal style before turning to glare at Sephiroth. "What were you thinking Sephiroth? You don't just go knocking out people, no matter how scared of you they are. Especially not if they're scared of you!"
As it was clear the puppy was not going to let this go, Sephiroth started to explain himself. "It was the best course of action. The cadet was in danger of getting hurt, for if he had attacked me I would have been forced to defend myself, and if he had run I would have had to apprehend him so he could be brought to the infirmary for a search of detrimental health conditions that were the cause of his unconscious state. Either one of those would have ended poorly for the cadet, so I found a solution that did not injure the boy." Sephiroth strode closer to the two and the cadet visibly tensed in his sleep. "I would suggest you bring the cadet to the infirmary, as it seems he had a negative reaction to my presence. I will be back in my office should you need me." After that Zachary rushed the boy to the infirmary, and Sephiroth walked back to his room, silently thanking the cadet for ridding him of Angeal's puppy.
Cloud flicked open his eyes when he heard a soft beeping and he panicked as soon as he saw the sterilized white room. He tore the heart monitor off his chest and his ears burned at the sound of it flat lining, the horrible noise reminding him too much of the deaths of his friends, and his time in Hojo's care. He catapulted off the cot, ducking and rolling to stay out of sight. He heard someone's feet hit the ground behind him and he took off at a run.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Spiky, hold up!"
Was that Zack? Cloud sided to a halt and spun around, eyes searching for his dead friend. Was this a dream? A memory? Or if Zack really was visiting him, why would he be in a lab? Focusing his attention on the black haired man trotting after him, he realized some odd things about his friend. Zack looked younger than Cloud could ever remember seeing him, but at the same time seemed taller, which was impossible. People in the lifestream appear how you remember them, and while this Zack looked very close to his, he wasn't the same. This is Zack. His mind argued, He's your friend. Your first friend. Unless it isn't, the more practical side, less affected by Zack's memories argued back. It's probably an imposter, trying to get me to let them experiment on me again. But still the voice in the back of his head persisted. But it looks so much like it him. It sounds so much like him.
The man came closer, and Cloud started to hope, against his better judgment. The dead do not come back to life. People in the Lifestream do not change. This is not him, he told himself, but he knew it was useless.
It was the eyes that finally convinced him. You can't fake Mako. "Zack?" he whispered, "Is it really you?"
The man looked confused. "Yeah, I'm Zack. What's wrong, Spike?"
Cloud felt something wet running down hiss cheeks, and lifted a hand to his face. They were tears. Cloud was startled. He hadn't cried since, well probably the last time he cried was when Zack-, no. Before he joined AVALANCHE. He hadn't even cried when they all died, so why was he crying now?
"Spiky?"
Cloud looked up at Zack, inadvertently showing the SOLDIER his tears. The confused but sympathetic look on his face somehow made Cloud cry harder, but his were silent tears. He looked back down, ashamed of his weakness. Saviors of the world were not supposed to cry.
Arms wrapped around him and he tensed, but he couldn't do anything as the limbs encircling him held his own tight to his sides. He struggled desperately; he would not allow himself to be captured again. He ducked his head and brought his teeth down with all the force he could muster, and the person restricting him jumped back. Cloud was fairly surprised he hadn't broken the man's bone.
He went straight for the door, but barely made it three steps before his pursuer caught up with him and forced him to the ground. Where was his Mako? He should be out that door by now. The tears blurred his vision, so he couldn't clearly see his attacker, but he was wearing something blue. The man somehow had superior strength and had Cloud pinned in mere seconds. Cloud closed his traitor eyes and braced himself for the prick of a needle and a free trip into nothingness.
It never came.
Cloud blinked open his eyes. The tears that had remained unshed had been washed away when he closed his eyes, so he could see clearly now. Clearly enough to see it was Zack was on top of him and there wasn't a needle in sight. "I'm so sorry, Zack!" he croaked, then burst into full out sobbing.
Zack made small comforting noises and got to his feet, lifting Cloud with him. The man hugged him, and he stiffened a moment before melting into his embrace. "Shh. It's okay," Zack murmured, holding him tight.
Cloud's sniffles subsided and he composed himself enough to ask a question, "Where are we, Zack?"
Zack released him and stepped back. "We're in the regular's infirmary. You were unconscious in the hall, but then you woke up and then you, were like, about attack Seph, then you saw me and were like 'Z-za-ack?' and I was like 'Huh' then Seph knocked you out.
This boggled Cloud's mind. Zack and Sephiroth were hanging out in the lifestream? In a hallway in the lifestream? And how was he unconscious in a hallway in the Lifestream? Was it even possible to sleep after you die? And moreover, "Why did you bring me to an infirmary?"
Zack looked at him strangely. "Did you not here what I said? You were knocked out. By Sephiroth. And before that you were unconscious. If you missed any classes you needed an excuse."
Cloud had absolutely no clue what his friend was talking about. "What are you talking about, Zack? I'm not taking any classes."
Zack blinked, apparently dumbfounded, but that moment a large man who looked remarkably like Zack burst through the door. Searching Zack's memories, Cloud realized this was his mentor, Angeal. He was dead too. Does this mean I'm dead?
Angeal was breathing heavily, but once he saw Zack he relaxed, the wild look coming out of his eyes. However, a scowl soon formed on his face. "Zack, what are you doing here?"
Zack grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck, something else Cloud realized he had gotten from him. "Well you see, Spike here was lying in the hall, and me and Seph saw him when he was going to train me or whatever, and he's that one cadet who I got lunch a couple days ago, so I was trying to wake him up but he wouldn't wake up, then Seph touched him and he freaked out. Then he saw me and he was like 'Zack?' and I was like 'how does he know my name' and then Seph knocked him out and told me to take him here."
Cloud had frozen near the beginning of Zack's explanation. "Cadet? I'm not a cadet, Zack."
His friend looked at him in shock. "Of course you are! What did you think that uniform you're wearing is for?"
Cloud's voice was getting louder and more frantic. "No! I'm not a cadet! I failed, remember? Then I joined the regular army and met you, but that was years and years ago!" Cloud paused for a moment, then looked up at the two Soldiers. "I'm dead aren't I? Well, it sure took its time in coming. Poor Vincent is probably going to go crazy or at least go back to sleep. We should have run each other through a long time ago, but we were too cowardly. Or at least, I was. Hey, do you know where the rest of AVALANCHE is? I want to talk to them."
The two blinked at him for a slow moment before Zack pasted an obviously fake, huge smile on his face. "Hey Spiky, why don't you get some rest, I think Seph hit you a bit harder than he should have."
Cloud's eyes narrowed. "What are you playing at?" Then an expression of surprise surfaced as a realization dawned on him. "I'm still alive aren't I?" He kicked himself mentally as he looked down at his bare arms, taking in the lack of scars. He blinked then, breaking out of his daze and looked up at his dead friend, speaking frantically. "I'm still a cadet? Zack, what's the date?"
Angeal answered for him, "The twenty third of August, 1998."
Cloud blinked. "1998? That means I'm twelve." He thought for a moment, then a small smile spread across his face. "Four years. It's nice, to be an age other than sixteen. Or was it twenty one? The Mako makes it hard to tell."
Angeal looked at him suspiciously. "How do you know about the effects of Mako?"
Zack brightened slightly. "I think I told him last week, how Mako makes you the height you would be and made me all clumsy. Kid has a good memory."
Cloud's hoarse laugh broke their conversation, and once they turned to look at him he regained his composure. "Sorry it's just that I don't even know where I am." Better play it like it's real, just in case, he thought nervously. If this was somehow real, they would think he was crazy. They most likely already did. He probably was, too.
"We're in the Shinra building." Angeal was obviously suspicious.
Cloud closed his eyes to try and suppress his emotions. It sure seemed like this was real. He had never had a dream this vivid, unless it had actually happened. "Shinra," he muttered in disgust, earning a glare from Angeal.
"Now what were you saying about AVALANCHE?"
He gulped nervously. This really did look real, but it couldn't be real, could it? Could the last 280 years be a dream? Then a thought popped into his head. If they thought he was crazy, what would they do with him? Cloud glare at Angeal, as he couldn't bring himself to think that Zack would do anything to hurt him. "If you bring me within ten feet of Hojo there won't be enough of him left to bury," he threatened, watching them carefully.
One of Angeal's dark eyebrows shot up. "You would have to share him with Sephiroth, you know."
Cloud stiffened at the name and let a breath hiss out through his teeth. He knew they would notice his animosity towards The General, but no one had talked to him about the man for over 150 years, as everyone else had died and Vincent had not wanted to discuss Lucrecia's son either. "I'll be going back to my room now, if there is no further use for me here." He walked out, reaching the elevator before realizing he had no clue where he was bunking. He searched his pockets and soon fished out an ID card. He looked closely at his picture, nose wrinkling at how pathetic he looked. He did find his room number though, room C on floor 32.
Cloud shuddered as the three and the two separated to reveal a hallway with doors lacing the sides at even intervals. He remembered vaguely his cadet years, and while they weren't as bad as the years to come, he had been bullied frequently and ended up in the infirmary often.
That would not happen this time, not if he could help it. Yes, if this was real, this time things would be different. Zack and Aerithwould not die, Midgar would not be destroyed, and Sephiroth would not burn down Nibelheim.
Cloud swiped his keycard through the lock and stepped inside. There were four sets of bunk beds spaced along the walls, and at the back was a door most likely leading to a bathroom. Each set of beds had two lockers at its base, and since everyone else was gone he decided to find out which was his. Cloud worked two wires off the bottom of one of the top bunks and bent them into shape. He inserted them into one of the locks and picked it deftly, thanking that he had spent 250 years in the company of an ex-Turk and not a bartender. Not that he hadn't picked some things up from Tifa.
The locker held nothing identifying it as his own, so he moved on to the one next to it. Eventually he found one with a letter from his mom in it. A letter from his mom. His mom was alive. What he didn't like about his locker was the amount of Sephiroth related articles rolled up and stuffed in front of the letter from his mom. Cloud had seen the same thing in most of the other lockers, but it disgusted him that him that he had been so, so enthralled with the man. With The General. With the Hero of Wutai, or Demon of Wutai if you asked Yuffie. Sephiroth did have a lot of names, but even when he was nothing but a legend, he was still referred to as The Nightmare.
He tore up the papers viciously and threw them in the trash. Sephiroth did not deserve to be recycled. He returned to what he figured what his bunk and lay down, closing his eyes. It seemed like Cloud's entire life was always about him, even before he had to save the world. He had kept coming back, even after the rest of AVALANCHE had died. Cloud had continued to fight him, trying to keep the battles small scale and away from towns. Even though he was always defeated, Cloud sometimes wondered if it was worth it. The nightmares returned after each sighting, and he spent his nights strapped to a metal table or back in the Nibelheim reactor for the first time, fighting Sephiroth.
The worst thing was he couldn't remember his friends. Sure, he could recall Yuffie's hyperness, or how much Cid swore, but the faces were faded. Zack he saw in his dreams, because through the first five years, they were rarely apart. But being back as a cadet made him think. Maybe, if it was real, maybe he could see them again. A small smile almost graced his face at that, but his heart sunk as he realized he would have to hind himself from some of his more perceptive and inquisitive allies to keep up his charade as a cadet.
"Why's my locker open, yo?"
Well speak of the red-headed devil himself.
Reno got back to the room first, just wanting to plop down on his bunk and sleep, ya know? He really couldn't see why the other cadets wanted to do this. It was only the thought that this was his chance to make it to full that kept him down here. That and the fact that Tseng would have his hide if he bailed.
What he did not want was to see the little blond cadet, who'd been missing in classes today, layin' on Reno's bunk with half the room's lockers open. Including his. He never would have thought those two events were related before today, but he couldn't find another option.
"Why's my locker open, yo?" he asked, and the kid –Strife?– snapped open his eyes. Then the kid totally choked on nothing and flung his fist into the bottom of the bunk Strife should be sleeping in. It looked like a pretty good punch too. Then the kid made this wicked snarling face and ripped down a poster Reno had put up to seem more normal. Not that he liked waking up to see the Silver Glory's face starin' back at him, but it was for the sake of the mission. Reno wanted a nickname of his own someday (the Red-Haired Wonder had a nice ring to it), and he wasn't going to give it up for a better night's sleep. Still, if this kid felt the need to randomly rip up posters of Sephiroth, he wasn't about to complain. But he might restate the question.
"I said, why's my locker open, yo?"
Strife blinked, then looked at him curiously before seeming to realize the situation and probably would have shuffled his feet a bit if he had been standing. "Um, well, you see…."
Reno growled. He knew the kid would lie, and it looked like the cadet knew he knew. "Just tell me the truth, yo. It's better for the both of us."
Strife's expression hardened very slightly. "You wouldn't believe me," he challenged, and Reno decided to take the bait. It's not like it would hurt to hear the kid's excuse.
"Just try me."
"I have amnesia and couldn't remember which locker was mine."
The disguised Turk smirked crookedly. "And you somehow 'remembered' how to pick locks?" he questioned, skeptical.
The cadet's face remained impressively blank, as it had been for most of the conversation. "I don't know what's going on either." That seemed like the truth. "I can't figure anything out." The blond shrugged, and the motion was so minute Reno almost missed it. "I told you you wouldn't believe me."
Reno rolled his eyes and sighed. "Yo, let's say I do believe you. Where were ya today?"
"Zack told me he found me unconscious in the hallway. Apparently I woke up when Sephiroth touched me and panicked. The General had to knock me out and Zack brought me to the infirmary where I woke up. Angeal soon entered looking for Zack. You can ask them if you don't believe me."
Reno mentally blinked. What is this kid, he wondered, and where did he come from? The weakling Strife I knew and could cross off the list of suspects would have just cowered in the corner and stuttered around a question like that. Hell, the Strife I know would still be in the infirmary! Reno put a hand to his forehead and sighed. I need to see Zack.
"I'm gonna do just that, and when I get back you better not still be on my bunk, yo."
Ten minutes later Reno was knocking on SOLDIER Third Class Zack Fair's door. The raven-haired boy opened it and let out a loud whoop, sweeping the protesting Reno into a hug. "Stop it, yo! Just because you're done growing doesn't mean-." His voice faded out when he saw the large figure standing behind his friend. "Sorry Angeal."
Angeal frowned, but Zack spoke before he could. "Naw, that's fine Reno, or should I say Cadet Reno?" The aptly nicknamed puppy let out a laugh. "This is great! You're gonna do so good on the exams that they'll have to make you a SOLDIER!"
Reno scowled. "I'm not a real cadet, yo," he growled, "Anyways, I was gonna ask you and Angeal if you a Cadet Strife?"
"I don't believe so," Angeal answered, one of his eyebrows raised in question. "Should we?"
Zack set Reno down, and he entered the room, closing the door behind him. "He said that you met him in the infirmary today, yo."
Zack grinned. "You mean Spiky? The little blonde chocobo head? Yeah, I brought him to get fixed up, but all the doctors found was the lump where Seph hit him. I think it was a bit too much for the kid though, because when he woke up he started yattering on about being dead, someone named Vincent, and sleeping."
The puppy paused for a breath and his mentor took the chance to cut him off. "What brought him to your attention?" Angeal asked, his glowing eyes appearing thoughtful.
Reno made a face. "I never would have suspected him before, yo, with him being such a weakling," he steadfastly ignored Zack's squawk of protest and continued on, "but he wasn't in class today and when I got back he was just sitting there on my bunk. That wouldn't have meant anything except that half the lockers in the room were open, and he still had picks in his hand, yo. When I asked him, he said he had amnesia and couldn't remember which was his. There's no way I was believin' that, yo!"
Zack was still rattling off something about his chocobo not being a weakling, but the First Class SOLDIER looked calculating and started probing Reno for more info. "Was there anything else strange about the room?" he asked carefully, silently compelling Reno to answer truthfully.
This guy should'a' been a Turk, he thought, summoning his memories of the discussion with Strife. "Yeah, now that I think about it, yo," he murmured, biting his lower lip in concentration. "When he opened his eyes he freaked after seeing the Sephiroth poster on the bottom of his bed, and I think the ripped up stuff in the trash might've been on The General too."
This made Zack stop his buzzing. "Who would rip up pictures of Seph? The cadets love him, don't they?"
Reno shrugged and looked at Angeal, who answered, "Yes. In fact, he's the only reason most of them are trying out for SOLDIER in the first place."
"Quite the poster-boy our Sephiroth is."
They all spun to face the newcomer, Angeal with a large smile on his face. "Genesis," he greeted, looking happy to see his old friend. "How was Junon?"
Before the red-coated man could answer, a high pitched shriek came from behind Reno and he looked over his shoulder, amused to see Zack trying to hide behind him. That was a bit hard, considering the apprentice Turk was much smaller than his friend. "Yo, Zack, you okay?"
"Keep him away from me!" the older boy screamed.
Angeal turned away from his pupil and towards the red haired SOLDIER. Genesis grinned wickedly. Angeal sighed. "Zack, we won't let him do anything to you, now come out here."
Zack inched his way out from behind Reno, glowering at Genesis all the while.
"Zack," Angeal called. The boy didn't respond. "Zack!" The puppy targeted his glare on Angeal. "Be nice, Zack."
Reno rolled his eyes. "Sorry to break up the party, yo, but if no one knows anything else I'll be going."
"Oh!" Zack shouted, causing everyone to look at him. He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "We still talking about Spiky? 'Cause I have his PHS."
Reno stared at him. "You have his PHS? No way, yo! How'd ya get it?"
Zack scooted back a little, probably not liking having Reno up in his face. Serves him right though, after all those time Zack carried him around. "He dropped it when he was freaking out in the infirmary."
Reno was disappointed. "You didn't steal it, yo? I thought I was rubbing off on you, yo. Can I see it?" Zack tossed him the phone and he went through the contact list, his eyes widening to the size of dinner plates. He froze when he was halfway through, hand shaking slightly, and started yelling. "No way! No way, yo! That's just no possible!"
"What's not possible?" Angeal asked cautiously.
"Look at this!" he shouted, shoving the PHS in the SOLDIER's face.
Angeal's eyes flicked over the contact list. "You're right, it's impossible," he whispered, grabbing the phone from Reno and scrolling down.
Zack moved up to look over his mentor's shoulder. "What? What is it?" he whined, probably not liking being left out.
"Who's on there?" Genesis asked, a curious eyebrow raised.
Angeal breathed out slowly, gathering himself. Reno couldn't blame him, to see the people on there, most of them he didn't know, but some…. "Reeve T." Angeal stated, never taking his eyes off the screen. "Probably Tuesti, Director of the Urban Development Department. Normally I would say it wouldn't be, but Reeve isn't a common name. There's also Rude, he's a Turk, Reno, And Rufus S."
Zack gaped at him. "Rufus? As in Rufus Shinra? My little chocobo has some connections high up!"
"Zack," Reno groaned, "you're missing the point, yo. Strife has my number, and it's the right one. Yo, the only people who got my number are you, Tseng, and Veld."
Zack blinked at him. "You don't have many friends do you?" They all groaned at him. "Alright, alright, I do have a point though. I mean, why worry about it if we can't do anything about it?"
Genesis looked at them and brought out a little book, flipping open to a page dramatically. "Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess; we seek it thus and take to the sky. Ripples form on the water's surface, the wandering soul knows no rest."
Reno stared at him. "Yo, your last name really fits you, ya know?"
Angeal looked thoughtful. "Loveless, act one," he commented, probably trying to figure out what Genesis was trying to say. "You want us to hand it over to Sephiroth?"
Zack gaped at his mentor. "How'd you get that out of a goddess swimming in mystery?"
His mentor smiled sympathetically. "It just takes practice, you'll get it eventually."
"Knowing Zack, he probably won't, yo." Reno broke in.
Ignoring the insult to his student, Angeal started to explain his thoughts. "Sephiroth has been really bored lately, so he's taken to wandering the SOLDIER floor looking for something to do. Shinra hasn't let him go on any missions and he was so desperate he did all of our paperwork and even agreed to baby sit the puppy while I was gone. Thus, he is the 'wandering soul'. The 'gift of the goddess' in this case is the enigma Cadet Strife. We are seeking the answer to the 'gift of the goddess', so we take to the sky, or incidentally, the floor above this one, half of which belongs to Sephiroth. He has the most time among us, and his mind will get no rest from thinking about it once we tell him about it. The 'ripples on the water's surface' are the different impacts Cadet Strife has had on situations. You could also call them the clues. So basically, we want to find out about Cadet Strife, so we go up a floor to Sephiroth. It will bug him like mysteries always do, and eventually he'll find out whatever the cadet is hiding."
A low whistle followed his speech and they all turned towards Reno, who was looking very much in awe. "Yo man, you figured this out in like, what, two seconds, tops? You really should've been a Turk, yo."
Zack glared at him, no doubt preparing for one of his epic marathon-length rants, as in, Reno could run a marathon in the time it takes him to finish. "No way! Angeal's the best SOLDIER ever!"
Genesis cleared his throat and Zack immediately quieted. Reno looked up at the flamboyant commander in surprise. "You gotta teach me that, yo."
Genesis's face scrunched up in disgust. "Me teach you? Not until you learn how to speak properly, 'yo'."
Reno jumped to his feet angrily. "You got a problem with the way I talk, yo?"
"No, I have a problem with the way you talk."
Reno's face twisted in fury and he opened his mouth to shoot something back, but Angeal cut him off. "Later I'll tell you everything about Strife, Genesis. Sephiroth will probably me more interested if we both present it to him."
A dry chuckle escaped the man's lips. "If he's as bored as you say, I think he would jump on the chance to do something even if the rat here talked to him about it," he said, nodding to Reno.
"I'm not a rat, yo!" yelled Reno, bristling.
One auburn eyebrow rose, it's owner obviously amused. "You're a Turk aren't you? Turks crawl around in dirty places, as do rats. You are sneaky and betray people easily and as betrayers are sometimes called rats, you are doubly a rat."
"Oh yeah? Well, well" Reno was breathing heavily now, trying to come up with something to say. "My hair is redder than yours is, yo!"
Genesis blinked slowly, looking at Reno's hair, then fingering his own. "You are right. I may have to change that."
Horror was evident in Reno's eyes, and he started inching towards the door, only to be stopped by the red haired SOLDIER. "I'll escort you to your room, if you don't mind. I need to see Veld anyway," he offered with a grin, reaching into his sleeve.
"Yo, I don't live on the Turk floor anymore. I'm bunkin' with Strife now, yo. There's really no reason for you to get mobbed by a bunch of midgets." Reno nervously pulled on the hem of his uniform, hoping the commander wouldn't think of an excuse to chop off his hair him right then and there.
"You and thee enigma are living together with short people?" Genesis asked with his head tilted to the side.
The apprentice Turk's fingers moved to pick at his nails, anxiousness written on his face. "Strife's a cadet, yo, and for now, so am I. Under cover mission, yo."
Genesis smirked crookedly. "A neon rat pretending to be a mouse with speech problems. How long do you think you'll last?" As Reno opened his mouth to answer the SOLDIER covered it with his hand. "That was a rhetorical question. Don't answer." He scrunched up his nose and removed his hand gingerly. "Was it really necessary to bite me? That was rhetorical too, by the way." He watched with morbid satisfaction as his flesh knit itself up, wiping the blood on his coat.
Reno made a face. "Your blood tastes nasty, yo. Prob'ly the Mako. See ya around Zack!" He ducked under Genesis's arm and strode out the door, trying to think of a way to protect his hair while he sleeps.
Dreams of the Morrow, Chapter two: Amnesia. Finished 3/19/11. 5,964 words. So sorry about the wait, I had a huge project then there was an error and I couldn't update. Updated 4/3/11. Edited 7/10/12.
