I know I showed Spark as an ass and some hate him right now. But this story puts him in a different light, I hope you like it anyway.
The door to a room opened. "Hi….Where are they?" The man closed the door again and knocked at the next door. A man opened. "Where are Cloud, Quinn, Joe and Darryl?" "Hi Zack, next door!" "No they're not! Darned where are they? Thanks!" Zack disappeared again. After two hours gave he up, not even at the arrest had he found the four. He walked back to his room as he collided with Angeal. "Fair, watch where you going! I thought you wanted to do something?" "I was! Looking for Cloud and the others! But they're….." "Gone! I know!" "But you never told me that!" Angeal laughed. "You did not either or I would!" "Ok, ok! So where are they?" Officially I can't tell you that. But they're with Genesis!" "Genesis? But he's testing that…..OH!" Angeal nodded "Not a word about that!" Zack grinned and nodded.
Spark stood in front of his class. "Today we will train in a new way. ShinRa had built a fight simulator especially for you! You can be proud; you are the first class to try him. Follow me!" His class followed him with four men in the rear. "Should we tell them…..?" "Shht Quinn, are you nuts?"hissed Joe. "Genesis told us not to say anything!" agreed now Darryl. "But…." "Quinn shut up or we gag you!" threatened now Cloud. Quinn sighted and followed quietly.
In front of the huge building stood three men, one of them with a block in his hand. Spark bellowed "Lt. Spark and his class we're h…." "Why you here do we know. Put you class together in groups of three. Oh and here are the weapons they need!" said the man with the block. Spark turned to his class. "Ok all in….Oh wait a minute!" he turned back to the man. "They are 16; I have a single one left!" Cloud grinned at the inside. Spark would separate him, that was sure. "We'll see what we do!" said the man.
Cloud stood and watched his comrades. Like he thought had Spark put him aside. Now the others were done. "So young man. It's your turn now!" said the man who had taken notes all the time. "You want a partner?" Cloud thought about that for only a second. "If our instructor would go with me, would….." "STRIFE! Are you nuts? I'm to experienced fo….." "Why not? This simulation is thought for three men. With your experience would that fill in for the missing man!" Spark looked like he wanted to strangle Cloud, but he followed him into the simulator. Then came a voice.
"Your goal is to make your way to the button on the other side! It shines yellow and whoever pushes it will end this simulation. You can work together or try to reach the goal alone! But anything besides your comrades are enemies and need to be destroyed. Ready! GO!"
The surrounding changed to a huge city with streets going up in every direction. "Strife, stay beh….Hey where are you?" Spark turned, but Cloud had disappeared. Outside watched the other young man the scenes from inside. "Look at that! He's good!" said one of the class. Darryl giggled. "And what is he doing now?" Joe grinned. "I guess he…." Another man whispered. "Pew, that was close! But… Is he nuts?" Now begun Darryl to laugh. "That's Cloud. Never do anything the easy way!" Now turned the man with the block to them. "If he keeps that up is he "dead" soon. And why did he not stay with Spark?" Quinn followed Cloud with his eyes and answered. "Oh don't worry Sir. Cloud has nine lives. And he and Spark do not go along very well!"
Another man stepped now up to the group and watched the monitor. "Aha I see! Cloud is almost there. But who is that slowpoke?" The whole class stared now at the newcomer. "That's Spark our instructor Sir!" said one of the men. "I see!" now chuckled the man. "I guess Cloud will spend a few more days in arrest!" Joe looked back to the monitor. "What in the…." Quinn began to laugh. "He's there, but waits for Spark! Oh boy that will cost him his head!" The man with the block looked at the group. "Who are YOU and what is this man doing there?" The other man answered. "I'm Genesis, SOLDIER first class and I think Cloud tries to remind Spark that you need to rely on your comrades to survive. Look!"
All turned back. "Spark is in trouble. Can we…." Genesis nodded. "We can!" he pushed a button underneath the monitor and said. "Cloud. End the mission or he's "dead"! Would you be so nice?" Inside pushed Cloud the button, Spark stared at him. "YOU…you. I kick you out and if that is the last thing I do!" screamed he. "No you don't!" Spark turned and grew white. "Sir, but…." "We watched you for the last five years! You are a good instructor, but if you don't like someone gave you them a hard time or even worse. This young man is maybe not one of the greatest troopers we have, but three day ago asked we him and his friends to test this simulator. And they passed with flying colors. Those men stay and you get a different class. Any objections?"
Spark stared at the man, then back to Cloud. "You did what?" Cloud nodded. "Genesis asked us if we wanted to do this. Sir you taught us a lot, we knew we can make it. But why do you hate us that much?" Spark shook his head. "Never mind that now! Lazard I quit. There all yours now!" Spark left the simulator.
"Why did you do this Cloud?" ""Quinn, if I went in there alone and came out without a scratch, had all known I was in there before! Remember no one was supposed to know that!" Quinn nodded. "True, but now all know that!" Joe nodded. "Yes, but Lazard told them that not we" Darryl laid on his bed and looked out the window. "I wonder who…." A knock on the door interrupted him; a man stepped in the room. "Who's Strife?" Cloud raised an eyebrow and stood up. "I am! Wh…." "Would you come with me please?" Cloud exchanged a look with his friends and followed the man to a room two stories underneath his. "The man knocked, told someone "He's here!" and left. Cloud looked after him and then turned back to the door. "Oh god! Now what?" he thought as he saw Spark.
"Come in Str….Cloud!" Careful entered Cloud the room, Spark watched this and chuckled. "Sit down! I'm not going to rip your head off! I wanted to talk to you, I….Oh shit, you asked me a question this afternoon, remember?" Cloud nodded. "Yes Sir!" "I wanted to answer that before I leave. You see 20 years ago I had a young man in my class. You remind me a little of him, he was stubborn, refused orders sometimes and talked back a lot. But also wanted he not listen as I try to teach him that your comrades are important in the army. I try to teach him like I did you guys. But he…" Spark sighted.
"Finally I had enough from his manner and complained about him. He got kicked out of ShinRa. But he had a friend here in the army; I did not know that until I overheard a conversation this friend had with someone. Then this friend became a letter, the other got killed in the war. Only he had chosen the other side, not ours. After this left the friend too, I never saw him again. Cloud back then thought I this young man died because of me, from then on tried I to weed out the bad ones. I thought I might save a few more lives. And that is why I gave you such a hard time." "Sir am I really that bad?" Spark shook his head. "No, you're actually good! But Cloud, to ShinRa it does not matter, who dies. Don't ever forget that!"
"I won't Sir!" Cloud stood up. "One more thing Strife! Keep your friendships; they might save your life one day. And… I told you that mans friend left the army after he died?" Cloud nodded. "I know he's dead now too. But he died not in the war like his friend, so I guess I saved at least his life that he could have a family!" "Sir?" asked Cloud confused, Spark smiled. "Oh yes he had a family. At least one child that I know of. You see, the names of those men were Jeremy and Kenneth." Spark looked at Cloud. "Jeremy Stone and Kenneth Strife! Yes Cloud, your father! And now out!"
