Enjoying the story so far? I should hope so...and the numbers are making me smile, considering I started posting, what, half a month ago?
I don't own anything, anyone or anywhere you recognise. Sapphire, along with a few others who'll crop up every now and then, are mine.
Cliffhanger? Naw, this story clearly isn't serious enough to have a cliffhanger...
You guys didn't think I'd do it, huh? HUH? For everyone who believed I couldn't do cliffhangers...Man, you must've been om-nom-nomming on your fingernails until now, the way I left Chapter 3! :D
Noxy the Proxy: Many thanks for that review, I appreciate it!
4 - Innocent Explorations
"WHY SHOULD I WASTE MY DAY OF PEACE AND QUIET BUNDLING A STUPID, IDIOTIC, NO-BRAINED KID AROUND THE SHINRA HQ?! THIS MUST BE THE ONLY DAY I GET A BREAK IN, IN LIKE, TEN YEARS, YO! THEN SOME KIDS INTRUDE ON MY PRIVATE TIME, AND SUDDENLY IT BECOMES MY RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE 'EM WHEREVER THEY WANT TO GO, WITHOUT ANY WRITTEN PERMISSION OR PROOF THAT THEY SHOULD BE GOING! I'M THE BEST DARN TURK THERE IS AT THE MOMENT, AND I'M PLAYING ESCORT! I SHOULD'A TIED YOU UP IN A SACK AND MAILED YOU TO ANGEAL'S OFFICE! AND I CAN'T BELIEVE TSENG... 'OOOOH, RENO! SURELY YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING BETTER TO DO, IT'S YOUR DAY OFF! BESIDES, THESE KIIIIIDS WILL BE BETTER THAN YOOUUUUUU IN A MONTH!'"
No matter how freaked out I was, I couldn't help snickering at the Turk's woeful impersonation of his superior, whose voice definitely didn't sound so high-pitched and shrilly and...woozy as Reno made it sound. Zack and Will, trailing along behind us, erupted into fits of laughter as well, but quickly silenced just as the fuming redhead swivelled his head to look at them over his shoulder. He gave my arm a jerk, and I quickly silenced my own amusement as well.
"So, what, while HE has NOTHING BETTER to do than FUSS over some century-old REPORTS - something he's doing probably just to LOOK BUSY and to ANNOY YOURS TRULY - he sends me off on a WILD GOOSE CHASE with THREE EXCITABLE KIDS WHO ARE MORE LIKE PUPPY-DOGS!"
As the redhead continued to rage, proving his stereotypical appearance to be sadly true, I found myself phasing out from his nonsensical monologue, and remembering back on just how I managed to get myself into this situation.
...
Zack, Will and I had been hopelessly wandering around the Shinra HQ for what felt like hours now, but probably was no more than ten minutes. Constantly finding time to bicker between ourselves and blame one another (with most of the blame being put on me, as was quickly and irritatingly becoming the norm) between pushing open random doors and trying to find Angeal's office or anyone that could guide us there; our standards clearly had dramatically dropped since the start of our exploration.
Just as Zack and I were arguing over who should be the next person to open the door (he was certain it was my turn, while I maintain the last door he opened was, like, five doors ago) Will gasped, and pointed down the corridor. We followed the finger with our eyes, and looked to the end of the corridor; to an open elevator, playing that easy-listening, cutesy elevator music as they always do.
Those glass elevator doors waiting for someone to press a button...it almost seemed like an invitation, like it was waiting for us.
"Let's go!"
"Me first!"
"No, me!"
Zack and I continued our argument in a different context, as we both started to scramble towards the elevator, using dirty tactics to hold the other up. Will simply strode past us, but Zack grabbed him and yanked him back, intent to be the first one to the elevator.
It was at this point I remembered that my rapier, sharp enough to draw blood from the fingertip of the almighty Commander Angeal, was within easy reach, and I leapt forward out of Zack's grasp, drawing the blade and holding it out to Zack, who froze with Will's head in a headlock.
"Don't make me do this, Zack," I warned in a cool voice, and swiftly turned, sheathing my blade over my shoulder and dashing headlong for the elevator. I knew Zack was right on my heels, starting off even before I'd retracted my blade, but all I needed was that little distance and a moment to get ahead.
The doors started to slide closed, and Will let out a strangled "No!" still recovering from Zack's rough grab around the throat. My eyes narrowed, already knowing I wouldn't reach the elevator in time, so I did what any desperate and somewhat mad strategist would do.
I pulled my rapier and sheath from over my shoulder, bent over while running and slid it across the floor. It slid through the doors a few moments before they closed completely, and Zack echoed Will's "No!"
I rolled my eyes at his dramatics, and watched as the sword and sheath bounced against the back of the elevator, the hilt coming to rest just at the doors of the elevator. The glass doors bounced against the hilt, and moved back from the sword to the sides, and the two onlookers let out a joyous "Woo-hoo!" as I retrieved my sword and swung it over my shoulder.
I smirked, feeling particularly self-righteous as Zack and Will joined me, and let the elevator doors slide closed, bringing us down the Shinra building. A moment later, and we all burst into laughs, confused about our own antics. Another moment later, I enquired, "Where do you think this elevator's going?"
"For all our trouble," Will replied, still giggling weakly, "this thing had better open straight to Angeal's office."
At that, our excitement was sobered up a little; simply at the thought that we'd be in trouble at the end of this adventure. I had to admit, I was miserable, until Zack bounced back, "For all our trouble, it should be opening to a room full of food and cute girls!"
While Will grinned his agreement, I grimaced. "Eeuug-" My disgusted sound was cut off at Will and Zack's identically confused raised eyebrow in my direction, and I attempted to play it off with a chuckle. My deformed face, partway between dismay, horror and glee, was not complimented (or taken away from, as the case probably is) by what I said, which sounded a little something like this;
"Eeeeeeuuugggghh-eeh-heh-hehh..."
After a moment of extremely uncomfortable silence, Zack and Will looked at each other, threw their heads back and laughed, finding my discomfort hilarious. I folded my arms and huffed stubbornly, but said nothing as the elevator slowly came to a stop...at some floor. Zack was in the way of the buttons, and shoved me out too quickly for me to see which floor.
It was pretty strange how it didn't ask for identification, so I figured it wasn't that important of a floor, as Will, Zack and I stepped out and took a quick look around the relatively normal-looking floor.
I thought that for all of about two seconds, until a huge guy in a suit looked - presumably, he was wearing sunglasses - at us for a moment, speculating, before striding past us into the elevator.
That man triggered something in Will, as he stared openly at him, in pure awe. Zack and I both understood. The black suit gave him away; he was a Turk.
And man, did he look menacing. Because when I said huge, I meant, HUGE.
The three of us started to wander through the floor, with Will nearly hyperventilating in glee. "We're on the Turks' floor! The Turks!" he whispered it, breathless from delight.
"Amazing," I grumbled, not quite so pleased. I knew exactly what this meant.
If we meet one with a nasty temper, BAM! No questions asked, the three of us disappear, and no one knows where we went. This could only happen to me.
We came to an office door, and I tried twisting the handle - it was locked. Will tried the next one, with similar results, and Zack the same. The next door was slightly ajar.
I sighed miserably, looking at the floor and expecting, more than seeing, Zack and Will staring at me. "Alright, I get it, my turn."
Clenching my fists to reassure myself, I peeked around the door, and slowly pushed it further open, peering at the room.
Strangely enough, it looked less like an office, and much more like...a room, of an apartment? Yup, this looked much more like a home than could be possible for the infamous Turks to work in. Did they...live, in the building?
I suppose, it wasn't that weird, considering us Cadets lived in little apartment rooms like this, but I thought that everyone apart from Cadets lived on their own around Midgar, or something. Maybe the Turks, do they have to stay in the Shinra building all the time?
Zack and Will were peeking in behind me as I slowly entered, and none of us dared to break the silence in the room, for fear of...something. I wasn't sure, but I felt like something was about to happen...something I didn't want to happen, I bet.
I didn't have time, though, to escape from something I wasn't sure of. Because, at that moment, a door opened opposite me, and out came...
Oh, Gaia. Look away now, Sapphire! Don't blush, oh Gaia...
...It's not that bad. But in the heat of the moment, coupled with my one-of-a-kind circumstances, I couldn't help closing my eyes and turning away, blood rushing to my face, as a cute redhead Turk called Reno paused in the doorway to a steamed-up room, staring at me. Surprisingly, there was no animosity in his gaze (yet...) he simply looked a little surprised and more curious than anything.
His arms were still holding a white towel around his neck, obviously having just stopped towelling his dripping, spiky hair dry, and another towel hung loosely at his hips. And while I couldn't see anything explicit, the implications and situation were enough to enter my face into the reddest, oddest-shaped tomatoes contest.
I'd win. His hair would come second. Will's face would be a close third.
After much too long of this situation, with absolutely no sound passing between the four of us, he cleared his throat. "What...are you kiddies doing in my apartment?" was his simple and understandable question, and I stepped back closer to Will and Zack as we three traded glances.
Consecutively, Will and I decided it was Zack's turn to take the rap, and we nudged him forward, past me, into the room with our elbows. He stared openly for a moment, and as an instinctive reaction, his right hand twitched before heading up to the back of his hair. "We're looking for Angeal's office," he explained, with an impressive amount of confidence that made me wonder whether he knew just what would happen if this situation went bottoms-up.
The Turk swayed to the side, folding his arms and furrowing his eyebrows. Another silent, pregnant moment passed between all four of us, before the Turk responded. "You're...kind of...at the completely wrong end of the building, yo," he slowly pointed out, turning his back to look through a drawer as he restarted towelling his hair dry.
The three of us shared glances, and I stepped a little forward, sharing in Zack's confidence. "Would you mind taking us there?" I ventured boldly, and as he looked over his shoulder at me, instantly filled with incredulous anger, I squeaked out a "P-Please?"
He shoved on an off-white shirt with a huge, faded brown stain that could only be chocolate, and stomped towards me from the other side of the room, wringing his hair towel in his hands in fury. I shrunk back until the wall and I were practically one, and he shoved his face much too close to mine for me to feel comfortable. "Tell me why the hell I should feel obligated to do that?" he growled, his teeth bared.
Any second now, I could imagine him reeling back, and looking at me with a cocky smirk, saying, "Hey, you're a GIRL!" After a few moments, he seemed all too furious to realise the obvious signs, so I stuttered awkwardly for a few moments, and said the only thing that came to mind after watching those funny movies about pirates Ash had brought from home and played last night. "P-P-Parlay?"
I could see Will and Zack raise their eyebrows in humoured disbelief in the background, and I could see their concern as the redhead reeled back from my face, grinding his teeth together.
After a moment, I was amazed, as the Turk pulled on some trousers, grabbed my wrist and pulled me out of the room. Desperately hoping my (not extremely well thought out) tactic had worked, I sent urgent glances to Will and Zack as they trailed along behind us, trying to tell them that right now, despite my usually heroic and altruistic attitude towards these matters, I needed their immediate help.
We burst through another door, and I heard an exasperated sigh from somewhere in front as the Turk thrust me in front of him, making me stumble and catch myself after a few feet, only to be looking at who I knew was the head of the Turks - a dark haired Wutaiian man whose face was rather infamous for being unable to portray actual human emotion, Tseng - and I took a few uneasy steps back with a terrified grin that was more like baring my teeth, until I nearly bumped into the redhead again.
Have you ever heard the expression 'between a rock and a hard place'? Well, from the clear annoyance of the head of the Turks in front of me and the blind rage of the Turk behind me, I found myself altering the phrase to suit my current situation; 'between certain death and certain death'. Not a nice place to be, but hey, I'd rather be here than in either of their...death-inducing clutches.
"Tseng," the redhead growled from a little too close behind me, but I restrained my jump to try to relax a little more. "This kiddie and his two lackeys found their way into my room, looking for Commander Angeal's office."
The redhead shoved me forward ever-so-slightly, but the strength behind it made me stumble forward to regain my footing, closer to Tseng, who was sat behind his desk with his elbows resting on the table and his hands in the typical 'pyramid of evil' shape in front of his nose. His sharp eyes examined me critically, and while I was strangely relieved that he no longer looked as irritated, I really didn't appreciate this new analysing look he had. On him, it was way too creepy - like he instantly knew everything about me.
All thanks to my mother - a Turk herself before her passing - I knew what to do in this situation; look professional and make like I have oodles more confidence than I actually do. So, I straightened myself up, trying to look bigger than my usual miserable height and build, joined my hands behind me (hidden fingers crossed in my fisted palms) and stared blankly at Tseng, which only served to make him look, if anything, even more intrigued. Uh, crap...
"What are your names, Cadets?" he questioned after wholly examining me, and got to his feet - making me feel totally incompetent as he stood pretty much head and shoulders above me - and turning his back, heading for a filing cabinet to the left of him.
It took a few moments for his order to sink in, for all three of us, and when it did, our responses all jumbled together, with none of us sure how exactly to respond.
Myself, I was momentarily a fool, and introduced myself as, "Sa-Cobalt Amell."
Zack, being much too excitable about being in trouble and someone else taking the rap for it, was happy to shout out, "Call me Zack!"
Will, still stumped and completely star struck about meeting all these wonderful, famous Turks, I imagine felt quite silly as he introduced himself, "Wi-Wi-Wil-Wiillll...Carmichael..."
So much so, after a loud jumble of introductions in the otherwise silent office, poor old Will was left stuttering out his last name after Zack and I had not only stopped, but processed what happened, and turned to look at him.
With both the Turks now examining him as well, Zack and I had the decency to cringe on his behalf, and he cleared his throat, his face turning red, before swallowing and reintroducing himself, infinitely calmer, "Will Carmichael."
Zack, ever the confident one, pointed to his chest with a thumb, and said, "Zack Fair!" simply, with a charming smirk that, in any other situation, I would've swooned over.
As things were, all I wanted was to punch his lights out. This rather violent feeling gave me confidence, and I turned to Tseng with a small smile that came surprisingly easy, and accidentally probably looked a whole lot more arrogant than I wanted to look as I spoke my false name, "Cobalt Amell."
Tseng, to my surprise, did not bite my head off; simply gave a very, VERY small smile, and turned back to search through the filing cabinet, clearly completely ignoring us. After a few extremely strange moments of this, I looked back to share glances with my two comrades who looked similarly stumped, and caught a similar expression on Reno's face before he smirked confidently.
"So, what should I do with them, Tseng?" he questioned, still with that intimidating grin, grabbing my shoulder and jerking me back slightly. What was it with this guy and shoving and yanking people everywhere?!
He lifted something out of the cabinet and turned back to the desk, setting a HUGE stack of folders onto it, all the pages and files within all exceptionally neat and tidy. I could feel myself staring, but I couldn't do anything to stop, because that stack looked like it'd be heavier than me!
He rested his hands on the desk and leaned over it, and I straightened up as another heavy examining (staring) session took place between him and me, leaving me to stare at the air next to his head and the three behind me to stare at me - only in bewilderment, not in interest, which I found more comforting, weirdly enough.
Eventually, approximately three years later, he sat down into his seat, and opened the file, taking out a small folder within and beginning to read through it. Another moment later, and Tseng gave his calm reply; "You'll do as they ask."
The Turk behind me wasn't the only one who made a double-take at that.
"I mean," he continued, with a small smirk directed at his reading material, "it is your day off. And anyway, these Cadets will be better at their jobs than you are at yours in less than a year." I had nothing to say to that, but I was fairly disgruntled at Tseng seemingly signing our death sentences, as I could practically hear the steam blowing out from Reno's ears behind me.
The leader of the Turks waved his hand in our direction, and that was all it took for Reno to grab my arm roughly and drag me out of there, Will and Zack trailing behind as we left Tseng to read in peace - and as soon as the door swung shut behind us, Reno began his ranting as he led us back the way we came.
...
After suffering through all of that, it was all I could do to keep up with Reno without him pulling my arm out of its designated socket, and convince myself that Angeal's punishment couldn't possibly live up to being any worse than what Zack, Will and I had already been put through. It must've been around half an hour since class ended (excluding the approximate three years Tseng had stared at me that one time) and that could only mean that Angeal had more time to think up a worse punishment for the three of us.
As soon as I thought of that, I wished I hadn't, and suddenly hanging around with Reno seemed a blessing - after all, Angeal looked pretty furious when he stormed out of the classroom.
And who could blame him? Will and Zack got into a completely disallowed fight with weapons, on, what, our third day? Both of them were at fault for breaking Shinra property, and should be rightfully punished...with death...and leave Ash and me to live out our SOLDIER lives in contented peace.
Because right now, I felt cruelly over-punished by Angeal's mini-rage, Reno's MASSIVE-rage and Tseng's horrible mental mind-screwing torture, for something I didn't do. Even that glimpse from the big Turk who went in the elevator after us made me feel unlawfully disciplined. HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHO WE WERE! Life was so unfair...
...Either I need to think about counselling for my overly-emotional current state, I was in a bad place on my 33-day cycle and needed to watch an uplifting movie, or Tseng's mental torture really had broken something that should be connected to something else upstairs.
Personally, I hoped it was the first. And it isn't often I wish for the need to go to counselling. What does that tell you? Eesh...
Inevitably, we soon arrived outside what must've been Angeal's office, because Reno pulled up short, and pushed me hard, just as I recoiled from his emergency stop.
What happened next...well, it was kind-of a blur.
The worst headache I've ever had broke out right at the top of my head, as I heard a splintering, ear-drum-bursting crash that could only be my head exploding.
All I saw, was a flash of white light as the explosion happened, I caught a vague vision of the polished Shinra floors coming frighteningly close, and then pure black invaded my vision. The reason, I wasn't too sure.
After moments of silence, I heard a rather intrigued sounding person from behind me go, "WOW his head was tough! Ha! This could be a game!"
"I'm pretty sure it's already a game. It's called Conkers." That voice sounded less than impressed, coming from the same direction.
As well from there, came a high-pitched outcry of, "You broke my friend! What is wrong with you?!"
One thing registered about what happened - I was smashed in the head! - so as I was rolled onto my back, with my last moments of consciousness (despite my long-lost vision) I commanded my right arm into the air, held it in front of me, and shouted out, "TELL MY CELL BRAINS I SLEEPING ABOUT THE SORRY ARRANGEMENTS!"
"...Heh, Cadet Conkers..."
Everything went a little blank after that, for a little while, and the pain came back when I felt myself being shaken. "Coby...come on dude, wake up!"
I abruptly sat up, pointing a finger into the air, about to proclaim something - but the moment I opened my eyes, the light that invaded my pupils seemed to make my head explode again, and I slumped back down, groaning and clutching my head.
The voice next to me, who I now recognized as Will, muttered to me, "Come on Coby, you aren't doing the rest of us any favours, bud..."
A voice I didn't recognize spoke up next, with a strange self-righteousness to it that could only come from being awfully posh or plain epic, "Am I allowed to laugh now, Angeal?"
'Oh, Gaia, I'm not still in THIS situation, am I?'
"Yep," Angeal was quick to reply, and was quickly followed up by a chuckle from the other.
I wearily raised a hand to balance myself on Will's shoulder and pushed myself to sit up groggily, the sword on my back straightening out next to me that I suddenly realized I could've used to skewer Reno on. When I was finally sitting up on my own, my eyes staring at the ground, I wondered aloud, "Is it over?"
"You wish," that unfamiliar voice came again, and finally, I realized something I should have a long time ago. I didn't know that person.
So, I warily glanced up from the floor, to three sets of black boots on my left side; one surrounded with the ends of a black leather coat, one with red. Due to my mind being a little scrambled, when I should've twigged immediately who at least two of those people were, I didn't know any, and looked right up, squinting at the effort.
When I saw dangerous, bright green eyes staring intently down at me within the infamous veil of silver hair, there was nothing I could do; only squeak in the manliest way possible, jump to my feet and salute so quickly and with such force that I was glad I didn't hit myself with it - it surely would have sent me sprawling to the floor once again.
In a way, for this situation alone, I was glad of my quick reaction time (which came from wearing my very-much-loved straw hat for many months of my childhood around my father, who constantly flicked it off my head to spite me) and the deep-rooted fear that all Cadets have of the General Sephiroth, whose eyes remained riveted to my own with a deadly calm that made Tseng now seem as menacing as cousin Kyro Finch IV, my mother's brother's two-year-old nephew with a preference to shiny things and sporting a hard grip.
Ultimately, he freaked me out a little (as all little children do) and always got what he wanted but was undeniably cute. Cuter than Sephiroth, anyway.
...Why is the General glaring at me?
At his right side stood the person who made this all happen, Angeal, the dark haired man looking vaguely amused, slightly concerned, and oddly smug, his arms folded as he, too, stared at me.
And at his right stood a man leaning against the desk, the one in the red leather, who - from what Zack had told me - was the third friend in the First Class little friendship triangle, Genesis, and who must've been the one to laugh at me. I'd have to keep that in mind...
...If I lived past this meeting, that is.
At my right, Will rose to his feet from where he had been crouching next to me, and I took notice of Zack a little off to the left of me, mouth open and staring, immobile. Psh, I preferred Will anyway...traitor.
In the time I was unconscious, Reno seemed to have made like lightning and bolted, because I didn't see him around. Perhaps Angeal scared the Turk off; that would explain his smugness.
After a moment, I let my hand fall, and smacked Zack around the back of the head to snap him out of his gaping, before pulling him over so we three Cadets would be close, were a fight to break out, for example.
Awkward, tense moments passed as the three First Class SOLDIERs examined each of us head to foot, until Angeal nodded to us in a way that made me relax the slightest amount. "Blonde, Blue and Black," he addressed the three of us, and we shared momentary glances before looking back, "allow me to introduce First Class General Sephiroth, and First Class Commander Genesis Rhapsodos. These two will be assisting me in deciding your...punishment."
There was something about Angeal's smirk at that moment, which told me that right now, I should be afraid. I should be very, very afraid.
When it came to dramatic entrances, Genesis considered himself, and his two First Class associates, to be really rather good. Honestly, when it came down to it, all they needed to really do was walk into a room, and if they so wished, they could sneak in unnoticed, but more often, their presence would fill the room, everyone would turn to look, and Genesis would enjoy basking in the respect and the admiration these people offered.
With a long stride, a billow of his coat and a stern facial expression, the flamboyant and somewhat self-centred First Class Commander could demand the fear and the reverence of absolutely everyone nearby.
In spite of himself, and the occasional time Sephiroth was in a similar and competitive mood (Genesis begrudgingly admitted this was an area where Sephiroth excelled in such a way he could not be challenged) never had he, or his two friends in the room, been on the receiving end of an entry such as this, which attracted more attention than could be possible without inflicting quite a lot of pain.
The door dented inwards, practically exploded off its hinges and landed behind Angeal's desk against the wall on the opposite side of the room. The helmeted Cadet with a shock of messy, bright blue hair sprouting from beneath staggered in, before simply falling at Sephiroth's feet, who straightened up slightly, edging away from the Cadet, his gaze never wavering from the back of the Cadet's head.
Genesis couldn't help his scowl, as the three Cadets and the one responsible for all the drama, the redhead Turk Reno who was little more than a nuisance, engaged in pointless chatter. The Cadet with blue hair - the one currently unconscious and sprawled at Sephiroth's boots - was supposed to be his student. Granted, he had the sword Angeal claimed him to have, strapped to his back, but he was rendered unconscious by a knock to the head.
It was a given that First Class' offices were given doors of one of the strongest metals known on Gaia, about an inch thick, and that Turks are known for packing a punch. Not to mention how furious the aforementioned Turk was, from his ranting down the corridor. But really, if he was expected to teach this infant, he'd need to be more resilient than that.
That would be second lesson. Third would be what fights not to pick, but definitely first would be where not to fall. Sephiroth was worshipped enough; he didn't need a child who was to be his student grovelling at his feet.
As far as first impressions went, for the Cadet to the teacher; despite his apparent lack of intelligence, that entrance had embedded itself into his mind - and whether he intended it or not, Genesis was now intrigued enough to ignore all expectations and take on this kid as a student.
Some more mindless chatter later, with Blue finally waking up from his impromptu kip on the office floor, and Angeal eventually got the gathering down to business. He explained what he had planned, Sephiroth and Genesis were silent as they scrutinized the Cadets' reactions closely.
When Angeal explained that they were to be accepted as students, as opposed to being punished, Zack looked thrilled, Cobalt got over his surprise to smirk, but Will looked decidedly awkward.
Will was first told who his tutor would be, and he instantly spoke up, explaining his odd expression - "Actually, I've been wanting to become a Turk, not a SOLDIER." The three First Classes traded glances, before Sephiroth spoke up for the first time, telling the blonde Cadet that he would teach him an appropriate amount before setting him up with a more suitable tutor. Pleasantly, Will looked thrilled at the thought of having the SOLDIER General look over his training personally, despite his embarrassment at possibly disappointing the General, who took it rather well.
Angeal next explained that Cobalt would be trained and tutored by Genesis for the reasons Genesis already knew. Cobalt's reaction both pleased and disappointed the SOLDIER, as the blue-haired Cadet grinned and stuck a hand in Genesis' direction. "It'll be a pleasure working with you, Commander Rhapsodos!" he had enthused, before his wholehearted grin morphed into a more competitive smirk.
Genesis raised an eyebrow at the Cadet, before giving a smirk of his own. "You'll soon change your tune. Don't expect to be getting all of your beauty sleep for the next few years, Amell," he assured darkly. The Cadet's response was to blink and retract his hand, and Genesis discreetly rolled his eyes before reaching into a pocket and taking out his book, instantly starting to read and silently mouth the words his eyes flickered over.
He paid little attention as the last remaining Cadet was told that his teacher would be Angeal - something he seemed just as excitable about as everything else - and with a short, professional dismissal, the three Cadets left the office through the gaping hole the absent door had left.
"My new door will be coming out of your salary, Mr Blue," Angeal hollered after the sheepishly-departing Cadets. A moment later, a gloved thumb-up appeared in the doorway, which quickly disappeared to the sound of jogging feet.
After it became clear there was no one else in the corridor, the three SOLDIERs exited, and started for a new location, to plan for their newest students.