A/N: Welcome to chapter 7 of Salvation for the Broken Children!
10,000+ words?! *faints*
Gaia! When I said that this would be the last chapter I had never imagined it would become this big. There's enough words here for two chapters… It just proves once again that I suck at figuring out how many words I need for each scene, and thus suck at planning chapters.
Then again, I think you readers won't be complaining ;). So yeah, here we are. This is the final chapter of Salvation for the Broken Children. I would like to thank everyone who's read this story for giving it a chance. I would doubly like to thank those who took the time and effort to leave a review. Your kind words have motivated me throughout this little side project even though planning on writing this became a little hectic halfway through. I'm glad that I didn't have to skip updates on either of my stories.
But before I go on a tangent about this project, I'll let you read this chapter.
Warnings: If you got through chapter 2 alright then you should be fine. I won't be going into any detail about what happened to Cloud.
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters.
0o0o0
Chapter 7
Tseng and Reno returned back to the station after their visit to doctor Crescent. With Cissnei's confirmation that Zack's handgun was the murder weapon, it was time to plot their next course of action.
Veld agreed. Better yet, the two detectives were immediately ordered to his office the moment they arrived at the station. Their chief was really serious about keeping on top of this case.
"Tseng, Reno, close the door and have a seat." Veld said upon arrival of his two men.
Tseng resisted the urge to frown. Their chief tended to be strict and to the point, but he was being exceptionally snappy in the way he'd said it. The look in his eyes was also very serious, as if he was either displeased or troubled by something. But instead of guessing why this would be, Tseng simply did as he was told by taking a seat while Reno closed the door before joining him.
Veld leaned forward on his desk and folded his hands together, "Throughout the investigation president Shinra has insisted that he'd be kept fully informed of its progress."
The revelation made Reno's eyes grow big, "What?! But it's against protocol to reveal case sensitive information to external sources with the only exception being that it might lead to solving the case, yo."
"You think I don't know that Reno?" Veld snapped.
"Then why did you do it?" Tseng asked in a much calmer tone of voice.
Veld sighed, "I have my reasons, but that it not why I called you to my office. Because he has access to the case files, he knows about the children, but also that you've found the murder weapon."
Veld grew quiet for a moment after those words and Tseng observed him. He could tell his chief wanted to say more, but needed to take a little bit of time before saying it. He quickly looked towards Reno at his side, who also turned his head to look at his boss. With a small shake of his head, Tseng told the redhead to stay quiet. Reno nodded, though he looked unpleased.
True to his observation, Veld eventually raised his clasped hands to his chin and continued to speak, "Shinra also know that the gun belongs to Zack Fair, and wants you to arrest him and put him up for trial."
Both Tseng's and Reno's eyes darkened with displeasure then. As expected Shinra was going to try and cover the whole abuse thing up by convicting an innocent man.
It was Reno who spoke up though, unable to keep quiet after this announcement, "But Zack is not the murderer, yo! It might be his gun, but he has no motive. We believe his boyfriend is the killer."
"No, Zack Fair is an ambitious young man who had his eyes set on the position Sephiroth occupied ever since he came to work at Shinra. Believing it his way to the top, he befriended the man so he could get close to him and then killed him. In the resulting confusion and chaos at his department, he stepped up and took charge."
"But that's not true, yo!"
"Indeed." Tseng agreed, "Zack told me himself that Angeal actually took over as an interim for now and that everybody doesn't feel qualified enough to take the position."
"Besides Zack has been nothing but cooperative in this investigation, yo. It would be unlikely for him to simply hand over his gun if he was aware that it was the murder weapon."
"You think I don't know that?!" Veld suddenly bellowed, causing his two subordinates to grow quiet, "I know that Zack is innocent, but this is the story Shinra wants us to present to the public."
"Really, yo? How can Shinra screw its own employees over like that?"
"It's a big company Reno." Tseng explained while crossing his arms, "Zack is only one insignificant employee to Shinra. It's got nothing to lose by putting him in jail, and it'll serve to keep Sephiroth's activities from the public."
"Indeed, and for my hide as much as your own, I expect the two of you to comply." Veld said.
"Like hell I will!" Reno then stood up and took his badge from his pocket before throwing it on his chief's desk, "You can fire me if you want to, but I'm not going to be a part of this…this…whatever the hell this cover-up is supposed to be."
Taken aback and obviously displeased by Reno's claim, Veld scowled. He then turned his attention to Tseng, "Do you feel the same way Tseng?"
"Yes chief." In a much calmer fashion he too took his badge and placed it on the desk, "I can understand that Shinra doesn't want the finer details of this case known to the public, but I will not stand for it that an innocent man will be sent to jail because of it. My honour does not allow it."
Reno looked pleased at his boss's support. After all, they had promised one another that they would make sure that justice would be served. The fact that Cloud was most likely the real murderer was bad enough, but to have Zack convicted instead – probably with a ridiculous sentence as well with the amount of influence Shinra had – just wasn't right.
Together they faced their chief again, standing as a united front. There was no way out for Veld. He would either lose two of his best men - and probably find no one else willing to take their position - or allow them to go after the real murderer despite the consequences caused by Shinra. In fact, knowing how much Tseng was respected by all his other colleagues – more than Veld himself even – allowing the former option would most likely break up the entire police department.
So in the end there was no other solution than to have the two pick their badges back up, and allow them to chase the truth.
0o0o0
After their confrontation with their chief, Tseng and Reno returned back to the Tseng's office to discuss how they were going to tackle solving this case once and for all.
"To be fair, we do not have a lot of evidence to support our case. Zack did have the opportunity, but no motive. Cloud on the other hand had both the opportunity and the motive. However, the match to the handgun is the only substantial evidence we've got, so it would be preferable to get a confession out of Cloud himself." Tseng summarised.
"It'll be difficult to get a confession out of him, yo. With the way he acted so casually before, I don't think he'll be broken that easily with just the evidence we've got."
"We might be able to use Zack after all." Tseng mused, "After all it's his gun. We could accuse him of being the murderer, and use the story Shinra wants us to use. Knowing him he's going to do whatever he can to prove his innocence. It might force him to give us some valuable information about the night of the murder. We can then interrogate Cloud and hope he'll make a mistake."
"Hope boss? Since when do you rely on chances, yo?"
"We don't have much of a choice here. There isn't much evidence to begin with and we cannot leak specific information to the press in order to make Cloud worry and more liable to make mistakes. I know that Zack is going to tell the truth as long as he doesn't realise that Cloud is involved. It might be a dirty trick to have him point out inconsistencies without realising it, but it's the best we've got. If anything, we might even have to pressure him into making him believe Zack will be convicted if he won't confess. I have a feeling he'd rather confess than put his innocent boyfriend in jail."
"Guess you've got a good point there, boss. Alright, let's get this party started, yo."
0o0o0
It was about half an hour later that Rude brought Zack in for questioning. It had been surprisingly easy to take him away from his work. Naturally Shinra had expected them to take its employee. Zack had been confused though, but went along quietly.
Both Tseng and Reno stepped into the room a few minutes later, both taking a seat opposite of the security guard.
"Why did you bring me here Tseng? Did you find out anything about the Sephiroth case?" Zack asked.
"Indeed we have." Tseng said. He placed the item he'd been holding on the table between them, which was Zack's handgun, "We've discovered that your handgun is the murder weapon."
Zack's eyes grew in shock and his mouth fell open. Tseng could easily tell that it was a genuine reaction of shock. He truly was innocent.
"Wait…what...how?"
"It's quite easy, yo. This gun was used to kill Sephiroth. We've also found no other finger prints than your own, so that makes you a suspect."
"But I didn't kill him!" Zack objected heatedly, "He was my friend! Why would I kill him?"
"Because you're an ambitious young man, Zack. You wanted Sephiroth's prestigious position for yourself."
"That's stupid, Tseng. I wouldn't kill someone over that. Besides, even if I would have I have no chance of getting that position. Either Angeal or Genesis are much more likely to get it."
"But Genesis is currently unable to function due to his grief, yo, and Angeal feels himself to be unqualified for the position. It would provide the perfect opportunity for you to step up, yo."
"That's even more stupid. If that was the case, wouldn't I be sitting in Seph's chair right now?"
"Then explain to us how it is that your gun turns out to be the murder weapon." Tseng pressed, feeling that Zack had been provoked enough to change the topic of their interrogation to what they really wanted to know.
"I…I don't know…perhaps it's not even my gun and someone switched it."
"We checked the serial number. It's yours." Tseng countered.
"Then maybe someone else took it, and put it back later."
Now they were getting to the crucial part.
"Who has access to your gun?"
Zack rolled his eyes, "Practically everyone at the department."
"But you always keep your gun with you, right yo? So did you miss it at some point and didn't tell us before?"
"No…no I've always had it with me while at work."
"Then how about outside of work?" Tseng hinted.
"That's impossible. I always keep my gun in a safe at home. The only ones who know the combination are me and Cl-" Zack stopped himself there as his eyes grew big again, but this time in realisation, "No…no way…Cloud wouldn't have killed Sephiroth. He has no reason to. He hardly even knew him."
This was the point where Tseng and Reno knew they had to continue carefully. Realising his boyfriend is the only suspect left, he might not be wiling to share information anymore. Also, judging from his reaction, he knew nothing about the abuse Cloud had suffered at the hands of Sephiroth in the past. That could actually serve to be helpful, since Zack really didn't think Cloud had any reason to kill Sephiroth. He might be more willing to share information because of it.
"But he did know him?" Tseng asked.
"A little bit." Zack confirmed, "I tried involving him in spending time with the guys. He doesn't really have many friends, so I thought to share mine."
"Did Cloud and Sephiroth get along?"
"I guess…they seemed to be ignoring each other for the most part though. I didn't think much of it because both of them aren't really strong socially." Zack then frowned as a thought came to him. His face then brightened, "But Cloud couldn't have done it. I would have noticed if he'd taken the gun. Besides, he was with me that night."
"Tell us about it, yo."
"Cloud was with me pretty much the entire weekend. He had to run a few deliveries that day while I stayed at home. It wasn't anything new that Cloud would work on Sunday, since he could make a little bit of extra cash then. He told me that he had a delivery to Kalm, so that he might be running a bit late. He called me around seven to say that he was done and would be heading back. He arrived around eight and was with me the entire evening and night."
The story sounded solid. Travelling between Midgar and Kalm took about an hour, so that much seemed right. Also, from the way Zack said it, it was clear that it wasn't odd for Cloud to have deliveries in the small town. There was basically no suspicious behaviour on Zack's part.
However, Elena had determined that Sephiroth was killed in the early evening. The travel time easily overlapped with that of the time of death. Did Cloud really have a delivery to Kalm that day, or did he simply make that up to give him enough time to perform the act? It certainly fit with the theory that it had been a planned murder.
Tseng briefly looked at Reno, seeing in the way he looked back at him that Reno had caught on to the same idea. This was the piece of information they'd been searching for. All they needed to do was contact Cloud's employer and see whether this story was true. Both had a feeling that it wasn't.
0o0o0
As soon as both detectives left the interrogation room, several things were set in motion. Tseng ordered Cissnei to contact Cloud's employer and get a hold of a work schedule. Meanwhile Rude set out to track Zack's boyfriend down and bring him in for questioning. With the efficiency in which the two could work, there would be little time to prepare for the interrogation, but luckily the Tseng and Reno had already gone over their entire plan in detail while waiting for Zack to be brought in.
It was about half an hour later that Rude reported back, saying that Cloud was waiting for them in the other interrogation room. Tseng and Reno shared a final look and nodded to one another. It was showtime.
Cloud was seated much like Zack was. He was dressed in black jeans and a blue polo shirt that bore the logo of his company. He held a cap bearing the same logo in his hands on the table in front of him. He looked up when the two detectives stepped into the room and didn't hesitate in speaking up.
"I hope you've got a good reason for bringing me here. I have deliveries to make."
"That's all been taken care of, yo. Someone else is doing them for you as this might take a while." Reno answered as he sat down in his own chair.
Cloud's expression darkened, "I get paid per delivery, so I'm losing money while I'm here."
"That is unfortunate, but we have a lot of important matters to discuss with you." Tseng replied.
The detective pulled something from the folder he'd brought in. He placed it on the table and pushed it towards the blonde. He then closely watched for any sort of reaction.
Once Tseng had retracted his hand Cloud could see that it was one of the pictures Sephiroth had made. He looked at it with a blank expression. There was a small flash of surprise crossing his features, but other than that he gave no outward emotion of shock or fear like they'd seen in the others. Eventually he pushed the photo back towards the detective and leaned back in his chair while crossing his arms and looking away.
"That was a long time ago. I got over that." He claimed, though Tseng viewed the reaction as a small crack in his defences.
"When we came to Zack's house last night to confiscate his gun you told us that you hoped that we would find out who killed Sephiroth soon. Is that really how you feel?" Tseng asked.
Cloud turned back to face him then, "Like I said, what happened between me and Sephiroth in the past was a long time ago. I got over what happened and moved on with my life. The man was Zack's friend and he was upset to hear about his death. Naturally I want him to feel better. I love him."
"Enough to kill for him, yo?" Reno dared to ask.
Cloud glared at Reno for the suggestion, but didn't respond to the question. They were interrupted by the sound of a vibrating phone. Tseng quickly took his device from his pocket and checked the message that had come in before sliding it back in.
"Perhaps you can tell us where you were last Sunday between six and nine pm." Tseng suggested.
"I was working first and with Zack for the entire night after that. You can ask him."
"At what time did you leave work?"
"I-I had a delivery in Kalm that night. I think it was around six…no seven that I headed back."
Both Tseng and Reno didn't miss the hesitation. Though he kept up a good front, it was becoming clearer that Cloud started noticing that his carefully crafted alibi was cracking even further. Time to wrench it open.
"That's not what your work schedule says." Tseng revealed, "I've just received a message that indicates that you had to make your last delivery around seven o'clock in Sector 3 in Midgar."
"I was done early." Cloud reacted a bit too quickly, "So I took on another delivery. That's why it isn't on my schedule."
"If you took on another delivery on the fly, then how come you'd been able to inform your boyfriend of it before you went to work that day, yo?"
Cloud finally started to look worried. He looked back and forth between the two detectives while desperately searching for an answer only to come up with nothing. Now that the blonde was cornered, it was time to cut to the chase.
"Listen to me Cloud." Tseng said calmly, "We know that you killed Sephiroth for what he's done to you ten years ago. How about you start telling the truth and confess?"
"I didn't kill him!"
"We have confirmed that Zack's handgun is the murder weapon, yo. If you don't confess then it's going to be him who's going to jail." Reno pressed.
"What?..." Cloud was shocked, "But he's innocent."
"We know that, yo. But without a confession we have to start making our own guesses. Zack's gun killed Sephiroth, ergo he's the most likely suspect in our case."
"Just tell us the truth Cloud." Tseng added.
Silence fell in the room. Cloud was looking down at his legs with his hands fisted on his knees. Though he knew there was no running away anymore, he was still debating over whether to confess or not. Eventually he unclenched his fists and let his shoulders sag – a sign of defeat.
"I never thought you'd figure it out." He started to say, looking up with a sad expression, "I never thought you'd find out what kind of man Sephiroth was, so that you would never link me to his murder."
"Is that why you've been able to act so casually about it?" Tseng asked.
Cloud shrugged, "Pretty much, though it's also because I'm finally not afraid anymore."
Reno cocked his head, "You've been afraid, yo?"
"You don't understand." Cloud shook his head, "You don't understand what being raped multiple times by a man you hold in high regard does to you."
"I think we've got a pretty good idea, yo. We've been talking to a lot of his former victims."
"No, you don't understand." Cloud pressed, "You don't know what it's like when, whenever your boyfriend tries to be with you, even with something as simple as a hug, you recoil in fear because you see his face instead of the one you love."
"Is that the reason why you decided to kill him now?" Tseng inquired.
"It's…more complicated than that."
"Then try to make us understand."
Cloud took a deep breath and nodded, "I have never been more frightened than that day when I woke up in that horrible room. Afterwards, I had nightmares for weeks on end. Eventually I started to convince myself that it actually had all been a dream. After that I just…forgot about it. I was aware that it had happened, but it just felt so unreal."
"Didn't your mother notice anything strange about you?" Tseng asked.
"She did actually. But I always insisted that I was fine. I didn't want her to worry. Besides, I was a bit of an oddball as a teen to begin with. I didn't really have any friends, because I thought all the kids my age were stupid and childish. So other than my nightmares I didn't really act that much different."
That pretty much explained why Cloud never had any therapy, Tseng thought to himself.
"But anyway." Cloud continued, "I basically just moved on with my life. I was doing well enough I guess, until I met Zack. That's when things started going downhill."
"How so?"
"Zack is…very touchy feely, even with people he hardly knows. But whenever he tried giving me a hug, or put an arm around my shoulders, even if it was meant in friendship, I would just feel an intense amount of fear. All I could do was recoil away from him. It took me a very long time to accept even the smallest physical touch from him."
"And yet you got into a romantic relationship with him."
"Yeah. The chemistry had been there fairly soon after we'd met, but I was hardly ready for a normal friendship, let alone a romantic one. I-I wanted to be with Zack so bad, but was also so afraid of him pushing me too far too fast. It wasn't until I was fairly comfortable about him touching me in a friendly way that we decided to start dating. I just happened to be very lucky that Zack was willing to go very slow for me."
"So you were slowly making progress. Sounds to me like there was no reason for you to take such drastic measures, yo."
"I was making progress. That is until I found out that Sephiroth was actually one of Zack's friends. After we'd been dating for several months he decided that I should get more friends, and introduced me to some of his. The moment I looked at Sephiroth all the memories I had tucked away before came flooding back. What was even worse was that I knew that he recognised me. He even managed to corner me in the kitchen one time."
"What happened then?"
Behind him was a wall. Two long arms were stretched besides his head, caging him in. Sephiroth was leaning forward, an odd, disturbed smirk on his face.
"Well, well. I never thought I'd see you again." He said in a low voice.
"I-I-I'm not a kid anymore." Cloud tried to be brave though he felt like he was fifteen years old again.
"No you are not." Sephiroth looked up and down his body, making him feel violated already, "But that's okay. People grow up. It's only natural. Besides, you're now officially Zack's boyfriend, and I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings."
"Then why are you here?"
"I just want to give you a friendly reminder. If you really love Zack, then you'll keep what's happened between the two of us our little secret."
"And if I don't?" He dared to challenge.
Sephiroth leaned in a little further, making Cloud feel even more terrified, "Then I'll have to start making an exception. You still look young enough to be appealing to me, and Zack isn't too bad looking either. I might just take you both."
Before Cloud had even a chance to respond Sephiroth leaned back again. Without another word he left the kitchen as if nothing had ever happened, confident that his threat would ensure the blonde's silence.
"Whenever I saw him after that, he would always look at me. It was as if he was silently reminding me of his words. Luckily he kept his distance after that." Cloud finished recounting the story.
"What did you do next?" Tseng asked.
"Nothing at first. I just tried to move on, but it was like I'd taken a huge step backwards. This time, whenever Zack tried to take the next small step in our intimacy I would start seeing Sephiroth's face instead of Zack's." Cloud paused briefly and heaved a deep sigh, "I just couldn't progress anymore. All of the hard work and patience had been for nothing. I knew that Zack was being very patient with me, but I also knew that he wouldn't be able to bear being with someone he could never be intimate with for the rest of his life. If I didn't want to lose him I had to do something."
"And that's when you got the plan for killing Sephiroth?"
"I didn't think about killing him at first. I simply tried avoiding him, and tried to push myself beyond that irrational fear I was feeling. But I just couldn't. And no matter how much I begged Zack to just continue, he just wouldn't. It wasn't until a few months later that I figured that killing him would be the only way."
"And so you started planning."
"Yeah, I knew it wasn't going to be easy. I was going to need a gun, because I couldn't hope to kill him any other way. I don't have the money to buy one, so I had to rely on getting Zack's gun instead. I knew that it was going to be a risk, but I was confident that Zack would be proven innocent, and that you wouldn't be able to link me to any kind of motive as well."
"I'm wondering though, yo. How did you get the gun out of the house and back in without Zack noticing?"
"I decided to stay with Zack that weekend. On Saturday, after Zack had gone to sleep, I snuck out of bed, took the gun from his safe and hid it in my bag. I knew Zack wasn't going to miss it the next day. I put it back in the safe on Sunday night in the same way."
"And you also told Zack you'd be late from work in order to buy you some time and give you an alibi."
Cloud nodded, "I knew I had about an hour after I'd called him, but it turned out to be enough time."
It was about ten past seven when Cloud had finally reached Sephiroth's house. He recognised it from all those years ago. On that faithful day he'd met his hero during a school trip to the Shinra Building, and said hero had later invited him into his house. He would have never guessed what would happen afterwards.
The neighbourhood was quiet at this time of night, which suited him perfectly. He made a final check to see whether the beanie he was wearing covered all of his hair and he pulled his gloves tightly around his hands. With a determination that he'd never felt before, the blonde rang the doorbell. A few moments later Sephiroth opened it, looking a bit surprised when he saw who it was at first. But then a smirk replaced his features.
"Cloud, what a pleasant surprise to see you here." He said in a low tone that sounded creepy.
"We need to talk." Cloud got out without wavering once.
"Ah, this could be interesting." Sephiroth opened the door further, "Please come in."
Trying to remain as calm as possible, Cloud walked in front of the man to his living room. He turned around quickly, feeling a little bit better about being able to see him.
"Would you like something to drink?" Sephiroth offered while pouring himself something from his minibar in the opposite corner.
"I don't trust anything that you've prepared for me."
"A wise decision." He turned back around and took a sip, "But for the record, I wasn't going to try and drug you this time." Another sip, "So, you wanted to talk?"
"Yeah." Cloud didn't hesitate and pulled the gun from his bag, aiming it at Sephiroth.
The man seemed hardly fazed by it. Cloud had secretly hoped the man would be surprised and perhaps even show some fear. It angered him that he didn't.
"This is going to end right here and now." Cloud claimed.
"So you've finally gathered the courage to come here and point a gun at me. But think about this. Do you really think it's a good idea to shoot down Shinra's poster boy?"
"I don't care about Shinra."
"No, I guess you don't. But how about your boyfriend then? How would he feel when he hears you've killed one of his friends?"
"Don't you dare talk about Zack as your friend! I bet you don't even know what friendship means you sick bastard!"
"Perhaps." Sephiroth conceded, "But I'm sure Zack would tell you otherwise."
Cloud pulled back the safety notch on the gun. This conversation was going nowhere, and he didn't really come here to talk anyway.
"You might want to think about what you're about to do. If you pull that trigger, you'll be a murderer for the rest of your life."
"Better a murderer of a sadistic paedophile than being a terrified victim." Cloud said with determination.
The way the blonde had spoken the words actually made Sephiroth pause. He was starting to see that the young man was serious, and that he might be very capable of actually pulling that trigger. He placed the glass back on the minibar and adopted a more cautious stance.
"Now Cloud. Think about this carefully."
"I have. I have thought about it for days and nights. I've thought about all the consequences. I know that killing you might make me feel guilty, I even know that I might lose Zack in the end after all if he finds out." He narrowed his eyes in determination then, "But I know for a fact that I'll at least be living the rest of my life without having to fear you."
Without another word Cloud pulled the trigger. The bullet flew quickly and found its mark with the first shot. Sephiroth simply had no time to respond as the bullet pierced his heart. There was no dramatic death scene. There was no helpless pleading for his life. Instead, his body fell down in a boneless heap and didn't move anymore. Then there was silence.
Cloud looked at the body with a blank expression on his face. He'd expected to feel guilty for taking another life, but he oddly didn't. He still felt angry. Though Sephiroth had started to become a little worried at the end, never throughout this exchange had he shown fear. How satisfying would it have been if Sephiroth for once had felt what it was like to be paralysed with fear?
But he hadn't. The son of a bitch never felt fear, and it was written on his face even in death. Cloud clenched his hands and growled slightly. He advanced on the body and started kicking its face. The face that haunted his memories, the face that kept him from being with Zack like he wanted to, the face that didn't show an ounce of fear where he himself had felt an abundance of it for ten years.
After quite a few kicks Cloud was panting, not so much from exertion, but rather from the emotions he was feeling. The anger was gone now, to be replaced by something akin to satisfaction. The face was gone. He was now truly certain that Sephiroth was dead.
"After that I quickly left the house. I stopped by my own apartment to quickly change and then went over to Zack." Cloud finished.
Tseng and Reno had been listening with rapt attention. In particular Tseng noted how he had been for the most part correct in his earlier assumptions. First off it was clear how Cloud had planned out this murder. Not only had be put himself in a situation in which he could use Zack's gun without the latter noticing, but in his story he had also explained why so little evidence had been found on the scene. The gloves made sure he left no fingerprints behind, and the beanie prevented his wild hair from being identified should he have been seen by anyone. It also made it less likely for his hair to be left behind at the scene.
Another interesting thing to note was why Cloud chose to kick his face in after he'd already committed the murder. It was the face that had haunted him, so he had felt a strong urge to replace that.
There was still one thing that Tseng was curious about, so he asked, "Did it help you? Killing Sephiroth I mean?"
"Yes." Cloud said without a doubt, "For the first time in the past ten years I felt free. I knew I would never have to see Sephiroth again. I didn't feel afraid to be with Zack anymore. As a matter of fact, I was able to finally have sex with him that very night. I was still nervous, but at those moments I simply thought of Sephiroth and his bashed up face and the nerves would slowly go away. Our relationship has been going very well ever since."
"And now we're going to have to arrest you, yo." Reno said solemnly, feeling sympathetic to the blonde.
"It's okay." Cloud replied equally solemn, "You're just doing your job."
0o0o0
After the interrogation, Cloud was officially arrested and taken to one of the holding cells at the station until his trial. Normally the cells were meant for temporary incarceration while the police could determine to what jail the criminal should be send to awaiting trial. But with the pressure Shinra was putting behind the case, Cloud's trial wouldn't be too far off.
He didn't make a scene out of it. It wasn't so much that his fight was gone, but rather that he had resigned himself to his fate. Though he had planned Sephiroth's murder in such a way that there would be a minimal chance that he'd be caught, he knew that it was a possibility from the beginning. He also knew that it might ultimately drive him and Zack apart instead of becoming closer.
Speaking of Zack, it was barely half an hour after Cloud had been locked away that his boyfriend was suddenly standing in front of his cell. Cloud looked up at the one who meant so much for him, not really knowing what to expect and afraid to speak up.
Zack looked back in silence, searching his boyfriend's face as if searching for something. Whether he found it or not, he eventually spoke up softly, "Hey."
"Hey." Cloud replied back, though didn't dare to speak more.
"Tseng told me everything." He revealed with a pained expression, "Why didn't you ever tell me what he did to you?"
"Would you have believed me if I had told you your boss and friend molested me ten years ago?"
Zack sighed, "I guess not."
"Then you have your answer right there."
"I still cannot believe it." He shook his head, "I cannot believe he did all that, and that he did it to you, and that you killed him.'
"I understand Zack." Cloud said sympathetically.
"Was any of this ever real?" Zack said in an accusing tone of voice, "Did you really love me or did you just use me to get close to him?"
"What are you saying Zack?" Cloud replied in shock, "Of course I love you. I didn't even really remember what'd happened or know he was your friend when I first met you."
"But why did you have to kill him? Couldn't you have just stayed away from him?"
"Because I didn't want to lose you."
Silence fell for a brief moment as Zack tried to comprehend what his boyfriend was trying to say, but he simply couldn't wrap his head around it. It was all so confusing, "How were you going to lose me?"
"You know firsthand how much time I needed for everything in our relationship Zack. I'm very grateful for your patience and understanding, but I also knew that I would never be able to be with you like I wanted to as long as Sephiroth was a part of my life. I also knew that, despite your patience, it would eventually run out."
Zack shook his head, "You don't know that for sure. I would have waited for you."
"Even if the wait was fruitless Zack?" Cloud challenged, "I know you. And I know how much physical contact means to you. I know that you simply wouldn't have been able to bear not getting that from me forever. You would have left me eventually, or worse, you would have cheated on me."
Zack was growing frustrated. Though he knew deep inside that there was a truth to his boyfriend's words, he also wasn't convinced that Cloud would have never been able to take that step. He just didn't know what to think anymore. He could sympathise with Cloud's plight, but the fact that this concerned his messed up boyfriend killing his even more messed up friend and boss made him unable to think.
Seeing Zack's growing frustration, Cloud decided to stand up from the cot he'd been sitting on and walk up to the door. He gently grasped the iron bars and spoke in a soft and soothing tone, "I understand that you're confused Zack. And I don't know what I can do to stop it. All I can do is ask for your forgiveness. I did what I thought was right for me."
At that point Zack simply couldn't take it anymore. He tore himself away from the door and walked away without another word. Cloud watching him go with a sad expression on his face, but didn't call after him. All he could do now was pray that Zack was going to forgive him. Even if that was all what he was going to get it would be alright.
0o0o0
Cloud's trial took place four days after he'd been arrested. During that time he'd had no other visitors besides the attorney that had been assigned to him. Sadly, that also meant that Zack hadn't come back.
For a long while he had hoped that his boyfriend - or was it ex-boyfriend now? – would come back eventually. But the more time went by that he didn't, the more he lost hope. But instead of pining after him, Cloud managed to resign himself to this fate. The fear of losing Zack had always been there, even before they had started dating, so he had had a long time to prepare himself for it. He was disappointed, but not as much as he would have been if he had expected Zack to forgive him right away.
He looked up when he heard keys unlock the door to his cell. A moment later Reno appeared, "It's time, yo."
Cloud nodded and stood up, dressed now in orange overalls that served as his prison garb. Before leaving the cell he had to extend his arms so the officer could cuff them. It wasn't like the blonde had any intention of running away or causing trouble, but it was required protocol whenever a prisoner was being transported. Reno did so calmly before taking him gently, but firmly, by the upper arm to guide him outside and to where Rude was waiting for them with the car.
The drive to the courthouse proceeded in silence. Rude was driving, Reno was in the passenger's seat and Cloud sat silently in the back. Every once in a while the redhead would turn his head to look at the blonde. He once again felt a wave of sympathy come over him. There was no getting around him being found guilty for first degree murder. This could potentially put him in jail for life. However, his motivation for his actions could drastically bring that sentence down. It might even be possible that he would go home free, though it was very unlikely.
Cloud knew this, and Reno had expected him to be emotional about it, either through resisting or crying. But even though the blonde was silent, he didn't see a defeated young man sitting there. Instead, he saw someone who had resigned himself to his fate. There might not be any resistance, but there was still some kind of strength radiating off of him.
The drive to the courthouse took only ten minutes. Rude parked the car in front of the building and Reno once again escorted their prisoner. They walked up the steps and through the large wooden doors. Reno's face lightened up a bit when he saw someone he wanted to see.
"I have a surprise for you." He murmured to Cloud, making the blonde look back at him with a frown.
Reno didn't say anything more though, but simply continued walking towards some benches where several people, young men and women varying ages, were waiting.
"Reno!" One of the young women called out and stepped forward.
"Glad you could make it Tifa." He greeted her.
The young woman, now identified as Tifa, looked towards Cloud, "Is he the one?" She asked.
"Yeah. This is Cloud." Reno confirmed.
"What's going on here?" Cloud wondered in confusion, "Who are you?"
"I'm sorry. My name is Tifa." The girl said with a small smile, "I want to thank you for what you did."
"Thank me?"
"Yeah…" She shifted her foot a bit uncomfortably, but continued anyway, "He got me too."
Cloud instantly understood what she was talking about. He instantly felt some sort of deeper understanding only those who'd suffered Sephiroth's abuse could feel. Though they all had a different story to tell, they at least could all understand one another.
"As a matter of fact, he got all of us." She gestured with her hand towards the small group, who were actually all looking at Cloud with gratitude, "And we're here today to support you. We're all going to testify."
"Oh o-okay…thank you." Cloud stammered, feeling a bit overwhelmed by it.
"It's the least we could do. You have no idea how much you've helped all of us by killing him."
Cloud nodded, though he did have an idea. After all, it had helped himself a lot.
"We need to get going now." Reno cut off the conversation, "We'll see you in a bit."
Tifa nodded and made room for the two to pass through. The others also stepped aside, murmuring thanks and reassurances as they walked by. Reno could see his prisoner was flustered by it and couldn't help but smile a little. He and Tseng had actually arranged for Tifa and her little group to be part of this trial. He had personally told her to show up early if she wanted a chance to talk to him beforehand. He also wanted to know that Cloud had support.
After leaving the group Reno led the blonde to a separate area. Normally the accused had to wait in the hallway where they'd seen Tifa, but for those who'd committed a serious crime there was a separate area. Cloud's attorney, a man called Reeve Tuesti, was already there with Tseng.
"We're in luck." Reeve said, "Judge Faremis is a good man. He'll hear you out and judge fairly. We might even be able to go for five years."
Five years. It still sounded like a lifetime even though it was a very low punishment for first degree murder.
Cloud nodded, though he didn't want to hope too much.
"We saw Tifa and the others on the way in, yo." Reno told them.
"We know. We actually witnessed a rather interesting scene before you arrived." Tseng said.
"Oh?" Reno asked in interest.
"President Shinra is here too. He's actually the one representing the prosecution. He tried to talk Tifa and her group out of testifying in the case. Or rather, he tried bribing them."
"No way! What did they say?"
"They refused." Tseng replied with a rare smile, "They said that their problem lies with Sephiroth, not with Shinra, and should therefore testify for the one who solved that problem. They have no intention of bringing down the company he represented down with it, so its president should not worry."
Reno whistled before smiling, "I knew Tifa was one tough cookie, but to diss president Shinra of all people really takes some guts, yo."
"It's a good thing she did." Reeve seconded, "They are our most important witnesses in our case."
Their conversation was interrupted by the door that was being opened. A court guard appeared, telling them that they were ready for them to come in.
Reeve turned to face Cloud one last time, shooting him a reassuring smile, "Don't be nervous. Just follow the plan we've made and we should be fine."
Cloud, who been silent so far, simply nodded again. He was in fact a bit nervous. Though he had resigned himself to going to prison, he wasn't looking forward to it. Besides, there was this insecurity of how high his sentence was going to be. Was he going to be locked away for life, or would he get out after several years?
He swallowed and followed his attorney through the door and into the courtroom. He could see that it was already filled up. President Shinra was seated next to the prosecutor. He didn't look very pleased, which wasn't odd considering what Tseng had told them. The benches at the back of the courtroom held quite a few people, some who Cloud knew and some who he didn't.
There was Tifa's group sitting together on the left side of the room. They were all still shooting him reassuring smiles that made him feel a little bit better. The group was intermixed with several adults the blonde couldn't imagine were former victims, so what they were doing there he didn't know. There was one who stood out among them though. It was a woman with long brown hair tied back into a high ponytail. She was looking at him with a mix of hurt and interest, as if trying to gauge what kind of man he was.
On the right side of the room were the people affiliated with Shinra mostly. Most notably there was Zack. Cloud hadn't known beforehand whether he would be there, but it only seemed logical that he was, since it was his gun that had been used to commit the crime. Sadly, his former boyfriend didn't look at him. No doubt he was still angry and confused. Cloud could understand that, but that didn't mean he didn't feel disappointed and a little bit hurt.
Next to Zack were Sephiroth's two other friends. Genesis was looking at him. His expression was one of open hostility. Considering that he had been the closest to Sephiroth out of all of them, it wasn't strange that he felt the most resentment towards his killer. Angeal on the other hand had adopted a much more different expression. It was difficult to read. He didn't look angry, but not supportive either. It was more like he was neutral.
It wasn't long until Cloud felt all those eyes on him and started to feel uncomfortable. He quickly looked away and found his seat. Once there Reno moved to undo the handcuffs before he and Tseng also took a seat at the benches.
Luckily they didn't have to wait for more than a few moments before the Judge entered from the door opposite the one Cloud had gone through. He felt his nerves increase and swallowed again. There was no stopping this now.
The trial proceeded as planned. The prosecutor presented the charges and their demand for punishment, which was life long in prison. Reeve then pleaded guilty, though also claimed that the circumstances of the murder would cause for a lower sentence of a maximum of five years.
The trial then proceeded with both parties presenting their cases. The prosecutor did his best to portray Sephiroth as an outstanding member of society, using president Shinra and Sephiroth's former colleagues to vouch for his personality. Reeve used his former victims to paint a different picture using the evidence Tseng and his team had found and analysed and calling Tifa and the others as witnesses to the stand.
Naturally Tseng and Reno were also called to the stand, telling the court how the investigation had proceeded and how the evidence was obtained. At some point Zack was called to testify, repeating what he knew about the night of the murder. Cloud wanted to say that it didn't hurt him that Zack didn't look at him even once, but the fact was that it felt like a knife had been stabbed in his heart. The fact that Zack basically testified against him, even though he was simply telling the truth, didn't help either.
Zack's testimony turned troublesome at some point. Perhaps it was some sort of last ditch effort, but no one had expected Shinra's attorney to try and put the blame back on Zack. He claimed that the young man had killed Sephiroth and now tried to put the blame on Cloud. Tifa and the others had simply been talked into fabricating some ridiculous story of the systematic abuse Sephiroth had caused.
For a little while it seemed as if the Judge was buying the story, but luckily Reeve was easily able to repair the damage. With the irrefutable evidence in the form of the photos and videos, and the way Zack had been fully cooperative during the case there was no leg for that theory to stand on. Zack seemed a little shocked when he was finally allowed to leave the stand though.
The most surprising witness was the woman Cloud had noticed before. It appeared that her name was Lucrecia Crescent, and that she was Sephiroth's mother. Her testimony was twofold. On one end she provided yet another perspective on the victim, while at the same time her expertise as a psychologist gave some insight into Cloud's motivations.
During her testimony her eyes often moved towards the blonde who'd killed her son. What surprised Cloud the most was that she didn't look at him with hatred. Instead, she looked almost apologetic. Judging from her testimony she had known about her son's activities and had chosen not to stop it because she'd felt powerless to do so. Cloud felt a small spark of hatred towards the woman. If it wasn't for her then he wouldn't be sitting here today. But whenever she shot him another look, with eyes begging him to forgive her while at the same time telling him that she forgave him for killing her son, he felt the anger dissipate.
With all the testimonies and presenting of the evidence, the trial had dragged on for quite a bit. They had even taken a ten-minute recess after the first two hours had passed. They were now coming up to the next two-hour mark, but thankfully they were getting towards the end. Only Cloud's own testimony remained.
Cloud had also never imagined that his trial could take so long. He was guilty as charged, so he felt like they shouldn't have take so much time in convicting him. Presenting all the evidence and hearing all the people involved seemed a bit convoluted to him. Right now as well he was just going to take the stand and repeat most of what had already been told.
After his testimony there were the closing statements, in which both sides basically summarised what had been presented and used that as arguments for their plea. After that was another break, during which the Judge could review all the evidence and decide on what punishment to give the accused. Cloud waited with his attorney and Tseng – sans Reno this time – in the side room again. It was actually rather nice to be cut off from all the other people. He couldn't bear having to see that hostile look Genesis gave him, or the way Zack ignored him. Even the look Lucrecia had been shooting him was getting on his nerves. On one end he was nervous about his actual punishment, but on the other he just wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.
It was only fifteen more minutes before they were called back into the courtroom again. Cloud nervously sat down. This was going to be it.
Judge Faremis entered from the other side room again. He took his place at the desk and called for order, tapping with his hammer a couple times. Once the buzz had died down completely he began to speak.
"Based on the evidence and testimonies presented here today, this court has come to a decision concerning the punishment for defendant Cloud Strife in the case of Shinra versus Cloud Strife." He said formally, "It was already predetermined that the defendant is guilty to the charge of first degree murder, and this trial served to evaluate the circumstances of the act in order to determine its severity and thus decide upon a fitting punishment."
He then turned his attention to the nervous blonde in the defendant's seat, "Cloud Strife, by the power and responsibility this court has invested in me I sentence you to five years of prison. The sentence is to be carried out at Midgar-Kalm Penitentiary until the end of this period or if the bail-sum of 100,000 gil has been met. Is your punishment clear?"
"Y-yes sir." Cloud stammered, hardly able to believe his attorney's plea had been granted.
"Very well then. This court is adjourned."
With another smack of the hammer it was finally over. The prosecutor came over to congratulate Tseng on his victory, but didn't linger otherwise. The crowd was also dispersed quickly as a guard walked up to the blonde to cuff him again and prepare him for transport to MKP. But not before Reeve turned to Cloud with a smile first.
"You're in luck. Judge Faremis clearly sympathised with your story. MKP is one of the lower security prisons. It shouldn't be too bad and you'll probably even be able to get some probation time if you're doing well."
"Y-yeah…" Cloud mumbled, still barely registering what was being said to him, "Thank you. For everything."
"It's my job, but also my pleasure. Good luck out there."
Cloud nodded. He would have liked to stay for a little while longer, but the guard was supposed to take him away now. He meekly allowed his hands to be cuffed again, and when he exited the courthouse the car that would transport him was already there. It was time to say goodbye for the next five years.
At that particular moment the blonde only wished for one thing; that he would have been able to talk to Zack before having to leave.
0o0o0
Zack didn't really remember whether it had been this cold on this day exactly one year ago. He pulled up the collar of his jacket some more, keeping the chill wind from his neck as he stood waiting on the parking lot of Midgar-Kalm Penitentiary.
A few moments later the front door of the facility opened and a familiar person with spiky blonde hair stepped out. Cloud was dressed in casual clothes; unlike the orange overalls Zack'd last seen him in during the trial. It almost made this seem normal.
Almost.
Though Zack made no move, Cloud easily spotted him and slowly moved towards him. He stopped a few feet in front of his ex-boyfriend, simply looking at him with an unreadable expression, while Zack looked back in the same way.
Neither really knew what to say, until Cloud decided to speak up, "They said someone had bailed me out." He stated softly, "Was it you?"
"No." Zack said simply, "There's no way I'd be able to fork up 100,000 gil like that."
"Then who-?"
"Tifa and her group got the money together. Apparently one of Seph's victims was a girl named Yuffie Kisaragi, ambassador Godo Kisaragi's daughter. He paid for most of it, but the others saved up during the past year to get enough."
"Oh…"
Cloud didn't know what more to say. Even though Zack was here, the fact that he wasn't the one to pay the bail hurt him a little bit. It wasn't that he'd expected Zack to pay for all of it, but rather that he didn't give any indication of pitching in. But if he didn't want to bail his ex-boyfriend out, then why was he here?
"Why are you here then?"
Zack sighed deeply and raked a hand through his hair before speaking, "I've been thinking a lot over the past year."
"About what?"
"Us mostly." Though Zack paused for a moment, Cloud didn't question him this time, allowing him to elaborate whenever he was ready, "I was really angry and confused when I found out you were the one who had killed Seph. I could sympathise with your reasons, but at the same time couldn't get over the fact that you had used my gun to kill my friend. And then I even had to face Shinra trying to put the blame one me."
When Zack's next silence dragged a little longer, Cloud softly asked, "And now?"
"I'm not sure yet." He admitted, "I quit Shinra and found a new job. I've got a whole new life now, but I'm not sure whether you should be in it. I know I still love you, but I'm also scared of you."
"Scared? Why would you have to be scared of me?"
"Because you've murdered someone Cloud. You had the guts to grab a gun and pull the trigger. What's there to stop you from doing it a second time?"
Cloud frowned in confusion, "Why would I have a reason to kill anyone?"
"You might not have right now. But what if we got back together and just don't work out in the end. Will I have to face you shooting me as well?"
Cloud's eyes grew in shock at that moment, "Zack, please no, don't say that!" He exclaimed, "Sephiroth did something terrible to me and it prevented me from being with you. I wouldn't kill you for breaking up with me if that's how things are going to turn out."
"How can I be so sure?" Zack challenged with the same heat Cloud had displayed.
Taken aback by the question, Cloud deflated and looked at his feet. He still answered though, his voice soft and sincere, "Because you have given me the greatest gift you ever could have. You have been extremely patient with me. Even when it frustrated you, you would hold yourself back for me. If it wasn't for you I would have never been able to get as far as I have." He then looked back up to face Zack, "I am extremely grateful to you."
"So what if I turn around now and never see you again?"
Cloud shrugged, "Then that's your choice to make. I always knew that I might lose you at some point, either because your patience would run out with me or because I killed Sephiroth. I won't blame you and respect your decision."
Zack looked hard at the blonde, trying to read his expression. What he saw was sincerity. With that single look Zack knew that Cloud had told the truth.
He let out a deep sigh, "How can you be so accepting of this?"
"I've spent ten years of my life denying what had happened to me, and look where it got me. I was reduced to a whimpering kid whenever you even so much as put an arm around my shoulders. When I decided that I would face my fears and kill Sephiroth, I also decided to stop lying to myself. I would not hold up any pretence of being able to keep you by my side. That also meant accepting your decision to leave me." Cloud paused to sigh before continuing, "Also, this past year I've been granted the opportunity to start studying to become a mechanical engineer. I want to continue my studies and start a new life. I don't want to go back to being a simple delivery boy, struggling to make ends meet."
Zack actually barked a short laugh at that, causing Cloud to look at him in confusion, "And here you are claiming that you would have never been able to fully overcome your fears without getting rid of their source. You're so weird."
Cloud's expression softened, "I guess I am."
Letting his own expression soften as well, Zack finally lowered his defensive posture. He opened his arms in a gesture that clearly indicated that he wanted a hug from the blonde.
Cloud smiled. He eagerly took the final two steps and wrapped his own arms around the other's chest. He felt so happy at that moment. It was only a hug, but Cloud took it as a sign that Zack at least forgave him. They would probably need some time to get comfortable around each other again. Or at least Zack needed to become more comfortable around Cloud. But that was okay. Cloud was willing to wait for him in the same way his friend had waited for himself.
0o0o0
A/N: And on that note this story is finished. It was a very fun little side project to do asides Fractured Love. I got the idea after a dream. The only image that I remember was from a naked Cloud bound to a chair looking very afraid. As the emotions from the image remained I started toying with it, and this story was born. A lot of things just fell into place and I had soon made a short list of scenes in which I wanted to tell the story.
I felt that I should be able to write it as a long one-shot. But as I got to writing I soon noticed that I needed more words than I thought to narrate the story. That's what ultimately made me decide to serialise it. And even then it turned out to be much longer than expected (again, I'm terrible at estimating how many words I need…).
But as I got further into the story I got more and more invested into the characters. I threw in some character development I had never even thought about putting in there. The dilemma that Tseng and Reno had to face, along with Cissnei giving a premise for it, really added much to this story in my view. I'm a bit sad I couldn't do the same for Rude and Elena.
In later chapters I even discovered, this chapter in particular, that I could write a dynamic dialogue that isn't constantly interrupted with gestures, movements, but more importantly longer internal dialogue, thought processes, and emotions of the characters. I know that I tend to do that a lot, and it frankly annoys me a bit. It makes me feel like I don't really know what I'm doing and opt for blatantly telling it to my readers instead of letting them just figure it out from what is being said instead, and beefing up my word count in the process. Hopefully with this as my example, I can hope to work on that and make future chapters and stories even more engaging.
Well, that's enough rambling from me. For now in the future you can expect to see Fractured Love continuing to be updated every two weeks. I'll start working on another story in the mean time. I'll catch you then folks!
