A month passed since Cloud's official start as Director of SOLDIER and he honestly had to admit it wasn't...too bad. He was settling into the job, not minding the workload, the communication among the men, or the daily budgeting he had to complete. It was different compared to the jobs he has taken in the past, but he made due. He was adaptable if anything.
Regardless, his peculiar ways was creating a wave amongst the SOLDIERs, the men quickly realizing he wasn't some hardcore military personal. Cloud wasn't the type to make orders, unless necessary. No, he planned to leave that to the three Firsts, letting them take charge of their men, take more control. Cloud would simply be the glue that held everything together, communicating with all sides, and making sure that everyone remained safe and sound.
As for interacting with the other Department Heads (besides Rufus, of course), Cloud had luckily only been to one meeting, President included. He had met all except Heidegger, who was currently in Wutai overseeing the battlefield, but that one single gathering was all he needed. Within moments, Cloud had already mentally declared that almost everyone was an idiot of sorts, zoning them out as they crackled in the background. As for Hojo, Cloud barely managed to hold himself from outright killing the vile man upon sight. It was tempting, but he kept to Rufus' long-term plan.
It, of course, didn't stop him from imagining himself running his blades through the madman multiple times out of spite.
Evidently, Rufus sat right beside his younger sibling, nudging Cloud every now and then, and pulling him into a low-key conversation as a distraction. A few of the other Department Heads had gloated at Rufus' apparent demotion, the grins in their eyes oh-so obvious, while others glared with jealousy at Lazard from behind his back. The displeasure at being one-upped by the former SOLDIER Director infuriated them and they didn't hesitate to show it through snarky remarks and minor backstabbing (something that wasn't new). Rufus just scoffed at the stares and, if anyone dared to voice their thoughts to his face, the Turk Director gave them a verbal lashing to remember while Cloud simply watched amusingly in the background, silently chuckling.
Despite that, no one really bothered Cloud, not yet anyway. He was still considered new and there was no trust amongst his men. He couldn't quite blame them though and he wasn't going to force the issue. So, Cloud just continued his work, sending off missions and reports through the servers.
That to say, Cloud had plenty of free time once his regular documents had been completed and he took to wandering the hallways once more (without his weapon), much like he had when undercover as a SOLDIER Second. Some of the SOLDIERs greeted him as he passed by, but most avoided him entirely, hastily disappearing around the corner. He wasn't offended by the actions and mentally shrugged them off.
Cloud eventually checked up on the cadets, especially Anton, to see how they were performing, but it was the same as before when he had originally snuck in. There was only one or two that would make it through all the exams and become SOLDIER, unless something changed amongst the group. There just wasn't anyone that really stood out, even after a month, and it would be another five before they could train a new batch.
Oh, well.
Cloud even passed by Louis, who didn't recognize him, and gave a nod for a greeting. Louis, of course, narrowed his eyebrows, confused and mentally wondering why the Director was looking at him of all people, before scurrying around the corner. The Second Class appeared healthy, was even smiling whenever Cloud managed to get a drop on him, so he suspected that whatever issues that had been plaguing the man before had been taken care of.
Other times, Cloud visited his eldest half-brother, Lazard, and couldn't help the brief snicker that escaped at the sight of the other engulfed by his paperwork, despite being already accumulated to his position as Vice President. After all, Lazard was used to such ordeals and excelled behind a desk than on a battlefield, unlike the rest of his siblings.
On said visits, Cloud offered to take him out for lunch or a simple coffee break, both happily accepted. Even Lazard knew he needed some time away from his desk, letting his secretary, Celestia, handle everything while temporarily gone. It was pleasant to sit down and actually have a conversation, a normal conversation, that didn't relate to work in one way or another (unless it was gossip). Sometimes, for breaks, Cloud would take Lazard down to the gyms to show him some moves on how to defend himself. Rufus excelled in certain areas, Cloud the opposite, and the combination kept Lazard consistently exhausted. Now, both younger brothers knew perfectly well that Lazard would never be as good as them in battle, as fast or as strong, but they hoped it would be enough to keep him safe from harm until backup arrived. That was all that truly mattered.
There were times when Cloud wandered towards Rufus' area, pestering him for an hour or two in his office. The middle sibling had finally caught up on the backlogs, reorganizing the system, and revamped the workload. It was obvious he was looking for new recruits to fill in the empty spaces where some of the Turks had deserted with Veld, but even he was having trouble finding such individuals. It wasn't like he could pull trustworthy skilled persons out of thin air. There was Elena to take into consideration, but as long as Gun (Emma), who is the older sister, was in the department, Rufus could do no such thing, not without creating a rift.
Still, besides the three Turks (Elena not included) Cloud had known in his timeline, he wasn't too familiar with any of the others. He didn't know who left and who didn't and Zack's memories weren't helpful in that area since he only communicated frequently with two: Tseng and Cissnei. Rufus had a list of names, but even he wasn't familiar with every single one, though he recognized a small handful. Luckily, of the major players (the ones Rufus knew about), only Knife, Legend, Nunchaku, Player, and Martial Arts (M) had left with Veld. The rest had remained behind, not including the smaller and/or newer members that held no codenames. So while looking for new recruits, Rufus had taken up the ordeal with retraining the current Turks with new skills and weaponry he brought from the future.
In the beginning, the Turks had simply gone along with the idea, humoring their new boss, until they got their asses handed back to them. Rufus had wiped the floor with them, defeating them with practiced ease with his own overhauled techniques, purposefully using his future knowledge to his advantage in weaponry and abilities. His ability to read the surface of people's thoughts, their patterns, their intentions, sensing their next ten movements from the twitch of their muscles was unmatched. Rufus knew how someone was going to react before they even did and rapidly retaliated with five plans that correlated with said reaction. It was also good practice for his newfound younger body, but Cloud had already beaten that into him.
Even Tseng had a difficult time figuring Rufus' next moves, effortlessly tossed aside like a rag doll despite his training, but the Second-in-Command quickly caught on. All the Turks did and they studied Rufus' moves, incorporating their own into the mix. Before long, Rufus was finding challenging competition and upped his plans to ten paces to keep himself ahead of his quick-thinking men. Some of the Turks took to the new weaponry like breathing air, taking parts to reformate their own and strengthening their signature equipment.
It didn't help when Cloud got asked to be involved, arriving to the training building after hours to give them someone that wouldn't easily break under certain techniques. It was obvious the Turks were hesitant to bring in the SOLDIER Director, an outsider into their fold, someone from the opposite playing field, but they relented upon their Director's request. Curiosity regarding the man, since the information on Cloud Strife was bare minimum, played a factor in turning the tide. However, when the two blond brothers fought each other, the Turks could only stare in awe.
The respect in their eyes was growing, obviously able to see the competent man beneath his youthful appearance as well as his unusual...background. His no-nonsense attitude and ability to predict had him back-talking against certain higher-ups or departments, arguing that certain missions would obviously lead his Turks to their unnecessary and untimely demise.
Cloud came in to visit during those rough days, calming the raging Turk Director when his temper started to get the better of him, and his different point-of-view was greatly appreciated when Rufus got himself trapped in a spiraling mess (luckily rare). Eventually, over time, the Turks accepted Cloud as part of their unit, not even passing him a second glance when he entered their secured office, and even had his personal PHS number stored in their phones for emergencies. They didn't even bother lifting a finger when they saw Cloud dragging his brother out the door for lunch, or even to just to get away from the desk by his collar, despite the man's colorful cursing. The Turks had quickly learned that the two brothers went hand-in-hand, and sometimes, Tseng found himself getting tagged for said outings.
It was starting to fall into a normalcy for everyone.
"Holy shit..." Rod muttered, mainly to himself, as he stared at the dully tiled ceiling. He was starting to get used to the sight of it, had even begun counting the number of dots on each panel. His body hurt everywhere, especially his back from landing on it hard enough to knock the air out of his lungs and his right arm, where Rufus had just twisted itmoments before, painfully so. Luckily, the back of his head had just missed from being smashed against the hard floor, rolling his body to decrease and comfort his injuries. He could still hear the sounds of combat in the background, but knew he was down for the count, defeated.
Turk practice was deadly and there was no such thing as holding back, not even when broken bones and blood came into play. There was no safety structures, no mats, no nothing. Just a hard concrete floor to cushion their falls. Limits were obviously in place and they knew when to stop to prevent themselves from getting any serious injuries that could limit their abilities to perform. Rod, himself, would really like to not have his head cracked open like a coconut. He was certain he was just an inch away from getting a serious concussion from the way he had been thrown to the ground.
A body being flung above him was enough to pull his dazed attention away from the ceiling. Craning his neck, he watched as Two Guns slammed into the wall, wincing at the loud crack that resulted. He didn't even move when his fellow Turk collapsed to the ground beside him, a loud groan of pain breaking through. Two Guns, at least, was conscious enough to protect himself from the fall forward, outstretching his hands to protect his face. Afterwards, the man just laid there, down for the count.
The two momentarily stared at each other.
Rod grinned, giving a small teasing wave. "Well, don't you look pleasant, Ruluf."
Two Guns huffed, spitting out blood that stained his once-white teeth, and reached up to wipe the dripping droplets trailing down his chin. Apparently, Rufus had landed a crushing punch, breaking the skin on his right cheek and splitting his lip. Ruluf snorted. "You don't look any better, Alvis."
They both glanced up to see Rufus taking on Reno and Rude, the Director weaving between the two easily. They weren't using any weapons, except for their fists, but that wasn't enough to stop Rufus. The blond had obviously discarded his usual white pristine clothes, dressed instead in loose gym slacks, which offered absolutely no protection against physical hits but, in return, gave him free unrestrained movement. Still, it wasn't like anyone else was dressed any differently, no one wanting to get their business suits dirtied. Apparently, the cleaning bills were dreadful.
A few specks of blood decorated Rufus' clothes, much like everyone else's, and his shirt rode up as he moved, revealing a soon-to-be massive bruise at his left side where Tseng had managed to get a good shot in. There was also a couple long bleeding scratches across Rufus' left cheek and unprotected right arm (Rod had managed to tear the sleeve off earlier) where Reno had gotten sneaky with his rings. Regardless, it wasn't enough to stop the Turk Director from retaliating in revenge.
Rufus was literally taking on most of his Turks with minor struggle, depending on who went against him, letting his men weave in and out of battle however they liked. The group had decided to throw one to two at a time, the rest watching from the sidelines for an opening, observing for weaknesses. Most of them normally depended on weapons, with a few taking on martial arts, and Rufus sought to fix that discrepancy. Despite the constant movement and hits he had taken, it wasn't enough to stop the Director from striking back with the same output, pulling moves that some of the Turks knew they couldn't physically maneuver, except some of the females, nowhere close to being that flexible or creative (Rufus had learned them as the best tactic against Cloud, who fought at an arm's length, effectively restraining his brother).
"I mean, I've faced off against Tseng and Veld once for training, separately by the way, but shit, Rufus makes it so much harder. It's like he knows exactly what you're going to do before you do and already has like fifty fucking plans to react with." Alvis grumbled, rolling onto his stomach as he forced himself to stand, ignoring the burn of his right. "Look, he's even coordinating with those outside the ring."
And Rufus was. He had kicked Reno's legs out from under him, hard enough that even the red head couldn't hide his screech, but not enough to snap bones from the force. As Reno fell forward, the Director rapidly spun around, twisting his body, and spiked the red head towards the resting Turks hovering at the sidelines.
Tseng, having recognized the move, managed to roll out the pathway. Katana and Gun, unfortunately, didn't. The group of three fumbled into each other, crashing to the floor, and groaned as they tried to untangle themselves, only to make things rapidly awkward. Rude, foolishly distracted by his partner's defeat, gave an opening for the Director to take advantage of and he found himself facing the ceiling as Rufus flipped him from behind, carefully cradling the larger man's neck to show he could easily snap it.
It was then that Rufus raised his hands up to call for a break.
Alvis was tempted to whistle at the amount of destruction his boss had singlehandedly created and instead grinned at Ruluf. "If Veld went against Boss, who do you think would win?"
Two Guns huffed, carefully standing up while putting as little pressure as possible on his wounded side. "That is a battle I'd hate to see."
"But come on, who do you think would win?"
This time, it wasn't Ruluf that answered. "Rufus, of course."
The two Turks snapped their attention towards the newcomer that had interrupted, eyes wide with surprise. Neither of them had heard the other sneaking up on them.
Cloud shook his head, dressed in his usual uniform, and stepped around Ruluf until he was in front of Alvis. "I'm afraid Rufus would be the winner of that one." Outstretching his hand, he helped the Turk rise up to his feet when the man had only managed to get halfway. He sent a quick cure to both Turks, repairing some of the damage his brother had caused, earning a small nod of thanks from the instant relief.
"Is that so..." Ruluf patted down his clothes, dusting them off until they looked as neat as physically possible. In gyms clothes, of course. "Why do you say that?"
"You'd be surprised what Rufus knows and can do." After all, Veld and Rufus' real ages were about the same in this timeline, but they were completely different in attitudes and abilities. Cloud tilted his head at the thought, letting his bangs slide across his face. "But don't think I'll tell you. That's something you're supposed to figure out on your own."
Alvis huffed, crossing his arms. "You're no fun." As he started heading towards the main group, the rest followed behind. "So, Director Strife, wh-"
"Please, we're outside of work. You can just call me Cloud." The expression that flipped through Cloud's face was nearly indescribable, mainly because it disappeared as soon as it appeared. Titles had never been his thing and never will be.
"Right, sure, I can do that. So, Cloud, when did you get here?"
"Just a few moments ago. In time to see Reno get thrown across the room."
It wasn't uncommon at this point to find Cloud trailing not too far behind Rufus outside of work or vice versa. Those two were rarely separated for long and the Turks were quick to notice that. Wherever one went, the other wasn't too far behind. It didn't help that the two brothers were good at reading each other, almost to the point they were seeing into each other's minds. It was creepy how Cloud picked out Rufus' inner thoughts on subject matters or their Director on Cloud's next actions.
As the group gathered in one corner, trying to rehydrate and treat their injuries, Rufus leaned against a wall. He swallowed gulps of water before wiping down his face with a towel, tucking his sweaty bangs behind his ears. The older blond glanced over as the three arrived at their little corner and gave a welcoming nod towards his sibling.
"I'll admit," Alvis started as he took a seat beside Reno, who was rubbing his kneecaps with a small mutter of curses under his breath. Rude was on the other side, cradling his neck, his glasses skewered. "It's been a long time since I've had this sort of training. Certain people got lucky to miss this." Some got to remain behind at the main base to monitor the servers and department itself.
Cloud shrugged his shoulders, sending a couple more cures to everyone.
Ruluf huffed, "That should be a good thing...right?"
"Oh? Please tell my unfortunate ass that just got handed to me on how this is a good thing." Reno grumbled as he leaned against the back wall, barely hiding a wince. Everything still ached despite the cures and he closed his eyes to push back the growing headache.
"Well, if we're struggling this bad against one single person, that can't be good." Two Guns then added, "And the boss isn't even enhanced either."
Rufus stared at three Turks from the sidelines, placing his water bottle down onto the bench.
"Are you serious? That's bullshit, yo." Reno grumbled some more, growling his bitterness. "I can fight just fine."
Rufus, at the pointed stare from Cloud, took the lead. "It's more that I've noticed many lacked training or familiarity with the combat style I use. All of you are smart, quick-thinking enough to compensate any of your weaknesses, but as you've already experienced, it's enough to cause you trouble." The Turks continued to stare, but were unable to ignore the aching bruises on their body, the telltale signs of their defeat. A few unconsciously rubbed the spots, wincing as they touched the tender areas. Rufus continued, "I doubt that you'll face anyone as competent as myself in battle with this style, but fifty percent of the battle has already won by being prepared."
Cloud almost rolled his eyes, letting out a little snort, before breaking away, letting those words settle in their mind. In the meantime, he gave his brother a quick one-over, checking for injuries, and spotted the worst on the ribs, quickly giving it a heal. Rufus huffed, shaking his head, letting the spell wash over, ignoring the itching under his skin.
"At least, it helps that about three-fourths of the people out there, SOLDIERs included, are muscle heads. Literally. It's exactly what ShinRa wanted from both sides. All brawn, no brains." There was a resounding snort from someone amongst the group, but here was no denial on that basic assessment. Rufus gave a small stretch and glanced up at the walled clock for the time. "Alright everyone, back to training."
As the Turks slowly made their way to the ring to be beaten down once more, Cloud settled in his little corner off towards the sidelines, but it wasn't long before one of the Turks slipped by curiously, his turn near the end. Katana, one of the very few that used a blade as a primary weapon, stared inquisitively at Cloud's large buster-style sword that had been propped against the wall. "So, about your weapon..."
Cloud blinked once before twisting his neck to glance at First Tsurugi. "What about it?"
"How heavy is it? What is your combat style?"
"Ah," The blond wasn't really certain on how to answer the latter question. It wasn't exactly something he could just explain. Eventually, he defaulted to a regular response and shrugged his shoulders. "Can't say much on that second question, it's something to be seen." Cloud grabbed the sword handle, propping the sharp end to dig into the floor. "As for the weight, it's about fifty-five kilos. If I didn't have SOLDIER strength, this weapon would be near-impossible for an unenhanced to wield."
"But if you factor that SOLDIER strength," Cissnei came by, interested in the conversation instead of the beat down Rufus was currently giving to Gun and Shotgun on the opposite side of the room. "This weapon, already deadly as is, becomes destructive. It's basically overkill."
"Agreed." Katana kneeled to examine the blade closer. He ran his gloved finger over the edges, noticing the thickness of it as well the various designs incorporated into the metal. "The material is different too. Not damascus steel...How interesting." As Katana stood up, he peered up at Cloud with his hand stretched outward. "May I?"
Cloud shrugged and offered the handle over, letting Katana lift the blade up on his own. The Turk was able to, but it was obvious that just holding it with two hands was starting to strain his muscles. Katana didn't even bother trying to go through any katas, knowing he wouldn't be able to lift the blade back up soon after.
The SOLDIER Director chuckled amusingly, arms folded against his chest. "This weapon was made by my design. It's called a Fusion Sword, but I named it 'First Tsurugi.'"
By now, the rest of the Turks were easing over to eavesdrop, interested by the show. At least, those that had been rotated out. Reno stepped forward, his grin wide despite sporting a large red smack across his left cheek, his goggles completely gone. His long red hair was mused, yanked out of his ponytail as if someone had grabbed the back of it for leverage. "Yo, partner, why don't you try and lift the blade? Think ya can do it?"
Rude just stared silently, his sunglasses cracked and skewered. Just moments before, he had gotten a good roundhouse kick to the head, knocking him out momentarily, but it wasn't enough to keep him down. Rude shook his head at the question, knowing it was impossible, but winced as it made his headache pound vividly.
"Fusion sword?" Apparently, Katana was the one to pick up the hidden meaning. He had to let the tip of the blade rest against ground, no longer able to bear the weight. "Is there more than one?"
Rod unconsciously took a step back, eyes wide as he took the blade currently before him into consideration, his right arm raised like he was going to block an attack. "Are you seriously telling me there's another one? How the hell do you wield that?" The resulting murmur amongst the Turks had them stating the exact same thing.
Rufus just laughed from the opposite side of the room, breaking the whispers. Training had been busted again, everyone too amused to focus.
Cloud just smiled, taking the blade back into hand, effortlessly swinging it around. "No, there's no second blade like this. If there was, then I guess I'd be indestructible, but, well, I wouldn't be able to use First Tsurugi to its full capabilities."
"I do remember someone mentioning you're compensating." Rufus snickered as he folded his arms across his chest, eyes twinkling in mischief. Despite being on the other side of the room, they had a clear view of each other. "I've seen your sword collection."
Cloud just snorted. "Right, sure. Come at me, bro. We'll need to talk about your gun collection then." Rolling his eyes, he rotated the blade to access the clasps. They weren't normally visible unless one knew where they were located. Taking the blades apart into its separate parts, he laid them out, knowing he would be spending the rest of the afternoon talking about them.
"You know, despite the two bosses being weird, they're actually kinda cool." Alvis called out amongst his fellow Turks in the locker room. "Competent too. Not what I was expecting when the switch was announced."
The two Directors had left earlier by thirty minutes, training finished, and had nearly slipped out of the training center unnoticed. As for everyone else, they were slowly getting dressing into their navy blue uniforms to head home or back to the office, mindful of their injuries, despite the healing Cloud gave them all.
Alvis continued, buttoning up his shirt, "I mean, I can't be the only one."
There was a mutter of agreement amongst the Turks.
"I know, Alvis! I know exactly what you mean!" Shotgun called out from the other side of the room, where the woman was changing. "Don't you think it's weird that Rufus ShinRa suddenly became incredibly skilled in such a short period of time? He didn't really have any former training besides what he received from us, right? I mean, those moves he pulled off looks like he's been doing it for years."
Her words sent a thrill down everyone's spines. Shotgun was right. Rufus, the previous Rufus, had received enough training for defense purposes only. The type of moves the blond had been able to pull off had never been considered nor taught by any of them. So then, where had he learned such a thing? And it wasn't just that, there was also the weapons he was using with ease that normal Rufus would never have touched, the man too stubborn for his own good, too prestige for something so lowly.
Cloud Strife needed to be taken into consideration as well. That type of strength and skills wouldn't have been missed in such a heavily monitored world. It was like he had appeared out of nowhere and had taken over just as quickly. There was absolutely no actual data regarding his enhancements besides the fake identity listed in the systems.
Those dangerous thoughts brought up more questions than answers.
"Dude...Tseng, ya know exactly what's going on, don't ya? You know all their little dirty secrets, right?" Reno accused, his green eyes narrowed on the Second-in-Command, eagerly waiting for the response. If anyone would know the truth of the matter, it would to be him and him only. Tseng was the only one that remained around the two blonds constantly, weaving in and out of their offices and homes.
"You must admit, it is a bit inconsistent, Tseng." Katana continued, carefully attaching his scabbard to his left hip.
Tseng sighed, knowing everyone's attention was focused solely on him. He was glad his men could sense this peculiarity. It meant they could at least think compared to others in ShinRa. "Perhaps I do." He closed his locker shut, hearing the snap and click in return. He tidied his clothes, making himself as presentable as always without a single strand out of place, hair perfectly tied up into his usual ponytail. Perfection. With a low huff under his breath, Tseng continued. "But I'm not the one to give you those answers."
Letting those words settle and ignoring the disappointed expressions thrown his way, Tseng stepped around his men and headed towards the exit, ready to head back to the office to do last minute checks on their systems.
However, unable to help himself, Tseng momentarily paused as he wrapped his fingers around the door handle, glancing back with a smirk. "Investigate if you want, but you won't find much. I'm afraid they're quite thorough on hiding their secrets."
With that, Tseng closed the door behind him.
Rufus was tired, hardly able to keep his eyes open on the way back to his suite, while Cloud drove, zipping down the highways in a ShinRa company car. Yawning, Rufus stretched within the confined space before tilting the seat halfway back. It had been a long while since he had to fight so physically hard. It had been nothing but mental stress for the past few weeks.
"Tired?" Cloud called out, his eyes momentarily flickering to his brother, then back to the road.
"It's been a long day." Rufus ran a hand through his hair, pushing back any bangs that had fallen down. He was dressed in his usual white, but the large overcoat was resting in his lap.
The SOLDIER Director briefly smiled, taking another turn on the road. "We have about thirty minutes. Take a nap. I'll wake you up five before we arrive." His blue eyes observed the vast scenery on top of the highway, taking note of the billboards and high-rise buildings. "It's too late to cook, so I'll pick something up on the way back. At least, it's the weekend tomorrow."
"Thank the goddess." The older sibling pushed the seat all the way down this time, happily sprawling. He then curled up, getting comfortable, purposefully facing Cloud, and used his overcoat as a blanket. He was mindful of the seatbelt and made sure to have enough room to cover his head if required. Cloud's appearance wasn't well known to the public, but Rufus, on the other hand... "I want nothing more than to sleep in tomorrow and there better not be any emergencies."
"Hopefully." Cloud offered. "Your men are better controlled than mine."
"Not really. Give them a couple of uninterrupted minutes and they'll all act like children."
Cloud couldn't stop the chuckle at the mental image those words brought. "I'm certain. Luckily, for me, I have the three Firsts as my barrier."
The older sibling rolled his eyes, a momentary flicker of a smile flashed by before it was gone. "Fine, fine, I'll sleep."
Ten minutes later, Rufus was out and Cloud was pulling up to a drive-through of some fast food restaurant. He quickly made his orders, knowing Rufus' preferences well. Making sure Rufus' face was unidentifiable, Cloud paid for the order and waited at the second window for his purchase, currently behind another car. He glanced at the clock momentarily, finding it just past eleven, and sighed. Neither of them had expected training to last this long, but well, some things were out of their hands. Still, it had been a good break.
Glancing towards Rufus, Cloud smiled. The eldest sibling was definitely out, his hair just barely peeking out from the top of the coat. His expression was relaxed, his breathing soft and even.
Unable to help himself, Cloud ran a hand through those still sweaty locks, pushing any bangs that had fallen across behind the ear. Rufus squirmed a bit at the touch before nuzzling closer, letting out a content sigh. That action had Cloud chuckling.
"You're horrible." Rufus suddenly spoke up. A blue eye peeked open, taking in his surroundings, before closing once more.
Cloud released the break petal as the car in front left, inching towards to the pickup window. "Yes, so very horrible. Now, back to sleep you." There was a light chuckle beside him as Cloud rolled down his window, taking the packaged food from the attendant.
The rest of the ride back was silent, traffic nonexistent this late at night. The scent of food filled the car and before any of them knew it. They were arriving at the housing area. No one was around except for security and a couple late night goers, the two siblings slipping up to their floor unnoticed. The brief nap was enough to refresh Rufus, getting him to eat, clean up, and change out of his clothes for bed.
"Hey, Rufus." Cloud called out just before his older brother closed the bedroom door. They were in Cloud's apartment, Rufus taking the guest room since the eldest didn't want to bother making the short track across. "Tomorrow, did you want to head out for dinner or something? With Lazard too. Not here, but somewhere on the upper plates."
"Yeah, sure, and I know just the place to eat at." Rufus nodded. "I haven't been there since... Hmm, since the SOLDIER Desertion. It was destroyed during the time Genesis attacked the city. It's a bit fancy, so you'll need to dress nice and I'm certain our pictures will be taken while we're out. The media likes to eat these things up."
Cloud sighed at that mentioning, running a hand through his hair. "I'd like to go back to my own privacy and people not knowing who I am. I'm not fond of the publicity that comes with this job."
"A price to pay for our wishes. At least, it's small."
"Yeah, yeah. Well, good night, Rufus." The SOLDEIR Director grumbled, closing his door shut, able to hear the faint sounds of laughter from behind.
Rufus groaned, gasping heavily as he tried to take in a breath of air stagnate with dust and smoke.
He needed air.
He needed air!
He's suffocating!
He had miraculously survived against Emerald Weapon, only to be trapped in a tiny boxed area made of rumble. There was no light, just absolute darkness. Breathing was getting difficult, he felt dizzy and lightheaded. Rufus was able to taste dust, dirt, and metal on his tongue, and coughed as it tickled the back of his throat.
Help!
He can't breathe! He can't see!
His hands scratched wildly, desperately, against his enclosed area, unable to find an opening of any sort.
He can't get out...
He was going to die here, wasn't he?
Rufus screamed.
No! He can't die! There was still so much to do! So much to be done! So much left to accomplish!
And yet, logically, Rufus knew he had no chance of survival, not when buried so deeply. He had seen the blast radius, had felt the top of the building collapse with him still in it. He was buried so far underneath the rumble that it was impossible for anyone to dig him out in time, before he ran out of air.
There was no escaping from his retched fate.
Despite that, Rufus screamed, banged against the walls until he was certain his hands were bleeding. There was nothing he could do but wait for his end in blind panic.
Damn it all to hell!
"Rufus."
The broken voice was jumbled, like he was hearing it through water, crackled even, and yet it cut through his terrified screams like a knife. He stilled, listening, hoping.
"Rufus, wake up! You're having a nightmare!"
It was then that he actually snapped his eyes wide open, the flash of light blinding him momentarily. Rufus flinched and flailed, feeling tightly bounded, but it was the warmth that radiated through that had him pause from automatically striking. Gentle fingers threaded gently through his hair, pushing his bangs aside from where they had been sticking to his forehead.
"I'm here, Rufus. You're okay. You were just having a bad nightmare."
That voice, he knew that voice. He knew it by heart. Rufus blinked, feeling tears dripping down his cheeks. Had he been crying? He doesn't remember, he hadn't even noticed. "Cloud?"
A head full of familiar hair popped into view, concerned blue eyes glowing. When had Rufus gotten cradled against his brother's chest? "I'm here, Rufus. You're okay. Can you take some deep breaths for me?"
Rufus followed the commands and with the gentle stroking along his hair that fell to his neck, he carefully unwounded. Slowly, his breathing evened out and he relaxed, unconsciously nuzzling against Cloud's chest. Without the adrenaline coursing through his veins, he felt utterly exhausted and his eyes slowly drooped close.
Cloud continued his petting, massaging at the back of his brother's neck, right along the spine. Minutes passed, continuing his kneading, until he finally spoke. "Feeling better?"
"Yeah..." Rufus' pulse was no longer racing and he curled up between Cloud's legs, unbothered by their awkward position. "When..."
The youngest answered. "A few moments ago. Heard you calling out, but you didn't wake up despite the usual attempts, so I was forced to grapple you in your sleep. We both know how you react to rude awakenings."
Rufus managed to smile, though weakly. "True. I tried to snap your wrist one time."
"Rufus...You did snap my wrist. Three times actually. I was not happy about any of those times."
"Ah, my bad." There was nothing apologetic in his tone.
Shaking his head, Cloud changed topics. "So, was it the usual? Building or bodies?"
"Building." And that was enough said. Rufus sighed, enjoying the enveloping safety his brother provided, and closed his eyes from contentment. When Cloud suddenly stopped the massages, he uncharacteristically whined and reached behind to place the hand back.
Chuckling softly, Cloud complied. "Greedy bastard." A minute passed in silence, enjoying each other's warmth. "So, what triggered this one? It's been a long time since it's happened."
Rufus hummed, pushing back against the hands for more. "Not sure. I don't...remember doing anything that could trigger it, especially today. Nothing that would give me a reminder." His eyes opened up, taking in the familiar bedroom, and then peered up into Cloud's deep blues. "Maybe it's just one of those nights."
"Maybe..." Cloud reached up with his free hand and wiped away the nearly dried tears, caressing the checks. "But whatever nightmares you face, I'll be right beside you."
"You like to say the darndest reassures, don't you."
"Oh, be quiet." The two of them were now smiling, evaporating the dark mood surrounding the two of them.
Rufus crawled around in his brother's grip for a moment, looking for the time. Was it too early or too late? It was hard to tell since it was still dark outside. "What time is it?"
"A little after eleven."
Rufus blinked. "What?"
"You were asleep for only an hour."
"Ah, I see." The eldest hummed gently, quite comfortable in his little spot. He didn't want to move but he didn't want Cloud to complain about a sore back tomorrow morning neither, especially since they had plans. "You going back to bed?"
Cloud snorted. "Obviously. Right here with you."
"Good." With that, Rufus pushed their bodies down onto the bed, lying completely on top of his brother. He ignored the loud 'ouf' sound Cloud released and grinned, placing his left ear against Cloud's chest, able to hear the steady beat that had temporary sped up from the fall. "You know, you've always been good at calming me down at my worst moments."
"And you with cheering me up." Cloud replied as he stretched over to click off the light, letting the darkness overtake the room once more. One arm was still wrapped around Rufus, keeping him unbearably close against his body, stroking the short blond hair contentedly. "We're quite the pair."
"Of course." Rufus sighed pleasantly. It's been a while since he's had anyone hold him this tight. The number of people he has allowed this close of contact could be counted on one hand and all but one currently existed with him now. It would have been so incredibly lonely without his brother around to make remarks in the background, the only person that didn't fear him and will call him out on his crap without any ounce of fear.
All his life in ShinRa, back before coming here, before the fall of the ShinRa Company, he had been raised on a pedestal, breed to be the best and to rise to the top. There was no trust between him and any of the other workers in the building, even with his own father. He spent his days working on himself to be better, smarter, more devious, gathering intel to use against anyone that came across his path, and would eventually return to his apartment to be alone once more. He was isolated in a way, never receiving or understanding what love is, calling it nothing more than some fling that made people act foolish around others. If anything, at that time period, he have found it absolutely repulsive. He had been arrogant, ruthless, and had been willing to do anything to get his way, even if it meant cutting down a wall of bodies that stood in his path.
A younger version of him might look down on him now, call him weak and overly dependent on someone else. Pathetic to have friends, to love, to care and nurture, but Rufus didn't care. He would just give his infamous smirk, make a cunning snarky comment, before walking away while giving the younger version the finger.
Love can go both ways and for Rufus. The love he had for his brother made him stronger than ever before. It made him want to stand up to face the world, even when everything was crumbling around him.
Reaching forward, he clasped Cloud's left hand and intertwined their fingers together before closing his eyes, peacefully falling asleep for the rest of the night.
Getting Lazard to agree to dinner had been easy. Convincing the Turks and the so-called escorts to leave them alone, not so much. Since the three of them are considered public figures, the last thing ShinRa desired was a kidnapping or murder. Regardless, two of the strongest individuals in the world walked through the restaurant door with little fear, Lazard following right behind, all of whom heavily armed. Cloud didn't have any of his swords equipped, but he had a couple hidden knives and materia at hand. Rufus (bearing his usual weapons) and Lazard with a single handgun. It would take more than an armed force to capture all three of them willingly.
Cloud, the obvious driver of the three, used the same vehicle as yesterday, handing the keys over to the valet upon arrival.
Lazard hummed gently, peering around inside the restaurant upon arrival. It had been a long time since he had actually gone out, excluding company-related matters. "This is quite nice, Rufus." He pushed his glasses further up his nose, examining his half-brothers consecutively. Rufus had dressed in a slick black suit and gloves with a sky-blue undershirt. He looked dangerous in black, smoothing the rough edges of his frame (the guns carefully hidden underneath), and the blue made his eyes light up, almost like that of a SOLDIERs.
Cloud, despising suits due to its restriction on movement, wore sleek black pants and a plain white button-up shirt. A neat black and white vest covered his chest, giving him that mobility he desired.
Lazard, on the other hand, wore a plain black and white suit with nothing else that was considered special, especially when standing close to his younger half-brothers.
Cloud nudged the middle sibling at the side. "I told you, Rufus. You do look nice in blue."
Rufus snorted, tugging at his gloves by habit. It was unusual to not wear his white layers out in public, but at the same time, it was a delightful break. Still, he could see how eyes wandered over his frame, both of his brothers, and the way people stopped to stare. There was no doubt the three of them stood out amongst the regular crowd and Rufus wouldn't have cared long ago, once thriving on the attention, but now? He hated it, despised it even.
Perhaps coming out wasn't such a good idea...
In the previous timeline, he had become reclusive and free speaking. He enjoyed that freedom, loved it actually. He didn't have to hide his horrid personality or words, not when there was no one watching or caring any longer.
Here, eyes were always there in the background, inspecting him, waiting for a flaw.
"Rufus," Cloud's voice snapped the Turk Director out of his thoughts, his right hand grasping Rufus's arm. His blue eyes examined the other carefully, as if searching for something, frowning the entire time. "You alright?"
Slowly nodding, Rufus finally spoke. "Yeah, just a moment of weakness, nothing more."
Lazard came up to Rufus' left side, eyes shining with concern behind his glasses. "We can head back if you're feeling unwell." Reaching up, he pushed a loose bang of his middle sibling's normally slicked-back hair aside. "You're quite pale, Brother."
Rufus blinked, leaning over a little towards Lazard. "You...called me 'Brother.'"
The eldest sibling flushed as if being caught by something he hadn't meant to let out. "That...That is not important right now. We're talking about you, Rufus."
"Oh, yes, it is. This is the first time you've called me brother." It was a suitable distraction from Rufus' current thoughts, letting the fact he was teasing the eldest take over. Cloud chuckled from the sidelines, noting the vast improvement in Rufus' attitude, and watched the Turk Director reached over, tugging Lazard closer. Rufus grinned. "And here I thought you didn't love me."
The crimson grew, Lazard stuttering some response that neither of the two younger siblings managed to understand. Cloud almost laughed, leaving the two to their bickering fate as he went towards the receptionist, locating their reserved table. He could hear the proceeding argument continue from behind, unable to hide his amusement. As the host grabbed their menus to lead them to their table, Cloud rounded to Lazard's left side (Rufus on the right) and tugged, effectively keeping the eldest trapped.
"Alright, you two, let's stop squabbling and head out. Our table is ready." Cloud then proceeded to drag the two, Rufus joining in soon after.
Lazard grumbled, his face still a cherry, obvious amongst his complexion and blond hair. "I hate you both. Really, I do."
"Hear that, little brother? Big brother hates us." Rufus teased, unable to stop himself. He was enjoying this far too much, his previous depressing mood completely dispersed as color returned.
Cloud joined in. "I know, brother. Who knew big brother could be this mean?"
Lazard just huffed. "Oh dear goddess, you two are going to drive me insane."
"It wouldn't be the first time we've done that."
"I don't want to know. Both of you, shut up."
Cloud decided to add in. "You're making it too easy for Rufus to tease you."
Lazard looked like he was about to scream, glaring at his two younger siblings. He eventually settled with, "That's it. I'm leaving. I want nothing to do with any of you any longer."
Cloud and Rufus just laughed.
Eventually, the three siblings settled, ordering their drinks and food, chattering happily, and just simply enjoying themselves. It was a relaxing Saturday night, without a single care in the world. Wine was ordered for Lazard and hard liquor for the other two, each telling stories about work and life in general. They were in one of the corner tables for privacy, far away from eavesdroppers and those glancing through the tinted windows. Regardless, the three of them stood out amongst the rest of the patrons. It couldn't be helped considering their stature and features.
Lazard, sometimes feeling like the odd one out, never let that bother him. He was enjoying the company of his younger siblings. It was...quite pleasant, sucked into the conversation. He could pick up subtle cues from the two, letting him know they were truly interested in him, and found himself smiling for most of the meal. The three of them bickered here and there, the usual sibling nonsense, before moving onto something else that settled their attention. At least, if there was gossip, Lazard had to admit that the two younger siblings had some of the best, especially Rufus (which wasn't surprising considering his new role in ShinRa).
They were so in tuned with each other, they didn't notice a presence creeping up on them, or well, Lazard didn't. Cloud and Rufus noticed from the corner of their eyes, but never paid any mind to it, letting it grow steadily closer to their position, until said presence finally spoke up.
"Director Cloud?"
The three brothers snapped their attention up from each other to their newfound guest. The SOLDIER First was out of uniform, dressed in civvies, but despite that, he was obviously recognizable by his mere flamboyant hair. That shade of red and deep tone of voice was hard to mistake.
"Ah, Genesis. How can we help you today?" Lazard decided to speak up, being the obvious conversationalist between his half-siblings. "I take it today's your day off."
The red head smirked, unable to help himself in flaunting his hair by pushing loose stands off his shoulders. "Of course, Vice President. Just came back from seeing a LOVELESS play when I happened to catch a certain glimpse out of the corner of my eyes." His blue-green eyes examined each blond curiously, hovering momentarily, before moving on. "A dinner date?"
Rufus almost snorted at that and turned away, hiding his smile. Cloud, on the other hand, just raised an eyebrow.
Lazard, being the more sensible one, answered. "Somewhat. Just some rest and relaxation. It's been a long time since either of us actually had a meal outside of our homes and work."
"Oh?" Genesis knew about the relationship between the three blonds, Sephiroth long filling him in. Now that he knew the truth and had all of the brothers side by side for comparison, he could spot the obvious resemblance. Cloud, visibly the younger of the group, had more of his (unknown) mother's features than the other two, Lazard and Rufus sharing theirs from their father. "Must be nice."
The red head continued his observations of the three before gazing at his surroundings. It was obvious that they were gathering numerous stares, standing out amongst all the regular common people in Midgar, especially now that Genesis had joined.
"No protection?" Genesis questioned. He couldn't recognize any Turks in the surrounding area, not even those that are undercover. There wasn't any SOLDIERs or troopers either. The three blonds were truly all on their own and that was dangerous considering how high on the food chain they were positioned. "Now, that can't be right."
Rufus waved off the concern. "Don't worry. We didn't want any. We're more than capable handling our own affairs."
Genesis just stared, not really believing the Turk Director. It was mostly he had never seen the middle sibling in a fight, not trusting whatever skills the man held. He didn't even like the Turks in particular either, holding them at a distance to ensure his own personal safety. Deciding to ignore the Turk Director, he turned towards Cloud. "Director Cloud, though I've seen you in battle, you shouldn't head out without protection."
Cloud blinked twice. Him...needing protection? That was...strange, but considerate. To think that Genesis was actually concerned about him. Shaking his head, he replied. "I'll be fine. Don't worry." He leaned back against his chair, tilting his head just slightly. "It's your day off, correct? You should enjoy it, Genesis."
Genesis looked like he wanted to retort to that, clearly biting down his bottom lip. Eventually, he huffed and spun around with a drastic flare to his steps, storming out the restaurant without saying anything else. It was kinda amusing the way his hair and clothes flashed with his fiery personality.
Lazard leaned forward, his blue eyes observing the scene curiously before glancing at his youngest sibling. "I think that's the most concern I've ever seen from Genesis during all these years I've known him."
Rufus snorted, gazing at Cloud mischievously, purposefully shifting his eyebrows upward as he took a suggestive sip of his mixed drink. "You plan on capturing all three of them?"
"Shut up, Rufus."
Lazard, not understanding the internal joke, shook his head.
Soooo, I've had this beta'd chapter in my inbox for like MONTHS. I just never got the inspiration to actually click the damn link and pull it out. I've lost interest in FF7 but I have like the next 4-5 chapters already done-ish a long time ago as well as the written future plot down. So I'll leave it up to you readers on how you want me to do this. I can go ahead and publish them unbeta'd and unedited leaving you readers to go through the mess of words and written mistakes...or I just don't do anything and leave it here as is...
Decisions, decisions...