Hey guys, I finally have an update for you. I wanted to say sorry for not getting review replies to you sooner. I have been working in basically the middle of nowhere and didn't have direct access to internet. Thank you so much for all your reviews to the last chapter and I hope you enjoy the update!
Added comment since yesterday: I thought I should mention, since it's been asked a few times, the character Johnny Six is not modelled off of or supposed to be the Johnny from the game. I haven't played the game and actually wasn't aware there was a character by the name of Johnny already or I probably would have given the OC a different name. Sorry for any confusion :)
Chapter XXV
The cold winter air was biting at the exposed skin of Cloud's face and hands as he shifted a little on his stomach. He could hear the whistling of the wind in his ears and squinted a little to see through the mist of snow it whipped up ahead of him. He took in a breath and held it. Gently, he pulled his right index finger back and applied just the right amount of pressure to the metal under it. There was an expected 'crack' sound and he could just make out up ahead of him the blue and yellow target shuddering a little with the impact from the bullet ripping into it. He fired three more times at the nearby targets before exhaling slowly.
He released his finger from the trigger of his rifle and checked the time on his watch. He'd been firing for near an hour and his time allotment was almost up, not that it really mattered. There weren't many soldiers dying to use the outside range right now. Still, the cold from lying on the ground was starting to seep into him slowly and it was getting dark anyhow.
He removed his snow glasses when he reentered the training facility and the specialist on duty commented on his accuracy.
"Nice job out there," he said with a nod. "Ninety-three percent."
"Thanks," Cloud replied with an awkward half-smile as he handed over the rifle he'd been using.
"Don't know how you lasted so long without a pair of gun gloves though," the specialist commented.
"Oh," Cloud said before looking at his hands that were definitely reddening in response to the indoor warmth. "I don't find it all that cold here compared to where I'm from," he explained before wishing the specialist a good evening and leaving the facility.
It was only a few days until Christmas. Unlike at the Academy, the base wasn't really outfitted with any special decorations. There were some lights strung up in the mess hall and a few sadly decorated Christmas trees dispersed throughout some of the recreation rooms. Half the base was still deployed in Wutai. About a hundred troops finishing their year-long tours were supposed to be returning before Christmas but poor weather in Wutai had grounded all aircraft. Cloud had found himself wondering what it would be like over there during the holidays. He almost imagined it to be a more festive environment than the one he was currently in. Johnny and the troops he deployed with would be just about finished the fourth month of their tour.
He hadn't spoken to Johnny since before he left and he doubted he'd speak to him again until the day he returned. Unless of course, Cloud himself was finally deployed. He felt like he should be. It seemed strange that he was among only three former Academy cadets who weren't deployed with the rest. He wondered if it was because he lacked something that would make him valuable to have there. For that reason he'd trained as much as he could with firearms and in hand-to-hand combat. In late October he'd discovered an arms room with some weaponry he hadn't seen since the Academy, including swords. They were in rough shape but he was able to convince the officers in the facility to allow him to clean them up and practice with them. He was terrible, so terrible that he caught the eye of a soldier who happened to be in the facility and see him practicing one day. The guy was familiar to him. It was his bunkmate, Druno, a guy who until then really hadn't spoken to him at all. He really didn't seem to talk to anyone. That day though, Cloud was approached by him, and Druno offered to practice with him. As it turned out, Druno was the son of a blacksmith and his father had had a certain expertise in manufacturing and wielding blades. Every other week, Druno would spend a couple hours with Cloud in the training facility.
Since the first day he'd spent practicing with Druno, he'd wanted to ask him why he was in the army and not SOLDIER, but he never voiced the question. He wasn't sure if it would be an unwelcomed one. For all he knew, the guy had tried out for SOLDIER and hadn't been accepted. He knew himself how hard that was to accept so he didn't want to open any old wounds.
In the locker room, he stripped off his water-impermeable outerwear and began making his way to the mess hall for dinner. He sat alone to eat, just as he had most days for the last four months. Every once in awhile he found himself sitting with a few guys from his division, usually because he was coming from formation and they decided to join him. He spent most of his time alone, which wasn't all that bad. He'd spent a lot of time alone in Nibelheim, but part of him really did miss the Academy and the crazy constant bustle of the place. Paul was always forcing him into a conversation, and towards the end of his time there Zack would do the same. He hadn't seen Zack since September but had talked to him on the phone a few times.
In November he'd been put on his first guard duty in the city. He'd been incredibly nervous about it after going through weeks of training in how to deal with certain situations and what he was required to do, down to the smallest detail, including how he was supposed to hold his firearm. For all his worrying, his first posting was completely uneventful. He found himself standing in the same place for nearly four hours. Since then, he'd been posted in the city several times and had become pretty comfortable with it. Though he preferred to be working than not, he was a little disappointed when Sula approached him in the barrack later and told him he was going to be posted Christmas evening at a high class party in the city. He thought it could be the Shinra Christmas Banquet as he'd heard it was to be the first year military soldiers would be posted at the location for safety reasons. Cloud knew it had to do with the terrorist attack that had occurred at the banquet the previous year. It made him a little anxious thinking about the possibility of another attack happening this year, but he learned quickly enough he was going to be posted at a different party. Some businessman's gala.
At five o'clock Christmas night he was standing outside with one other soldier watching as limo after limo after expensive car arrived and various people dressed in formal wear left the vehicles and entered the event hall. He didn't recognize any of the people and after a half hour was wondering what was so special about these people that they required military guards to protect them. The other soldier he was posted with, his name Gall, seemed to think the event was a company party for one of the big pharmaceutical companies. One such company had been in the news recently as having received threats from an animal rights group. The company was rumored to have been testing on an assortment of animals not approved by the Ministry of Medicine. It made sense then, if this gala was for that particular company, that they might need the added protection of guards.
It was freezing outside, probably one of the coldest nights Cloud had experienced outside of Nibelheim. While he did have gloves on, he was actually wishing he had something to cover his face and keep the wind from biting at it. It was nine o'clock and a new round of people were arriving at the hall. He couldn't help but wonder how the Shinra Christmas Banquet was going. Last year had been marked by a terrorist attack so he wondered if less people would be at the banquet despite it being almost a mandatory thing for Shinra staff.
In fact, the banquet didn't seem to have suffered the loss of many people, but of the few who weren't there, Zack was one of them. He chose instead to spend the evening with Aerith. They were in the middle of a walk around Sector 5 looking at some of the Christmas lights that the few people around there had put up on their houses or shops. The displays were much less impressive than those on the plate but it was nice to see regardless. Zack could tell though that Aerith was a little annoyed at the fact they weren't at the Shinra banquet, or at least that Zack wasn't.
"Aren't you going to be in trouble for not being there?" she asked him as they walked hand in hand down the street.
Zack snorted. "It's not that big a deal," he assured her.
"But everyone goes every year," she pointed out.
"Not everyone. Some of the guys get passes to go home and visit family," Zack corrected.
"Well for everyone else I'm pretty sure you said once that it is mandatory," she argued.
"No," Zack denied, shaking his head. "It's just…bad etiquette not to go."
"So why aren't you there?" she questioned, not for the first time. Zack sighed, not wanting to discuss it much more. "I mean, things have been going well for you, Zack. You're leading missions again. I just thought you'd want to keep up appearances." When Zack said nothing in return she stopped walking, halting them both.
"What is it?" Zack groaned, facing her.
"Is this about last year?" she inquired softly.
"Last year…" he echoed, shaking his head like he had no idea what she was talking about.
"Zack," she spoke seriously and he rolled his eyes.
"Let's go," he said, turning to keep walking. Aerith let go of his hand then and he turned back to her.
"Aerith—" he started to say but she stopped him.
"That's why isn't it?" she said. "You're afraid something will happen like last year."
Zack thought about the last banquet. It seemed like just yesterday. A lot of people had been injured that night. Some had been killed. Kunsel had been shot. Aerith had been grazed by one of the bullets. It terrified him to think of how close a call that had been. He could have lost two of the people he cared about most. That wasn't really his reason for not going this year. He could have gone and left Aerith in the safety of the slums. And when it came to Kunsel, as a SOLDIER he always faced risks. Really, he just wasn't feeling like being in that environment that night. It was just over two years since Angeal's death and he found it hitting him harder this year than the year before. He suspected it was because the year before he hadn't really allowed himself to think much about it. Since finishing the bereavement program it's all he'd really been able to think about. That and Cloud.
He hadn't had the opportunity to talk to Cloud much in the past few months. He knew Cloud wasn't at home for Christmas, on account of not wanting anyone from Nibelheim to know he isn't in SOLDIER. He also knew that while he'd been able to keep Cloud from being sent to Wutai in August, he wasn't going to be able to keep him from going forever. More troops would likely be sent out in February or March. While Cloud would have at least a little more training, he still didn't want to see him sent there. He felt bad enough that he hadn't been able to keep Johnny from going. He found himself feeling a little bitter towards Shinra, a feeling he wasn't accustomed to.
"It has nothing to do with the attack last year," he answered Aerith at last. "I've just…I just wanted a change of scenery this year," he said with a half-smile. Aerith looked at him a little skeptically. "I'll be going to the New Years thing anyway in a few days," he added.
"Alright," she said, returning a smile and taking his hand again. After a moment of them walking again she asked, "Is something bothering you?"
"No," he answered with a nod. "I promise," he added when he noted her concerned expression. "Just a little tired," he added with another smile.
"Let's head back then," she suggested, gripping his hand a little tighter as they started to make their way back to the church.
000
By the time 1 a.m. had rolled around, Cloud was exhausted. He didn't think standing could take so much out of him. He was cold, hungry, and ready for sleep. He also smelled of alcohol, as a few of the people from the party had left the building with drinks in hand and their unsteady hands found them tipping their glasses all over, including on him and Gall. People had begun to leave the gala around midnight but they were filtering out slowly, a few people at a time. He had noticed Gall's eyes were closed a few times and he looked like he was about to drop to the ground so he knew he wasn't alone in how tired he felt. The good thing was that the next day he would be off duty and would be able to relax. He was almost sure he and Gall were going to see another completely uneventful evening. That was, until, three men approached the hall and proceeded to try and enter the building.
He and Gall blocked their way and advised them to move along but they seemed pretty intent on getting inside, blabbering on about having been invited to the party and just having left their invites at home. They were all drunk and certainly not dressed for any sort of party like the one going on in the hall. Two of the guys got fairly aggressive when denied access to the building and Cloud began to think they were going to attempt to start a fight. He and Gall took charge and began physically sending them on their way. As Cloud was directing the one away, he felt the third one place a hand on his shoulder heavily. Out of instinct he reached for his gun and turned fast, ready to aim and suggest the guy take off. Unexpectedly, the guy grabbed onto him, stumbling a little, and he mumbled something about not feeling well.
He saw what was coming just a little too late. The man was lurching and throwing up, the vomit heading right for him. He stepped back but wasn't quick enough and was caught at the bottom of his coat and on the front of his one pant leg as well as his boot. The man looked up at him drowsily.
"I feel better," he slurred out before letting go of Cloud's arm. He began to wander off then after his two friends, leaving Cloud in his now soiled uniform.
For the last forty-five minutes he had to stand outside, he had to do so with the smell of vomit now hanging in the air around him. At 2 a.m. the hall was emptied and he and Gall were relieved of duty. They got back to the base around quarter to three and Cloud was so tired he was almost ready to crash in his bunk without even bothering to change from his soiled uniform. He knew he would be forcing himself to do so though, as well as shower. He really didn't want to wake up as dirty as he'd gone to bed. He hesitated though when he got back to the barrack and saw two envelopes on his bunk. He didn't need to get close to them to know who they were from.
He opened the one from Tifa first. Her letters didn't make him feel guilty the way the ones from his mother did. She talked about all the snow they hadn't been getting. It had been a particularly warm winter, which was unusual for Nibelheim. She talked about how school was going, which reminded him that if he wasn't currently enlisted in the army that's where he would be. In high school, like some average teenager. Then came the part where she congratulated him on making it into SOLDIER, telling him she knew he could do it and that his mother was so proud of him. Some of the boys who'd always picked on him were jealous apparently. She finished by telling him she had a Christmas gift for him but that she was waiting to give it to him in person.
He was smiling when he finished her letter but his smile faded when he opened his mother's. Back in the summer he'd written to her to tell her he had been accepted into SOLDIER. She had been expecting him home for the summer and he needed to have a reason why he wouldn't be coming back to Nibelheim so he'd told her the SOLDIER program began immediately after his acceptance into it in June. He hated lying to his mother, but really he'd lied to her a lot growing up. While she knew he'd been bullied by the other kids in the town, and even by some of the adults, she only knew of the few times when he wasn't able to keep his injuries from her. He never told her about all the other times. He never even told her his ambitions to become a SOLDIER until he was basically leaving for Midgar. Now he was lying about being in the army. While his mother's Christmas letter was generally upbeat and happy sounding, with her talking about work and the time she was spending with the few friends she had made since he'd left, he could tell she was sad. He'd been gone more than a year now, though it seemed so much less time had passed than that. He knew she missed him, maybe more than he missed her, and he missed her greatly. He was saving up money though, which he planned to send home soon.
When he'd finished reading the letters he shoved them under his pillow and went to shower. So far the two Christmases he'd had out of Nibelheim had been pretty crappy. He was tempted to think the last year's was better, however, even if he'd spent it in the infirmary. Zack had come to visit him and given him a gift, which had been completely unexpected. This year hadn't really felt like a special occasion at all and he was ready for it to be over.
He was more than a little surprised when he was given notice a few days later that he'd be on the security team for the Shinra New Year's party. Apparently the event was larger than the Christmas banquet as far more people were invited. Last year it had been cancelled because of the terrorist attack that occurred Christmas. This year security and safety of the guests was a top priority so there were going to be almost a hundred people on the security team posted at the hotel where the event was to take place, including the hotel security, hired armed guards and army personnel. As part of his preparation for the night, Cloud was given a folder with profiles of the biggest names attending. He hardly recognized any of them but he was supposed to know who they were and make their personal safety a top priority should something happen. The only people he really recognized where President Shinra, Vice President Rufus Shinra, and the mayor of Midgar.
As many of the guests were going to be staying in the hotel overnight he was technically on duty from 6 p.m. New Year's Eve until noon the following morning but was only on active duty from 6 p.m. until 2 a.m. and then from 8 a.m. until noon when he would be sent back to the base. For those few hours in between he was being given a room to himself to get a little sleep. It was definitely the strangest posting he'd been given but at least he was off the base. Also, because it was a Shinra party, there was a chance he might see Zack.
The first person he saw that he recognized was in fact not Zack but Paul. He caught sight of him while doing a round of the outside grounds. He was approaching the front of the hotel when he saw his former Academy friend. It hit him then that Paul must have successfully completely the Cadet Initiate program and been accepted into SOLDIER. He felt proud and envious at the same time. At the base, he had imagined a few times coming back to the city and meeting up with Paul but when the opportunity was presented for him to approach him and say something…he let it pass by without a word.
When he finally saw Zack it was as he was entering the building with Kunsel. Zack glanced his way and was about to keep walking when he stopped and pointed at him, smiling. He approached then.
"Hey, kid!" he greeted brightly. "Happy New Year!" he added when he stopped in front of him. Kunsel had followed behind but stood back a few feet.
"Thanks, you too," Cloud said back.
"You remember my friend, Kunsel?" Zack said next, glancing back behind him.
"I do. Hi, sir," Cloud greeted Kunsel stiffly. He got the feeling Kunsel really didn't like him that much. Probably because of that night he asked for Zack's help in bringing Johnny back to the Academy from the slums after curfew. Kunsel just nodded at him.
"So you're part of the security geek crew," Zack teased.
"Yes, sir," Cloud affirmed.
"Trade you places," the officer offered.
"Uh, I don't think so, sir," Cloud replied uneasily. "I wouldn't know how to handle myself in there," he said as he tilted his head toward the dining hall.
"Well you're gonna have to learn if you're going to be in SOLDIER," Zack pointed out and Cloud laughed a little. "How was your Christmas?" Zack asked next but before Cloud could answer Kunsel was placing a hand on Zack's shoulder.
"We're late as it is, Zack. Dinner's going to start soon," he said firmly. Zack rolled his eyes as he looked at Cloud.
"Big deal," he muttered. "Alright," he sighed. "I'll catch up with you later, buddy," Zack said to Cloud before being dragged away.
After dinner, Zack found himself becoming bored rather quickly. The one thing he hated about those parties was the mingling he was expected to do. For almost the whole year after Angeal's death, no one really talked to him at all at the gatherings, but now that he was leading missions regularly and becoming a frequently spoken name in the company there were plenty of people vying for his attention. It really just annoyed him. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about work when he spent most of his days absorbing himself in it. That's why he liked to bring Aerith. There was less of a chance of them bothering him when he had her with him. But he was reluctant to bring her to parties now, because of what had happened the previous year. His mood wasn't all that festive this year either.
While he made a good effort to avoid contact with the other guests, save for the other SOLDIERs, he still found himself engaged in discussions he had a hard time keeping focused during. It became even more difficult as the night went on and he became more tired. He was actually on his way out of the ballroom for some alone time when Kunsel stopped him and introduced him to the ambassador of someplace he forgot the name of the moment it was said. He recognized it though as a nation of islands close to Wutai who they'd been recently allied with since the first war in Wutai. He found his mind wandering as the ambassador spoke. He really could care less what the man had to say to him. He didn't want to discuss missions, or city planning, or crime rates, or health improvement, or any of the other things a bunch of people wanted to talk to him about.
"What are your thoughts, First Class?" the ambassador asked and Zack looked at him fast. He had no idea what the ambassador wanted his opinion on.
"Uh…I would say…" he glanced at Kunsel to see him giving him a look that was somewhere between incredulous and scolding. "Would you excuse me a moment?" he questioned and the ambassador nodded.
"Yes, of course," he agreed. Zack gave a polite smile in return before departing from the conversation and the ballroom. He searched out someplace that was relatively secluded and found a lounge nearby. He closed the door behind him and sighed in relief before gazing around the room. There were bookshelves covering two of the walls. Hundreds of books were placed on them. Leisurely, he began to browse over them while he sipped his drink. He really didn't recognize any of them, which wasn't surprising. He'd never been much of a reader.
His mind wandered off to think of Aerith and he decided to give her a call and see how her evening was going. As he was dialing her number he heard the sound of a door closing in the next room over. The rooms were connected by a third door that was shut but he could still hear voices through it. Flipping his phone shut and slipping it back into his pocket, he moved himself a little closer to the door and strained to listen. He assumed a couple had decided to use the room to hook up in. It did tend to happen at the New Year's parties he'd been too. He wasn't really interested in eavesdropping, he just wanted to know who it was.
He realized quite quickly it was not anybody trying to use the space as a place to get intimate. He heard the voices of two men who sounded like they were having a pretty serious conversation. He definitely recognized Rufus Shinra's voice but he wasn't sure about the other. If he could just get a little closer…
He looked down at the glass in his hand. He dumped what was left of the liquid in it in a nearby potted plant and went back to the door. He pressed the open end of the glass against the door and placed his ear on the other end. The voices on the other side of the door became instantly clear enough to discern what was being said.
"There's far greater potential than we're currently tapping into. My father simply will not accept it." It was Rufus talking. "Seems he's more concerned with his science team these days," the vice president added.
"Do you really want to defame the president and provoke competition for Shinra? Do you know what that would mean for the city? For the company? The company that will someday be your responsibility?" the voice of another man spoke.
"My father has no intention of passing the company on to me. He'd have Hojo run it before me," Rufus argued. "I'd rather see it buried."
"So, what will be your next move?" the unknown man inquired.
Before Zack could hear Rufus's answer the other door to the room opened suddenly and Kunsel appeared. "Zack!" he spoke loudly. "What the hell are you doing hiding in here?" There was no way Rufus and his guest hadn't heard Kunsel as well. Zack lowered the glass from the door. "What're you doing?" Kunsel asked, eyeing him curiously.
"Nothing," Zack replied and headed toward him. He pushed past Kunsel back into the hall where the door to the adjacent room opened and revealed Rufus in the doorway. Zack paused only a moment to nod. "Vice President," he greeted before continuing on his way. He had only glanced at Rufus's face but he could tell the man knew he'd been listening in on his private conversation. He didn't accuse him or stop him though. He just replied with a curt "Officer Fair," before Zack was gone.
Kunsel was close on Zack's heels as he headed for the ballroom. The moment Zack re-entered, a waiter was approaching him with a tray of drinks. "Wine or champagne, sir?" the waiter offered.
"Both," Zack answered as he took the champagne glass first and drank it back in one gulp. He set both the empty wine glass and the one he'd had from earlier down on the tray and took the wine, drinking it down almost as fast.
The waiter looked at him with a raised brow. "Another, sir?" he asked, offering the tray to him again.
"Definitely," Zack replied, trading the now empty wine glass for a full one. He took only a sip this time and the waiter walked off. Kunsel took his place in front of him.
"Okay, what the hell is going on?" Kunsel asked. Zack shook his head and lifted the glass towards his mouth but Kunsel placed a hand over it quickly. "Seriously," he said firmly and Zack looked at him.
"Nothing," he claimed, and waited for Kunsel to remove his hand. "Nothing, Kunsel," he spoke sharply, staring hard at his friend. When Kunsel finally let go of his glass he took another drink out of it. "I need to sit down," he remarked and set off for the nearest chair. Kunsel didn't go after him but he watched Zack closely over the next few hours. He also observed the way Zack reacted when the vice president re-entered the room. And the way Rufus reacted as well. Something was up.
Zack couldn't help but notice Rufus Shinra's glaring eyes more than a few times after the man came back to the ballroom. He half expected to be approached by the man but it didn't happen, if only for the fact he made himself busy, allowing numerous people to engage him in conversations he otherwise would have rebuffed. He drank a lot and subsequently became drunk. He'd actually started to feel buzzed not long after downing those few glasses of wine and champagne earlier but was able to play it pretty cool until around midnight when he knew it was pretty obvious to a few people that he'd been over-served. Kunsel was one of them. His friend approached him just after midnight and suggested he turn in but he refused. He wanted to see Rufus leave first. He would wait until he knew the vice president was safely tucked away in bed before making his way to his own.
Perhaps it was his paranoia but it seemed that Rufus was waiting for the same reason. He wanted Zack to leave first, probably so he could corner him and ask just what he'd heard in that lounge. He wouldn't know for sure for Rufus finally left at around 1 a.m. By then though Zack had been scooped up by some of the old execs and accountants and they were having a grand old time singing some songs. It was drawing close to 2 a.m. when Kunsel was finally able to drag him away, literally. Zack was having a hard time walking straight at that point. On the way to the elevators he felt the need to start explaining who he wished hadn't been at the party and why.
"You may wanna keep your mouth shut, Zack, as some of those people are still here," Kunsel pointed out on their way up to Zack's room.
Zack laughed. "What would they do? Tell on me?" he joked. "Everyone in this company is a liar or a fake," he commented.
"Zack, come on. Enough," Kunsel warned. The elevator door opened on the floor where Zack's room was located.
A few minutes later, back down on the ground floor, Cloud was finishing up doing a check of some of the halls. He was heading towards one of the rows of elevators when the doors opened and Kunsel stepped out. He looked Cloud's way and began walking toward him.
"Oh, great," Kunsel said as he approached. "Glad I ran into you," he added and Cloud glanced behind him. There was no one there so the officer was actually talking to him. "You're almost off-duty aren't you?" he asked.
"Yes, sir," Cloud answered a little hesitantly.
"Could you do me a favour?" the officer questioned next and Cloud nodded. "Take this," Kunsel said as he held out a guestroom key card to him. "I just brought Zack to his room but I have to go see some people off. Can you go make sure he's alright and that he's going to be staying in there the rest of the night. He has a tendency to wander when he drinks a little too much and I really don't want him running into the wrong person and pissing them off. Can you do that?" he asked sharply.
"Yes, sir," Cloud repeated, taking the card from him.
"Thanks," Kunsel said before passing by him and heading for the opposite end of the hall back out to the foyer. Cloud looked down at the key in his hand and the number on it. Zack's room was on the tenth floor so he headed for the elevators. When he exited onto the tenth floor he looked back and forth down the hall to see which way the numbers were going before heading to the right. Outside Zack's room, he knocked on the door lightly. He called Zack's name when there was no response and finally used the keycard.
He had expected to find Zack lying down asleep or passed out as Kunsel had alluded to the fact he was drunk but he was sitting on the edge of the bed, facing away from the door with his head down.
"Officer Fair," he said softly as he entered the room. "Are you okay?" he asked. Zack turned slightly on the bed and looked up at him. He could see then Zack had his cellphone in his hand.
"Heyyy, buddy," the officer said with a smile. Cloud returned the smile as he came forward.
"What are you doing?" he asked and Zack held up the phone.
"Trying to make a call but…the thing's not working," he explained, his words coming out slurred. "Screw it!" he said as he slammed the phone down on the nightstand, making Cloud wince with anticipation of the battery flying off the back of it from the force. It didn't though. Zack fell back on the bed, his arms outstretched as he huffed out an exhale. "Whatcha doin' here anyway, buddy?" he asked. "No wait!" he said before Cloud could explain, sitting up once again. "Lemme guess. Kunsel sent you."
"Yes, sir," Cloud confirmed.
Zack laughed emphatically. "Right, 'cause I can be a real pain in the ass sometimes," he said as though he was reciting something Kunsel had said to him earlier. He began tugging at the tie around his neck, trying to loosen it. "I hate suits," he muttered as lifted the ends of the tie and tried to see the knot.
It was strange to see Zack drunk. Actually Cloud didn't really imagine he ever would. He set his firearm down by the door and moved forward to where Zack sat, stopping in front of him. "I can do that for you, sir," Cloud offered and Zack let go of his tie, putting his hands up in front of him.
"Be my guest," he replied. He watched Cloud as he sat down and reached for the tie, beginning to undo the knot slowly. He watched Cloud's face and thought about how young he seemed and then he thought of Angeal. Of the first time he'd had to go to one of Shinra's fancy parties and how Angeal had helped him put on his tie for the first time.
"Is something wrong, sir?" Cloud asked when he'd gotten the tie undone. Zack hadn't realized it but his eyes had let loose a few tears while he was sitting there.
"Uh…no," Zack said before lowering his head and smiling. "I guess I had too much to drink," he stated, though it was already obvious. "Makes me kinda emotional," he added, shaking his head and wiping his tears away hastily. "It's kinda hot in here," he added as he began struggling to get his suit jacket off, simultaneously trying to unbutton his shirt. Cloud helped him remove his jacket before laying it across the nearby chair.
"Do you want some water, sir?" Cloud asked and Zack nodded.
"Sure," he said. "Why not."
Cloud took a glass from the table in the room and headed into the adjoining bathroom to fill it from the tap. He waited a moment until the water was as cold as it was going to get before putting the glass under the stream. When he exited the bathroom with the filled glass he found himself looking at an empty bed. Zack was nowhere to be seen. He had left something behind though. His clothing. All his clothing. Cloud stared at the door to the hall. Surely Zack hadn't left the room wearing nothing. That's certainly what it looked like. Cloud set the glass in his hand down and proceeded to collect some of Zack clothes before heading to the door. He picked up his firearm before leaving the room. He looked both ways down the hallway but there was no sign of Zack.
"Just great," Cloud spoke aloud to himself. He broke into an immediate sweat thinking about what would happen if Zack was caught wandering around in the buff, especially if Kunsel was the one to see him first after having given orders to him to watch Zack. He had no idea where to start looking for him so he headed for the elevators but stopped just before he reached them. Zack had said in the room he was hot. He could have stepped out to get some air, but where? Downstairs or…
Cloud turned back the way he came and approached the stairwell fast. He climbed the stairs two at a time as he made his way to the roof. He was breathing hard when he burst through the door out into the night air. He didn't have to search for long with his eyes to spot Zack standing at the far end of the roof, his palms resting on the ledge in front of him as he stared down. There was a wine bottle sitting next to him on the ledge, which he must have taken from his room before heading up there.
"Sir," he called to him as he approached and Zack looked back.
"Hey, buddy!" he called back before turning around, revealing himself fully to Cloud who halted and averted his gaze to the ground quickly.
"Uh, y-your clothes, sir," Cloud stuttered out, partly from the awkwardness he suddenly felt and partly from the cold. He couldn't see how the officer could enjoy standing outside like that in the middle of winter. He held Zack's clothes out but the officer made no move to take them. He turned back around and Cloud looked up at him once again. "What are you doing, sir?" he asked then.
"Taking in the view," Zack replied. "I could use a little exhilaration after such a stuffy evening," he added before taking a drink from the bottle.
"Couldn't you do that from your room?" Cloud asked, more to himself as he glanced back at the door from which he'd come. "It's kind of late, sir, you should probably get some sl—" The words died in his throat suddenly as he faced the officer again and saw him beginning to climb up on top of the ledge. "Oh, god," he uttered in dread as his pulse quickened.
"Come on, Cloud!" Zack called to him. "Live a little. It won't kill you."
"Something tells me this could," Cloud replied as he took some slow steps toward him.
"Sir, could you please come down?" he asked nervously. "Please." He couldn't help thinking about how terrible it would look if Zack fell and it was found out that he was with him at the time. Would anyone believe it was actually an accident? What reason would the first class officer have for doing something that dumb. He was actually wondering that himself right at that moment.
"Not 'till you stop calling me 'sir'," Zack teased and held out his arms at his sides, taking in a deep breath.
"Please, sir—uh Zack," Cloud pleaded. Zack looked back at him and smiled.
"Alright," he said with a sigh, "Gimme a hand, will you?" He held out his hand for Cloud to take. Cloud closed the distance between them and reached to grasp his hand. Instead of stepping down, Zack began to pull back, trying to urge him to step up on the ledge next to him. "Come on, buddy, it's not scary, I won't let you fall," Zack assured him but Cloud resisted.
"No, Zack, come on, get down," Cloud begged as he pulled back. Zack persisted a moment longer in trying to urge him up. Suddenly, he began to lose his grip, Zack's fingers slipping away from his, throwing him off balance.
For a second, one second that seemed minutes longer, Cloud saw Zack's eyes widen with the realization he was about to fall. In an instant, Cloud dropped the clothes he still had in his other hand and reached out fast to take hold of Zack's other arm, pulling him hard towards himself. Zack was pulled from the ledge and fell into him. They both nearly went down to the ground but Cloud kept them standing. Zack looked back at the ledge in brief shock before bursting into laughter. Cloud grew angry quickly.
"It's not funny, Zack!" he almost yelled.
"Did I scare you, buddy?" Zack asked with a taunting smile.
"Yeah," Cloud said as he let go of Zack and stepped back from him. "You fucking scared me," he added, feeling himself beginning to tremble with falling adrenaline. "You happy?" he asked before pushing past him to stand in front of the ledge. He shut his eyes and took in a deep breath, trying to keep himself from crying, which was what his body seemed to want to do right then.
"Cloud, come on, I was just kidding around," Zack said lightly.
"Can you please get dressed now and go with me back to your room," Cloud asked in return, without looking at him.
"Okay, fine," Zack agreed. "No peeking though while I get dressed," he ordered.
"I won't," Cloud answered and rolled his eyes. It wasn't like he hadn't already seen everything. He stood and waited, glancing down once at the street below. It was a long way down. There was no way Zack would have survived a fall that far down. "Done yet?" he asked after a minute. There was no reply. "Zack?" He turned to look over his shoulder and found he was alone. Zack's clothing was still lying on the ground. "You gotta be kidding me!" Cloud exclaimed before reaching down to gather them once more and head for the door. He hoped that Zack would head back to his room but a quick check there told him he hadn't. Now feeling frustrated and a little angry he renewed his search.
He decided to head to the stairwell and start going downward. He stopped at every floor and opened the door to each hall to look out and see if he happened to spot Zack on one of the levels. He had no luck finding him that way and finally ended up on ground level where he took to searching the event areas. He was surprised to see that even though most guests had either gone up to their rooms or left the premises, there were still a few milling about, as well as a large cleaning staff beginning to clear up. There was no sign of Zack though.
He was starting to feel a little panicked as he headed toward the elevators but as he rounded the corner he stopped in his tracks. One of the elevators was opening and Kunsel was coming out. Before the officer could spot him he stepped back out of view and went for the first door available, turning the knob and stepping inside. He shut the door and stepped back. He realized he'd entered one of the conference rooms. When he was sure Kunsel had passed by he left the room for the elevators once more.
With Zack nowhere in sight, and feeling exhausted from chasing him around, he decided to give up and head to his own room. On his way down the hall, he searched his pockets, looking for his room key but couldn't find it. It must have dropped out of his pocket while he was on the roof or running around. He stopped and began to turn back around to go look for it when he noticed the door to his room was slightly ajar. It was too late—or early—for housekeeping to be in there. Maybe someone found my key and they came to rob me, was his next thought. There wasn't really anything to steal.
He peeked through the small opening in the doorway before pushing the door open slowly, prepared for something to startle him. There was no one directly in sight that he could see but he could hear water running in the bathroom. He approached cautiously and reached for the door knob. Before he could take hold of it, the door opened inwards fast and revealed Zack on the other side. He still had no clothes on but had a towel wrapped around his waist. He let out a surprised sound, obviously not expecting him to be there before he began laughing to himself.
"Zack! How'd you get in here?" Cloud asked fast.
"In where?" Zack replied while swaying a little
"My room," Cloud fired back. Zack turned and picked something up off the counter to hold up. It was the key he'd lost. "You took my key card!" Cloud blurted in shock and shot his hand out to grab it away from Zack.
"You dropped it," Zack said with a laugh as he withdrew the keycard from Cloud's reach and held it over his head.
"Stop it!" Cloud demanded while continuing to snatch at the card. Zack evaded him a few moments longer before he caught hold of it. He turned away from Zack only to find him taking hold of him from behind. Zack stumbled in his drunken state and sent them both to the floor. Zack seemed to find it pretty hilarious as he lay on his back on the carpet. The officer reached up to try and get him in a headlock but missed.
"Your hair's spikey," Zack declared, looking up at him through half-open lids and lifting his arm limply to plant his hand on Cloud's head. It landed towards the front of his head, pushing his hair down in front of his eyes. "You're spikey," Zack repeated a little quieter. Cloud shook his hand away and moved his hair from his eyes. It looked as though the officer was drifting off into sleep.
Cloud sighed, watching Zack a moment before moving to rise. Before he could do so, Zack's hand grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled him back. Zack was serious as he said, "Rufus wants to destroy the company." Unable to think of anything to say, Cloud just stared back at him. "I have to tell him," Zack added.
"Who?" Cloud asked, shaking his head.
"The president," Zack clarified. He was climbing to his feet suddenly, his towel coming off in the process. Naked once again he was headed for the door.
"Zack! Stop! You can't see the president right now!" Cloud pointed out as he tried to stop him. Zack seemed on a mission.
"I have to tell him," he persisted.
Cloud didn't know what to do. He couldn't let Zack just march up to President Shinra's room, stark naked and rambling drunkenly about his son trying to destroy the company. He could be in serious trouble. He could be de-ranked! Worse, kicked out of SOLDIER!
He did the only thing he could think of at that moment. He grabbed the heavy phone book off the nearby table and approached Zack fast. He said the officer's name and when he turned, Cloud let the phone book fly into the side of Zack's face, knocking him to the floor. He didn't know what the outcome would be but it seemed to be the one he was looking for. The officer appeared to have been knocked out, now lying still on the carpet. Cloud dropped the phonebook, immediately regretting what he'd just done. But what else was he supposed to do?
"Officer Fair?" he said a little tentatively, crouching down slowly. He lowered his ear over Zack's mouth hesitantly, wanting to make sure he was actually still breathing. What he got was the sound of the officer beginning to snore.
Cloud exhaled in relief. He watched Zack a moment, wondering what he should do with him. The officer was too heavy for him to try and move so he left him where he was and went for the comforter on the bed instead. He pulled it off the mattress and laid it over the officer before slipping a pillow under his head. He engaged both locks on the door to the hall thinking that if Zack woke again he may still be too drunk to figure out how to get both of them unlocked in order to go seeking the president.
When Cloud was lying in the bed finally and getting himself ready to drift off, he couldn't help but think about what Zack had said about Rufus Shinra. Surely it wasn't true. Why would Rufus want to destroy his father's company? Especially when he was no doubt going to inherit it from him. The company was probably the single most powerful company in the world. He chalked Zack's accusation up to being drunk and put it out of his head so he could finally get some sleep.
At 7:45 a.m. the alarm next to him woke him and he had to force himself up out of the bed to get ready for his four hour second shift. He knew there wasn't going to be too much going on, just guests having breakfast and checking out. He was looking forward to getting back to base where he could relax. The evening before had been a little more stressful than he'd anticipated.
When he sat up he could see Zack still lying on the floor sleeping soundly. He didn't want to wake him so he left him where he was with his clothes folded neatly next to him when he headed out to start his shift.
As expected, there was nothing to cause concern in those morning hours and by 12:30 p.m. he was waiting with the other armymen outside for the bus that would take them back to base. Just as the bus arrived, he heard his name being called behind him. He turned to see Zack coming toward him, not naked thankfully.
"How're you feeling?" Cloud asked when he was near.
"Uh, kinda like shit," Zack admitted. He looked it too. His hair was pretty disheveled and there were dark circles under his eyes.
"I'll bet," Cloud said with a smile. "You remember anything?"
Zack laughed a little before growing serious. "Yeah, I do," he said quietly. It took Cloud by surprise when Zack opened his arms and closed them around him, hugging him.
"Sorry, Spikey," Zack said softly near his ear. "Really, I'm sorry. I acted like an ass," he added.
Cloud smiled. "So that name's sticking?" he asked and Zack let him go.
"It fits right?" Zack replied with a grin. "Don't know why I didn't think of it before."
Cloud glanced at the bus where the last of the soldiers were getting on. "I gotta go," he said.
"See you soon, Spike," Zack spoke in return. Cloud gave him a slight nod before stepping up into the bus. Zack watched the bus pull away before heading off to meet his own ride that would take him back to headquarters.
The next morning, the soldiers finished their tour in Wutai finally arrived back in Midgar. There was a welcoming party in the city for them and things got pretty hectic at the base when they were all bussed in to collect whatever belongings they needed to go on leave. They were awarded a month's vacation so most were heading home to stay with their families. A few days later, the base seemed just as empty as it was before they'd arrived. Cloud wondered though, with all those soldiers coming home, if a new bunch would be sent out to replace them. He didn't think he'd escape deployment a second time, though he wasn't sure he was upset about it. The thought of doing a tour in Wutai didn't scare him as much as it used to. There was no immediate news, however, about deployment so he continued on with his routine, unaware of what was coming.
He was in one of the common rooms using a computer the one night barely a week into the new year when the computer went off unexpectedly, the screen blackening. He reached forward to push the power button on the monitor but it made little difference. He glanced down at the floor to see if he'd kicked the power cord from the wall socket or something. That wasn't it either. He looked from side to side and could see other soldiers in the room looking just as confused.
Maybe a power outage, he thought, though the lights were still on in the room. "It's a fucking lockdown," he thought he heard someone say across the room. He wasn't sure what that meant. He left the room and headed down the hall. When he passed by a set of phones he could see one guy was trying to make a call but it wasn't going through. Just then, an announcement came over the main speakers and directed all soldiers to formation. Eager to know what was happening, he headed outside to meet up with his division.
It was revealed by the sergeant that they were under a communication lockdown. The reason wasn't one Cloud had anticipated. It was announced to them that a small team of Shinra soldiers had been attacked just outside the safety of the Chumqi District in Wutai. They had been in Vendai territory delivering provisions to the citizens in the peace camps. The team failed to report back to base at their expected time. When a troop was sent out to investigate all they found was the burnt shell of their vehicle just inside the village. The soldiers, as far as they could tell were missing and the names of the soldiers weren't being released. The lockdown on communication meant that no one could make calls out to Wutai to inquire as to which soldiers may have been in the attacked group. It left Cloud with a very unsettled feeling the rest of the day.
Almost everyone seemed on edge that night. It was very quiet in the barracks as they were all waiting for an update. Word came in the middle of the night. Cloud was pulled from his sleep rather suddenly by someone shaking his arm. When he opened his eyes he could see that his sergeant was assembling everyone. He was confused as he started to get out of bed, checking his watch to see if he'd slept in or something. No, it was barely two in the morning. Rubbing his face a little he made his way over to join the rest of the group. They all looked as confused and tired as he was. Their sergeant, however, looked wide awake. Cloud realized when he looked at him that there was something wrong.
"Sorry to interrupt your beauty rest boys, but there's news from Wutai," Sula began. "And it ain't good." Most of the guys seemed suddenly more alert but no one said anything. "We have confirmation that the soldiers in the team that was attacked have been captured by the Vendai terrorist group," their sergeant announced quietly. With a sad expression he added, "Johnny Six is one of them."
There was a moment when no one said anything, when the guys just looked at one another, or shook their heads and looked away. Then, someone dared to speak.
"They're alive though," he said tentatively and some of the guys looked at him. "Right, sir?" he asked the sergeant. "I mean, no bodies were found with the vehicle, right? And there's been no word that—"
"We don't know," Sula interrupted. "There's really nothing more we know right now. All we can do is hope."
Hope. It seemed like such a passive form of response, at least to Cloud, though he found himself a little too stunned to do even that. Instead, once Sula had left the barrack, he lay down in his bunk and listened to the sounds of quiet conversations going on around him. He wasn't sure when it was that he fell asleep but when he woke up, the last night's news was starting to sink in. A group of soldiers captured in Wutai by terrorists, Johnny being one of them. No word on where they were or if they were even alive. He wasn't sure what he felt, or how he should feel. Most of the guys in the barrack seemed angry, upset or anxious. The only thing coming to him slower than the comprehension of what was happening was his emotional response.
A call came in for him just before breakfast and he knew before even picking up the receiver who it was on the other end of the line.
"Hello," he spoke plainly, though part of him was feeling grateful for the call. He suspected he knew what it was regarding.
"Hey, Spike," Zack's somewhat subdued voice spoke back.
"Hey," he said with a soft sigh.
"How you doin'?" Zack inquired.
All Cloud could really say was "Fine."
"Have you been told about what's been happening in Wutai?" Zack asked next.
"Yeah," Cloud said with a sigh. "They told us yesterday about the attack by the Vendai rebels and last night which soldiers were captured."
There was a second of silence before Zack said, "So you know Johnny was among them then."
"Yeah," Cloud confirmed.
"I'm really sorry, buddy, I know you guys are good friends."
"I dunno if we're that good of friends…" he said mostly to himself.
"I'm sure he's okay," Zack said despite his words.
"Yeah…if anyone would be," he agreed. "Officer Fair," he added after a moment. "What happens now?"
"It's hard to say," Zack replied sadly. "Shinra's trying to talk to the rebels, to get them to at least confirm the guys are still alive. They aren't saying much right now. We expect they'll make some demands at some point soon. Don't worry, alright?"
"Alright," Cloud agreed.
"I have to go, I wish I could talk longer or come to see you," Zack said sadly.
Cloud smiled tightly. "It's okay, thanks for calling."
"We'll talk again soon," Zack assured him before hanging up.
Cloud wanted so badly to be back in Midgar at that point. He could have used the distractions the city provided. Out on the base there was nothing really to keep his mind off wondering when an update would come in. The update didn't come until the next day. In the morning after everyone had come back from their run, one of the guys called over from where he was seated in front of the television.
"Hey! Look at this, come here!" he shouted, making everyone who wasn't gone to breakfast or showing stop what they were doing and gather around. He turned up the volume on the t.v. so everyone could hear the newscaster speak.
"A video was released today from the Vendai Rebel Syndicate. Two of the five Shinra military soldiers believed to have been captured two days earlier were shown in the video. The two are believed to be Private First Class Gary Alden, and Private First Class Johnny Six. The video was posted to the internet and has been circulating worldwide. A spokesperson of Shinra Media Control has said they are trying to have the video blocked from viewing by the public, but currently have been unable to do so."
After the initial relief that spread through the barrack over learning at least two of the captured soldiers, including Johnny, were actually alive, the anger set in.
"Well the video's sure as hell blocked here. You can't even get on the internet. Why the fuck are we not allowed to see it but civilians can?" one of the guys commented. Cloud shared his agitation as most of the others seemed to. It was unfair that they should be kept out of the loop whereas everyone else in the damn world was allowed to know what was going on. Cloud knew he was going to make it his missing to find a way to see that video. At some point he was going to be posted on duty in the city and he was the next day. As it so happened, there was a public library across the street from his posting.
For the first half hour he was at his post he found his eyes locked on that library. He wasn't really interested in a good read right now. It was the computers he was more interested in.
"Hey," Cider, the other soldier at their posting, spoke up and he looked at him. "I know what you're thinking," he said with the shake of his head. "Not a good idea." Cloud just looked away, adjusting the strap of his gun a little and watching a few of the people walking by before he found himself looking over at the library once more. "Forget it," Cider said sharply.
"You don't wanna see it?" Cloud asked without looking at him.
"'Course I wanna see it but we're on duty in case you didn't fucking notice," Cider answered fast.
Cloud let out a short sigh and looked back at the doors behind them before staring again across the street.
"Don't, Strife," Cider said firmly.
Cloud didn't give it any more thought before stepping out into the street, leaving his post.
"Strife!" Cider called out swiftly. "Stop!"
It was too late. Cloud had made his decision. He needed to see that video. He entered the library and immediately searched out and found the computers. He intended to be as quick as possible, accessing the internet and typing in a search for the video. It was easy enough to find. There was a set of headphones at the computer that he plugged in so he could listen and finally clicked 'play'.
The video opened on who were supposedly Alden and Johnny. They were seated in chairs next to each other with a table in front of them. Their bodies were only visible from the mid-torso and up. They were each blindfolded and gagged. One of the Vendai rebels stood behind them though he was only visible from the chest down. He held in his hands an assault rifle. For the first few moments, there were no words spoken in the video. The sounds consisted mostly of the loud buzzing of the overhead lights in the room and some shuffling sounds somewhere off camera.
While their captors had made an attempt to hide some of the injuries they'd no doubt inflicted on the boys' faces by wiping away traces of blood before turning the camera on, the bruising and small cuts were still visible. Further, they hadn't bothered to wipe away the dried remains of blood that had trailed down the sides of Johnny's neck from his face at some point. The rebels had made a minimal effort to make it look like they'd kept their prisoners unharmed.
Someone spoke then. One of the rebels to another. It was all in their language so Cloud wasn't sure what they were saying. Then came the broken English.
"This a message for Shinra and Wutai. The day is January nine. We not accept proposal for peace in with nations. We not support the Wutanese government's decision to surrender. We will not agree to Shinra foreign occupants in our territory. We protect the rights of the Wutanese people. Shinra, if you not leave our territory immediately we will begin execution of soldiers."
There was another brief moment of silence. Cloud watched closely as one of the rebels came on screen, only visible from his mid-torso down, and pulled the gag from Alden's mouth. Alden moistened his cracked lips before beginning to speak, obviously having been told what he was supposed to say when the gag was removed.
"My name is Private First Class Gary Alden," he spoke evenly. "I am speaking to let you know that I have been treated humanely and that my rights as a prisoner of war have been honored."
Alden finished speaking then. More movement could be heard off screen before one of the rebels approached Johnny. The man leaned down and revealed the rest of his upper body though his head was covered in a black ski mask so he remained fairly unidentifiable. He said something in a low tone to Johnny before removing his gag. Something that wasn't decipherable to anyone watching the video. As soon as the gag had left his mouth, Johnny turned fast and spit in the rebel's uncovered eyes. Great aim, considering Johnny was blindfolded. That action started a blur of frenzied movement on and off the camera but only a split second of it was shown before something came down over the camera lens. A hand perhaps. There was no doubt the video was still going because the sounds were still heard. Scuffling, chair legs scraping against the floor, something hitting the table. Over all that, the one who'd spoken before said one last thing.
"Shinra, you leave now."
That was the end of the footage. Cloud sat in shock a moment, allowing himself to register what he'd seen. He watched the video once more before leaving the library to go back to his post. Immediately, Cider was giving him a verbal assault for his brief abandonment but he didn't really hear much of it. All he could think of was what he'd seen and heard. The rebels claimed they would execute Johnny and Gary if the Shinra forces didn't leave their territory. The chances of Shinra complying were slim. Anyone could see that. Certainly not just to spare the lives of a few privates.
For a moment he felt lightheaded and had to crouch down to take a few deep breaths. Cider seemed to have stopped giving him shit.
"Did they look okay?" he asked uneasily then and Cloud nodded. "Thank God for that," Cider replied softly.
As Cloud had suspected, it didn't appear Shinra was interested in following the demands made by the rebels. The military was kept right where they were in Wutai and for nearly three weeks there was no update on the status or location of Johnny and Gary. No one had forgotten about them but no one really spoke of them either. Cloud had the feeling a lot of people assumed them to be dead. The thought never really crossed his mind. He believed them to be alive as strongly as he had the day it was announced they were captured. He didn't think he'd be able to accept the alternative. When the update on the guys finally came in, it wasn't in the way Cloud or anyone else had anticipated.
It was early morning and the barrack was just waking up when one of the guys came into the bathroom and announced he'd been sent an online video to his phone from a civilian friend. The title of the video read Execution of Shinra Military Soldiers in Wutai and had been posted to the internet just a few hours earlier.
Everyone in the bathroom, including Cloud, crowded close together to watch the video. The footage was terrible in quality. Very grainy. It was already difficult enough to see on the small screen of the phone. It began with a shot of an empty space in a dimly lit room. There was no sound this time. The two soldiers, apparently Alden and Johnny, were pulled into the camera's view from somewhere off-screen. Both had their hands bound behind them and black pillow cases over their heads. Neither's name tag was visible past all the screen static. Cloud couldn't tell which one was Johnny. The boys were pushed to their knees. Two masked rebels stood behind them with rifles. Neither of the boys moved as the rebels cocked their weapons and took aim at the backs of their heads. The next two seconds seemed to last forever. Cloud was so tense he was unaware that he was digging his fingernails into the palms of his hands. As the shots were finally fired he swore he could hear them despite the video's absence of sound. Both boys collapsed together, the bullets having been fired into their skulls. Their bodies lay still on the floor as the gunmen made a quick check of vitals. Then, the footage cut out.
That was it. Cloud couldn't believe it. He literally couldn't believe it. No way had Johnny been one of the soldiers shot on the video. He doubted Alden was even one of them. It just seemed off. Cloud hadn't known Johnny that long but he was sure he'd never just kneel there and allow himself to be shot without any sort of resistance at all. And further, the video didn't even seem as legitimate as the previous one released. It may have been completely bogus. Or a scare tactic. Yes. Johnny and Gary were still alive. There was no real reason in his mind he should see it any other way. He wasn't alone in his thinking as several of the others declared the video had to be bullshit.
They were interrupted by one of the guys calling into them that there was a news report on the television about the supposed execution. There was an eerie silence in the barrack as everyone stood or sat in front of the television to hear the report.
"People across the eastern continent are shocked today as just hours ago a video was released online showing the believed live execution of two Shinra military soldiers captured in Wutai just under three weeks ago. Shinra is saddened and angered at the video's release, especially since it was released to the general public. Many people all across the continent had viewed the video even before they had. The video is a mere thirty-two seconds of grainy footage showing who are presumed to be Private First Classes Gary Alden and Johnny Six being executed simultaneously by two masked Vendai rebels. Investigators have not as of yet confirmed the two to be the soldiers seen in the video. It was almost three weeks ago that a previous video was released featuring the two soldiers. Investigators stated then that the privates appeared to be in good condition."
That was all that was said about it before the anchorwoman began delving into local news. The guys erupted then with anger and upset. Despite the news, it seemed though that no one was ready to believe Johnny and Gary had been executed. It was only a few minutes before their staff sergeant entered the barrack and quieted them.
"That video's bullshit, sarge," one of the guys called out firmly. "Isn't it?"
"Shinra's looking into it," Sula replied with a sharp sigh.
"It's crap!" the same private argued. "Didn't even look legit," he added, voicing Cloud's thoughts.
"We'll leave that to the experts to decide," Sula shot back at him. "Look, there's no point in jumping to conclusions until the footage has been analyzed. For now, you all need to just stick to your duties and we'll take this shit as it comes. Got it?"
The guys seemed pacified by Sula's words for the time being. It didn't erase the worry from some of their faces, but Cloud wasn't worried at all. He was confident the video would be deemed false.
It wasn't.
"The video was confirmed as being released from the rebel group. It appears authentic, despite the poor quality."
Sula's words sank into the barrack slowly. Everyone was silent for what seemed like forever.
"But, Sarge, what if—" someone started to say. Cloud wasn't sure who, he was in shock as much as the others.
"No," the sergeant cut him off fast. Cloud looked at Sula. His expression was hard and his tone was harsh. But his eyes held his real emotions and displayed the frustration and sadness that was expected. "There's no what ifs," he continued. "A horrible fucking thing has happened , I know. You gotta come to grips with it. It's not the first time something like this has happened and it won't be the last time. All you can do is accept it and do what you gotta do to deal."
Accept it, Cloud repeated in his head. He really didn't think he could do that.