I sat across from Zack as the chopper lifted smoothly into the air. He was obviously distraught, holding his head up with his hands, elbows on his knees. He was unusually still, lost in a storm of thoughts. I shifted uncomfortably, and tugged at the sleeves of the embarrassing kimono I wore. I tried to sit still, and look composed and calm, but the fact was I was probably just as tense as Zack, and for more reason.
Lazard sat close beside me, and Sephiroth a seat away from Zack, but there was an obvious seat empty. Angeal should have been leaving with us.
Lazard crossed his arms and leaned back against the seat. He was acting casual, but the fact was that he was keeping an eye on me. He should have been up next to the pilot, but he sat back here with me instead. Why?
They had saved me the shame of handcuffs, but I had been suspected for conspiracy. What a heartwarming welcome home gift.
Apparently, since I was in such healthy condition, I must have made a deal with the Wutanise. Possibly planned beforehand, as it worked out so 'perfectly'. Then there was Angeal's apparent desertion, preceded by my own mentor's disappearance. It was all too much of a coincidence for them. Even though I was found pinned to a tree, obviously not by myself, I could still have been a conspirator. I'm sure there was more to it as well, but they would fabricate anything and everything.
And I was thoroughly offended. Sure, I could be lazy on some of my stupid missions, but I never once did anything to make them doubt my loyalty.
Zack looked up, first out the window, then at me. I offered him a smile, and he pitifully returned it. I wish I were in a better position to reassure him, or agree with him that Angeal was in fact innocent, but not now. Angeal had stood and watched as Genesis threw me into a tree and trapped me there at swordpoint. …But even if Angeal had seemed like a reluctant accomplice, he was still part of it
Right now, I felt no mysterious understanding or trust towards Genesis. Only anger. And I didn't want to feel anything else. He had obviously said something to Angeal that contributed to the SOLDEIR's desertion. And now, Zack was suffering for it too, which was the thing I was angriest about. Anyone who put Zack so close to tears deserved to be punched in the face.
I had thought that Angeal was…I don't know, stronger than that.
…Not to mention I was getting indirectly blamed for this mess too.
…now the kimono was itchy. And everyone felt the need to stare…! My hair was like a neon banner, alerting everyone to my presence. Confused murmured filled the hallways of the ShinRa building as people started to recognize me, and the outfit that just didn't seem to match. I heard snickers more than once, something about my being in a dress.
If I wasn't being escorted to the waiting cells, with the Director and General, I would have ripped the damn thing off and streaked to my room. Sephiroth left us at the elevator, taking it up another floor, leaving me with just Lazard.
"I know you weren't part of anything, Hail. But it's protocol. The situation in Wutai has made the President take precautions." He explained.
"Maybe we need a new President." I grumbled, as Lazard walked me into my tiny cell. There was a pile of cloths on the edge of the cot, but not a SOLDIER uniform. They were making me dress the part as well, it seemed. That was the most offensive thing yet. I was SOLDIER- not a criminal.
"We'll come get you to clear this up in an hour or so. Just sit tight until then." I tried to stuff my hands in my pockets, but they slipped down the sides of my legs instead, which bothered me more than it should have.
"Don't worry, sir, I'm not going anywhere." Lazard smiled sadly, taking my remarks with understanding, and stepped outside.
"You would act the same if you were in my position." He assured me, and I flared up.
"No, actually, I would probably see the girl, realize that she's been through shit, and give her a break!" I snapped, storming over the now closed cell door. Lazard locked it with a soft 'clink', and slid his card through it.
"We'll see about those double swords you applied for tomorrow, all right?" I paused, slightly taken back. Bribery? He cracked a smile. "If you promise to behave." I'd applied for then a while ago, but no one has ok'd it yet.
I crossed my arms, as I was at a lack for pockets.
"They have to be better than just the standard SOLDIER swords."
"I wouldn't think anything less." I nodded, convinced, but not ready for him to see it yet. "Sit tight." He started to walk off, then paused again. "I am sorry for all of this." I looked up at him. He never gave it away when he was upset, because he looked just the same. Then he left me alone in the quiet halls.
"Hail?" Someone's muffled voice came from the cell to the right of mine. I leaned up to the wall curiously.
"Uh, yes?" Just like answering a phone call.
"Oh man, finally someone to talk to. I've been in here since yesterday." I frowned.
"Garrison?"
"Well who else?" I smiled despite myself, and leaned up against the wall.
"Why the hell are you in here?"
"I would ask you the same thing, but…I overheard the Director bringing you in. Sorry." I sighed, and leaned my neck up to look at the drab ceiling. At least one person hadn't seen me in my 'dress'.
"It's okay." Not really. "Now you."
"Well…y'know that bar you always talk about?" He sounded a bit exited to tell the story.
"Goblin's Bar?" I clarified.
"Yeah. Well, I went there yesterday with a date of mine."
"Oh. Is she pretty?" I teased.
"What-uh, oh, yeah! She's super cute. A natural blond and everything. Plus, she works here. She's an infantryma-woman is it?" My amused smile widened.
"Is her name Kris?"
"Wha- yeah. How do you know?"
"I had a room all to myself until she showed up. Kris is my roommate."
"Wow- okay, Hail, you gotta' tell me what she thinks of me, okay?"
"Sure, but why isn't she in here with you?" Garrison groaned.
"Loooong story." My eyes strayed and fell on the pile of cloths on the bed. I pushed off from the wall and started changing into them as Garrison continued his amusing recount of events. "But basically we got caught there, since you can't drink till you're SOLDIER, and we…well, we ran for it."
"Bad move." I bet fifty gil he was drunk too.
"The guys that were chasing us were Turks." I choked, and laughed harder. "I know. They're inhumane, I tell you. But it kind of became this game. We ran down into the slums, I think we were kind of drunk, and they were chasing us for at least an hour."
"That is impressive, since they were Turks." As I pulled the shirt over my head, I noticed a plate of metal strapped over my chest. With a start, I realized it was the paper heart Kaito had given me. I still hadn't gotten rid of it.
"Well, I think they were drunk too." Garrison continued. "Anyways, they caught me eventually, and we struck a sort of deal. They'd put me in here for only a day and let this go, if I applied to be a Turk instead." I passed my hand over the paper heart absentmindedly.
"…Really?"
"Yeah- use those stealthy skills of mine for something better than running away from the authorities, y'know? And I'm kind of for it! They get paid better anyways, and the suits…ohh man. Kris is thinking about joining too, I mean, she told me that before I got caught." I sat down on the cot, and it made a creaking sound. I would not want to be a prisoner here, for more than one day that is. I had a feeling that the Wutanise futons would even be better. I tried to ignore the braided-cloth covered armor, and focused on Garrison's story again.
"Well, I don't know much about Turks, except that you would get a lot more training in grappling and hand-to-hand combat. I took a few classes for fun, but…" I shrugged, though he couldn't see it because of the wall separating us.
"Honestly, I never liked the swords." Garrison admitted. "Guns are cooler, I think." He thought wrong.
"Well, swords take a lot more patience. You can learn how to load and fire a gun, but you have to commit to learn how to fight with swords." He made a kind of scoffing sound.
"And why would you want to spend that much time learning that?" He retaliated. "You know, you have to be really meant to use a gun. You have to have good eyesight, and good accuracy. Some people can never use guns, but anyone could learn to use a sword." My eyes bore down on him through the wall. "Anyways," He groaned as if he were stretching. "I plan to take that exam as soon as I get let out. And then I'll be your superior."
"What! I don't think so! First off, it depends on what your assignment is- and name one person who outranks Sephiroth!"
"Sephiroth, eh? Hmm…well, the Director?"
"But not a single Turk."
"Hail, Sephiroth is a beast. No one can beat him." I laughed a little, until Garrison chided me for it. "No, really, I mean…do you ever wonder how he got to be so…strong?"
"Just hard training, I guess." I said, kicking my feet up on the cot.
"But even then…he never misses, never has to strike twice…Gaia, I mean, I've never even seen him with a scratch. Have you?"
"No, so what?"
"I've seen the other 1sts hurt before, I've seen them miss." I sat up, and started braiding a longer strand of hair that dangled in front of my eyes. I hadn't gotten a trim for weeks, and my hair seemed to grow faster than I could keep up with.
"That's what makes Sephiroth so phenomenal." I replied, as casual as possible. No, I never gave it a second thought why he was so good. When I joined ShinRa, he was already a 1st, already that amazing.
"You call it phenomenal, I call it weird." My hands fumbled with my hair, and i let the inch-long braid go.
"You don't think he's normal." I clarified.
"He's not."
"Is there something so wrong about that?" I continued before he could respond, intent on getting my point across. "He's on our side, can't you just be happy about it?"
"I'm happy that he's not on the enemy's side. We would all be screwed."
"He feels pain." I muttered.
"What?" He asked from across the wall. I remembered, about a year ago, when Sephiroth met me for training instead of Genesis. He'd been sad. Sad that his friend was hurt, and there was nothing he could do to help. He was plenty human.
"Genesis left because…I think, because he felt different. Like a monster. I'm sure Sephiroth knows what people like you think about him. But he bears with it." Garrison was quiet, and I realized I wasn't only defending Sephiroth then.
…I was still supposed to be mad, damn it.
We stopped talking after that. Garrison must have realized he hit a nerve. Luckily, I didn't have to sit in that silence for long. After a little over two hours, I heard the door to the hall open, and heavy footsteps as someone approached. As the doorknob to my cell twisted, I got to my feet, then stopped just as quickly.
Sephiroth stepped aside, beckoning me through the doors.
"I'm curious to hear what you have to say as well." He said, breaking the silence of the elevator. I looked to him, slightly alarmed.
"You don't think I'm part of this, do you?" I thought he sighed, by the way his shoulders relaxed, but no sound was made.
"I doubt it. But I never thought certain others would desert either." He suddenly shook his head, as if relieving an unwelcome idea. "No, I don't think you betrayed any information to the enemy. I think you charmed your captors into treating you well."
"That's…putting it differently. But, I guess…so." I murmured, and the weight hanging over my chest seemed to get heavier.
The long table in the briefing room was actually occupied, by a few sparse rows of the higher-ups. I recognized Hojo, his arms crossed while he nodded off. And the Director of Weapons Development, Scarlett. She saw me and cracked a knowing smile. I didn't return it though. The reason why she had her position was because she enjoyed causing others pain, in creative ways. And she found it…amusing how I, a woman, had joined SOLDIER. Besides trying to make me feel awkward every chance she got, she was one of the few that actually succeeded.
I ignored her and took my place beside Lazard, and directly across from President ShinRa himself. He was a stout man. I wish I could say, stout and strong, but he actually reminded me of these jelly-like flan monsters I had to fight sometimes. It still surprised me that this hobgoblin of a man was the President of the most powerful company in Gaia. No wonder I never saw his image on ShinRa banners. Often in was his handsome son instead.
Trying to get the image of him melting and going, "Blaaahh…", I looked at him with my calmest expression. He cleared his throat, making such a similar sound I almost laughed, and shuffled some papers on the table.
"Sir, wasn't our dear Rufus supposed to be joining us?" Scarlett asked, her voice lingering on the name. ShinRa shrugged.
"I'll punish him later. The boy thinks he's already king of the world." Already? Hmm, I suppose…whoever did lead ShinRa sort of was…
"Hail Darvey, suspected of conspiring with the enemy during your stay in Fort Tamblin, Wutai." He read, then his eyes moved lazily to me. "You don't look like you could be capable of something like that."
My first idea was to respond with, 'Well, looks are deceiving.' But that wouldn't help my case. I waited.
"According to the Director, this isn't right. Let's get this over with, what really happened then, if you didn't give information?" Damn, here we go…
"During an ambush, I was knocked out and taken hostage." I explained. Scarlett instantly laughed.
"Funny how out of the entire squad, you were the only one taken alive. I guess you wouldn't be of any use to them dead?" ShinRa chuckled too. I had a feeling they weren't talking about giving information.
"They were also convinced that as a woman, I would be unable to do anything." I said, deliberately slowly, while looking ShinRa in the eye. He didn't seem to like that, by the way his face tightened up. My mako eyes, staring into his, perfectly human ones. Did he really fear SOLDIERs too? I suddenly felt superior, even if I was the one being interrogated, it didn't matter. I never used my ranking as a SOLDIER to feel better than someone, but it was so simple now.
What a slow target he would make. If Sephiroth weren't sitting beside me, I could have killed ShinRa almost-
…What was I going on about?
"They treated me like I had been a hostage of the company instead. They were polite. When the Fort was attacked, I escaped." I said. ShinRa looked hastily away from me, and flipped the page, like there was a written copy of my story there. His eyes widened, and his mouth curved into a smirk.
"And you were found by General Sephiroth, pinned to a tree?" I could tell they were about to start laughing again, then, Sephiroth cleared his throat.
"President Sir, Angeal and Genesis had taken a similar route out of the Fort. They confronted Darvey, and that was the result. She had no chance, weaponless, against two 1st Classes." ShinRa narrowed his eyes, and I noticed Sephiroth did as well. "Even if they deserted, they still have the strength worthy of their ranking." The room was still and silent, besides a snore from Hojo.
"Hail, dear." Scarlett chimed in. "What's this about you attempting to strangle your unit leader, Chase LeRoy?"
…I had forgotten about that.
"According to other members of the team, it was in self-defense." Lazard hastily explained. "LeRoy instigated it, and Hail responded accordingly." I loved my teammates. They, unlike LeRoy, looked out for you. Speaking of which, I wonder how Cloud was?
ShinRa flipped the papers closed and sighed.
"This is proving to be less productive then I'd hoped. This meeting is over." He narrowed his eyes up at me. "Get out of my sight."
"With pleasure."
Our eyes locked again as I stood up, and didn't leave him until I finally turned around and exited through the doors. It seemed our silent confrontation hadn't gone unnoticed after all.
I was eager to get away from everyone, to get downstairs to my room. I felt like sleeping off a hangover. Maybe Zack and Kunsel would like to join me.
A tall, skinny young man raced through the doors just as I went to open them, and not even my SOLDIER reflexes could prevent me from tripping. Well, actually, I did catch myself, but the way he wound his arms around me off balanced me.
"In a hurry are we?" He wore a crisp white suit, and his lean figure betrayed the fact that he was the President's son. Rufus ShinRa cracked a smile. "Hail."
I slipped out of the man's grasp, but he barred my path before I reached the door.
"What, Rufus? I'm tiered." He pulled his hand through his unnaturaly blond hair.
"I was supposed to listen in on the meeting as well. Until I realized it was you they were bringing in, I didn't care for it. I rushed up here, but it seems I missed all the good stuff." I sighed heavily and slumped onto the floor.
"I've been in Wutai for a week. The last time I got some sleep was in a futon. Now get out of my way, prettyboy, or I will get violent." He reached into his coat, past a handgun.
"I thought you would feel that way, that is why…aha!" And from his magic pocket, he revealed a glass bottle of golden-tinted drink. I didn't feel tiered anymore.
He raised his eyebrow, and twirled it around a bit, tempting me.
"Where-"
"I have my sources, dear." I resented the pet-name, I resented the fact that he knew so well how to bribe me. I resented him. But none the less, I eagerly followed him through the doors.
Rufus divided the vanilla wine between us, favoring my glass, and left the half-full bottle open between us. The scent of musky vanilla and the heavy cotton of his suit was thick in open air of the rooftop. Rufus leaned back against the railing, and guided a cigarette into his mouth. He held it between his teeth as he lit it, and the exotic-smelling air was soon tinged with smoke as well.
"How are you?" He asked, somewhat carefully.
"You mean, how am I dealing with Genesis?" He shrugged, and I fixed my gaze on the skyline of Midgar. "I feel so useless. I couldn't do anything to help him. He didn't even give me a warning."
"Maybe his honor is at risk. Getting you involved wouldn't do anything."
"He's stupid." I complained.
"Men act strangely on occasion." Rufus explained. I frowned into my empty glass, as if I couldn't understand why it was empty. He reached over, stretching his arm over my shoulder and refilled it. I couldn't help but notice another smell on him, as he leaned in so close.
"What were you doing before?" I asked, slowly. He filled my glass right to the rim, where it threatened to spill over like a golden dome capping a glass tower. I heard him sort of laugh behind me.
"Damn SOLDIER senses. A normal human wouldn't have noticed it." I shook my head, thoroughly amused.
"Perfume, and blood." I listed. "Possibly more than one woman too, unless your lady friend accidently out on two different scents. But why the blood?"
"I didn't go out to the Honey Bee and shoot the place up." He said, tapping the shotgun pinned to the inside of his jacket. "I was out with some…friends of mine, and another man started getting too close. It was amusing at first, but…" He bit down on his cigarette, and swallowed the rest of the wine straight from the bottle. "I had to put the guy in his place sooner or later. They need to start respecting the future President." I shook my head, with a funny smile.
"Men do act strangely sometimes. Fighting over the silliest of things…for the…stupidest things." My newly issued phone rung softly in my pocket, and I flipped it open in my lap. Though I needed to assign the numbers their respective caller , I had seen this number enough times to recognize it.
"You think being in charge of the most powerful company in the whole of Gaia is-" Rufus continued.
"Yes, I do." I interrupted, pleasantly pleased upon realizing I could stand firmly. I chugged the rest of my drink, in case he wanted to take it away from what I planned to say. "Ruling the world- will it be all fun like you think? Even if it is, you can't let all that power go to your head." I tapped my head with my phone, winking at him as it slapped shut.
"What would you know about ruling anything?" He grumbled, emphasizing his childish nature.
"Gaia, I thought I would be better off when you became President. Your dad hates me, so I hoped I would at least be in the clear, but…" I shrugged.
"If I have my way, I'll make it so SOLDIERs can't drink either." He looked away, anticipating my annoyed glare. "Then, you'll have to come to me for all of your…needs." I balanced the empty glass on the floor, and walked past him.
"As long as you don't rename everything 'Rufus-inc' I'll be happy." Or at least satisfied.
I waved through the opening doors at Kunsel and Zack, who had waited patiently for me in the lobby to ride the elevator all the way down from the rooftop. Instead of waving, Kunsel hurried forward and fumbled cutely with his hands instead of speaking. Finally, I rolled my eyes and stepped into the impending hug.
"They didn't even tell us you were being held there until you got back!" He complained. "Zack didn't even know you were in the Fort when he attacked."
"I'm okay."I reassured him. Zack crossed his arms and smirked at me from a distance, and I heard the reception lady snicker behind us. "Hey- c'mon, people are staring!"
"Uh, oh, yeah, I guess." But he still lingered for a minute. I narrowed my eyes, and pinched him. That got him off a little quicker.
Even though I had just gotten back from my apparent hostage-situation, our dinner out was really for Zack. I'd had time to get over Genesis' desertion, even if it kept getting more abstract and complicated, I had sort of accepted it. But Zack had just learned about it last night, and I could already tell he was taking it harder. And he was convinced that Angeal hadn't deserted. I wanted to ask him, 'then what had Angeal done?', but I was too good of a friend for that.
I especially left out how I'd encountered Genesis and Angeal one last time. Where Angeal had pretty much admitted he was deserting…and how obvious it was that my mentor was behind it too.
Zack likes Wutanise food, so that was where we ate. Despite how I'd been eating quite authentic Wutanise cuisine for the last week, I didn't complain. I just silently impressed them with my newfound ability to wield chopsticks.
"Geez, Hail! You're the only person I know who can turn virtually anything into a weapon." Kunsel muttered, nursing his hand after getting stabbed for trying to steal my last cream-cheese Rangoon. But I was in no mood to compromise. Zack was apparently feeling better, as he had gone far enough to trick me into eating the crazy-spicy dipping sauce instead of the regular kind. Apparently my Wutanise-hosts had been on short rations, so I hadn't gotten the chance to try it until now. And since cream-cheese seemed to do the best at evening out the taste, Kunsel wasn't about to get it. I noticed Zack watching me out of the corner of his eyes, like he was debating something to tell me, or trying to decided how to say it…
"Zack?"
"Uh, yeah?" I frowned, more like a disappointed frown. He shifted in his seat. "I fought some weird things in Wutai." He said. "Your…mentor's name was Genesis, right?" Each sound in the restaurant was suddenly more noticeable. Each little touch of glasses, the quiet conversations held in opposite booths.
"Yeah. What happened?"
"There were these…I don't know, Sephiroth called them copies. They were really weak though." More copies…I wish I knew what he was planning. How did creating these clones benefit him? I thought he would find such low-end strategies too crude for him.
"You took them out, right?" I clarified. Zack looked guilty about it. "Good. Those second-rate clones don't do him justice." That was an odd statement. The mood was too tense now, so I groped for any other topic. "Hey, I saw this big fireball rise up above the Fort. Was that you?" Zack instantly beamed. Winner.
"That was a summon I fought. The fire one- Ifrit." Even I was taken back.
"Ifrit!" Kunsel and I stuttered simultaneously. "That's crazy! Don't all the summons belong to ShinRa?" Zack shrugged.
"I think so. It was only Ifrit."
"Only?" Kunsel scoffed. "Wow man. Why don't you just get to 1st Class already."
Genesis had used Ifrit before. That thing was his summon.
My phone rang out, with an annoying repetitive beep that signified a message from the Company. Leaving the guys to continue their manly-man retelling of the battle with Ifrit, I brought my PHS onto the table and opened the new message.
'Hail Darvey,
Even though you just got back to Midgar, you have been specifically requested to accompany General Sephiroth on a mission to the Forgotten City. You will be departing tomorrow morning. Do not be late.'
-Director Lazard
…specifically requested?
"Here are your fortune cookies." The waitress said, passing out the dessert cookies along with the bill. Zack and I both looked at Kunsel, our silent excuse being he hadn't had to go through any 'trauma' recently, so he should pay. He sighed loudly, dragging the bill along the table to the edge where it dissapeared into his lap.
Zack cracked open his cookie as I did, and we bore down into our tiny fortunes like they were golden. Well, written in golden ink at least. That was a nice oriental touch.
"A friend will be important to you and your forthcoming success." I read.
…My friends? I mean, they were great, but I didn't see them helping me to rank up. I thought of Genesis. For some reason, he just popped into my head. Did I even consider him a friend? I mean…that made no sense anyways. …Maybe Sephiroth? And the mission we were going on tomorrow-
"In bed!" Zack suddenly yelled. I flinched, breaking my fortune cookie as he suddenly leaned in and yelled in my ear.
"In-" Oh Gaia. The following image nearly made me fall out of the booth. "No, no! Not in bed, are you five?" My reaction made the situation all that more hysterical, and Zack couldn't even defend himself as I pummeled him. Kunsel leaned over and scanned his eyes over Zack's.
"Haha, you're one to talk." Zack flushed to cover his note, but Kunsel had already seen it. "There will be a wonderful man in your future-"
"In bed!"
A/N~Haha, lots of lols in this one. Those are all real fortunes by the way. My grandpa got Zack's :(
So i planned to play out Crisis Core again as i got into its storyline, even though Hail's is going to be really different than Zack's, but guess what? I loaned my PSP to one of my friends so he could play Birth By Sleep and...end. Yeah, i have yet to see it, so i just went on Game Faqs and read up on the story there instead.
But if there's any specific you're dying to see, just let me know and i will accomodate! And here's a bit of treat/infor for you- hate him, love him, not sure, i plan to bring Kaito-kun back for another arc! Don't worry, it'll be WAAY shorter, but different than the first arc. Let me know if this has you excited, or not really, thank you!
Please Review! :D