It was the third weekend of the month, so that meant taking the bus into Edge with Elmyra. This was their routine, the three of them. It began right after Elmyra had that awful fit and fell from her chair during dinner. Denzel hadn't known what to do, fork frozen in bandaged hand. Marlene had screamed and rushed over, but Elmyra was already recovered and hushing the girl, telling her everything was okay.
Everything was okay, except now they all took the bus into the city because Elmyra went to the hospital there. It was better than the doctor in Kalm, she said. Denzel wasn't sure why they couldn't just use a healing materia on her, but Elmyra told him this wasn't that type of problem.
The bus pulled into the station, and they were greeted with a plume of exhaust from other buses as they exited. After a stuffy underground train ride, they emerged near the hospital which still had the ShinRa logo plastered atop though it was technically no longer run by ShinRa, Elmyra had said, but Denzel wasn't really sure because all the doctors still had the logo on their scrubs and coats.
They halted outside the entrance of the towering structure, near the large sliding glass doors and the nauseous fluorescent interior.
"Now, Denzel." Elmyra bent slightly to speak to him. "Why don't you take Marlene over to the movies while I go to my appointment?"
She smiled kindly and slipped several gil into his hand, then patted his shoulder.
"Sure." Denzel looked behind her at the hospital.
It always felt strange saying goodbye to her right here, like she would walk in there and disappear forever. He was never allowed to come with her, but she wanted him nearby in the city. Just in case, she had said, but she never said in case of what exactly.
But she always came back and they always went home to Kalm in the evening, and today would be no different.
"Okay, see you at four o'clock." Elmyra straightened and nodded at them both. "Right here. Don't be late or I'll worry."
"If you'd just get me a phone, you'd never have to worry."
Elmyra chuckled. "Maybe next month. You know money is tight right now." Then she lovingly touched his cheek and kissed his forehead before doing the same to Marlene. "Mind the time. Be here at four."
Once she disappeared into the hospital, Denzel and Marlene headed to the shopping district where the movie theater was located.
"What movie do you wanna see?" Marlene asked, but before he could reply she went on, "I wanna see the one with that guy who's trying to get back home, but he has to, like, fight all these bad guys who used to be good guys."
It took Denzel a minute to recall which she was referring to. "Oh, no, Marlene, that's not a kid's movie." She'd become fascinated with action movies recently. "C'mon, I have a better idea."
He switched directions and pulled her down a different street.
"Hey, wait a minute, where are we going?" Marlene asked. "I wanted to stop at the arcade, too!"
He ignored her.
"Denzel!" Marlene released his hand and stood firm, placing one hand on her hip. She looked so much like Tifa for a split second, standing there defiant.
"I just wanna make one stop first, then I'll take you to the arcade," Denzel promised.
Marlene huffed, but he was on a mission. Her protests died down and after a solid ten minutes, she fell silent.
The sidewalks became less populated, the streets dirtier as they progressed. Garbage cluttered the pavement, and torn newspapers littered the gutters. Junkies lounged on stoops, eyeing the kids as they passed. Denzel put his hand in his pocket and held tight to the handle of the dagger he carried everywhere now. He'd never be caught empty handed again, and he was ready for anything.
Marlene recognized where they were heading.
"Denzel!" she hissed in a low whisper. "I don't wanna go back there!"
"It will be quick. I just wanna...get something."
At the end of the next block, the bar appeared like an old friend. Denzel's former home. Not that much time had passed, but it was in complete disrepair, as if the landlord had just given up and left it to the eventual decay that swallowed the rest of the neighborhood. The neon sign in the window was dark.
"I don't wanna go in. I wanna leave!" Marlene said. Denzel dug a key from his pocket. "You...you have a key?" she asked, though it was a silly question. Denzel gave her a look that said so.
"Of course I do. I used to live here."
He struggled with the lock before feeling the key hit the tumbler correctly. It hadn't changed a bit. With a satisfied smile, he pushed the door open and slid inside. Marlene whined for a second then decided she was better off with him and followed.
The bar was completely dark and freezing. Dust floated in the air visible in the shaft of light that spilled in. Denzel retrieved his flashlight from his backpack. Snapping it on, he gazed around at the once familiar surroundings. The dark wood tables, the dart board, the pinball machine that Marlene had loved so much. The sleek bar top with the mirror behind it. The bottles of booze were gone, of course. Someone had broken in through a window upstairs or maybe the landlord figured this was his version of accepting rent payments. A layer of dust covered everything, and Denzel shivered but not from the cold. The place looked positively haunted. Marlene would be scared, he reasoned, and glanced back at her.
She stood next to him, clutching her arms around her stomach, and looked around with wide eyes.
"I...I don't like this…" she paused, then the fear in her voice escalated. "We shouldn't be here, Denzel. This was a bad idea!"
"Relax. You've been here before. It's the same place, there's nothing to fear."
But the prickling sensation was growing in his chest, too.
"Yeah, I was here when Tifa was here. And Cloud. Not like this. This is…" She jumped at a creak from the far corner. "What was that?!"
A rat scurried down one of the tables. It sniffed the air then strode into darkness. Denzel let out a breath.
"C'mon, I'm going upstairs," he told her and felt her grab his arm, but she said nothing else.
As he approached the stairs, he couldn't help but gaze at the sink behind the bar. This was the other place his head was trapped. The second place his dreams always brought him. Right here, watching Cloud wash his hands. He'd held his hands over the sink, rinsing blood away, then he'd looked over at Denzel with an expression that Denzel had never seen before. It was pain, but not the sort from when you scrape your knees or twist your ankle. It was like he'd lost something vital and he knew he'd never get it back. Like he already knew how drastically everything was about to change.
And it had. Here is where Denzel heard that Tifa wasn't coming home. Standing right...
"Denzel…?" Marlene's voice was small but firm. "We should go now."
He shook his head, clearing away the awful memory.
"No, I wanna get something upstairs. It will only take a minute."
Ascending to the second floor brought back all sorts of scents and sounds of the past. He could practically hear the clink of glasses downstairs, smell the liquor soaking into the wooden floor, hear Tifa laughing or yelling depending on what type of night it was, and maybe he could close his eyes and be back there with her. Maybe he could open them again and find that the last long year had been nothing but a bad dream. Maybe he'd go downstairs and see Cloud washing dishes instead of bloody hands.
What a stupid fantasy, he chided himself. Childish. Pull it together.
The carpet of the second level was dirt-stained and hardened. The entire place had been overturned. A broken window gaped in the office, the one overlooking the fire escape. Someone had vandalized the place. The stream of light from his flashlight moved around the room, pieces of furniture emerging like spooks.
He swallowed his fear and stepped over bits of glass and paper. Marlene was clutching his arm like a raft in a storm.
Opposite from the office was his old bedroom.
"I wish Cloud were here... " Marlene was barely audible, just a tiny squeak.
"No, you don't. And there's nothing to be afraid of. It's just an empty building," Denzel said, trying to remain strong despite the coldness in his stomach.
He pushed open the door to his old bedroom with an eerie creak. The bed was a wreck and the drawers of the dresser had all been removed. The closet was open and everything was bare. But maybe, just maybe, they hadn't taken everything, whoever they were.
He spotted the nightstand toppled next to the bed. He rifled through its content with Marlene practically on top of him, emitting a low sad whine.
There! Denzel saw it. The photo.
Victorious, he pulled the photo of Tifa and him free from the wreckage. They were both smiling, outside in front of the bar. Cloud stood apart in the frame with his arms crossed. Who had taken this photo? He couldn't remember exactly.
"That's it?" Marlene said over his shoulder. "You dragged me here to get some stupid picture?"
He folded the picture and put it in his pocket.
"We have pictures of her already!" Marlene said. "I can't believe you made me come with you here."
"Yeah, well, I like this one."
Marlene curled her mouth up like she was about to hurl a stream of words at him, but they were both interrupted by a loud sound downstairs.
BANG!
The heavy door below had slammed shut. Had he really not remembered to lock up behind him? How could he be so stupid!
A scurrying noise followed. A shuffling.
"D-D-Denzel…!"
Marlene's hand was so tight in his he thought for sure she would bruise him.
The noises drew closer. Like something crawling up the stairs.
With his free hand he withdrew the dagger and flipped the blade open.
Marlene gasped. "You carry that…?"
But there was no time to explain. He moved her behind him and held the dagger in his fist, heart hammering in his ears and chest.
"Don't worry," he whispered, "Just stay behind me."
Denzel switched off his flashlight, then took a step forward. Marlene's eyes were begging him to stay, but his attention was on the stairwell.
A slow creaking moved up each step. Suddenly, another loud bang came from downstairs. The door again slammed shut, and the noises on the stairs halted. Denzel froze, one hand in the air, motioning for Marlene to stay back. He peeked into the hallway, but he could not see far. A faint light emanated from the staircase. Someone else's flashlight.
"I know you're in here!" a new voice shouted from below, and Denzel jumped. Marlene threw her hands over her mouth. "You can't hide from me!"
The distinct sound of tables being overturned emanated from below. The noises on the staircase shifted slightly, weight settling.
"How far did you think you would get? I mean, really?" the man's voice was growing closer. He was approaching the back of the bar. Denzel's heart pounded hard and he wished his hands could just stop shaking.
"Ah, there you are," the voice was right on the stairs now, and a strangled scream came from someone else. The source of the first intruder.
"No! You...you can't!" a second more desperate voice piped up.
"I can." Slow steps approached. "I will."
"T-t-tell the boss," the quieter voice stuttered. "Tell the boss it was a mistake and-"
"No, that's not how this works. You fucked up. You got greedy. Now he's ordered your termination. It's that simple."
A loud scuffle on the stairs, a smack, a yell.
"You should be happy," the loud man continued, "that he doesn't care enough to kill you himself. Otherwise, I'd be dragging you back to Junon and then you'd really know how badly you fucked up. You've heard the stories, I'm sure."
A sharp cry came with a crunch like broken bones.
Something brushed past Denzel's leg, and his spine reacted before his brain could. He stumbled back. A snap of wood under his boot sounded awfully loud, and the scuffle in the stairwell stop.
"We aren't alone, it seems," the loud man said.
Brave, Denzel repeated to himself. Please be brave. He gripped the dagger tighter. He had to do something. At least to protect Marlene. He had to show her he was tough, otherwise what good is him telling her to be tough when she wakes up in the middle of the night with bad dreams?
Denzel stepped forward into plain view at the top of the stairs and switched on his flashlight.
"Get out," Denzel said to the world, dagger in hand.
Halfway up the moldy stairs, two men stared in surprise. Both had the shine of drugs in their eyes, and one held the other by his collar, the clear victor. The loud voice. The other was curled defensively, blood leaking from his nose. The quiet voice.
Denzel swallowed and repeated himself, "Get out. Now."
This elicited a sharp laugh from Loud Voice. "Oh yeah? What, is this you're uh…shack? This dump?"
"This is my home," Denzel said, trying not to let his voice waver.
"I don't think so, kid. Now just run along. This doesn't concern you."
But Denzel stood firm. "Get out, I said. Go."
The man's expression grew dark. In a flicker of movement, a short sword appeared in his hand. The quiet man took advantage of the distraction and kicked, hitting his foe but the angle wasn't enough. The other stumbled, caught his footing, and then stabbed fast. Denzel jumped. Blood gushed out as Loud Voice removed his sword from the other man's chest. It had been a fatal blow. Then he focused back onto Denzel.
All that supposed bravery melted away.
"That could've been a real fun time, cut short by you," the killer said to the boy. "And now you're going to pay for that…"
Loud Voice climbed the stairs, eyes locked on Denzel. The sword in his hand dripped blood to the carpet.
Then something flew through the air. A chunk of broken brick hit the guy squarely in the head. Denzel heard Marlene next to him. The intruder's eyes flashed in anger. A cold look of pure intent.
"Go away!" Marlene's voice cut high and sharp. "Go away right now!"
The man broke into a murderous laugh.
"Kids…" He rolled his eyes and shouted upstairs. "Anymore goddamn kids up there wanna come on out?"
Marlene crossed her arms over her chest and glared.
"You fuckin' kids should've stayed hidden up there! Now I'm gonna kill you both."
"It's my home," Marlene echoed Denzel's words. "And I'm telling Cloud that you broke in!"
The man froze and his smile faded.
"...What did you just say?"
Marlene didn't falter. "I said I'm telling Cloud!"
"You...uh, you shouldn't say things like that, kid." His eyes darted between the two. "You don't know that name."
"Cloud Strife," Denzel chirped, invigorated by the sudden ammunition they somehow had. "This is his place. And he's going to...he's going to kill you once I tell him you were here, messing up the place."
A smirk crossed the older man's face now.
"No, you can't possibly know him. You're….you're lying."
Marlene grabbed the flashlight then reached over and pulled the photo from Denzel's pocket.
"This guy!" she shouted, shining the light and pointing at Cloud standing there.
The man took one look and instantly backed away. He sheathed the short sword and nodded with apology. "I...I didn't know the boss had kids…"
"We're not his kids," Marlene snapped, full of vigor. Then she shoved the light and photo back into Denzel's hands. "We're his friends!"
But the man was no longer listening and had fallen back with a look of fear. He glanced down at the body of the dead guy on the stairs, and for just a moment he paused, considering something. Then he left. Denzel heard his footsteps rush out, and the door slammed.
They were alone again.
"Shit, Marlene," Denzel breathed out at last. "I think you just saved our lives."
Marlene stood in a daze. "Why was he so afraid of Cloud?"
Denzel had an idea why, though he wasn't about to tell Marlene. "C'mon, let's get out of here," he said.
"What did he mean when he said Cloud was his boss? Why would Cloud be his boss?"
"Forget about it. C'mon, let's go now… please."
Together they went down the stairs. Denzel tried to avert his eyes from the dead body while Marlene fixated on it, intrigued. They got out of there as fast as possible.
The sun was lower in the sky, and a light flurry of snowflakes drifted through the air. Denzel shivered, but not from the cold. Wordlessly, he took Marlene's hand and they walked towards the shopping district. Both children were lost in thought at the very real danger they'd just survived. On their own. Without any grown-ups.
At length, they approached the movie theater. Denzel glanced up at the showtimes, but his mind was nowhere near thoughts of entertainment. The sanctity of being near so many people crowded outside the theater comforted him. Marlene stared up at a movie poster for the action movie she'd wanted to see.
"Don't tell Elmyra," Denzel said at last.
Marlene gave him a subtle nod of agreement. Elmyra would kill him if she knew where they'd gone and how much trouble they'd almost been in.
They remained in front of the theater together in silence.
Finally, Marlene looked over at Denzel.
"Was I brave?"
Her question startled him. Had she not seen how close they'd come to being in serious trouble? How close they'd come to death? But he relaxed and tried his best smile.
"Yeah, Marlene," he assured her. "You were great. Just like an action hero."
But now he had even more questions running around his head, about Cloud. Marlene apparently had them, too.
"Do you think Cloud's in trouble?" she asked.
Denzel shrugged. "I don't know, but it sure seems that way."
"We should help him," Marlene concluded.
Denzel didn't agree.
"He'd help us if we were in trouble," she stressed.
Denzel pointed up at the movie poster and tried to change the subject. "I think we can still catch this show if we hurry." Then he picked the gil from his pocket and counted it out.
"Well, I'm going to figure out what happened to him," Marlene stated, "I'm going to find him and help him. And you can help me if you'd like."
A long sigh came from Denzel, and he simply stepped up to the counter and bought two tickets. Marlene was still so innocent, he realized. She'd been kept blissfully isolated from everything, and he knew he'd keep trying to protect her. He had to. He was the only one who could, especially from the truth.
"Sure, Marlene." Denzel smiled at her. "We stick together."