Chapter II

"Did you knock him out again, son?"

The sheriff let out a long sigh while the tip of his thumb pushed up the brim of his dirty cowboy hat to take a closer look inside the cell.

A malnourished body lied sprawled out on the rotten and wooden ground of the jail cell with his head turned to the side. Blood trickled down from the man's bent nose into a small pool of red liquid forming around his face. His right eye was so swollen and black that it looked like a grotesque boil. The rest of his face looked just as horrid, with some serious fist bruises and some open cuts. His face was so fucked up from getting the shit beat out of it, it barely looked human. Saliva dripped from his agape mouth and slithered around his rotting yellow-brown teeth until it mixed with his pooling blood. His overalls and white shirt were covered in dust and other mysterious stains. It looked like the scrawny sap had lived in the same pair of overalls for years. Flies swarmed around his motionless body and the human feces next to him.

"Gaia…he was supposed to get hanged today," The plump lawman shook his head and placed his hands on the buckle of his holster belt. "Whelp, I can't hang an unconscious man now can I, Mister Strife? The people want to see a live one. An' I'm sure they wanna see some Shinra dog hang."

His small eyes looked between the rusting prison bars over towards the blonde man lingering within.

Cloud remained silent. He didn't bother to look at that stupid fat bastard sheriff who took him in as a prisoner after the failed Mako mission. The incident was six days ago, and he was still stuck in this rotting cell that reeked of piss and shit. The cell was so small, that he was sure the max capacity would only be about four men. Initially when we got thrown in, there were two other men occupying the cell. The first one got hung three days ago, while the second one…well...

Cloud looked at the sorry pile of trash on the ground next to his feet.

Shouldn't have pissed me off.

He sighed with his head hung low between his shoulders as he sat on the cell's splintery bench. He was hunched over with his elbows resting on his knees. Sweat droplets trailed down his scarred up forehead down to the tip of his nose until they dripped down onto the broken floor that had a light scatter of hay on it. Aggravation and rage colored his striking face as wrath dyed his blue, Mako eyes.

What the fuck am I gonna do now?

He clenched his hands into fists. He felt like life was steadily going into the shitter for him.

I knew I should've just stayed a farm boy.

"I'm thinkin' you can take his place for today, yews know? Johnny here can hang tomorrow." The sheriff uttered as he played a crooked and wolfish grin.

"Whoa now sheriff…sounds like someone is getting a little too eager over there."

The lawman instantly frowned. His face twisted with annoyance as his beady eyes darted over towards the next jail cell. "You always gotta speak up, don't yews son?"

Cloud could hear Zack's body shift around the wooden bench in his tiny cell.

"If you wanna hang someone today, you can hang me. My face is prettier anyways…" Zack said in a cocky voice.

Cloud sat up and looked over at the worn cement wall that separated his cell from Zack's.

What the hell are you doing, Zack?

Zack couldn't be that stupid, right?

No, he probably had a plan.

The fat man let out an obnoxious laugh and pulled out his 45 caliber revolver from his battered leather gun holster. The belt looked like it could barely contain the man's enormous potbelly that hung lifelessly over it. He confidently strode away to Zack's cell and was out of Cloud's view. He could hear the jingle of the sheriff's cell keys.

"So, yews wanna take Mister Strife's place, huh? So be it, son. Maybe it'll teach you how to shut yer loud mouth, mmm?"

Cloud heard the key turn and the loud squeaking sound of the metal door being pulled open. He could hear Zack smile.

"Yeah, or maybe I can shut yours instead."

"Hey! Wh–arrgg!"

Cloud got up on his feet and scrambled over to his cell door. He tried to see what the heck was going on as he heard the commotion next door. He couldn't see anything, but he could hear the two wrestling each other. Zack's chuckle and the lawman's struggling grunts echoed throughout the sheriff's office. A few seconds later, he heard a weak Oomph! sound escape the sheriff's throat.

BANG!

Cloud flinched as he heard the gun go off. The bullet easily tore through the wooden door on the other side of the room. Did he kill him? Or did that ass actually shoot Zack?

I'm gonna assume Zack had the upper hand…

"Zack?" Cloud called out.

The dark haired gentleman coolly and casually made his way out of his cell and trotted over to Cloud's door with a boastful look on his countenance. He had the sheriff's gun in his hand and his off white tom mixed styled western hat on. He wiped the perspiration from his face with his red bandana around his neck.

"Worried about me?" He said as he flashed a smile.

Cloud frowned and gave him an irked look.

This guy…

"Did you kill him?"

"Nah, I just read him a bedtime story and put him to sleep."

Cloud sighed. "Just get me out of here…"

"You got it! W–Whoa! Oh wow…Gaia, Cloud! You literally beat the living crap outta that guy, huh?" Zack said as he took the prison key from his pocket and unlocked the door. "I guess the Mako must be settling in well."

Cloud was about to say something back, when the front door to the sheriff's office busted open. Three men rushed in.

The first to enter was a tall and lean man who had shaggy, ash gray and white hair with a thick beard of the same color. He wore a red vest that was embroidered with a gold pattern over his white cotton long sleeved shirt and black necktie. Around his waist was a black gun holster belt that held two large revolvers that hung neatly over his black trousers. He sported a black, open crown cowboy hat and held a rifle in both of his hands.

Two other men hung at his flanks, each with their own gun equipped in their hands. The man on his right was incredibly huge and was bulging with muscles. It looked like his faded red, long sleeved shirt and black buttoned up vest could barely contain his ripped upper body and arms. His wide face looked rough like all his scars healed pretty badly, and he had messy charcoal black hair that hung around his ears. There was a look of detestation across his visage as his glowing Mako eyes laid their burning gaze on the two outlaws.

The man on the left however, was the complete opposite. His face and ruby eyes looked hollow, and he had a thin figure with an imposing posture. He had pale white skin that accented his shoulder length, jet black hair. He had on a dark, garnet red ascot around his neck and draped over his shoulders was a black leather overcoat that covered the majority of his body.

The man with the white hair slowly approached the two boys with his black western boots clicking loudly against the wooden floors of the office. He stopped just a few feet in front of them, and his dark eyes scanned the open room. He sighed in vexation as he saw the lardy sheriff motionless on the ground in Zack's cell. His dark eyes then rested on the boys in front of him, who were frozen in their tracks.

Cloud mentally cursed to himself.

Shit…

Can life get anymore shitter?

He took a glance over at Zack next to him, who appeared to be relaxed and unfazed by the presents of the three males.

"I assume you two are the Shinra boys, correct?" The bearded man asked with thick southern accent.

"Oh, so you heard about us?" Zack replied as he folded in arms across his chest. The bold smile was still dancing on his face.

The man with the rifle raised an eyebrow and motioned the man to his right.

Without hesitation, the buff man moved like a blur and smashed a hefty fist right into Zack's open gut. The smile on Zack's face no longer existed as his body hunched over in agony, and his toned arms grabbed his torso. There was a mashup of astonishment and pure pain on his face as his eyes bolted shut. He stumbled backwards until his back hit the prison bars behind him.

What the fuck!?

The man's movement was so fast Cloud didn't even see him move. As the muscle man pulled his fist back from Zack's gut, Cloud moved in to take a slug at his exposed and grisly face. But once again, the man was faster, and he easily countered him with another packing punch. He hit the blonde hard on the side of his jaw, but Cloud was able to keep his balance. Cloud was surprised that his jaw didn't shatter after that blow. Because Gaia, it felt like he got hit in the face with a sledgehammer.

Before Cloud knew it, he soon found his throat caught and wrapped around the large man's stern grasp. With a single hand, he effortlessly lifted Cloud's fraught body in the air and choked him like a rag doll. Cloud's hands flew to his throat, desperately trying to rip off the man's tightening death grip as his face grimaced.

"That'll do, Angeal, that'll do. We still want them to be able to talk, now." The man in the red vest said as he shifted the rifle into his left hand and set it down on the ground to lean on it. His other hand adjusted the golden WRO pin on his vest.

Angeal grumbled in displeasure and released his locking grip. Cloud's body slumped to the ground next to Zack, urgently trying to wheeze in the dusty, malodourous air. Angeal's pure Mako eyes bored down at him with absolute disgust.

"Ahhhhh…Gaia…ughhh…I'll feel that tomorrow…" Zack moaned as he slid down off his feet and sat on the floor. He let out a couple of forceful, bloody coughs.

The bearded man cleared his throat to speak again.

"Mister Fair, my name is Jeremiah Hollander. I'm part of the WRO Bureau of Investigation. My colleagues and I just wanna ask you boys a few questions."

"WRO…?" Cloud huffed out and he tried to get up to stand. The acronym sounded familiar. He remembered some of the Shinra guys talk about the WRO before, but he never knew what it stood for.

"World Regenesis Organization. You know, we try to help the Planet and shit," Hollander answered. He then motioned to the other man next to him. "Grimoire, help Mister Hewley take Mister Fair and, errr…his spiky haired friend over here into the private office."

Angeal wasted no time and yanked Zack up on his feet and pushed him forward towards the door where the bullet had ripped through from the sheriff's gun. Grimoire pulled out his own revolver and shoved it in Cloud's temple as he escorted the blonde into the room. Once the two outlaws were in, Angeal and Grimoire shut the door behind them.

Hollander placed his rifle on the side of the large desk which stood the middle of the room. He moved the large, brown leather chair out of the desk so that he could stand behind it. He motioned the two to sit down on the two smaller leather seats on the other side.

"Take a seat, boys."

Cloud immediately looked over at Zack, who simply shrugged back. With no ideas this time, they obeyed the command. Cloud watched the older gentleman stroll over towards the dusty, oak bookcase behind the desk as the yellow light from the afternoon sun beamed through the office window. The bookcase had hardly any books on it, but the man found a black wooden box on one of the shelves and opened it. He pulled out three cigars, a few strike matches, and an ash tray and placed them on the desk. He took out a switch blade from his pocket and sliced one of the end of a cigar. He held it out to the sitting boys in an offering gesture.

"Cigar?"

Cloud looked muddled by the offer. He studied Hollander's face, trying to figure him out.

What the hell was this guy doing?

"Don't mind if I do!" Zack said as he took the cigar and a match. With a swift movement of his wrist, he lit the match up against the desk's frame and held it against the cigar to let it burn. Eccentric aromas of harsh tobacco, chestnut, and hints of vanilla brought life into the dry air. Zack sat back in his chair comfortably, as he thoroughly enjoyed his smoke. He hummed in satisfaction.

Hollander held the second, uncut cigar to Cloud.

His blonde brows furrowed together in distrust. "No, I don't–"

Zack snatched up the toxin before Cloud could finish his sentence. He displayed a smile as he wedged his cigar between his teeth and crammed the second one into his shirt pocket. He then ran a hand through his greasy black hair and rested is foot over his other thigh in the 4-figure sitting position.

"Ahhh good o'l Wutai cigars. Forgot how good they were. Ahem…so, Hollander…what did you want to talk about?"

Hollander cut and lit up his own cigar before proceeding. "We came to talk about this terrorist group you two are involved in–Shinra. The WRO has been lookin' to terminate the head of his group for a long time now. And, as I'm sure you know, Mister Fair, it's very difficult to reach this fella. But now since we got you, I reckon it might be a little easier."

Does this guy know Zack?

Hollander looked over at Cloud, who stared back with no emotion.

"I assume this is one of Shinra's new recruits?"

"Yeah, you don't need to worry about him." Zack stated as he kept his nonchalant composure. He blew a few puffs of smoke over towards Hollander's direction.

"Hmm, oh yeah? Well, to me it looks like he got shot up with some pretty good Blue Jet based on the markings in his eyes. They look just like yours, son."

"It's just something we wanted to try…"

Hollander leaned in closer to Cloud, inspecting his eyes closely. "Looks like 1st Class Blue Jet."

"What the hell is 1st Class? And I thought I was just injected with Mako?" Cloud questioned as he sent a glance over towards Zack's direction.

What the hell did they put in me?

Zack suddenly didn't look so imperturbable anymore and his expression darkened a little. He refused to acknowledge Cloud's gaze.

"It's nothing," He responded in a low voice.

"You were shot up with a special kind of Blue Jet, boy. Your friend here can explain it to you later. As for 1st Class, it's a type of rank in Shinra's little army called SOLDIER, and it's the most elite rank you can get if you're assigned as his field muscle." Hollander explained. "1st Class is said to be extremely difficult to achieve, and only the Shinra man himself selects the individuals. Below that you have 2nd Class, and the very bottom is 3rd Class."

Cloud looked down at his blood stained hands. He remembered Reno telling him he was part of 3rd Class since he was new, so why did they give him 1st Class shit? Was there something special about him? No, there's nothing special about him. But something was going on, and he felt like Zack knew exactly what it was.

"Your friend here, Zack is a 1st Class ranked SOLDIER. He's been part of the terrorist group for several years now. Shinra has been using him as their sharpshooter dog. You were also a former experiment of his weren't ya', Mister Fair?"

Zack remained in his silent for a moment longer as he slowly exhaled the delicate smoke lingering in his mouth. "So, is this what you wanted to talk about?"

Hollander tapped the edge of his brown cigar on the ash tray to remove some of the buildup.

"The WRO wants to give you two a proposition…a little something that you can't refuse…"

"Go on, spit it out…" Zack said with slight irritation in his voice.

"We're offering you two a full time job to hunt and kill Mister Rufus Shinra and the rest of his top officials to put an end to this damn terrorist group. Now in return, we are letting you idiots go as freemen with clean slates…after you continue your work for us for another 10 years or so. And don't worry…we pay our employees just as well as Shinra does."

10 fucking years?

It better be one hell of a salary…

"And if we refuse?" Cloud asked.

Hollander broke a smile and pointed over at Angeal, who was patiently waiting next to the door behind the two boys. "Well, Mr. Hewley here can just kill you two and your shit families if ya' got any left. That a better choice?"

Yeah, I'll pass.

Zack promptly slid his chair back, making it screech against the wooden floor. His solid body stood up, and he jammed the rest of his cigar into the oak desk in front of him.

"We'll take the offer."

Hollander nodded in approval. "Good. Your first assignment will start tomorrow. For the rest of the day, Angeal here will escort you boys over to Edge and brief ya'll on what to do and who your first target is. And…"

The WRO official looked between the two boys. "And he'll make sure you boys get some decent lookin' clothes and get a goddamn bath…because the stench coming from you two can fucking kill someone, I tell you what."