Chapter 7: Some
People Wonder Why Scalding Hot Water Isn't Used As a Weapon
(It Burns)
Smoke, beer, and… well that's all
one could expect from this kind of joint, which was pretty weak from Zack's
point of view. He took in all the
sites of one of Junon city's many, many dives. Shouts and hollering came from all directions as men "vivaciously"
trying to have a good time filled the joint. Smoke from cigars and most likely marijuana clumped together in clouds
around the various patrons.
All this seemed to seep
from every corner of the room, filling every inch with its vileness. While the source was anywhere and
everywhere, it could be seen clearly that the only table that wasn't equipped
with foulness was a twelve-seat table, with only six men filling in seats. The one at the head of the table was, of
course, the special unit #0's team captain. AKA: Sephiroth. The second was a
man named Ressin, who was considerably older than anyone else seated, at the
table. He was the fourth person
recruited for the team after the original three. Said to have more experience than anyone else there, he was
revered for his knowledge of battle strategies. The third man seated was one that was trained highly in the art
of stealth. Although he might seem to be cool in nature, he's actually just a perverted
guy hoping to score. His real name was Zet, but everyone outside the team just
called him "The Perv." The fourth and
fifth men were Xander and Zack, which were taken up on the team for reason's
unknown. And the sixth person just
happened to be a country boy-turned military police sitting down for a lack of
other good table spots.
As cool and calm as usual, Sephiroth looked at the team. Ressin was sipping a frosty beer, and Zet
was checking out a waitress. Soon, he
turned to Xander, who was watching Zack pester the MP next to them. Seeing as he had nothing better to do, he
listened into their conversation.
"Hey Zack, maybe you should leave the guy alone. He's starting to look perturbed." Xander advised meekly.
In response, Zack mimicked his partner in a high-pitched, annoying
tone. "Maybe you should leave him
alone. He's staring to look blah, blah,
blah." Waving Xander off, the teen
returned to the officer beside him. Putting an arm around his shoulder, Zack pulled the boy in closer proximity
to his face. "So, little-man, what's
yer name?"
Stuttering slightly, he squeaked out a syllable. "C-C- Cloud, sir."
Rearing back in his seat, Zack slammed a hand on Cloud's
back. "Hey, hey, what's with this "sir"
junk?"
Gathering more courage to make his vocal cords vibrate, Cloud
said, "The r-r-regulation rule b-book says on page three, article ten,
p-p-paragraph six, that all low class officers should address those h-higher in
rank as s-s-s-sir."
Zack raised in eyebrow. "Seems that someone lacks half the wit God gave them…" He said in a
singsong voice.
Xander took this break in words as a chance to butt in. "Just like somebody lacks half the
"equipment" that they were given, right?" Sephiroth couldn't help but chuckle slightly.
Zack eyed his best friend sorely at the comment and chose this
time to stop giving Cloud a hard time. Reaching over and grabbing Ressin's beer mug from his hands, Zack took a
nearby metal spoon and stood up out of his seat. Slightly tapping the glass to give off a small 'ding', Zack
cleared his throat. After catching
everyone's attention at the table, He spoke. "I have chosen that it's time everyone knew why we're haven' ourselves this
little ol' shindig here.
Realizing what he was going to do, Sephiroth reached a hand out to
shut Zack's big mouth. But as he made
the motion, Zack turned to face his Commander. "I've heard from a very reliable source that tomorrow is the Cap'n's b-day!"
Hearing this, the member's of the table turned to Sephiroth, whom
rather harshly, slammed a hand to his face, being berated by statements along
the lines of "Why didn't you tell us?"
or, "Why, we could've had cake!" Releasing his face from his kung-fu grip, Sephiroth gave Zack an icy
glare. "There was a reason why I told
you to NOT tell anyone else, ya'know."
Giving his famous grin, Zack continued to speak. "And since we don't have tomorrow off, I
decide that we should have a party in his honor…"
Hearing these words brought a smile to Xander's face. He hadn't been to a party since he was
small, and a real party was just what everyone needed.
"… At Xander's pad!"
Now hearing those words made Xander jerk his head up in
surprise. "WHAT?"
Zack tried to calm Xander down slowly. "It's only for tonight. And besides, I think it's about time everyone met your family. You never
talk about-"
"You NEVER TOLD ME ANYTHING ABOUT THIS!"
Zet, liking the idea of going to Xander's spoke up. He had heard stories about its
denizen's… "Hey, from what I here, your
Ma can cook, and your sister's a real looker, eh? Eh?"
In a flash, Xander's skin went from pale to tomato red. "SHE'S NOT MY SISTER!" A round of ooh's and aah's came from the
rest of the bar, and Xander mentally hit himself.
Zet's eye's lit up at the outburst. So I guess that that means you and her are…" He made a
distinctive pumping motion with his hips, "Getting yer freaks on huh?"
Having quite enough, Xander yanked Ressin's beer mug out of Zack's
hands and heaved it at Zet, which promptly laid him out on the ground,
KO'ed.
Zack, getting uncomfortable by the moment, unwittingly darted his
eyes around the room. "So I guess
that's our cue to go to Xander's, huh?"
"WHAT? But, but, but,
bu~ACKKT!"
Ressin had taken the lad by the ear and led him out the door to
the streets, with Zack and Cloud following suit. And Sephiroth just sighed, paying the bill for the drinks and
extra for the disturbance. At last, he
went out and followed his comrades outside. More insubordination…
Two Hours
Later…
"You guys do know that this isn't going to go well with
them, right?" Xander pleaded.
"Shu' up and knock on the door?"
"Fine, fine." Xander sighed. In a matter of hours the team had requisitioned a helicopter and
flown to Midgar. Then, after much hassle, they had gotten Xander to lead them
to his home, and now they were at his front door.
Cloud, who had tagged along on one
of Zack's orders, was amazed by the lushness of the garden. "Wow! I heard that no plants could grow in Midgar! This is great!"
Sephiroth nodded his head in concurrence. "That's true. Your mother seems to be a miracle maker."
Xander chuckled slightly. "It's my
sister that does all the magic-"
Zack interjected. "So she is your sister."
"Well, not really… She could be seen as my sister, but we
aren't related."
"So that means I can make a move on
her…"
"What? Don't you touch her!"
"Ooh, someone's a bit too defensive,
aren't they?"
Ressin let out a snort of
disapproval. "Just ring the stupid
doorbell, would ya?"
Xander eyed Ressin once over before
returning to the door. But before he
had a chance to move, the door swung open by it self. Caught off guard, the team jumped back, and Cloud ducked for
cover. Xander, covering his head in his
arms, looked up to the door and was slightly calmed at what he saw. "Oh, it just you, Aerith" He said, breathing
out a sigh of relief.
Lo and behold, it was Aerith,
standing at the door, unaware of whom the visitors were. "You darn kids aren't gonna egg the house
this time!" And just as she said those
words, she preceded to dump scalding water on the closest figure in front of
her, which happened to be Xander.
As the liquid covered him, Xander
started to roll on the ground to try and put out the invisible fire on his
skin. "Aerith!! What the frick is your problem?" He yelled between screams of pain.
Confused as ever, Aerith tilted her
head to the side. "Xander?"
