Chapter 7
Cloud ran down the hallway, the two troopers far behind him.
/Goddamn it! What the hell does that freak Hojo want with me anyway?!/
Cloud suspected it had something to do with the telepathic bond Sephiroth and he now shared. Neither knew how it had happened they had just been going on normally when they began realised they could hear each others thoughts.
//Hojo chasing you again?//
/Yeah, but at least its just his goons this time./
A dry chuckle albeit tinged with annoyance.
//I think he learned his lesson after the shower fiasco, you know.//
/He couldn't be a scientist if he didn't pick up that hint./
//You call what you did to him a hint?//
Cloud had to stifle a grin at the incredulity of his lover's mind voice.
/Yep. I was tempted to actually go through with it. If Zack hadn't shown up to 'rescue' me…/
//…//
A tendril of uncontrolled glee sparked in his mind. Cloud returned the emotion and let himself into his friend's office to find the silver haired SOLDIER doubled over gasping in mirth.
"Breathe Seph. Breathing is good."
Sephiroth threw a paperweight at him which he ducked with ease. Still chuckling, the silver haired general finally managed to sit back upright.
"I can't believe it… And you looked like such a sweet innocent when Zack first introduced you."
Cloud grinned.
"Looks can be deceiving."
"How did you ever fool the others into thinking you were a pushover? I'm sure your devil personality must have shone through at some point."
"That," Cloud waggled a finger, "is a secret."
"You can be so annoying you know."
/Of course Sephy-poo./
"Wha-?!"
Cloud burst into laughter at the flabbergasted expression on his friends face. Sephiroth was doing a very credible impression of a goldfish at the moment.
"Hey guys! Whoa! Seph close your mouth. I can see all the way to your stomach. Cloud c'mon man, breathe. In, out, in, urk!"
One man and boy tumbled to the ground as Cloud relaxed and let Zack support him. The dark haired man, unprepared for the sudden shift in weight fell and the blonde landed on top of him.
"Having designs on Zack, Cloud? That's not very subtle."
Sephiroth resisted the urge to pout at the sight before him.
//That should be me with Cloud.//
/Huh?/
Oh dear. Sephiroth had forgotten about that. They hadn't discovered a way to block each other yet. Sephiroth hadn't meant for the young boy to find out his attraction so soon. He decided to play dumb.
//What?//
/… Never mind…/
"Oi you two! Don't do that! You make me feel unloved."
Zack had been the first one to notice the link. It had been inevitable since they spent so much time together. It hadn't been intentional actually. He had just happened to walk in one day to find them spouting random sentences. He had sat down in the living between the kitchen and the bedroom listening to them, suspicions forming.
Neither had noticed him and he didn't make the connection until Sephiroth had picked up a magazine with a chocobo on it and Cloud had given a cry of outrage followed by, 'I told not to call me a chocobo!'.
"Sorry Zack."
////He didn't sound very sorry at all.///
It must have shown on his face as both Sephiroth and Cloud grinned at him.
"Sure, have fun at my expense why don't you. I won't tell you why I came then."
"You mean it wasn't just to entertain us?"
"Now Seph, you know he doesn't do it on purpose. He's a natural."
"I regret introducing you two."
A stereo reply in singsong voices.
"Too la~ate!"
"Arrgh!"
Zack covered his face with a pillow which proved to be a mistake as he didn't see his two friends descend upon.
"Hee hee ha ha ha heh hee..st..stop..sto~op..hahahaha"
Finally, they let up, all three panting heavily and grinning like idiots.
"So why are you here Zack?"
The black haired SOLDIER rolled onto his stomach to grin at them. It wasn't anything special but for some reason Cloud had a BAD feeling about it.
"Listen, I have to go now. I've got sentry duty in a half an hour."
Zack's grin progressed into a full blown smile.
"Oh no Strife. Your normal duties have been cancelled for a while. You're being put on a mission with me and Seph."
"Explain yourself Zack. You know that Cloud is Hojo's and Heidigger's favourite target. It would make more sense to send the two of us on a mission and leave him here to their mercies."
Although even with the two SOLDIERS present, Cloud hadn't really needed their help. The young blonde was downright nasty when pushed into a corner.
"That's true normally. But this mission is different."
"How so?"
"You know those gruesome monster attacks? The ones that leave the bodies unrecognisable? They've managed to DNA identify all of them and the saliva samples. Their from the same monster and the records pulled shows that all the victims are… unique."
/I do not like where this is going Sephiroth./
//There is not much I can do now is there?//
"Unique in what sense?"
"They have distinguishing features. Either odd coloured hair, eyes, body size which doesn't conform to the average. Things that make them stand out. Anyway, the information leaked somehow. So now SOLDIER has been called in to protect Midgar cos their afraid the protests might escalate to riots or rebellion."
Zack smirked.
"Even old man Shinra isn't stupid enough to believe that the SOLDIERS would side with him if that happens, so he's trying to nip this one in the bud."
"Let me guess… I'm the bait?"
"Give the man a cigar!"
Cloud just groaned and whacked his friends face with a pillow.
Cloud ran down the hallway, the two troopers far behind him.
/Goddamn it! What the hell does that freak Hojo want with me anyway?!/
Cloud suspected it had something to do with the telepathic bond Sephiroth and he now shared. Neither knew how it had happened they had just been going on normally when they began realised they could hear each others thoughts.
//Hojo chasing you again?//
/Yeah, but at least its just his goons this time./
A dry chuckle albeit tinged with annoyance.
//I think he learned his lesson after the shower fiasco, you know.//
/He couldn't be a scientist if he didn't pick up that hint./
//You call what you did to him a hint?//
Cloud had to stifle a grin at the incredulity of his lover's mind voice.
/Yep. I was tempted to actually go through with it. If Zack hadn't shown up to 'rescue' me…/
//…//
A tendril of uncontrolled glee sparked in his mind. Cloud returned the emotion and let himself into his friend's office to find the silver haired SOLDIER doubled over gasping in mirth.
"Breathe Seph. Breathing is good."
Sephiroth threw a paperweight at him which he ducked with ease. Still chuckling, the silver haired general finally managed to sit back upright.
"I can't believe it… And you looked like such a sweet innocent when Zack first introduced you."
Cloud grinned.
"Looks can be deceiving."
"How did you ever fool the others into thinking you were a pushover? I'm sure your devil personality must have shone through at some point."
"That," Cloud waggled a finger, "is a secret."
"You can be so annoying you know."
/Of course Sephy-poo./
"Wha-?!"
Cloud burst into laughter at the flabbergasted expression on his friends face. Sephiroth was doing a very credible impression of a goldfish at the moment.
"Hey guys! Whoa! Seph close your mouth. I can see all the way to your stomach. Cloud c'mon man, breathe. In, out, in, urk!"
One man and boy tumbled to the ground as Cloud relaxed and let Zack support him. The dark haired man, unprepared for the sudden shift in weight fell and the blonde landed on top of him.
"Having designs on Zack, Cloud? That's not very subtle."
Sephiroth resisted the urge to pout at the sight before him.
//That should be me with Cloud.//
/Huh?/
Oh dear. Sephiroth had forgotten about that. They hadn't discovered a way to block each other yet. Sephiroth hadn't meant for the young boy to find out his attraction so soon. He decided to play dumb.
//What?//
/… Never mind…/
"Oi you two! Don't do that! You make me feel unloved."
Zack had been the first one to notice the link. It had been inevitable since they spent so much time together. It hadn't been intentional actually. He had just happened to walk in one day to find them spouting random sentences. He had sat down in the living between the kitchen and the bedroom listening to them, suspicions forming.
Neither had noticed him and he didn't make the connection until Sephiroth had picked up a magazine with a chocobo on it and Cloud had given a cry of outrage followed by, 'I told not to call me a chocobo!'.
"Sorry Zack."
////He didn't sound very sorry at all.///
It must have shown on his face as both Sephiroth and Cloud grinned at him.
"Sure, have fun at my expense why don't you. I won't tell you why I came then."
"You mean it wasn't just to entertain us?"
"Now Seph, you know he doesn't do it on purpose. He's a natural."
"I regret introducing you two."
A stereo reply in singsong voices.
"Too la~ate!"
"Arrgh!"
Zack covered his face with a pillow which proved to be a mistake as he didn't see his two friends descend upon.
"Hee hee ha ha ha heh hee..st..stop..sto~op..hahahaha"
Finally, they let up, all three panting heavily and grinning like idiots.
"So why are you here Zack?"
The black haired SOLDIER rolled onto his stomach to grin at them. It wasn't anything special but for some reason Cloud had a BAD feeling about it.
"Listen, I have to go now. I've got sentry duty in a half an hour."
Zack's grin progressed into a full blown smile.
"Oh no Strife. Your normal duties have been cancelled for a while. You're being put on a mission with me and Seph."
"Explain yourself Zack. You know that Cloud is Hojo's and Heidigger's favourite target. It would make more sense to send the two of us on a mission and leave him here to their mercies."
Although even with the two SOLDIERS present, Cloud hadn't really needed their help. The young blonde was downright nasty when pushed into a corner.
"That's true normally. But this mission is different."
"How so?"
"You know those gruesome monster attacks? The ones that leave the bodies unrecognisable? They've managed to DNA identify all of them and the saliva samples. Their from the same monster and the records pulled shows that all the victims are… unique."
/I do not like where this is going Sephiroth./
//There is not much I can do now is there?//
"Unique in what sense?"
"They have distinguishing features. Either odd coloured hair, eyes, body size which doesn't conform to the average. Things that make them stand out. Anyway, the information leaked somehow. So now SOLDIER has been called in to protect Midgar cos their afraid the protests might escalate to riots or rebellion."
Zack smirked.
"Even old man Shinra isn't stupid enough to believe that the SOLDIERS would side with him if that happens, so he's trying to nip this one in the bud."
"Let me guess… I'm the bait?"
"Give the man a cigar!"
Cloud just groaned and whacked his friends face with a pillow.
