Chapter four General Sephiroth
Years had passed and a tall man with silver hair now sat at a desk waiting to interview the two latest recruits. Two young men stood before him one with black hair one with blonde hair both wore their hair in the same strange fashion as if they were trying to emulate a hedgehog. Silently the older man shook his head trying to think of how to put this but to no avail in the end he just spoke his voice soft and low
"So you both wish to join? It is a long and sometimes tiring task I promise you both. do you really think you are up to it?"
The black haired man was the first to speak
"Sir, I am determined and so is my friend here surely you understand that?"
The tall man sighed audibly and shrugged
"Very well I will require some answers from both of you."
He emphasised the word both to prove that he had noticed that the blonde man was looking somewhat pale already.
"Name?"
"Zack, and this is."
The black haired man, Zack was cut off as he shook his head
"I wish you both to speak can you not understand that. or is he mute as well?"
He did not say what the as well was merely left it to them to think then looked pointedly at the blonde man.
"Well?"
"Cloud Sir. and it is fantastic to meet you finally and."
The man shook his head again lifting a hand to cut the rather eager young man's voice off in mid sentence, "I see it is either no talking or too talkative."
He sighed softly and continued.
"Yes as you have guessed I am Sephiroth. but,"
and he held his hand in the air to stop Cloud speaking before he had a chance to start
"but, that does not mean I need you to fawn all over me. save that for the girls here if you must fawn over someone."
Green eyes assessed them both and he supposed at least this accounted for the blonde man's nervousness although in the end that would be taken out of him he would learn to be as strong as the others in his squadron.
"You will both be under me if and only if I decide you are good enough will you become anything more than merely helping hands I hope I am clear here. no. Do not speak. please. just. go get changed and ready your first mission starts at eight hundred hours sharp do not be late."
He waved his right hand lightly giving them permission to go. Sephiroth let out a breath sharply, why was it always him who ended up doing everything. He smirked slyly then, yes, he knew why, it was because the rest of SOLDIER were useless at anything except lazing around and there were some who he was not positive were any good at that either.
He stood up calmly and walked out of the interviewers room towards his own room which as a General he was allowed as opposed to the dormitories the others had to share together. On the way he stopped off at the shop taking out his pouch and buying some items to let him shine Masamune also he brought another four new recover Materia, they would be good for the new ones to practice with not so complicated.
He grinned his face looking almost compassionate as he thought of his own Materia and the training he had gone through to master it all so thoroughly. Upon reaching his room he went straight to his chair and desk sitting upright looking down at the plans for the next day. As there were to be the two new men it was vital he did everything absolutely correctly, there would be no mistakes and if there were he would know whom to blame. The task was simple all the men had to do was go into the main part of Midgar and find out if there were any truth in the rumours of an anti-shin- ra faction starting up.
At eight on the dot the members of Sephiroth's team were nearly all there. all except the two people who he had expected to be late, Cloud and Zack. He sighed in annoyance perhaps an example should be made of the two new students to discourage this sort of thing from happening again. He waited impatiently till finally at half past the hour the two boys, for they could hardly be described as men, swaggered in looking very proud of themselves.
"What time do you call this Children?"
Sephiroth asked them a sarcastic tone in his voice. Cloud had the grace to look ashamed of himself and stare down on at the floor his face turning red. Zack however had the audacity to look him square in the eyes his voice mocking Sephiroth's
"I would call it half past eight. Why, do you need a new watch?"
Sephiroth glared at Zack which seemed to make him rather nervous and his voice dropped a tone getting quieter
"I would suggest you appear at the correct time. both of you. for now though you will follow me. understood?"
Zack looked dumbfounded, he had not expected this, maybe a slight telling off, but nothing that sounded as dangerous as Sephiroth's voice did at this moment. Sephiroth turned on his heel and walked towards an abandoned building and waited inside for Zack and Cloud who he knew would not dare disobey this soon after getting into trouble.
Sure enough five minutes later two pairs of boots scuffed into the hall, Cloud still looking downwards nervously but Zack seemed to have regained his composure and was smirking at both of them. Sephiroth smiled his eyes glowing a cold emerald colour as he looked at first Cloud then Zack.
"Well it would appear that the two of you need some.discipline. Cloud. come here."
Cloud shivered and slowly ever so slowly walked up to Sephiroth till he was at the proper distance. Zack shook his head
"Hang on a min, It was my fault we were late leave him out of this huh?"
Sephiroth smirked he had known where Zack's weakness lay, in the blonde man that was so eager to please all people he constantly got into trouble, and this was before he had been sent into Sephiroth's regiment.
"I am aware of the facts. this one is too cowardly to take the initiative. nonetheless he too must be punished. You can sit there and watch while you are doing so consider what your own punishment will be, while your doing that remember that it will be far harder as you not only wronged yourself but led another into doing the same."
After that long for him sentence he led Cloud to a room where by he bade him to strip down to his underclothes and then follow him into the main room once more. Cloud miserably obeyed then stood hugging himself for warmth; the building was not the warmest of places after all. Quietly but swiftly he tied Cloud up to the wall using the shackles that were still there as they were in every Shin-ra building. He silently unsheathed Masamune and still looking at Cloud he shook his head
"Do you know why you are being punished?"
"For disobeying orders.Sir."
Came the miserable reply.
"Yes. that is correct, these cuts will heal. but if you do the same thing again I promise you I will see to it that they do not."
He stood there for about five minutes although to Cloud it felt like an hour before he raised the shining blade high and brought down across Cloud's legs and arms.
"You were thirty minutes late therefore you will get thirty cuts."
He continued with the punishment aware of Zack's look of horror as he proceeded.
Having finished the punishment he untied a now sobbing Cloud letting him run into the other room his cuts bleeding lightly from every wound. Sephiroth had little doubt that the young man would not try this again.
He then turned to a now visibly shaken Zack; his voice was no kinder for all that he could see the man had already learnt his lesson.
"Zack. come here now."
Zack swallowed and trying to look nonchalant he walked up to Sephiroth although Sephiroth did notice that Zack no longer met his eyes.
"Zack. your punishment as I already said will be far more severe than that of your friend. you must not only learn your lesson you must be made aware that it must not happen again do you understand all I am saying?"
Zack nodded a few times before he found his voice
"Yes. I understand."
He tried to look proud although the look of fear in his eyes did not help him to do this. Sephiroth nodded his expression grim.
"Very well I want you dressed as Cloud was. now."
Zack swiftly hurried to obey not wishing to make his punishment worse than it already was. Sephiroth stood there looking at Zack for a few moments then he spoke still softly still deadly.
"Zack. you will stand by the wall I will not tie you but for every time you try to move out of the way or duck you will have one extra added there will be no exceptions and no mercy. You will not speak but I will allow you to make a noise when the sword hits its target for I am not completely unreasonable."
Zack opened his mouth then remembering the last instruction nodded instead and walked to the wall. He stood there facing Sephiroth as he chewed his lower lip nervously.
Sephiroth smiled, not a friendly smile, rather the smile of a snake before it makes its strike. A gleam of silver and Zack cried out in sudden shock and pain. The cut although not deep stung like a paper cut and a thin line of blood trickled out from his chest. Sephiroth spoke while he considered where to strike next fully aware that no mark must hit in the same place twice,
"You know in torture gardens and prisoner camps you would often be struck thus. It is a fine target in that the skin is not too soft or too hard also it strikes fear that the next blow might be in a more fatal spot."
Another swish noise was heard and Zack was aware of a dull stinging sensation along his left arm, he gritted his teeth trying not to think on the pain. He now realised that Sephiroth was being kind by talking as it helped him keep his mind off the blood and the stinging that was now hurting with every minute that passed.
"This also is a useful target for prisoners and wrongdoers. it prevents them making a strike back. also if cut along the soft under part of your elbow will make moving your hands impossible as would the soft part behind your knee."
A sound was heard and as Sephiroth spoke those last words a thin line was created just on top of where he had mentioned. Zack shook his head unsure of how long he could last before trying to get away from the terrible pain which seemed to be spreading along his entire body. A single tear fell from his right eye and he resisted the urge to wipe it away before it was seen. Sephiroth continued like this for the next twenty-six strokes making twenty- eight in total. The next one he did without speaking and Zack who had just about born the rest moved swiftly his reflexes forcing the blade to miss altogether. Sephiroth smirked he had been waiting for that move.
"That makes one more after your initial punishment Zack. I know just where it is going to go."
The thirtieth stroke landed just below the mark the very first stroke had made.
"This last stroke will mark you as a trouble maker for the next few days, all will see it and know you have been punished by General Sephiroth."
The sword now red and silver flashed swiftly and a thin mark cut across Zack's left cheek. Although the scar would last only a few days that would be enough he knew. Sephiroth looked at Zack who was now curled up in a small ball.
"You are excused from this exercise today. but I expect you at the field tomorrow at eight sharp. I would suggest you see the nurse to put something on your cuts."
He turned on his heel without waiting for a reply from Zack and walked out as silently as he had walked in. When he arrived at the field a very miserable Cloud and the other SOLDIER's were waiting for him in an orderly line. He looked at Cloud quietly
"As with Zack I would suggest you go to the nurse and have your cuts seen to. you are excused from today's exercise."
Cloud practically ran towards the large hospital building and Sephiroth looked at the others
"As for all of you. come with me. we have work to do." Lots of people in uniform walked towards the exit of Shin-ra and towards Midgar.
Many months passed and both Zack and Cloud were now fully obedient to Sephiroth. Their scars had gone but they still held them inside and knew it was not a good idea to be disobedient. Sephiroth had gathered them all in a circle around him.
"As you know every now and then one of you is moved up into first class and made part of SOLDIER itself. Today one of you has been picked. The man I speak of is strong and intuitive knowing when to rely on his instincts and when to rely on his training he has learned much since he started out as a school boy and can now be said to have graduated. Zack I am speaking to you here. remember this is only a trial basis and if you do not work out or if it does not work out for you your place here is always free."
This last sentence brought a laugh from the others for who would want to return to a lower salary and less chance of the action? Zack stood for a moment stunned then he jumped in delight
"Me? First class?"
He shook his head in utter amazement
"YESSSS I knew I could do it if I kept trying!"
He turned and ran without even thinking of the plans he and Cloud had made to start with that they would graduate together and not accept if the other was not moved up also.
Sephiroth smiled. He would take both Cloud and Zack together on this next mission he had been given. Them, and who? Christopher. yes perfect Christopher was always reliable in an emergency and seemed to be able to handle both the energetic Zack and the rather shy Cloud. The next mission would be to Nibelheim.
Years had passed and a tall man with silver hair now sat at a desk waiting to interview the two latest recruits. Two young men stood before him one with black hair one with blonde hair both wore their hair in the same strange fashion as if they were trying to emulate a hedgehog. Silently the older man shook his head trying to think of how to put this but to no avail in the end he just spoke his voice soft and low
"So you both wish to join? It is a long and sometimes tiring task I promise you both. do you really think you are up to it?"
The black haired man was the first to speak
"Sir, I am determined and so is my friend here surely you understand that?"
The tall man sighed audibly and shrugged
"Very well I will require some answers from both of you."
He emphasised the word both to prove that he had noticed that the blonde man was looking somewhat pale already.
"Name?"
"Zack, and this is."
The black haired man, Zack was cut off as he shook his head
"I wish you both to speak can you not understand that. or is he mute as well?"
He did not say what the as well was merely left it to them to think then looked pointedly at the blonde man.
"Well?"
"Cloud Sir. and it is fantastic to meet you finally and."
The man shook his head again lifting a hand to cut the rather eager young man's voice off in mid sentence, "I see it is either no talking or too talkative."
He sighed softly and continued.
"Yes as you have guessed I am Sephiroth. but,"
and he held his hand in the air to stop Cloud speaking before he had a chance to start
"but, that does not mean I need you to fawn all over me. save that for the girls here if you must fawn over someone."
Green eyes assessed them both and he supposed at least this accounted for the blonde man's nervousness although in the end that would be taken out of him he would learn to be as strong as the others in his squadron.
"You will both be under me if and only if I decide you are good enough will you become anything more than merely helping hands I hope I am clear here. no. Do not speak. please. just. go get changed and ready your first mission starts at eight hundred hours sharp do not be late."
He waved his right hand lightly giving them permission to go. Sephiroth let out a breath sharply, why was it always him who ended up doing everything. He smirked slyly then, yes, he knew why, it was because the rest of SOLDIER were useless at anything except lazing around and there were some who he was not positive were any good at that either.
He stood up calmly and walked out of the interviewers room towards his own room which as a General he was allowed as opposed to the dormitories the others had to share together. On the way he stopped off at the shop taking out his pouch and buying some items to let him shine Masamune also he brought another four new recover Materia, they would be good for the new ones to practice with not so complicated.
He grinned his face looking almost compassionate as he thought of his own Materia and the training he had gone through to master it all so thoroughly. Upon reaching his room he went straight to his chair and desk sitting upright looking down at the plans for the next day. As there were to be the two new men it was vital he did everything absolutely correctly, there would be no mistakes and if there were he would know whom to blame. The task was simple all the men had to do was go into the main part of Midgar and find out if there were any truth in the rumours of an anti-shin- ra faction starting up.
At eight on the dot the members of Sephiroth's team were nearly all there. all except the two people who he had expected to be late, Cloud and Zack. He sighed in annoyance perhaps an example should be made of the two new students to discourage this sort of thing from happening again. He waited impatiently till finally at half past the hour the two boys, for they could hardly be described as men, swaggered in looking very proud of themselves.
"What time do you call this Children?"
Sephiroth asked them a sarcastic tone in his voice. Cloud had the grace to look ashamed of himself and stare down on at the floor his face turning red. Zack however had the audacity to look him square in the eyes his voice mocking Sephiroth's
"I would call it half past eight. Why, do you need a new watch?"
Sephiroth glared at Zack which seemed to make him rather nervous and his voice dropped a tone getting quieter
"I would suggest you appear at the correct time. both of you. for now though you will follow me. understood?"
Zack looked dumbfounded, he had not expected this, maybe a slight telling off, but nothing that sounded as dangerous as Sephiroth's voice did at this moment. Sephiroth turned on his heel and walked towards an abandoned building and waited inside for Zack and Cloud who he knew would not dare disobey this soon after getting into trouble.
Sure enough five minutes later two pairs of boots scuffed into the hall, Cloud still looking downwards nervously but Zack seemed to have regained his composure and was smirking at both of them. Sephiroth smiled his eyes glowing a cold emerald colour as he looked at first Cloud then Zack.
"Well it would appear that the two of you need some.discipline. Cloud. come here."
Cloud shivered and slowly ever so slowly walked up to Sephiroth till he was at the proper distance. Zack shook his head
"Hang on a min, It was my fault we were late leave him out of this huh?"
Sephiroth smirked he had known where Zack's weakness lay, in the blonde man that was so eager to please all people he constantly got into trouble, and this was before he had been sent into Sephiroth's regiment.
"I am aware of the facts. this one is too cowardly to take the initiative. nonetheless he too must be punished. You can sit there and watch while you are doing so consider what your own punishment will be, while your doing that remember that it will be far harder as you not only wronged yourself but led another into doing the same."
After that long for him sentence he led Cloud to a room where by he bade him to strip down to his underclothes and then follow him into the main room once more. Cloud miserably obeyed then stood hugging himself for warmth; the building was not the warmest of places after all. Quietly but swiftly he tied Cloud up to the wall using the shackles that were still there as they were in every Shin-ra building. He silently unsheathed Masamune and still looking at Cloud he shook his head
"Do you know why you are being punished?"
"For disobeying orders.Sir."
Came the miserable reply.
"Yes. that is correct, these cuts will heal. but if you do the same thing again I promise you I will see to it that they do not."
He stood there for about five minutes although to Cloud it felt like an hour before he raised the shining blade high and brought down across Cloud's legs and arms.
"You were thirty minutes late therefore you will get thirty cuts."
He continued with the punishment aware of Zack's look of horror as he proceeded.
Having finished the punishment he untied a now sobbing Cloud letting him run into the other room his cuts bleeding lightly from every wound. Sephiroth had little doubt that the young man would not try this again.
He then turned to a now visibly shaken Zack; his voice was no kinder for all that he could see the man had already learnt his lesson.
"Zack. come here now."
Zack swallowed and trying to look nonchalant he walked up to Sephiroth although Sephiroth did notice that Zack no longer met his eyes.
"Zack. your punishment as I already said will be far more severe than that of your friend. you must not only learn your lesson you must be made aware that it must not happen again do you understand all I am saying?"
Zack nodded a few times before he found his voice
"Yes. I understand."
He tried to look proud although the look of fear in his eyes did not help him to do this. Sephiroth nodded his expression grim.
"Very well I want you dressed as Cloud was. now."
Zack swiftly hurried to obey not wishing to make his punishment worse than it already was. Sephiroth stood there looking at Zack for a few moments then he spoke still softly still deadly.
"Zack. you will stand by the wall I will not tie you but for every time you try to move out of the way or duck you will have one extra added there will be no exceptions and no mercy. You will not speak but I will allow you to make a noise when the sword hits its target for I am not completely unreasonable."
Zack opened his mouth then remembering the last instruction nodded instead and walked to the wall. He stood there facing Sephiroth as he chewed his lower lip nervously.
Sephiroth smiled, not a friendly smile, rather the smile of a snake before it makes its strike. A gleam of silver and Zack cried out in sudden shock and pain. The cut although not deep stung like a paper cut and a thin line of blood trickled out from his chest. Sephiroth spoke while he considered where to strike next fully aware that no mark must hit in the same place twice,
"You know in torture gardens and prisoner camps you would often be struck thus. It is a fine target in that the skin is not too soft or too hard also it strikes fear that the next blow might be in a more fatal spot."
Another swish noise was heard and Zack was aware of a dull stinging sensation along his left arm, he gritted his teeth trying not to think on the pain. He now realised that Sephiroth was being kind by talking as it helped him keep his mind off the blood and the stinging that was now hurting with every minute that passed.
"This also is a useful target for prisoners and wrongdoers. it prevents them making a strike back. also if cut along the soft under part of your elbow will make moving your hands impossible as would the soft part behind your knee."
A sound was heard and as Sephiroth spoke those last words a thin line was created just on top of where he had mentioned. Zack shook his head unsure of how long he could last before trying to get away from the terrible pain which seemed to be spreading along his entire body. A single tear fell from his right eye and he resisted the urge to wipe it away before it was seen. Sephiroth continued like this for the next twenty-six strokes making twenty- eight in total. The next one he did without speaking and Zack who had just about born the rest moved swiftly his reflexes forcing the blade to miss altogether. Sephiroth smirked he had been waiting for that move.
"That makes one more after your initial punishment Zack. I know just where it is going to go."
The thirtieth stroke landed just below the mark the very first stroke had made.
"This last stroke will mark you as a trouble maker for the next few days, all will see it and know you have been punished by General Sephiroth."
The sword now red and silver flashed swiftly and a thin mark cut across Zack's left cheek. Although the scar would last only a few days that would be enough he knew. Sephiroth looked at Zack who was now curled up in a small ball.
"You are excused from this exercise today. but I expect you at the field tomorrow at eight sharp. I would suggest you see the nurse to put something on your cuts."
He turned on his heel without waiting for a reply from Zack and walked out as silently as he had walked in. When he arrived at the field a very miserable Cloud and the other SOLDIER's were waiting for him in an orderly line. He looked at Cloud quietly
"As with Zack I would suggest you go to the nurse and have your cuts seen to. you are excused from today's exercise."
Cloud practically ran towards the large hospital building and Sephiroth looked at the others
"As for all of you. come with me. we have work to do." Lots of people in uniform walked towards the exit of Shin-ra and towards Midgar.
Many months passed and both Zack and Cloud were now fully obedient to Sephiroth. Their scars had gone but they still held them inside and knew it was not a good idea to be disobedient. Sephiroth had gathered them all in a circle around him.
"As you know every now and then one of you is moved up into first class and made part of SOLDIER itself. Today one of you has been picked. The man I speak of is strong and intuitive knowing when to rely on his instincts and when to rely on his training he has learned much since he started out as a school boy and can now be said to have graduated. Zack I am speaking to you here. remember this is only a trial basis and if you do not work out or if it does not work out for you your place here is always free."
This last sentence brought a laugh from the others for who would want to return to a lower salary and less chance of the action? Zack stood for a moment stunned then he jumped in delight
"Me? First class?"
He shook his head in utter amazement
"YESSSS I knew I could do it if I kept trying!"
He turned and ran without even thinking of the plans he and Cloud had made to start with that they would graduate together and not accept if the other was not moved up also.
Sephiroth smiled. He would take both Cloud and Zack together on this next mission he had been given. Them, and who? Christopher. yes perfect Christopher was always reliable in an emergency and seemed to be able to handle both the energetic Zack and the rather shy Cloud. The next mission would be to Nibelheim.