Chapter 6 – Cid
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I'll admit it, I missed the flying. Not that I hadn't had a chance or two to get into the skies... but I hadn't had the chance to let the Highwind loose for more than short trips. And here I was, sailing her around the world again. Nostalgic, maybe.
She was as good to me as I remembered, even though she'd had to be patched up pretty good after that Meteor mess. Never seen so much shredded and banged metal in my life. And I'd been in Wutai, too. Not like I hadn't seen a gods damned war. But that was... different. Real fucking different.
I shook my head. No, not time for thoughts like that. I had to make sure this hunk of junk didn't fall out of the sky and kill us all... and since when did I get so fucking morbid?
Oh, right, Vin's around. Just not used to that I suppose. Not used to anything that's been going on yet. I just need to get my head on straight, I need... a cigarette. Right, that's what I need. Shera says they make me jumpy... I say they calm me.
"Mr... Highwind?"
I jumped. Maybe Shera does have a point. Won't tell her that, though.
"Hey, just what f-" I stopped because it's the kid again. I won't curse in front of kids if I can help it. They don't need to pick up my habits... they're probably jumpy enough around me.
"What're you doing?" she asked, looking around at the control panel. Kids are great for that. Always curious. Though now that I've seen her, I've realized just how serious everything is. She's all skin and bones, and just doesn't seem happy enough to be a kid. I'd hate to see the others, the ones that didn't make it out of there...
"I'm flyin' this thing," I replied, can't help but feel a little pride in my work, "Can't fly herself, ya know." She smiled back a little smile and quieted her questions.
She didn't ask any more questions, in fact. Just watched me for a while. It was comfortable, having someone in the control room with me. Back in the day, Vin or Cloud would visit me in here, both of them quiet when they wanted to be. Or in Vin's case, usually. But with a kid, even one as damaged as Aeryn, it feels different.
And dammit if I didn't feel like I was missing out on something.
"Do you have a family?" she asked, and I almost didn't notice it. Shit, I gotta quit getting so lost in thought...
"Not exactly," I replied, not quite sure how to answer that, "I'm too old to be with my parents. And I ain't got any kids. Just Shera and me." She smiled.
"She your wife?" she asked, and I hoped she didn't see me cringe. I hated that question. It reminded me of all the things I had left to do. Or wouldn't do. Or... couldn't. Fuck it all.
"No," I answered, "Just my assistant." An assistant whose help I'd be asking for soon enough, if I didn't convince Cloud otherwise. But he's stubborn, and Rocket Town is much closer.
I barely heard Cloud walk in. His hands were black almost to the wrist. He'd been working on that damned bike of his. And people called me stupid. He packed enough horsepower in that fucking motor to fly that thing if it had wings. He'd gone quiet too, since we boarded. I was almost thankful for the kid. Between Cloud and Vincent one of them could have died so far and it'd be just as quiet.
"Quit sneakin' up like that," I said, and gave a glance over towards the kid. She'd run off. She can handle Vin and me, and not Cloud? Maybe she was just skittish with new people. They hadn't really become acquainted yet, from what Vin had told me.
"You'd better have a good fuckin' reason as to why I'm flyin' back home," I continued, knowing that he wouldn't respond to my previous statement, "I'm still not too into this damn fool idea of yours." Alright, maybe I was a little happy to be getting home sooner. But then again, she was going to be in the middle of this, and I already had more than a life debt to her.
He looked out the window, keeping his hands behind his back. Good thing he was keeping his grimy hands off my clean windows. "Because Nanaki wouldn't know anything about chemistry OR anyone that would know Hojo's "- he never could say that name without a growl to his voice. Though it was better then Vince, who, when the "good" doctor was brought up, would just stare at you like he was thinking of ways to eviscerate your ass. "But Shera worked for ShinRa, in the labs for a while. She would." And once again, he stopped talking. Fucking spike headed punk. I forget he's not much more then a kid himself. Great, now I was feeling old too.
And a logical kid. Dammit Shera, why'd ya have to be so smart? "I get what you're saying," I admitted, and then made sure my eyes were level with him, "but if anything happens, I will hold ya responsible. The wrath of whatever fucking gods still exist will come and pound your ass into chocobo food. And then I'll start on ya. Got it?" He simply nodded, as I expected him too. Maybe I was sounding a bit... dramatic. But I was serious.
"Now what about the kid?" I continued. A kid like that needed to be home, with her family. We were delaying that further. I knew it wasn't his doing, but damn, that kid deserved a break.
Cloud looked up at me with an odd expression on his face. "I don't think she's got family. She'd be safest with us." At that he pivoted his head around looking for her. "Though for some reason I think I scare her." Of course, after that he fell silent. Sometimes I wanna jackslap him, other times I really do feel bad for Cloud. I was teetering between pissed and sorry.
"Well, maybe ya should try and talk with her," I said, focused my attention back on the controls, "The quiet and brooding shit ain't exactly kid friendly." We were close to Rocket Town now. I could see it all through the windows... home is beautiful no matter where you look at it from.
So, Shera, are you still there?
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