Author's Note: Hello again! Here's another Chapter of the increasingly long fic, 'How Did It Come To This?'. x3
Thanks to Bruna Aquino and Ariam for the favorites, Bruna Aquino once again for the review, and, as always, all the other awesome people who read my fic:)
A lot of people have been asking about pairings, and all I can say is this: Keep reading:D
Please remember to review, I love reading what you have to say about my fic, plus it helps motivate me. :)
Sorry about taking so long to update. Harry Potter ate my brain. x3
See you again next Chapter!
-Chocobo
Chapter Eight: A Distraction?
"Sir!" A rushed looking scientist exclaimed, bursting through the office door, panting as if he'd just run a long way. "What is it, Bennings?" The man asked boredly, setting down his pen with a sigh, and looking at Bennings over his glasses coldly. "W-well, sir...our lab, in Nibelhiem..." Bennings began, shuffling his feet and looking at the floor. "It...sir, it has been destroyed. Apparently a the townspeople got together and burned Shinra Mansion to the ground. There's nothing left, sir. Nothing could have been done."
The man stared at him in silence, and Bennings began to fidget, uncomfortable under the close scrutiny. "...Is that all?" The man stated finally, his voice level. "Well...uh...yes, sir." Bennings said uncertainly. "So...you're not upset?" "Bennings, we have labs all across the continents, it's not a large problem if one is destroyed." The man said with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Bennings nodded, then said hesitantly "...So I'm not fired?" "No...you're not fired." The man replied. Bennings smiled gratefully and turned towards the door. "...However." The man said, and Bennings stopped. The man stood up and walked around the desk, his hands clasped behind his back. "...I'm short on test subjects." Bennings turned around with a contemplative frown. "Do you want me to find some more sir?" He asked.
"That won't be necessary. I already have you here." The man said, a grin spreading across his face.
Cloud was dimly aware that it was raining.
He was completely soaked. He didn't know whether he'd been walking minutes or hours, nor did he really care. His feet just kept plodding along the path on autopilot, his thoughts elsewhere.
Murderer!
You killed her.
No I didn't! She was still alive when I left...
Fool. Still has some false hope.
You killed her!
Murderer!
"SHUT UP!" Cloud bellowed, clamping his hands over his ears.
What's the matter? You killed plenty of people on your merry little quest to save the world. Why would one girl matter?
Cloud ignored them, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other. His mind was more clear then it had been for days, but it didn't seem to improve the situation. With his new found mental clarity he noticed that he was wet, cold, hungry, tired, and that his insides felt like they were being ripped apart by a pack of rabid radioactive ferrets. And to top it all off, he now had time to brood over what he'd done.
He'd been rambling on insanely about getting something for Jenova, then tried to steal the White Materia. He had almost been successful. When he failed, he attacked Tifa.
She's alive...she's alive...she's alive... He thought over and over.
But something was bothering him. The White Materia. The Holy Summon...he was recalling something that Aeris had told him about it.
"Only a survivor of the Centra, like me, can do it."
Only a survivor of the Centra... He thought. If the Centra are the only ones who can summon Holy, then why would Jenova be concerned with it?
Of course. A distraction from whatever it was she was really doing. He had never told the others much about the dream he had just before Aeris died, so they wouldn't have known that only a Centra could use Holy. Thus the distraction. He had to tell them...
But...I might end up attacking one of them again... He thought uncertainly. He paused for a moment, in deep thought, then turned around and started back the way he had come.
"I can't see or hear any sign of Cloud in this rain." Red growled, his fur plastered to his sides from the rain, and his tail swishing irritably. Vincent said nothing, his eyes scanning the area for any clue as to which direction Cloud was headed. Barret had been uncharacteristically silent, but nobody seemed to be in the mood for conversation anyway.
"Look." Barret said suddenly, pointing to the ground. Red and Vincent followed his gaze, and saw a muddy footprint that was rapidly disappearing as the rain poured down with more ferocity then before. "That's Cloud's foot print, all right!" Red exclaimed, bounding ahead. Barret wasn't far behind, and Vincent followed at a slower pace.
"Dammit, why am I here? I'm a hired assassin, not a freakin' babysitter." Tifa heard someone mutter as she slowly regained consciousness, aware of a dull ache across her chest. She recognized the voice as Elena's. "Just because I'm a woman." She continued, unaware of Tifa, who had opened her eyes. Elena was sitting near a window, looking out and frowning. Tifa let out a small cough and Elena jumped. "Oh. Hello." She said when she saw that Tifa was awake, then started staring out the window once more. Tifa looked around and realized they were in the shell house that had beds in it for some inexplicable reason.
"Where is everyone?" Tifa asked. Elena let out a snort. "Rude, Cid, and Mr. Macho are out patrolling." Elena growled. "...Mr. Macho?" Tifa asked. "Reno. The bastard left me here to watch you, since he thinks women are incapable of protecting themselves." Elena replied. "And everyone else...?" Tifa pressed. "Out looking for Cloud. He didn't stick around after gutting you like a fish." Elena said.
"Wha...?" Tifa began, then it all came rushing back to her. Cloud pointing his sword at her. Tackling a distracted Cloud to the ground. Cloud, enraged, picking up his sword and slashing her from her right side up to her left shoulder. Then...nothing. She shivered, and put her face in her hands. Elena, immediately realizing how insensitive her comment had been, tried to change the subject. "So, how are you feeling? We had to keep using your Restore materia on you until you looked like you'd be okay." She stated in what she hoped was a conversational voice.
Tifa didn't answer. Elena shifted in her chair nervously and continued looking out the window. After a long, awkward silence Tifa spoke: "What should I do?" Elena looked at her curiously. "About what?" She asked. "...About Cloud. I'm...scared of him. He could snap at any time. But I can't just abandon him." Tifa said slowly. She honestly didn't know why she was telling Elena all of this. She never really liked the woman too much.
"...Well..." Elena began, thinking carefully before she spoke. "It all comes down to how devoted you are to him, I suppose. And don't give me that look, everyone knows you like him, hell, you probably even love him." Elena said as Tifa looked at her, shocked. "It's not exactly a secret. Anyway, I could tell he was really upset once he realized what he had done, but as you said, he could snap at any moment. What's to stop him from doing it again?...You should just do what you think feels right." Elena finished, looking back out the window as the rain fell in sheets.
Tifa stared at her for a moment, then thought Maybe she's not so bad after all.
"Thanks, Elena." She said. Elena smiled. "No problem."
Cloud's breathing was becoming increasingly labored. It felt like someone had grabbed his chest and was squeezing all the air out of it, slowly. He became dizzy, and stumbled a bit before falling down to the ground on all fours and vomiting blood. What the hell is wrong with me? He thought faintly, dragging himself back to his feet with a great effort, his blurry vision having nothing to do with the pouring rain.
He took a few more steps forward, then it hit him. Wave after wave of mind numbing pain, each worse then the last. He fell down once more, half of his face in the mud. He couldn't even cry out, it felt as if he was paralyzed. He could feel his consciousness slipping...
"Cloud!" Someone barked. "...Tifa...?" He called out quietly before passing out.
"Cloud!" Red barked again, nudging him with his nose. He didn't move. Barret was the next one on the scene. He glanced down at Cloud, then let out a snort and turned away. "Barret! What's the matter with you! Help me!" Red growled, glaring at Barret, who grumbled something along the lines of "What he deserves." Vincent showed up then, and, seeing Cloud, strode forward and said "Barret, I don't care what you think, help me get him back to the shell house." Barret snorted once again in disapproval, but cooperated nonetheless.
"#$! Ya scared the shit out of me!" Cid exclaimed as Barret, Red, and Vincent appeared carrying the unconscious Cloud. "What happened to him?" Reno asked curiously. "Could this wait until we get inside?" Red asked. Reno gave a curt nod and opened the door, then following them inside.
"...So then Heidegger falls right down the stairs! No, he didn't fall, he rolled!" Elena giggled, and she and Tifa broke out into laughter, until Tifa turned her head and saw Cloud being carried in, unconscious and covered in mud. "What happened!" She squeaked, her eyes widening. "We found him lying on the ground." Red said, shaking the water off his coat and splashing everyone within six feet of him.
Vincent and Barret set him down on the empty bed, and looking more closely at him, Vincent said quietly "He's bleeding from his ears and nose." "WHAT!" Tifa exclaimed, leaping out of bed and wincing as her newly healed wound twinged with pain. Sure enough, he was. Not in a steady stream, but bleeding nonetheless. "Where's the Restore materia? Tifa exclaimed, looking around frantically. "Calm down." Vincent said soothingly. "He's not going to die."
"Yes, but I'm sure it's not healthy to be bleeding from the ears and nose! Isn't that supposed to be a sign of head trauma?" Tifa asked, smiling weakly in thanks as Elena handed her the Restore materia. "In this case, no. His body is just trying to reject the Jenova cells once more as they multiply and try to forcibly meld with his own genetic structure, which is making him very sick." Vincent replied grimly.
"I've been meaning to ask...just how do you know all this?" Tifa asked, focusing on the Restore materia. "...You don't honestly think I spent thirty years sleeping in that box, do you?" Vincent asked, the slightest trace of amusement in his voice. "Once in a while I'd get up and read the books and files that were left carelessly in the Mansion's basement." He paused, then continued, all amusement gone from his voice. "All of the Sephiroth clones went through the same process, only they accepted the cells immediately, so there was much less pain and time involved."
Cloud let out a cough, and stirred. Tifa slipped the Restore materia into her pocket and leaned forward, watching as Cloud opened his eyes groggily, wincing and saying "My head..." "Are you okay?" She asked. Cloud looked at her, and stared at her as if trying to make his eyes focus, then nodded. "Yeah..." He paused, and then his eyes widened. "Tifa! You're alive!" He exclaimed happily, pulling her into a tight hug. "They said you were dead..."
Tifa pulled away from him, looking shocked, but happy. "Yes, they tend to talk alot." She said vaguely. Cloud's happiness evaporated as quickly as it had come, and he looked away. "I'm sorry Tifa..." He said quietly. "I promise I'll leave, but there was something I had to tell you..." "You don't have to leave!" Tifa exclaimed, but Cloud, who was in deep thought, ignored her. "...I remember now. The White Materia, it..." He trailed off suddenly, and his face went blank. "...Cloud?" Tifa asked. "Midgar." Cloud responded, his voice emotionless. "We have to go to Midgar."
Author's Notes: Why does this Chapter seem short? Maybe all of my Chapters are just starting to seem short to me now...