The Extraordinary Men of Shin-Ra

RedCrimson17

Warning: Violence, adult language and content

Chapter 3

Cloud, Reno, and Rude all sat in the room, still staring at each other, but now they no longer held aggravated glares or scowls, but laughter and jokes. They came to an understanding with one another

( They can take a beating from each other and still stand up ) and were more like brothers than enemies. Rude was still pretty quiet, and didn't smile as much as Cloud thought he would, which brought up the question:

"Just what's up with Rude, anyway? He a mute or something, or does he only really talk when his close friends are around?" Reno looked over at Rude, who was just as dead pan as ever and shrugged.

"I dunno. He's been like this ever since we were kids, you know? Anyway, Rude's got his reasons and I got mine, so I don't really ask about it….. So, why don't you tell me where you're from, eh?" Cloud's heart seemed to sink and he looked towards the wall out of the corner of his eye.

"…Nibelhelm."

"What! A guy like you! From that place! Wow, talk about dinky…. That area is pretty far from Junon. How'd you get overseas? I mean, the boat that leaves Costa de Sol is pretty expensive, ya know." Cloud didn't really answer, but smirked as his eyes went back to Reno and Rude. Reno bared his fangs as well and nodded his head to the other teenage. "I see…. Don't worry, we wont tell. Well, I know that Rude won't, since he won't talk to anyone but you and me, and no one will believe a damn word that I say, so your secret's safe with us!"

"I'm not really worried about that much…." Reno leaned forward, elbows balancing on the peaks of his knees as he listened.

"Well, what's bothering ya so damn much, huh? Is it a girl?…" Reno joked, and Cloud blushed slightly.

"She isn't really a girl anymore. She's a woman, actually….the greatest woman in the world."

"HA! You're in it for an older woman! Well, Cloud, I am a genius at these kinds of things and I'm sure that you'll need some kind of advice in order to catch this one!" Cloud's smirk got even bigger and decided to let the game play on, and an eyebrow quirk under Rude's dark shades. "So, tell me; Does she know how ya feel?"

"She knows that I love her with all my heart."

"Damn! It's love, huh? Let's see….. How old is she?" Cloud thought about this and realized that he never asked "her" about how old she was and just took a guess.

"I think…..44 or 45? Maybe 46, but she sure doesn't act like it." Reno's jaw dropped metaphorically to the floor and Rude used two fingers to press his jaw back into place.

"OH MY GOD! You're bangin' an old hag! Wow, you really like 'em old, don't ya! But let's see…. Do you try and see her all the time then?" Cloud thought about it, but shook his head.

"She's from Nibelhelm as well."

"Does she….er, love you too?"

"Very much so, yes. We live in the same house together."

Reno looked like he was about to be sick. He hadn't expected his roommate to be so….gross. But neither the less, he continued with the investigation, while Rude and Cloud were trying hard not to laugh. It hadn't taken the silent partner to figure out who Cloud was talking about, but Reno was another story.

"Do you sleep in the same bed together?"

"Nah, we got separate beds. We used to, back in the day, but she said that my feet were too cold and she threw me out of the bed." Reno's eyes were huge.

"How long ago was this shit!

"Hmm…. About when I was seven or eight."

"What the hell! THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!" Reno shouted at the top of his lungs and that was it! They couldn't' hold it in anymore, and Rude coughed abruptly (But he was really laughing, but trying to cover it up) while Cloud busted out into a cackle. Reno was simply left confused. "What the hell is so funny?"

"That old hag is my mother. She's the reason for why I'm here." Reno looked as if he were about to have a fit. He didn't like the fact that Cloud played a trick on him, or the fact that Rude seemed to know exactly what Cloud was talking about. He crossed his arms and scowled at Cloud, who was trying to keep himself from laughing anymore than what he already was…..and it didn't work, cause he started laughing again only seconds later. Reno just happened to glance over at Rude and saw that all-too telling grin on his face.

"And what are you smiling about, jackass?…."

"What about you Reno?" Cloud said while he was wiping the tears from his eyes. He finally stopped from laughing and he was settled now. "Where are you from, or are you still mad about that whole love genius issue?"

"I'm not mad, I'm just pissed!" Reno said in a high-pitched, feminine tone of voice.

"Aw, come on! I was only joking. 'Sides, you should know better than to ask a guy about stuff like that -- Especially a guy like me!"

"Fine wise guy! I'm from Midgar."

"Midgar?….. I've only heard of that place. 'It's the metropolis of the world,' that's what he used to say."

"he'…Who's 'he'?"

"….My father. My mom tells me a bunch of things about him-- Well, she used to, when I was younger. My father died when I was really young, so I don't remember him at all…"

"Wow, at least you had a dad. All I had was a sister and my switchblade knife…." Reno fell back onto his bed with his hands behind his head. Cloud blinked a couple times before doing the same on his bed, and then Rude did the same. "Don't get me wrong," Reno continued, "Midgar isn't a bad place if you know the right people and your rich. Then you can live up on the plate, but if you're poor like me…."

"……."

"….…."

"…My mom and dad abandoned us when I was only ten and my sister was about 13. We lived in SECTOR 8 slums until the accident, so then we had to leave for SECTOR 2. I worked as a delivery boy for a while, but then I got into a fight and cut up a boy really bad. I was arrested and when I got out, my boss beat the shit outta me as soon as he found me. My sister had to take on a bunch of odd jobs in order to keep us from starving, and I was out stealing from anyone and anything I came across! It was the only way we could live, ya know? Either that or die in the streets….

"Back about five or six months back, my sister went on a limb and tried to help out a gang member hide out from his fellow bangers and didn't bother to tell me. When I came home from one of my raids one day, I saw a bunch of men gathered around my 'house'. I didn't know what they wanted and they beat the shit outta me, saying that I was lying and I knew where the punk was hidden.

"It took about three or four hours before they found out that the punk and my sister took off together when they caught wind of the gang looking for him. After that, they were even more pissed off and kept beating me until I couldn't see straight without blood squirting out of my ass…. So, one of 'em decided to take my knife and cut up my cheekbones with it. It hurt worse than anything they'd ever done to me, but not as much as what my sister did… After the gang left, I was rushed to the hospital by some old guy and stayed there for about a few weeks. Then I went back to the gang…"

"What! Why would you do that, after they almost killed you?" Cloud asked, concerned and very absorbed by the story. Reno chuckled at the question and continued.

"Well, they weren't gonna kill me. They just wanted information…. And that was just what I gave em, and even more."

"What do you mean?"

"I made a pack with 'em. I told them that I would join up with the gang, if they let me help find that creep and my sister." Cloud sat up and stared at Reno, who was still laying on his bed, as Rude was on his.

"Wait, you wanted to help them get your sister!"

"Ye….p. In Midgar, nobody double-crosses anyone, unless they know that that person either isn't gonna do anything, or they're gonna end up dead by the time they realize what happened. That's how the street rats live and die in the 'Metropolis of the world'….

"Anyway, they agreed to my little truce, probably cause they needed another thief when that punk left. We searched for them for days, and didn't find a damn thing on them. But it wasn't long after that when the punk came back into the SECTOR 2 district, looking for anyone who was willing to fight."

"Where was your sister?"

"Hey! I'm getting there, just shut up and listen!…. Now, he came back to the gang's place and everyone was wanting a piece of him. But the boss didn't let anyone do anything until the story got straightened out. The punk looked right over at me and said 'That chick was really fun to kill…' It turns out that my sister wasn't trying to hide the guy, but she was trying to keep him from killing me. He threatened to gut me if she didn't hide him, and then he grabbed her and slit her throat just outside of SECTOR 3, around the area where I worked….."

Cloud stared at Reno, quiet and thoughtful. When Reno didn't hear him say anything, he sat up and looked over at the blonde. "Oh, c'mon! Don't tell me that you're feeling sorry for me, are ya?"

"…..Doesn't it bother you?"

"Sometimes. Not as much anymore. You gotta understand Cloudy-boy; Life in Midgar isn't as great as you think it should be, you know? It's not the best thing in the world, and nobody's happy living in the streets like the fuckin' rats are, you know? 'Sides, I was already mad as shit at her, so what's the point of me trying to get over it just to be sad for her death? She was a bitch anyway, so there's no point to it."

Reno hopped from his bed and stretched his arms out with a long, drawn-out yawn, then turned to his friends. Then Cloud and Rude stood up as well. "We need to get going to the mess hall or else we'll have to run a bunch of laps." Cloud said to the two, then all three boys left the room.

Zack and Sephiroth sat in a booth above the cafeteria where none of the cadets could see or hear them. Sephiroth was, as always, sharpening his weapon while Zack was busy with trying to see how many French fries he could stick up his nose.

"Stop it." Sephiroth spat suddenly and Zack jumped, all twenty-seven, snot-covered fries fell out of his nostrils and left the skin red and irritated.

"What?"

"It's irritating and unsanitary….. So, stop it." Zack crossed his arms and pouted his lips, sitting back while staring out into the sea of cadets who were unaware of how easily they could all snap and lose their minds. Sephiroth glanced over at the cafeteria and saw Cloud, Reno, and Rude in line for their food. All three stood together and were talking as if they had been friends for all their lives ( Well, Reno and Cloud were. Rude just stood there with his plate and listened ) His curiosity was triggered and he wanted to know more about the three.

"What's wrong with you?" Zack asked.

"Do you remember those three boys from the other day, the ones who we assigned together?"

"Hm?" Zack looked down and saw who the general was speaking of and nodded. "Oh, them kids? Yeah, I remember! That blonde kid is pretty cool. What about them?" Sephiroth didn't say anything to this, but went back to sharpening his sword.

"…..It doesn't matter."

"Aw…What is it Sephy? You miss your li'l kids already?" Sephiroth quirked a brow, then raised his sword up to his partner's throat..

"Do you remember that time when I 'accidentally' slit that thin neck of yours when you were telling me how much I liked that one girl?…." Zack stared at the blade for a few seconds, then smiled at Sephiroth in the most cheesy way he could.

"Nope!" Sephiroth could only stare at his associate blankly, then went back to sharpening his weapon. "Why don't you go say hi to 'em? Better yet….Why don't we go to SECTOR 8 and--"

"No…." Sephiroth said without hesitation, and Zack whined.

"Aw, but why?…"

"We're not going to 8 just so you can go visit your 'Flower girl'. That's that."

"Then can I at least call her! I promised she'd hear from me soon!" Sephiroth glared over at the man for a second or two, then tossed the PHS in his direction. He pulled his fist high from the air to his waist, whispering a victorious "Yes". He dial a number then and listened for the tone.

"Hello?"

"Hey babe, it's me!"

"Zack? Where have you been! I haven't seen you in forever, you know that!" The female on the other line screamed so loud, he couldn't keep the phone in arms length and Sephiroth had taken the liberty to stick a couple fingers in his ears. "Do you know how worried I've been!"

"Sorry! I'm sorry! I've just had a lot to do as of late, you know that."

"YOU WERE PROBABLY OUT TALKING TO OTHER GIRLS, YOU PLAY BOY!"

"i was not…" Zack murmured in a child-like voice. Sephiroth couldn't help but smirk at his problem. He was just happy that he wasn't involved in a relationship like that! "Listen, I need to do a few more things in Junon, and then I get to come spend some time with you, okay? I promise this time, and you know that I never break my promises."

"…..Okay, but if you're lying to me--"

"Never! You mean too much for me, you know that."

"…..You mean a lot to me too." Zack smiled.

"I'll talk to you as soon as I can, okay babe?"

"You'd better! Or I'll kill you myself, UNDERSTAND!" He held the PHS away from his ear after the last word and then heard a click and dial tone. He looked over at Sephiroth, who was back to sharpening his sword. And then he smiled.

"Oh, yeah! That hottie's in the palm of my sweet, slick hands." His partner gave a look of annoyance and bewilderment with a hint of confusion and sympathy before leaving to go downstairs. Zack followed Sephiroth faithfully, as usual. "So….why don't you have all of these girls running up to you, eh?" Sephiroth tossed a side glance at his partner.

"……"

"Oh, come on! How bad could it be to have someone hanging on ya? It's actually kinda nice to someone who cares about you around, ya know?" Sephiroth stopped, giving a heavy sigh of annoyance.

"Women are stupid and will always do anything to be with somebody famous. Other than that, I'd rather not deal with relationships any more. They're nothing but a distraction to reality, after all."

"Where the hell did you learn that from?"

"Hojo"

"Hojo." They'd said together by accident. Zack smiled up at the man, who was still focused on what was in front of him. "By the way, what do you think of Scarlet?" Sephiroth stopped, almost tripping over a step and staring wildly at Zack. "O…kay, never mind. I guess that whole thing still isn't over, huh? What, with that 'Snake incident' and all…" Sephiroth grabbed his partner by the collar and glared viciously at him.

"Never….mention that 'incident' again…." Zack laughed nervously, hoping that Sephiroth wouldn't pull the sword attached to his belt wouldn't be held to his throat again.

"S-S-Sure Sephy! No problem, eh!" Sephiroth's crazed looked dissipated at those words, and he sighed heavily, as if Zack was nothing but a burden to the general.

"Let us just go, Zack." He released Zack and continued down the stairs. Zack rubbed around his neck and smiled.

"Edgy aren't we?"

Cloud looked around the room and saw the many would-be SOLDIERS, and wondered how in the world he would ever become a member of the elite military himself. And his thoughts went back to his mother. She hadn't heard from him in months and it's almost been a year since he'd seen her as well. He could only hope that she wasn't too mad at him for it.

Then Reno punched him in the arm.

"OW! What the hell!" Cloud rubbed his arm and glared at his friend. "That's the fifth time you've hit me, you know."

"Yeh, well that's the fifth time I asked you a question and you've been off in space!" The street rat replied, eyes narrowed and a shark's smile on his face. "What are you gonna do when you get in SOLDIER?"

"Hm?… I think that…. I'll fight in another great war."

"Another war, huh?"

"I always wanted to make my mother proud of me. I wanted her to know that her son wasn't just another punk who goes and beat the crap outta anyone who comes my way, you know?" Rude raised an eyebrow and Reno looked to his silent friend, a bit surprised.

"Well, me and Rude are gonna be in this new program. They're called the Turks. We wanna go into espionage and stuff like that! It'll be great!" Rude nodded in agreement, adjusting his sunglasses slightly. "Anyway, we gotta go for training after dinner."

"Training?" Cloud asked, curious. "Kinda early for dinner."

"Trust me! I hear after the training session, you'll be too tired to be hungry. We're supposed to be tested for our 'air endurance.'

"What the hell is that!" Reno shrugged.

"Dunno. Some pilot supposed to test us or something like it, you know?"