Happy Friday! I hope everyone has had a good week :)
Exciting news - my bf and I are moving into our new place today! I am so excited, but also so ready to be done moving. I miss my quiet weekends lol
But the good news is that I finished this chapter in time! And we've officially hit the beginning of FF7. Only took us 12 chapters lol.
Enjoy the chapter! :)
( PS - happy birthday ken_nufher ! Hope it's a good one :) )
Luckily, Zack hadn't been in nearly as much trouble as he had thought. Though he had ditched Reno and Rude the day before, which admittedly wasn't very cool of him, Tseng had simply given him a box of pharmaceutical receipts and had told him to organize it before the day was over. While it was boring as hell, not to mention totally random, it wasn't overly difficult. All he had to do was categorize any receipts that mentioned hydrogen peroxide, which was simple enough. The only real drawback was because of this little job of his, he wasn't allowed to leave the Turk headquarters until further notice.
Zack scowled as he briefly scanned another receipt, then sighed and set it in the trash pile.
Well... what Tseng didn't know wouldn't kill him, he decided. Besides, Tseng had no way of enforcing that little rule of his. The Turk simply didn't employ anyone strong enough to force a SOLDIER to stay put, a fact that had been proven when Cloud had... decided he didn't want to stay in the hospital anymore. Granted, Cloud had been no SOLDIER, but he had been infused with mako. It basically amounted to the same thing.
A smile played on Zack's lips, small and bittersweet. Back when Cloud had been in the infantry, it had been his dream to join SOLDIER. It made Zack wonder what Cloud would think of himself now; if he was happy with the mako enhancements, or if he would throw it all away if given the chance.
I guess I'll ask when I find him again, Zack decided, and threw another receipt in the growing trash pile. He'd humor Tseng for now. He'd go through these stupid receipts and organize them, and he'd do a damn good job of it, too. But the moment he had the opportunity, he was leaving. Hojo was in Midgar, and that meant Cloud was in danger... and Tifa, if only by association.
Which reminds me. He needed to go back to the church and speak to Aerith, too. Something she had said the day before had stuck with him. Had continued to ring in his ears like a song, one on constant repeat, until Zack was muttering it to himself as he half-assed his way through the box of receipts.
I'm going to the upper plate later, she had told him yesterday evening. Sector Eight, I think.
But it was her next words that had struck him cold:
Something big might happen there.
Zack pursed his lips. If anyone else had said something like that, he would have wished them a good time and would not have given it a second thought. But because Aerith had said that – his Aerith, who lately seemed to know more than she should, not to mention miraculously divining where Cloud had gone – he couldn't get it out of his head. She had originally planned to go yesterday night, but then had changed her mind. Now her plan was to leave for the upper Sector around midday today, and knowing her, she wouldn't head home until the sunset.
Or until the 'something big' had happened, Zack thought.
He unconsciously crushed a receipt in his hand as worry hissed through him. The 'something big' sounded ominous, and the thought of Aerith being near any potential danger made him physically nauseous. That said, he also vividly remembered Aerith telling him that she could handle it, that she was strong, independent woman who could sell flowers on the upper sectors on her own, thank you very much. And it wasn't that he didn't believe her. Just the opposite, in fact; he trusted her judgment far more than he trusted his own at this point. It's just that far too much had happened to those close to him. He didn't want her to just say that she would be safe.
He wanted to personally guarantee it.
Sighing, Zack glanced out the window, which he had opened earlier to let the stale city breeze through. She'd probably get offended if I said that, though. A gentle wind whispered across the room and ruffled the receipts stacks on the desk, eventually snagging one and sending it drifting to the ground. But he hardly noticed. He was far too busy looking at Midgar's hauntingly unfamiliar skyline, at its jagged edges, as his memories overlapped with the completed scenery before him. It still caught him off-guard just how much Midgar had changed these past four years.
Though, he thought, feeling strangely heavy, compared to how much I have changed...
Suddenly there was a knock on the door, one which had him dragging his attention away from the window... and his spiraling thoughts. "Come in," he said automatically, though there was no need. The door was already opening, and a familiar face framed by copper hair peaked inside... only to break out in a bright, quiet smile.
"Zack," Cissnei greeted as she eased the door closed behind her. She was wearing a blue sundress, a striking contrast from the usual black and white of the Turk uniform, which started him. She looked... pretty, but like how a rose was pretty - its petals soft despite its thorns. "I was hoping you'd be in here," she continued.
"Cissnei." Zack got to his feet, deciding then and there that Cissnei was far more important than a box full of receipts. "Long time no see."
She laughed, a faint sound. "It hasn't even been a week," she said as she leaned against the wall. "Though," she softly added, "you're looking far better than the last time I saw you."
Zack returned her smile, albeit hesitantly. "Yeah, thanks to you. Speaking of which, I haven't actually thanked you. For, you know…" He ran a hand through his black hair. "For getting Cloud and I out of there. If you hadn't found us…"
"If I hadn't found you, you and Cloud would have been fine." Cissnei's voice was absolute, and left no room for argument. "Maybe in a little rougher shaper, sure. But fine. You should give yourself more credit, Zack," she added at his following eye-roll. "Truly. What you did – escaping the lab, keeping Cloud alive for those ten months on the run, surviving the infantry ambush – was… well, impressive. Not many could have done it."
Zack fought down the warmth threatening to redden his cheeks. "When did you get so supportive?"
At that, Cissnei averted her gaze. If Zack didn't know her any better, he would have guessed that she was also blushing. "I've always been supportive."
"Really."
"Really." Her copper eyes met his once again, but now there was something a little more sad in them. "Also, speaking of which... I heard that Cloud left the hospital. I was sorry to hear that."
Zack's lips formed a thin, had line. Left was certainly a delicate way to put it. Cloud had woken up from a mako-induced coma, panicked, and cracked three of Zack's ribs on his way out of the hospital. Zack's ribs had healed - healed strangely quickly, not that he was complaining - but his chest still ached. Ached that he had been too weak and surprised to stop Cloud from running away.
Zack sighed, and heavily sat down on the desk as a familiar weight descended down on him, chilling him, threatened to pull him to the floor. "Yeah, I'm sorry too," he finally said. "But I'll find him."
Cissnei's expression warmed. "I know you will."
"Also, Cissnei..." She glanced at him, eyebrow lifted in silent question, and Zack continued, "I'm not sure if you knew this, but yesterday I went with Reno and Rude on their mission."
"On their mission?" Cissnei echoed. The surprise in her voice was obvious. "To the pharmacy?"
Pharmacy? Zack frowned. "No, not a pharmacy… they dropped me off at some Turk information center in upper Sector Four. Wait." His eyes widened a fraction. "Is that why Tseng dropped off an entire box of pharmacy receipts? Because of Reno and Rude's mission?"
Cissnei was silent for a moment too long, and then she shrugged. "Perhaps," she replied offhandedly. It wasn't a direct answer, and it had Zack frowning. She was hiding something - he knew it. "Anyway," she continued, changing the subject, "so Reno and Rude dropped you off at the information center. Why?"
"Well..." Zack tapped his foot on the floor, a nervous tic he didn't remember developing. "Tseng wanted me to review security footage, in the hopes that I would find Cloud."
Cissnei stood a little straighter. "Did you find him?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I found him." Memories of Cloud's green, slitted eyes flashed back in the forefront of his mind, and Zack's lips twitched into a smile. But there was no warmth behind it, no joy; it was a sharp, bitter thing, and his mood grew more bitter with it. "But..."
Cissnei frowned, a worried expression. "But?"
"But... But I also saw Hojo." There was a new edge to his tone that hadn't been there before, one that had Cissnei involuntarily tensing. "Hojo is in Shinra headquarters, right smack dab in the middle of the city. Practically right next to us." He pinned Cissnei with his eyes, and it brought him no comfort that she looked… nervous. "Did you know?" he demanded. "Did you know that he was here, practically right next door?"
Cissnei quietly exhaled, then met his gaze with her own. There was a surprising amount of strength there. Resolve, and she said, "I did."
I did.
Zack roughly exhaled, and he had to clasp his hands together to keep them from shaking. But not from fear - from anger, an emotion he was becoming more and more familiar with. "You... You knew what Hojo did to me. Did to Cloud. And you brought us back to Midgar?" Despite the bite in his tone, his voice remained steady. Almost calm, and for some reason, that made his words all the more striking. "Right next to him?"
A moment passed, heavy and full, and then another. Finally, Cissnei quietly said, "You were already on the way." She continued to stand rigidly against the wall, her cheerful sundress a harsh contrast to her steely, Turk-like expression. "You also needed immediate medical treatment, and the best – and closest – medical treatment available is here. Without it, we were afraid that you would die."
"But Hojo is here," Zack pointed out. He almost added that Hojo finding him would be a special sort of death, but he swallowed his words at the last moment. He nearly choked on them.
"The Turks are here, too." Cissnei's lips curved into a frown. "I'm here. Tseng is here, and we all want to protect you and Cloud. Doesn't that count for anything?"
Zack scowled, his luminous gaze burning into the floor... but then he sighed, a harsh exhale, and impatiently ran a hand through his hair. "Yes," he finally admitted, though it seemed to pain him to say it. "Yes, it counts for something. But… But why didn't you tell me?" He lifted his head to meet her gaze directly, and his eyes burned with mako. "Why did you leave me to find out about it through security footage?"
To his surprise, Cissnei shifted her weight to her other foot, clearly fidgeting. "Because, to be frank," she finally said, "it never occurred to me."
"Never occurred to you?" Zack expression was incredulous. "Are you serious?"
"It never occurred to me," Cissnei continued, her tone a little sharper, "because the mission was to bring you and Cloud here safely. The mission was a success, and I guess… I guess I didn't really think too much of what came after. I was just happy to see you alive." She seemed embarrassed by her admission, but continued regardless. "Besides, Tseng usually handles what happens after a mission. Not me."
Zack crossed his arms over his chest, still pissed, but it wasn't like he didn't understand her logic. Once upon the time, before everything went so horribly wrong, he hadn't thought much different. All he cared about was who to fight, who was the enemy, and somebody else always handled the rest. In fact, he had told Cloud as much back in Nibelheim.
But things were different now. He was less naive, for one. Less stupid about the world. Now he considered just about everyone an enemy, and knew that if he needed something done, then he had to rely on himself. It was a bitter lesson to learn after they had escaped the lab, but else could he do? He had to take care of everything, because Cloud... well, Cloud couldn't. And whose fault was that?
Mine, his mind whispered. Mine, mine, mine. If Zack hadn't given that order... If he hadn't told Cloud to stop Sephiroth, someone he couldn't even stop as a SOLDIER... then maybe Cloud wouldn't be in this messed-up situation in the first place.
Not that there was anything he could do about it now - another bitter lesson he had learned.
"Fair enough," he finally said. Cissnei blinked, stunned by his admission, though her expression remained guarded - as if she was expecting him to berate her at any moment. And seeing her like that, Zack suddenly felt... tired. Exhausted even, and he tore his gaze back out the window. To the hazy, polluted sky above Midgar's jagged cityscape. "Anyway," he continued, his tone flat, "I can't imagine that you only dropped by to keep me company during Tseng's stupid job."
"Actually, I did," Cissnei replied, surprising him. "I hadn't been able to visit you since I picked you up."
"Oh." Zack wasn't exactly sure what to say to that, so he switched tactics. "Well, you look nice," he said. "Off on a date somewhere?"
Cissnei was so taken aback, that she had actually blinked at him. But she was a Turk, and she quickly regathered her wits. "Oh, this?" she chuckled, smoothing out her sundress. "No. It was for a mission, actually."
Zack arched a dark eyebrow. "A mission?" Wearing that?
"Yes." Cissnei grinned at him a little, as if there was a joke somewhere. "And I can't tell you the details, as you are a contractor -"
Zack rolled his eyes.
"- but," she continued, "I will say that most Turk missions are actually rather boring. Not all of them involve helicopters or guns, you know."
"Could have fooled me."
Cissnei smile softened. "I have a suspicion that nothing much fools you anymore, Zack."
Zack frowned at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing." Her warmth was back, as was her steady continence, and she continued, "Anyway, I should get going. Tseng strictly ordered everyone not to disturb you, as apparently you had caused some trouble yesterday and have to get some paperwork done?"
Zack's frown deepened, and he glanced at the box of receipts before turning back to her. "Yeah, whatever. Tell him that this is a waste of time and I should be out there looking for Cloud."
"You tell him," Cissnei said as she reached for the door handle. "I'm sure he'll be stopping by soon, anyway."
Zack sighed. That was exactly what he needed... Not. "Doesn't he have anything better to do?"
Cissnei looked thoughtful for a moment. "Probably a lot of things," she decided, then pushed open the door. The iridescent lights from the hallway spilled into the room, and she took a step towards it… only to pause and glance back at him, another small smile on her lips. "See you around, Zack."
Zack raised an eyebrow at her almost wistful tone, but made no comment on it. "See you around, Cissnei," he replied.
She smiled once again, then dropped her gaze before letting the door close behind her.
Zack frowned at the door for a moment longer, then scratched the back of his neck as he sat back down at the desk. Weird.
The streetlights flickered to life on top of the Sector Eight plate as Aerith stepped beneath them, her brown hair stained gold from their soft glow. Something urged her onward, a tug of sorts, and her bright eyes wandered the nearby buildings looking for its source. She knew that she was getting closer... but to what? What was waiting for her tonight?
Well, I guess I'll just have to wait and see.
Quietly inhaling, she dragged her gaze upward, higher and higher, until she could see the open sky above her. Despite the buildings pressing against her, she felt a little flutter of anxiety when she blinked at the hazy clouds. There were no stars – there were never stars, as Midgar was far too bright and the air too choked with pollution to see them – but Aerith was grateful for it, though she knew she shouldn't be. She enjoyed pictures of stars. Enjoyed how dazzling they looked, how ethereal, when pasted on a small, blank canvas. Not so much when they yawned above her, with their faint, flickering lights endless and eternal and hauntingly beautiful.
She sighed, a harsh sound, and dropped her gaze. Oh, stop being silly, she told herself as she continued through the alley. Zack isn't afraid of the sky, and neither should I. Rationally, she knew that the sky was nothing to be afraid of. It wasn't like the sky could grab her and steal her away after all, but... still. Seeing it so open above her made her feel... uneasy. As strange as it was, she preferred the steel sky - the sky of the slums. The steel sky was cold and unfeeling and not beautiful at all, but it was her sky. It was familiar, and it was easy to understand. It had a clear beginning and end. A finality that the sky didn't possess.
And just like that, she found herself missing Zack's company. He seemed to always know just what to say to put her at ease, and though he continued to tell her how different he was from her memories, she secretly thought that he hadn't changed that much. Sure, he was a little more damaged. A little more broken, but not in pieces. Just a little cracked was all, but the core of him - the part of Zack that she had fallen in love with - was still there. In fact, lately it seemed to shine all the brighter. His hardships he had gone through had only made him kinder, only made his smiles that much more special, that much warmer, and she loved seeing them.
She loved seeing him, and she wished that he was here with her now.
A small smile played on her lips. But that would have been a selfish wish of hers, now wouldn't it? If Hojo was here in Midgar, then he would most likely be at the Shinra headquarters on the upper plates - not far from where she was now, in fact. So she couldn't have invited Zack to come with her. Not in good conscious at least. And besides, hadn't she promised to protect him this time around? Hadn't she promised that she would take care of him?
She intended to make good on that promise.
Besides, I can always visit him when I'm done here, she decided. Her gaze dropped to her basket of flowers, hanging on her elbow. And maybe, if the flowers sell well, I can bring him a cup of coffee. Or maybe he would like tea more? Or chocolate? She frowned, realizing that she actually didn't know what Zack's favorite drink was. Every time he had visited back in the day, he had either brought food for them both or they simply enjoyed each others company in the church. They had never really gone out to eat. Had never gone out for a drink.
She needed to amend that. Maybe take him somewhere special, somewhere she knew he would like. Maybe a garden? she thought, but immediately shook her head. A garden was something she would like, and besides, the only gardens she knew of were either at the church and at her house. Well, he likes eating, so... Maybe she could be a little more cliche, and they could just go out to dinner? That may be fun, she decided, and a smile played on her lips. Zack had clearly had a rough time of it, and she knew he hadn't told her everything about what happened while he was gone, but a warm meal had never hurt anyone. Granted, she didn't have too much money so they couldn't go anywhere fancy, but...
But her thoughts fizzled when she suddenly felt a definite tug, a faint pull that dragged her eyes downward until her gaze rested on a broken pipe. The pipe had been snaking along the wall before it had cracked, and faint green light spilled out of the fracture. The light was so thick that some bubbled off and dissipated into the air like fireflies.
Aerith knelt down in front of it, her delicate brow furrowed, all thoughts of going on a date pushed to the back of her mind. Mako energy, she realized as she hovered her hand over the cold glow. This broken pipe was filled with the Lifestream, though refined and concentrated into raw energy, and - without really knowing why - she clasped her hands in front of it and prayed. Prayed for Zack, that his raw wounds would heal and he would be truly happy again. Prayed for Cloud, that Zack would be able to find him before his mako addiction worsened. Prayed that Cloud would be safe in the meantime, and that he had found his friend.
And then she prayed for herself. That, no matter what happened, she would be strong enough and brave enough to pull both of them through whatever the Planet had in store for them.
Her breath trembled out of her when she finally blinked open her eyes again. Blinked, as if seeing the broken mako pipe for the first time, when she felt another tug that had her turning upward to the Sector One reactor. It loomed over Sector Eight and the sight of it made it uneasy, and secretly she thought that the reactor was far scarier than the sky could ever be. Its thick metal base tapered into a yawning opening, one that spewed green mako like liquid fire. The blast was so powerful that it burned a hole through the perpetual gray haze that covered the city, and Aerith dropped her gaze before getting to her feet.
Something's going to happen tonight, she reminded herself as she exited the alley and merged with the rest of the people. Something big.
Someone suddenly bumped into her, scattering her flowers, but she hardly noticed. She only stooped down and began picking them up, her thoughts spiraling in a different direction. A scarier direction. The Planet was shifting beneath her, but in equal parts excitement and terror. She felt its tremble through her slim body and into her bones, and she squeezed her eyes shut against it.
Only to open them again and watch someone step on one of her small, delicate, fragile flowers, one that she hadn't had the chance to pick up yet. The man's shoe had crushed the petals and broke the stem, and Aerith glared at his departing back before she gently picked up the crushed flower.
Her lips twitched in a scowl as the poor thing drooped in her fingers.
"Shit."
The wind whipped at Cloud's face and tussled his hair as the train screeched down the tracks, and he grit his teeth against the piercing noise - and his lurching stomach. He had forgotten how much he had hated trains, but now it was all it could think of as the train rattled to a sickening stop in front of the Sector One station. It was a small blessing that the station was empty. All of the daily commuters must have gone home for the day, and now all that remained were a few Shinra infantrymen. Not that Cloud was paying much attention to them. He was far too busy trying to control his stomach, which seemed intent to performing nauseating backflips.
It didn't help that the air smelled pungently of mako. The sharply sweet, metallic scent was potent enough to make him lightheaded, and he swallowed a small groan. It didn't come as a surprise, though. The massive reactor practically loomed over the station, and if Cloud had lifted his head, he would have been able to see the eerie green glow of burning mako spilling into the sky.
But Cloud did not lift his head. He only pinned his gaze on his hands, splayed against the train car's metal roof, and tried to control his breathing. His stomach seemed to be squeezing itself into knots, and it took nearly all of his concentration not to be sick right then and there. A part of him almost wanted to, that maybe he would feel a little bit better after expelling whatever he ate that day, but at the same time...
SOLDIERs do not get motion sickness, he told himself, his mental voice firm. And sure, maybe he didn't remember being a part of SOLDIER, but that didn't seem to be very important right then. He was supposed to be stronger than this. And besides, hadn't he promised Tifa that he would be okay? That he could do this job, that he could handle it, and that he would meet her when it was over?
Easy to make that promise, he thought darkly. He hadn't even started Barret's dumb job, and he was already borderline incapacitated.
Though, as the seconds continued to beat on, he slowly began to feel a little bit better. Or at least, the ground didn't seem to roll as much now, and he didn't feel like he was going to immediately puke his guts out. He was well enough to hear Biggs grab a Shinra infantryman, which was quickly followed by Jessie's loud shout as she kicked the man in the gut and render him unconscious. A harsh slap followed. A high-five.
Then a loud, disappointed sigh. "Get down here, merc," Barret called up to him.
Cloud scowled and, swallowing his nausea, sharply inhaled before jumping off the train car. The jump was far more elegant and graceful than any un-enhanced human could pull off, something that he was minutely grateful as he gracefully landed in a crouch. When the world stopped spinning, he slowly stood and re-equipped his gunblade to his magnetic holster. He was all too aware of Barret staring at him, of the dark look in his eyes, the hard set to his jaw, the hard tension of his shoulders.
It was a difficult thing to ignore, and finally Cloud turned his scowl to him and deadpanned, "What."
Barret sniffed. "You look like shit," he stated.
Irritation spiked through Cloud. He tried to remind himself that this was beneath him, that Barret was stupid and picking fights would only make his life harder, but he couldn't stop himself from deadpanning, "Likewise." With that, he turned on his heel and following Biggs, Jessie, and Wedge further down the train station.
Barret made a noise low in his throat and muttered, "Damn punk." He said it under his breath, far too low that the ordinary human would hear, but Cloud was no ordinary human. His sensitive hearing picked it up immediately, and it was only his paper-thin self control that stopped him from sharply retorting.
But then his attention was snagged by something else. Footsteps, coming from an alleyway to the left, and his head snapped towards it as he froze in place.
"Goddamn," Barret hissed as he nearly ran right into Cloud. He stumbled backward, cursing. "What the hell are you -" But the words died in his throat as Cloud reached back for his gunblade, and Barret's gaze swiveled in the direction that Cloud was staring. "Well, shit."
"Drop your weapons!" shouted a voice in the dark. The tip of a rifle poked out of the gloom moments after, followed by a near-panicked infantryman. The three red lights on his helmet bobbed as he ran and continued, "Identify yourself!"
Cloud tensed. He knew that the mako in his eyes was flaring, that the adrenaline pumping fire in his veins had set it afire, but he immediately noticed that the green tinge to the world seemed different than usual. More saturated, a little sharper and pronounced, but he had no time to think about it, no time to worry, as his attention was split as two more infantrymen ran out of the alley.
Barret cursed again, colorful and imaginative, and Cloud wordlessly agreed. He took a step forward, his nausea forgotten, his grip like iron on his sword...
… only for one of the back guards to yelp in fear and, before the team's leader could say a word, fire his rifle.
Cloud blinked, and time seemed to slow. The world shifted into more dramatic shades of green as his eyes traced the bullet that spiralled towards the dead center of his chest. Watched the neon lights of the station flicker across the small imperfections of the bullet, at the creases along its metal and the small serial number engraved on its side, and he simply... stepped to the side.
The bullet slammed into the train car, hard enough to dent the metal.
Cloud's eyes widened a fraction as he flicked his gaze behind him, too stunned to realize that he had just turned his back to the enemy. Did I just dodge that? His blood sang beneath his skin in response, and he realized that he must have. But... But that was impossible, he thought, blinking. He shouldn't have been able to dodge that. People didn't just dodge bullets, and he knew that he should have been hit... or worse.
But he hadn't been.
He, by some miracle of skill and luck, had dodged it.
"Holy fuck," whispered one of the infantryman.
Cloud slowly lowered his gaze back to his gunblade, then returned it to the three guards. All three were pointing their rifles at him, the three tips trembling between them, but none dared to fire. He could hear their heartbeat, could hear the rapid staccato of their panicked hearts pound through his body and set his nerves on fire.
Something is wrong with me, he thought, but then immediately changed his mind. No – nothing was wrong with him. He felt the opposite of wrong. In fact, everything felt shockingly, strikingly right, and his lips twitched into a brittle smile. The infantry shrank back into the alley, their guns trembling in their small hands, and the guards looked so… so weak. So little, so insignificant, and it made him wonder…
Had I looked like that, once?
But the next moment Cloud decided that he didn't particularly care, and he snapped forward. He was vaguely aware that the lead infantryman screamed before he began to shoot, a rapid pulsing of light and raining metal, but Cloud simply ducked beneath it all. He could see every bullet, could see the muscles in the man's finger twitch before firing again, and he cut through the guard as easily as he did the wererats. Easier, even. His blade went straight through the thin armor they wore, and he wasn't even trying.
Something hot and sticky splattered his clothes and the ground, but it hardly registered in Cloud's mind as he took a step closer to the remaining two guards. One whimpered and pulled the trigger, but only a harsh clicking sound reverberated through the air. It was a sound that Cloud was well acquainted with, and judging by the horrified look on the guard's face, he was, too.
Gun's jammed.
And Cloud darted forward, his mind a tangle of emotions and thoughts and adrenaline and nothing at all. He moved forward faster than the eye could follow, and soon the guard's blood was similarly splattered against the ground. But Cloud had no time to pause, no time to take a breath, because the third screamed and opened fire as well. Cloud watched bullets speed towards him and, before he realized what he was doing, he swept his blade up and cut through the nearest bullet. It neatly split in two; one half slammed into the brick wall behind him, the other ricocheted off of a street lamp. In a blink Cloud then deflected the second bullet, dodged the third, and with his next slash, he cut right through the man's chest.
The guard gurgled as he collapsed to his knees, and whispered a name before falling heavily forward and going deathly, fatally still.
Cloud stood in the alleyway, breathing hard, the world little more than a pulsing green flicker around him. His held his gunblade so tightly that the hilt was cutting into his palm, even through the leather gloves, to the point where it bruised the skin. But he didn't notice. His mind hummed as he continued to stand, silent and still, as the three infantryman's bodies disintegrated into the Lifestream. Green sparks flickered into the air like moths, like fireflies, as they slowly made their way to the polluted sky above them. Cloud slowly lifted his head to watch them go, and their gentle light caressed his face before fading away entirely.
His chest ached.
His hand lifted, and his fingers knotted in the knitted fabric above his thudding, throbbing heart. There was a pain there, one nearly as striking as the throb beginning to blossom between his eyes. It was the infantryman that had taken the blow to the chest. It had been the infantrymen that he had cut down. The infantrymen who had faded and died.
So why did he feel the pain instead? And why the hell did it hurt so bad?
He inhaled a shaky breath. Truth be told, he hadn't wanted to kill the infantrymen. He hadn't meant to, but everything happened so fast, and they were shooting him, and his body had reacted without thinking, like it didn't even really belong to him anymore, and... and...!
"SOLDIER-boy!" Barret's voice, deep yet shrill at the same time, snapped Cloud at whatever thoughts his mind began to spiral down. His head snapped to the mouth of the alley, his eyes luminous and wide. "If yer done, then get yer ass over here! We're leaving!"
Leaving.
That word cut through the fog swirling in his head. They were leaving, and he had to follow. He had a promise to keep.
His legs began to move before he was consciously aware of it, and then he was running to catch up. It occurred to him on his way to the rest of the team that his sword had been cleaned of blood, as had his clothes - maybe because it had faded into the Lifestream, too? Not that it mattered, he numbly thought. Still, Cloud was grateful for it as he vaulted over the station's guardrails. Barret was waiting for him just beyond, and the large man scowled at him as Cloud slowed his pace.
"I thought you looked like shit before," Barret said by way of greeting, "but you got me proved wrong."
Cloud pinned him with a harsh glare before pushing past him. "Shut up."
Barret's scowl deepened. "Prickly asshole," he muttered, and opened his mouth to say more, but was cut off by a sudden shout.
"Don't move!"
Cloud heard the all-too familiar click of a rifle's safety being disengaged, and his eyes flared a startling shade as he turned to the next infantry unit. This unit was smaller, this time comprised of only two guards instead of three, and were equipped with the same weapons and armor.
Barret shouted a curse and lifted his gun, but Cloud was already moving. He had to take them out before they began shooting at him again, because if they started shooting… he wasn't sure what he would do to make them stop.
So he became the wind, little more than a dark blur against the ground. His metal blade sang through the air as he slammed its dull edge into the nearest guard. The man screamed as he hit the ground, then slumped into unconsciousness as Cloud landed a heavy blow to the back of his head.
The second infantryman lifted his rifle, but Cloud had already lifted his gunsword to the man's shoulder and pulled the trigger before the guard could even aim.
And missed.
The bullet cut a red line against the man's exposed cheek before slamming into the wall behind him. Bits of tile rained to the floor as infantryman thickly swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing, before he dared to glance behind him. At the spiderwebbing cracks in the wall, its epicenter broken and cracked. A whimper clawed out of his throat and his legs began to tremble, gently at first, but then began to shake so strongly that he fell onto his knees.
Cloud lowered his weapon, dazed - had he actually missed? But reality of the situation came flooding back to him, and he heard himself say, "Don't get back up."
The infantryman glanced at him and nodded, a faint jerk to the head. He had dropped his rifle on the ground, and made no move to pick it up again.
Barret shot Cloud a long, unreadable look. "Not gonna kill him?" he asked. The man made a low, keening sound.
Cloud pressed his lips into a thin line before turning away. "No," he stated as he followed Biggs deeper into the station.
"Hmm." Barret made another noise, one that Cloud didn't even bother deciphering, before his footsteps began to echo off the walls.
Meanwhile, Cloud's mind was reeling. He had missed his shot. Missed. And not on purpose, either. He had aimed for the man's shoulder, meaning to at least make the infantryman drop his weapon without killing him, but had nearly shot his head off instead. How? It didn't make sense. His gaze dropped to his gloves, as if they were to blame, but they seemed normal enough. He also knew that it couldn't have been his gunsword, as he had specifically cleaned it in preparation for today's mission. Which meant that he hadn't missed due to faulty equipment or lack of skill.
He wasn't sure what to make of that. But he could worry about it later; right now, he needed to focus.
Advertisements for hair tonic, perfume, and Banora White juice were a blur as the team headed up the stairwell and made it to the second story of the train station. The second story looked much like the first; rows and rows of benches occupied the space, while the occasional vending machine lined the wall. Thankfully the waiting room was empty, but that wasn't surprising of itself. As this station was part of the industrial line, and not the residential line, then only workers would be using it to commute. It was empty because the workday was over. Everyone had gone home.
Small blessings, because if they had been here when they blew up the reactor…
Cloud impatiently pushed his choppy bangs out of his eyes, at the sweat beading on his brow. How much further is this stupid reactor, anyway?
Suddenly more footsteps echoed down the hall. Cloud heard it before Barret, and his gaze snapped to the right just as someone shouted, "Hey! You're not supposed to be here!"
Barret skidded to a stop. "Shit!" he cursed as he lifted his gunarm. The metal within it began to grind together, a heavy whir that lifted the small hairs on Cloud's neck. "These Shinra assholes are everywhere."
Cloud reached a hand forward. "Wait -" he began, but his voice was drowned out by the harsh sound of popping gunshots. Cloud flinched against the sound, as well as the piercing screams of the infantrymen that immediately followed.
Then, silence. Silence only punctuated by the faint hisses of bodies returning to the Lifestream. Cloud stared as the last guard vanished, the man's small body disintegrating with a faint, flickering whisper. Dead - just like that. The green fireflies trickled to the ceiling only to fade into the iridescent lights, and Cloud stared as the last faint light faded away. They hadn't even stood a chance.
"They knew what they were signin' up for when they decided to work fo' Shinra." Barret's deep voice pulled Cloud back to the present, and he found himself blinking at the ceiling. "Now c'mon," Barret continued, standing beside him. "Stop starin' into space and get your spiky ass over here."
That dragged a reaction out of him, and he said, "Don't order me around."
"Excuse me?" Barret abruptly stopped walking and whirled, piercing Cloud with a hard look. "Listen 'ere, Stamp. And listen damn well. Don't go thinkin' that you're gonna get any special treatment just because you're Tifa's friend, you hear me? I'm paying you to order you around," he finished. "And don't you forget it."
Cloud couldn't think of a retort. He only glowered, his finger's twitching against his gunblade's hilt, before he huffed - a rough, raw sound - and tore his gaze away to stalk deeper into the station. Barret had a point; it was borderline painful to admit it, but he was paying Cloud to be here. This was a job. A business transaction. And being Tifa's friend had nothing to do with it.
That thought firmly planted in his mind, planted so deeply that not even the swirling fog in his head could touch it, he continued until he joined the rest of the team.
While he and Barret had been fighting the infantry, Biggs, Jessie, and Wedge had used their distraction to sneak to the very back at the station. There, a thick, metal door divided the station for the industrial complex behind it. According to Biggs, the industrial complex led directly to Mako Reactor One.
The industrial complex would also be extremely well guarded... Not that it mattered, Cloud thought darkly. He was ready – or at least, he tried to convince himself he was – and moved to lean against a supporting column, quiet and indifferent to the rest of the team. Jessie was crouched in front of a heavy door and fiddling with something, while Biggs was kneeling on the ground right beside her. They were in the middle of a hushed conversation, one that Cloud shouldn't have been able to hear... if he hadn't been enhanced. As it was, he heard their faint words as clearly as if they were speaking right beside him.
And honestly, he really wished he couldn't.
"So," Jessie was murmuring to Biggs. "Is Cloud one of us now? SOLDIER-boy's got balls," she added, which nearly had Cloud flushing. "Did you see him fighting earlier? Shit, he's fast."
"Yeah, I saw." Biggs voice was hardly a whisper as he handed Jessie something - a small red wire. "But he ain't a SOLDIER anymore. Though at least he's a professional," he quietly added, and shot Jessie a half-smile. "You know, unlike the rest of us. To be honest, I'm glad to have him."
Cloud crossed his arms over his chest, looking distinctly uncomfortable - much to Barret's confusion, who couldn't hear his teammates' conversation. Wedge, who had been standing on alert behind Jessie, noticed Cloud's glower and shot him a brief smile and a thumbs up.
"So, you sticking around?" Wedge asked after he moved closer.
Cloud looked away. "No," he deadpanned. "I'm only here because Tifa asked."
Wedge's smile slipped a bit. "Oh. Okay."
"Yeah, we know," Barret said, shifting his weight to his other foot. "Good riddance, too. We don't need someone with such a bad attitude. It's a wonder that you and Tifa are even friends to begin with."
Cloud shot Barret a look that could have dried paint. "I don't want to hear that coming from you."
Barret's jaw dropped. "What did you say, asshole?"
Cloud didn't reply; he only crossed his arms over his chest, and glared holes into the floor.
From beside the door, Cloud heard Biggs whisper to Jessie, "He's a real joy to work with, though."
"Real joy to look at, too," Jessie murmured back, grinning.
Cloud wanted to sink into the wall. Should he just tell them that he could hear them? Or should he just keep pretending?
"Hey!" Barret suddenly shouted, and his loud voice was such a contrast by Jessie and Biggs that it had Cloud wincing. "What the hell is takin' so long?"
"Just some minor adjustments," Jessie seamlessly replied. "Don't want the bomb too strong, you know."
Cloud paused.
Bomb?
But Barret didn't seem surprised in the slightest, and only leaned back against the wall. "Jus' hurry it up," he grumbled. "We're sittin' ducks out here, you know."
"We're going as fast as we can," Biggs replied, and lightly scowled at Jessie.
"I'm hurrying!" Jessie's tone was indignant as she continued to fuss with the bomb.
"So, Cloud..." Cloud nearly jumped at Wedge's loud voice beside him. Wedge had once again moved closer to Cloud's side, and Cloud immediately noticed that Wedge was anxiously fiddling with the gun he held. He wasn't sure if he liked that - nervous fiddling with a loaded gun. "Like, nobody would do something this crazy just because someone asked them too," Wedge began.
Cloud felt a tic work in his jaw. Not this shit again.
"Like, c'mon." Wedge shot him an imploring look, one that had Cloud frowning. "They might not think you're a true believer, that you don't care about the planet, but do you know what I think?" Wedge took a step closer, and Cloud suddenly felt claustrophobic. "I think -"
Cloud took a step away. "Not interested."
Wedge visibly deflated in front of him.
"Got it!" Jessie suddenly shouted, and jumped to her feet, Biggs right after her. The two of them hurried a safe distance from the door. "Everyone, get out of the way!" Hearing the implicated warning in her tone, the rest of the team quickly joined her and Biggs as she began her countdown. "Three. Two. One -"
She clicked the remote in her hand, and a small explosion took out the locking mechanism of the door. Cloud instinctively lifted his arm to protect his eyes as smoke pillowed the air and metal pinged against the concrete.
Jessie happily sighed. "I love that sound," she hummed as she practically danced forward. Biggs chuckled as he followed, clearly just as pleased by the explosion as well, and the two of them pushed open the door once they decided it was safe to do so.
Wedge followed them out the door, his disappointment in Cloud eclipsed by their small success. "Nice," he murmured as he stepped over the mangled lock.
Cloud sighed, his headache a steady throb between his eyes, and made a move to follow… only for Barret to stop him. Avalanche's leader slapped a firm hand on his shoulder, and then pinned Cloud down with a hard look when Cloud turned to glare at him. "You better be worth Tifa's faith in you, SOLDIER-boy." Cloud's jaw clenched as Barret's expression darkened further. "Every damn ounce."
Anger flared through Cloud, hot and sudden. Pushing Barret's hand off of his shoulder, he growled, "I am. Don't touch me."
Barret scoffed, but made no retort as Cloud pointedly turned and left.
The cool night air brushed against Cloud's skin as he stepped outside of the station. The industrial area was impressive as it was large. Massive pipes, undoubted filled with raw mako, snaked from one warehouse to the next. Metal beams were woven between some of the warehouse rooftops for added support, but Cloud ignored those in favor of the guards patrolling the grounds below.
He hunkered down behind a railing, trying and failing to ignore the potent, acidic scent of mako, and the rest of the team followed his example. Though it was shockingly dark despite the faint streetlights flickering below them, his eyes had no problem picking out the small infantry team standing guard outside the largest warehouse. The team was made of three guards and a canine unit, a hairless, mako-mutated guard dog that was known for both their loyalty and their ferocity.
Jessie swallowed thickly at his side. "I hate dogs," she whispered. "A wild pack chased me when I was a kid, and they've scared the hell out of me ever since."
Her voice, little more than a whisper, echoed within Cloud's ears, and he shot her a withering glance and lifted a finger against his lips – the universal sign to shut up. Jessie quickly got the message and jerked her head in a nod… but it was too late. The Shinra mutt cocked its head below them, and the tail-like appendage on the base of its skull twitched in anticipation.
Cloud's eyes narrowed. Shit.
"Wait here," he mouthed.
Wedge's eyes widened a fraction, and he shook his head no. Jessie and Biggs wore the same worried expression, but it was Barret who – unsurprisingly – just nodded. Just hurry the hell up, Barret's expression seemed to say.
And Cloud got the message. With a sharp inhale, one that had the Shinra mutt tensing beneath the railing, he launched himself over the guardrail.
One of the guard's jerked his head up. "What the -" he began, but Cloud shot forward and kicked him hard in the chest, knocking the wind out of him, before slamming an elbow into the back of his neck. The infantryman was unconscious before he hit the ground.
"Holy crap!" one of the infantrymen shouted, and lifted his rifle - but Cloud had already moved, his body a darker blur in the shadows and the guard dog, who had already lunged forward the moment it got Cloud's scent, opened its mouth in a wide, brutal snarl. Its sharp canines glinted beneath the flat warehouse lighting and Cloud lifted his gunblade and shot once. Twice. Three times, and finally the dog hit the ground and skidded against his feet, dead.
The sight twisted something within Cloud – he liked dogs – but a bullet whizzing past his face snapped him out of his sudden melancholy. "Shit," he hissed as blood beaded from the wound, and he slashed at the second bullet that had been streaking towards him. He could hear Jessie's sharp intake of breath as his blade slapped the bullet into the ground, then he flicked his wrist and cut through another in a wild, deadly dance that had him slowly making his way to the infantryman.
Cloud figured that he'd run out of bullets eventually, a notion that proved true once the sharp ring of bullets was replaced by the clicking of a dead trigger. "Fuck," the guard hissed, and he reached behind him to look for a spare cartridge.
"That's my line," Cloud scowled as blood dripped down his cheek. The man lifted his head, his lips pulled back in a grimace, before Cloud darted forward and knocked him unconscious as well. Even so, he didn't take his eyes off of the man until well after a couple seconds had passed, long enough for the dead Shinra mutt to dissipate into the Lifestream.
Cloud's breathing was even, but his heart rattled in his chest. He had been lucky the guard had been shaking too badly to aim properly, because just a few centimeters to the left… Cloud lifted his hand against his cheek, attempting to wipe it of blood but likely only smearing it.
The Shinra mutt wouldn't have been the only thing joining the Lifestream.
"That was awesome," Wedge grinned as he joined Cloud below. "You knocked them all out like… like instantly, dude."
Cloud turned to face him. "It was nothing," he said, but Wedge had suddenly gone pale.
"Shit, bro," Wedge breathed. "Your face."
Cloud blinked, then glanced at his glove – at the bright red smearing the leather. "It looks worse than it is," he finally said. Face wounds tended to bleed a lot, and besides… "It's nearly healed already." In fact, it was healing so quickly that it almost worried him. He could feel the skin itching as it stitched itself back together.
Biggs leaned a little closer to him, which had Cloud scowling and stepping away. He didn't like that look - like he was being studied. "Do all SOLDIERs heal as quickly as you?"
Cloud was thankfully spared having to answer as Barret loudly sighed behind them. "For cryin' out… Leave SOLDIER-boy alone," he barked as he joined them. "Biggs, don't you gotta job to do?" He gestured vaguely at the warehouse door, which looked as if it had been locked shut. Not a manual lock either, like the train station's lock that Jessie had blown up, but a digital one.
"Right. Sorry." Biggs shot Barret an apologetic smile, then quickly made his way to the computer terminal beside the door. Within moments he had activated the screen and, after a slight pause, began to quickly type something out.
"Don't you worry," Jessie said, moving to stand closer to Cloud. She winced a bit when she saw his cheek, but seemed to be doing her best not to notice it. "Biggs is a genius at this computer stuff. He'll have that door open in no time."
Cloud shot her a look, then scowled at looked away. "Wasn't worried."
"Also, can you, like, clean your face a little?" Jessie was frowning at him, the same frown Tifa wore when he did something strange and she got worried. It had Cloud frowning, too. "Like, it looks very badass and cool and all, but..." She glanced at the cut, winced a bit, and her gaze jumped back to his eyes. "Well… it looks painful, to be honest."
Cloud blinked. "Oh. Um, yeah. Sorry." He quickly lifted a hand and tried to wipe some more off, and was pleasantly surprised to note that the faint cut didn't sting at all anymore. In fact, if he lightly pressed against it, he realized that it had completely healed.
Suddenly, Jessie harshly sighed beside him, and he turned to her in confusion. "No, you're just… smearing it… Oh my god. Here." Jessie pulled a small handkerchief out of her back pocket and, biting her lip in concentration, reached for his face. Cloud jerked away, more caught off guard than anything else, which had her loudly sighing again. "Would you quit it? Your cute face is a mess."
Cute?
Cloud scowled - he wasn't cute, damn it all - but dutifully leaned a little closer so she could help.
Jessie's touch was surprisingly gentle, something he hadn't been expecting from someone who enjoyed blowing things up. After a moment, she finally huffed in success and said, "There." She pulled away a little, admiring her work. "Much better."
Cloud leaned back, still scowling - but not as severely. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it. And here," she added, reaching for Cloud's hand. It took all of his self control not to pull his hand away, and he was surprised when Jessie dropped the handkerchief in his palm. Blood - his blood - stained the faintly pink, floral pattern. "Clean that for me. It'll give you a reason to see me again," she added with a faint wink.
Cloud blinked, uncomprehending… but then heat rose up his neck and kissed his cheeks. "Um. I -"
"What, will Tifa get upset?" Jessie asked. Her tone was innocent enough, but there was something else there - something sharp, something teasing. "Like, are you two... together?"
Cloud's mouth worked as he tried, and failed, to come up with an answer.
"She's just teasing you, bro," Wedge said beside him.
Cloud, despite being grateful for the change in topics, glowered at him. "I'm not your bro."
Wedge only grinned in response. "Sure thing, bro."
Barret, having forced himself to remain silent the entire while, looked like he was going to have a stroke.
"Got it!" Biggs suddenly shouted. A welcome distraction, and moments later the warehouse doors slid open. Biggs watched them slowly unveil, his hands on his hips and a grin on his face. "I'm a genius."
"You're a genius," Jessie grinned, skipping past him.
"Thank the gods," Barret muttered before turning to Cloud. "Spike, you're with me. Biggs and Wedge'll keep lookout for us, to make sure our escape is nice 'n ready for us when we get back."
They'll be out here alone? Cloud glanced back at the two of them over his shoulder. There must have been something written on his expression, because Biggs flashed him a grin while Wedge shot him a thumbs up.
"We'll be waiting for you," Wedge promised.
"Blow her up good," Biggs added.
Cloud frowned and, without replying, turned to follow Barret and Jessie deeper into the warehouse sector. Mako Reactor One was just up ahead, and the mako was so pungent in the air that he could practically taste it. His heart fluttered in his chest; the mako unnerved him, made him panicky. Jumpy. And he had a bad feeling about all of this - that something was going to go wrong. Horribly wrong.
Barret smirked at him. "Not too late to back out now, SOLDIER-boy."
"Wasn't going to," Cloud immediately replied, and gripped his gunsword all the tighter. He took comfort in its weight, its sharp edges, its sturdy design. They were almost at the reactor. All they had to do was plant the bomb, and they could go home.
Yet, for some reason, he had a feeling that this was going to go horribly, irrevocably wrong.
Poor Shinra infantry... RIP.
Also, after writing Cloud's sweet & happy interactions with Tifa, I think writing Cloud & Barret's constant bickering gave me whiplash. Eventually they'll work up to a bromance, but... yeah... they're clearly not there yet. Also, Jessie's making some moves? And poor Wedge - all he wants to be is Cloud's friend, but Cloud just really wasn't having it.
And I know Zack had a very minor roll this chapter but don't worry - since he's more-or-less working with the Turks, he's gonna have to make some big choices later on. You all know what the Turks did in canon (and if you don't, you're in for a story), so lemme just say it now... poor Zack. He deserves so much better
Anyway, I'm hoping to publish Chapter 13 on July 3rd (I cannot BELIEVE it's already July, wtf), but the chapter may be a few days early or late since I'll literally be in the middle of moving. I'll do my best to get it to you guys on time, though! Until then, stay well, stay safe, and have an amazing week :)
PS - every time Aerith cusses, it adds years to my life lol
~ By the way, visit my profile if want to know about my original book series :) Genres are LitRPG and Fantasy/ Action & Adventure
