Back with the next chapter and I can't believe the attention this story is getting! Thank you all for sticking with me and giving this story a shot. I can't wait to give you all more and more.
Beta Readers: Pixie, Kiza, and Discord.
I do not own FF7 or any of its characters. Talin, Unit 28, and some other side characters are mine.
Chapter 7
"Time!" Zack yelled and Talin felt the push of air against his face. Opening his eyes slowly he flinched when he saw a leather covered fist only a hair's breadth from his face. As that fist drew back, he could see the General's face and the calculating look in those intense eyes. Only then did he realize what that meant.
I won?! Mako and adrenaline were replaced by relief and exhaustion as he let himself slip down the wall. He wondered if he would be able to stand again on such shaky legs.
"Well done, Cadet. Starting tomorrow, after lunch, you will meet me in training room 50-C on the 50th floor. I'm excusing you from the rest of your classes today. Go to Admin and get your access card updated." With that brief explanation, the silver-haired SOLDIER turned and left the room.
Still struggling to understand just what had happened, Talin tried and failed to get to his feet. A hand under his shoulder hoisted him up.
"Well, Cadet, I hope you know what you're in for," Zack said with a laughing smile down at the teen. Unsure if Commander Fair was giving him a friendly warning or teasing him, Talin didn't reply other than a confused look. "The General has never taken a trainee before, if that tells you anything." The man continued. "Most never thought he would... Anyways, I better get you to your barracks, you're too beat-up to get there on your own." Talin thought he heard a small reluctance for the task, but they were interrupted just then as the training room door opened. Calian paused at the entry and then jogged over.
"You are supposed to be in class, Cadet. What are you still doing here?" Zack said with mild disapproval when Cal stopped and saluted.
"Yes, Sir. I volunteered to stay behind in case Cadet Graft needed my assistance." Neither missed the mischievous glint in Callian's eyes that said he had stayed also because of his curiosity.
"Well, it just so happens that Graft could use your assistance. Help him back to the barracks and then you," and he jammed a finger into Cal's chest after shifting Talin over to him, "get to class. I don't want to hear about you skipping classes again, even if it is to help your friend." They moved together to the exit before Zack called out again. "Oh, and he's been excused from classes for the rest of today, so let him rest."
Callian called a quick "Yes, Sir," over his shoulder and pulled his friend out and to the elevator before letting out a chuckle. "I'm glad I waited. You ok?" Talin nodded then tried and failed to support his own weight again. His legs were just dead weight and his head swam each time they moved. He had pulled too hard on Mako and his body was punishing him for it.
The walk was short from the elevator to their room. He had never been so happy to see his bed. Callian laughed as they got close.
"No way in hell are you climbing up there, and I am not lifting your heavy ass. Just crash in my bunk for now." Talin didn't want to argue and collapsed into the pillow before a light blanket was thrown over him. "Ok, got to git movin' or I'll miss the rest of class. We'll come get you for lunch." Talin saw the flash of a smile before Cal turned and bolted.
Rolling over, he burrowed into the pillow and blankets as best he could. His legs still felt heavy and his arms...he would have to double-check the bruises later. Sleep claimed him quickly but it wasn't the quiet, restful sleep he could have wished for.
"...A gift. You were given a gift..." The voice from before filtered into his mind and Talin fought to place it as he drifted to sleep. He had heard that deep voice before... someplace...
Hide and seek was popular among the kids in their village that year, Talin enjoyed the game even if he was the smallest and slowest. It just meant he could hide in places no one else would fit. This time he wasn't hiding though, he was 'it' and had to look for the others. He quickly counted and tried to listen to where they ran, but lost them after a little bit.
"Twenty-seven, Twenty-eight, Twenty-nine, Thirty! Here I come!" He called and ran towards the first outbuilding nearby. There were several small storage sheds near where they played and behind those were the crags and boulders leading up into the foothills of the mountains. They were discouraged from playing too near the crags. Some were shallow enough to hide in but others were deep. Marvin, the shop owner's son, told him that some went to the center of the earth.
Talin never liked the deep crags and would stand far away as the other kids tossed rocks into them, listening to the echoes as they fell. Similarly, he didn't like the caves. The town had several where they would mine for the few metals found in the Corel Mountain range. It was never enough to sell but allowed them to make more tools and weapons.
The first of the outbuildings was empty, and no one was hiding in the woodpile like last time, so he moved on. As he rounded the second building, he heard a small sound, almost like a whisper, and ran to the back wall expecting another kid, but no one was there. He was startled as some small rocks shifted on the hill behind him and turned to see if maybe someone was hiding near a boulder. As he moves nearer to the massive rock, some more loose soil shifts from further up the hill.
"C'mon! You can't hide by the rocks," He says in a petulant voice, but no one comes out of hiding and again, he hears that quiet whisper.
Knowing he shouldn't but unwilling to chance missing catching one of his playmates, Talin slowly and carefully makes his way up the hill. The loose dirt and rocks cause him to stumble twice before reaching the large boulder, but when he looks, there is no one there. In frustration, he kicks a few pebbles down the hill. All that work for nothing!
"...elp..." The sound was more than a whisper but still so faint that he almost didn't hear it over the kicked rocks. Looking around, he tried to see where that quiet voice was coming from.
"Ello?" He called back and stood still to try and hear for a response.
"...help..." This time he knew what he heard, it was a person and they were...calling for help? Kinda, but there wasn't any panic or desperation in the voice.
"...here...help" It was a man's voice but he didn't recognize it. A stranger? Someone that wandered into the area and got stuck? Talin moved towards the voice. It was up the hill more and to the left. Rocks slid and shifted under him as he worked his way slowly up towards the solid cliff. He didn't come up often, but all the kids knew that one of the mines had an entrance up here and a solid path had been cut into the hillside.
Finally reaching the path he heard the call for help again. The slight echo of it told him that it was coming from the mine. Talin walked to the entrance.
"Ello? Who's in there?" His fear of the caves and the darkness within kept him from moving further.
"...ere... I'm here..." The voice sounded further away as it echoed up to the boy and he took a step into the cave as he strained to listen.
"Ok, I'm gonna go get help, just hang on k?" the small boy said but before he could take more than a step away the voice came again.
"...ease! Don't go! Help!" There was an anxious, near panicked twinge to the voice now as it called and Talin spun back towards it. It felt wrong to leave someone who was scared but how could he help? His mind was made up when the person whispered a quiet and sad sounding "Please..."
Talin fought his own fear of the dark and deep cave as he slowly made his way in. If he could find them, he could lead others to help.
"Ok, I'm coming to you, keep talking!" He followed the well-tread path down into the mine till he came to the first intersection and hesitated. "Where are you?" He asked loudly and waited for some response.
"Here, I'm down here," The man's voice came from the left tunnel. Of course, it was the less lit of the three, Talin mentally grumbled to himself as he continued. About a hundred feet down that path, he found a slightly collapsed section of wall and rushed over.
"Are you here? Did I find you?"
"Yes! I'm here! Help me!" With a rush of urgency, Talin started digging away the light rubble till he reached harder stone and heavy rocks. There was a light coming from behind some of the larger ones and, as he dug, it grew brighter. At least they weren't so stupid to go into a mine without light, even if they did get themselves stuck. The boy thought to himself as he struggled to move another rock.
"Only a little more," The man said as a rock was shoved loose from behind the pile. Now there was a small opening, but it wasn't big enough for an adult yet. Panting, Talin realized that there was no way he could move enough of these to get the poor guy out.
"I can't do it. There's too many and they're too big! Let me go get help," he said as he brushed dirt from his hands and pants.
"Wait, you can fit through the opening now, can't you? Come push from this side with me." It was true, the gap in rocks was large enough for him to fit through and maybe if they both pushed from the other side...Talin quickly cleared the rocks he could from in front of the big ones and then crawled to the small opening. It was a tight fit and as he started to crawl in, he saw worn, dark brown boots of the man and an odd green tinge to the light that was so bright in the enclosed space.
A crunching crack, as loud as thunder scared Talin badly and caused him to hit his head on the rocks above him. He quickly tried to move back the way he came but the ground beneath him was shifting forwards. Frantically, he grabbed for anything he could, but it was all sliding. In a last attempt, he reached for where the man was standing, but his hand found only empty space.
A great rumble roared around him and then Talin found himself falling in open air. When he looked down, he was mesmerized by a glowing, swirling lake of liquid green...
With a scream, Talin woke from the nightmare memory, bolting upright violently. The terror of that moment was old but no less vivid than the day it happened. He had thought that he was going to die. Not an experience you just get over easily, especially when he hadn't even been six.
A vibration under his right hand startled the spooked Cadet again, but it was only his phone, a text message.
Callian: Hey, hope I didn't wake ya but Commander Fair asked for your number and I gave it to him. Probably expect a text or call from him.
Talin curled back up on the bed after sending a thanks for the heads up. He was sore all over and so depleted of Mako that he couldn't even find any to pull on. Letting his eyes fall closed again he thought back to the dream and the voice that had called to him.
It had to be the same voice as before that had lured him into the mine and to the well...Why was it back? What could it want now? And to call what he has a 'gift' was laughable. So many in his town had said the same that the word now felt wrong to him. Gifts were supposed to be good things, not something that stole twelve years of your life.
Uneasy thoughts normally made for uneasy sleep, but Talin found himself to worn out for even nightmares after the first one.
Unit 28 slowed as they approached the barracks door at Callian's urging. "Talin should still be sleeping so be quiet. I'll wake him up and we can all go get food." The blond said from near the back of the group.
The doors opened as they neared, and all filed through them. Most headed to drop books and gear but Joey launched straight for Talin's sleeping form and pounced. Quickly grabbing the older boy's wrists to prevent getting hit, he bounced on the small bed thoroughly waking the other.
"Talin! Tell us what happened! Why are your arms black and blue? Well, they are always blue, but why are they black? Who hit you that hard? Was it Zack or the General?" He asked rapidly as the startled Cadet blindly tried to fight his perceived attacker. Too sore and brain not quite ready to think after being woken from REM sleep, Talin could only mumble annoyedly till Callian came to his rescue.
"I said I would wake him!" He growled as he pulled Joey from atop a now very awake Talin.
"Aww c'mon, we're all dying to know what happened!" the gold eyed boy laughed as he was hauled backwards. Most others were chuckling at the exchange but were also interested in the answer and hovered near the three.
Shaky legs held as Talin got up and moved to a sink to wash his face. The emptiness in his middle begged for food so he didn't take long before coming back to the main room.
"Ok, I will tell you guys at lunch. Let's go eat, I'm starving," He said and then laughed when his stomach gave a loud protest. As the group filled out, Hank hurried to walk next to Talin.
"Dude, you ok? You look like hell. Joey wasn't joking about your arms..." Hank trailed off when the redhead waved off his concern with a smile.
"I'm fine. Had the shit kicked out of me, but fine." As they entered the main cafeteria, Talin could tell that rumor had already spread of his private sparing session with the General. Some surreptitious glances and some more blatant stares fixed on him and he unconsciously stiffened under the scrutiny.
Food gathered, they sat down at a corner table for as much privacy as they were likely to get and dug into their food. Eating quickly, Talin was just about finished when his phone buzzed again.
?: Hiya Cadet. This is Zack. Need you to meet me back in the training room soon as you're done with lunch.
Quickly adding Commander Fair to his contacts, Talin finished his lunch and apologized to his Unit.
"Sorry guys, we can have story time later. I just got paged," He said, holding up his phone in explanation. Several disappointed sighs and grumbles met that news, but they knew when to let up. You didn't keep an instructor waiting, let alone a SOLDIER.
Leaving the cafeteria without his Unit drew more attention than he thought was really deserved and the Cadet sighed in relief at the near-empty hallway and elevator. As the elevator rose, he wondered what else could need to be talked over that hadn't been said earlier? The General had taken charge of his training, maybe he would be switched out of Zack's class?
The thought bothered him. He liked being in the Commander's class, liked being with his unit, but he would do as ordered. Mulling these thoughts as he walked, he had just come to the last as he walked up to the training room doors.
The quiet whoosh of the doors sliding open brought his attention to the person waiting in the center of the room with their back to him. It wasn't Commander Fair.
"General," Talin said as he snapped to attention and the imposing figure turned to look him over. Sharp green eyes fixed on him and, regardless of the nerves he felt at that intense gaze, he refused to back down this time. This man was now his mentor and he wouldn't look weak in front of him if he could help it.
"Cadet," The older man said as he walked closer and held out a folded paper. "Your new schedule has been approved and, effective immediately, you are my Trainee." Talin, still slightly dumbfounded at that fact, reached out and went to take to paper from the Silver SOLDIER, but the man pulled the paper back. Their eyes met again when the redhead looked up. "Sir?"
"This is your schedule from now on. However," The pause and focused eye contact were enough to put Talin on edge, and he felt his back stiffen in preparation for bad news. "I am giving you a chance to reconsider that future before taking this assignment." Confusion overrode the Cadet's nervousness and he couldn't help his blunt question.
"Why would I reconsider?" He asked, brows pinched. Why would anyone in his position want to abandon the chance to train with one of the best? All anyone could talk about when Sephiroth was brought up was his ability and strength. Talin had been given a unique opportunity to learn from someone who could match him move for move and kick his ass without breaking a sweat. Why was he asking him to walk away from that?
The General stepped back and folded his arms, paper still held in his right hand. An odd emotion, indecipherable by Talin, flitted across those startling cat eyes before settling back into the same reserved expression.
"I'm asking you to reconsider, because I am not a teacher. I'm not Zack who would work at your speed, or Commander Angeal who could find creative ways to encourage your talent. Such finesse is not in my nature and you would find no sympathy from me if you fell behind."
The Cadet squared his shoulders at that and last statement. It may have been intended as a warning, but he took it for a challenge. As nervous as this man made him, Talin could see why he was such a trusted and respected General. He spoke eloquently but it never made you feel looked down on, and the words he chose, though intended to dissuade, still felt like an odd form of encouragement. Thinking quickly, he assessed his options as ordered and made his choice.
"I don't need someone who will coddle me, Sir," Talin said, reclaiming their earlier eye contact. "I meant what I said, I want to hone what I have and become stronger," He paused, considering if he should say what else was on his mind. Seeing the teen's hesitation, the SOLDIER cocked an eyebrow.
"Speak freely, Cadet. This is regarding your future."
"Honestly, Sir, I can't say no to your offer." Surprise was the first recognizable emotion on the General's face since they started talking. Talin continued, "All my life I have fought for the ideals and desires of others. Their foes were mine to conquer, even when I had no wish to do so. This is the first time I have fought for my own goals, fought for my own dreams. Coming here might have been by chance, but the longer I stay, the more I know it is what I wanted."
Passionate words from a passionate youth. Sephiroth thought privately, but they were true. Talin's unique situation required someone who could fight on his level. He was like a wolf raised among sheep. No matter how much he liked the sheep, he couldn't help what he was and would one day hurt them. He needed to be among other wolves.
Slowly, the General uncrossed his arms and again held out the folded schedule. "Very well, Cadet. I will see you tomorrow after lunch for our first session." Talin took it, gave a quick "Yes, Sir." and then left at the man's dismissal. He was thinking on the confusing exchange the whole way to Admin to get his keycard updated.
Sephiroth watched the Cadet leave and pulled his phone out once the doors closed.
SMS Text to Commander Zack Fair
Sephiroth: His schedule has been confirmed. He will also remain in your class in the morning.
Zack: That's great! Glad you didn't scare him off before day one.
Zack: So, I kept meaning to ask you. In your fight with him, why did you pull that last punch?
Sephiroth: What are you implying?
Zack: Well, we both know you could have landed that hit in time...
Sephiroth: Are you enjoying teaching Cadets Zack?
Zack: What? Sure, I guess, I would rather be out on missions, but don't change the subject.
Sephiroth: You appear to be so concerned for the Cadet, maybe I should schedule you to teach for the rest of the year if you care so much.
Zack: No! I, uh, NVM.
Sephiroth smirked at that defeated message and could almost hear Zack's groan of dread at the thought of teaching for the whole year. It was known fact that, even though he did enjoy it, Zack loved nothing more than being out on missions. He just wasn't built for a full-time teacher. It was also true that he had been correct, Sephiroth had pulled that punch, but he didn't know why...
The SOLDIER looked at the doors again, thinking of the Cadet that was officially his Trainee. Talin Graft was an extraordinary young man, but also troubled. Anyone with eyes could see that, but that didn't account for why Sephiroth had acted so impulsively. To offer up the first reward of SOLDIER 3rd Class had been one thing, he knew the boy wouldn't be able to land a hit. But then he had offered direct training under himself and rigged the outcome. Guilt had led him to arrange this meeting and offer the Cadet the option to back out.
All the things he had said were true. He wasn't a teacher like Angeal, or even Zack, and he would be much harsher in his lessons, but Cadet Graft hadn't backed down. In fact, he had appeared determined to meet every intimidating obstacle head-on. Very few had the will to hold eye contact with him as the teen did. Eyes showed so much of a person, but his own, he knew, were cold and often barren of emotion. Talin's were the opposite and burned with his determination.
Perhaps it was that fierce devotion to his objective that drew the SOLDIER's attention. Maybe it was the loyalty he witnessed on the tapes from the cafeteria. Maybe... So many reasons for and against taking this Cadet as his Trainee, but now it was done, and they would both have to live with the arrangement.
If Sephiroth was sure of one thing it was that this would be a challenge, and those had been few and far between since the end of the war.
Far above both the General and his Cadet, a man critically reviews records and the single video clip of Talin's scuffle. His long dark hair was pulled back into a hair tie, but locks still fell over his face. The glow of the monitors reflected on the rounded glasses he wore, giving no hint to what he was thinking beyond the obvious frustration in his frown.
"And why wasn't this brought to me before now?" He asks of the nurse standing a few feet behind him. She can tell he is displeased by his tone, but at least she had some excuse. "I brought it as soon as we were able to recover the video, Sir. It had been erased before we got there."
"You may leave..." He says as he continues to flip through the files. The woman doesn't hesitate and quietly exits the room. She had hoped for some kind of reward for bringing the Professor such an interesting case, instead, he looked upset. If only she hadn't had to watch that stupid Cadet after the cafeteria fight.
When the boy had come in complaining about a 'hopped up Mako freak' she had offered a sympathetic ear to extract what information she could. If only she hadn't been picked to sit in with him overnight because of the concussion, she could have gathered the tapes and files that day. Instead, she had to find someone to pull the deleted files from the backup drives. It had cost her more favors than she wanted but had thought it would be worth it. With a grumble, she stormed off back down to the lowly aid station and lamented her bad luck.
Back in the Professor's lab, Hojo watched the scuffle again in slow motion noting all the little changes in the Cadet. The pulse of mako across his eyes, the flare of it in those strange stained sections of his arms, then the lightning flash of power as he strikes. It was fascinating, and he needed to know more.
Moving to his computer, he pulls up the military profile of Cadet Talin Graft. Two things stand out. The first is an opportunity, Cadet Graft somehow managed to be accepted as a Cadet without a full physical. The second is an obstacle. Effective today, the boy is a Trainee of General Sephiroth.
Annoyed that he can't just pull the boy from classes and make him 'disappear' Hojo instead opts for the next best thing and places an order for a physical. To complete his personnel file, of course.
Author note: Keep going! I gave you all Chapter 8 as well this week as a special treat!
