Author's Note: Holy wow. We actually have reached chapter 10. There is so much about this that is still blowing my mind. All the community support, the number of people that are reading, and the reviews, it is all more than I ever hoped for. So thank you to everyone that keeps coming back for more and those of you that gave this new writer a chance.
Marken: I wish I could rush to some of the parts that are coming up! For good or bad, I have this story already scripted all the way until its conclusion so I can only go at the pace of my storyboard. :(
Beta Readers: Pixie, Kiza, and Discord.
I do not own FF7 or any of its characters. Talin, Unit 28, and other side characters are mine.
Chapter 10
Soft, warm, and comfortable, but why was it all spinning? The darkness of the world was due to his still closed eyes and he wasn't ready to open them. If the word was swaying while they were shut, Talin doubted it would stay still when they opened.
The smallest movement of his head made everything worse and he groaned at the disorientation. On top of the merry-go-round the world had become, every fiber of his body ached as if he had done a full day of fighting instead of a few hours practice.
What happened? He tried to recall the events, but all he could remember is passing out from the horrible pain. Was he still in the lab? No, whatever he was laying on was way more comfortable than any medical bed but it also was definitely not his bunk.
A rustle of fabric told him he wasn't alone and he was just about to try opening his eyes when he was told not to.
"Take your time and tell me how you're feeling," Sephiroth's deep voice was quiet for which Talin was grateful, even his ears hurt. Tallying up his list of ills, he reported as best he could.
"I ache all over, I'm dizzy, and my ears and eyes hurt." His voice sounded loud in said ears and he was whispering by the end of the account.
Another sound of movement.
"Let me turn the lights down and you can try opening your eyes." The murmur of the General's voice faded as he moved away then the ambient light dimmed and Talin heard footsteps heading back towards him.
"Ok, try slowly," The older man said from somewhere nearby.
Opening just the smallest crack, Talin cringed at the strained feeling as he acclimated to the low light. Doing as instructed, he slowly opened them more till the pain receded and he was able to cautiously look around from his prone position on what turned out to be a long and wide sectional couch.
He was in an apartment that was decorated in dark wood and darker furnishings. The couch he was on was almost black and had several plush pillows piled at the other end.
"Where?" He asked when he found his host standing not far away, monitoring his progress.
"My apartment. I wasn't about to leave you in the lab and didn't want to drop you in your barracks in case of negative side effects," Sephiroth said as he watched Talin take in his surroundings.
Feeling disadvantaged to be lying on his back when the General was towering over him, he made the mistake of sitting up too quickly. Vertigo, worse than he had ever had, made the appealingly decorated apartment spin horrendously. Talin's hand flew to his eyes and he pushed himself into the back of the couch in an attempt to stay upright. It worked, but he regretted it immensely.
"I warned you to take it slow," Sephiroth said with the faintest hint of exasperation and concern in his voice. Talin could hear the sound of him moving to sit on another section of the couch. "Give your head time to settle. There's no rush..." The words trailed into a sigh. The man sounded tired and he couldn't blame him, he was too. Relaxing back into the soft couch, he examined the room around him.
The apartment was an open, two-story design with a staircase along the wall in front of him, leading to a loft area. Under the loft, was a kitchen and dining room that looked just as elegant as the living room. Shelves, lining one whole wall to his right, were covered in books, small trinkets, and a few things not instantly recognizable to Talin. With a slow turn of his head, he saw the showstopping focal point of the apartment. The wall opposite the staircase was floor to ceiling windows with a view out into the massive city of Midgar. He wanted so badly to get up and go look out into the darkening city but his head was still hurting from even that small movement.
With a sigh, Talin's thoughts turned to the events that had caused that discomfort. If the trial hurt that much, how bad would...
"Wait! Did it work? Or is that why I feel so bad?" He had spoken louder than he meant to in his haste to know the outcome and flinched as his ears rang.
"Yes, and yes. It did and it is." Was all the other offered the excited Cadet. "Stay where you are, I'll be right back." The SOLDIER stood again and walked out of the room.
Curious but unwilling to disobey he let his head fall back and closed his eyes. The sickening dizziness had faded by now, but he waited till he heard Sephiroth come back to crack open his eyes again. The older man held out a small item that Talin slowly took and raised to his face to inspect, not wanting to move his head again quite yet. It was a small pocket mirror and when he saw his reflection, he almost dropped it.
Glowing jade green eyes greeted him in the small mirror, a shade darker than the General's crystal green and with a normal pupal. He never had the chance to examine what they looked like when they shifted and took the time to watch the faint shifting of Mako in them.
Taking a seat again, Sephiroth watched the Cadet with mild amusement. It was the same reaction that all new 3rds had after their first injections, and it never got old.
"It won't last," He said and could have chuckled at the crestfallen look on the boy's face. "It'll fade overnight according to Hojo but for now, I want you to try to acclimate to your heightened senses." Their eyes met, green to green, and the General found himself slightly off balance but can't place why.
Shaking off the odd sensation, he stood and walked to the panel for the lights and grabs the rarely used remote. With a click, the light increases a fraction causing Talin to squint.
"What happened with the Professor after I passed out?" the Cadet asks, trying to distract himself from his painful eyes.
"Hojo kept you for about an hour for observation then released you to me. You've been here about twenty minutes," Sephiroth said as he sat back on the couch again, one booted leg hooked over the other. Seeing that Talin was no longer squinting, he brightened the lights again. "Other than the aches and pains, how do you feel?"
"I feel... good, but strange," He tried to explain when the General lifted an eyebrow at the incomplete answer. "I'm exhausted, like I was earlier, but I also feel like I'm buzzing with energy. Like I need to get up and go run laps or something..."
"I see. That is, somewhat, consistent with Mako injection symptoms. Strange that you're responding in such a way to a stabilizer, but Mako is an odd substance that reacts in unexpected ways sometimes." Sephiroth leaned further back into the couch as he spoke. Talin could see much thought on the man's face as they sat together in silence for a few moments. Then he looked back up and the thoughtful look was still in his eyes. "Tell me, what does it feel like when you use Mako? What's the process you go through? I can tell it takes some concentration."
"Uh... Yeah, I have to focus on pulling it up so I can use it. That's the best way I have to describe it really." Talin looked down at his hands and flexed them slowly. The ache he had was almost gone and he gently rolled his shoulders to loosen the tense feeling between them.
"I would like for you to pull some then and tell me if it feels any different." Talin nodded, started to close his eyes to concentrate, and then gasped.
"Wha...?" His eyes flew open and he looked down at his now slightly glowing arms.
"What happened?" Sephiroth asked calmly. He had a feeling he already knew but wanted to hear how the teen would describe it.
"I... I don't know... It just came to me." He took a moment to collect his thoughts as the glow dimmed away. "Normally, it takes focus, I have to really try, but this time, before I could finish the thought, it was just there..." The astounded Cadet looked to his Mentor and saw a glint of satisfaction on his face. Whatever the General had hypothesized had been correct.
"Good, and how are your eyes and hearing? Any sensitivity?" At the question, Talin realized that the lights were now quite bright and neither of them were speaking quietly any longer.
"Uh, better, actually," He picked up the little mirror and looked at his eyes again. They still glowed slightly even in the bright surroundings. As he looked around the living room it slowly dawned on him what the General had said earlier.
In his apartment? How many times had he heard of General Sephiroth being a private person? A very private person. To be in his space felt like an intrusion, even if he was Talin's Mentor.
"Thank you, for taking care of me today. I'm feeling much better now," He said and then very slowly stood. He was a bit wobbly still, but nothing he couldn't manage back to the barracks. "I better get back to my Unit..." Sephiroth rose and cut him off.
"Not quite yet. Your trial run may have been successful so far, but there's one more thing I want you to do before it wears off," With that, the silver-haired SOLDIER moved to a set of frosted glass double doors at the foot of the stairs and cocked an eyebrow at the Cadet when he didn't follow immediately.
Legs still slightly sore, Talin moved as quickly as he dared after Sephiroth. The doors led to a small entry space with another single door leading to the 50th-floor hallway. He noted that the apartment they left was marked as 50-7 before they headed down to the elevators. Talin was unsure where they were headed as they waited. He wanted to ask but knew that with a little patience he would find out.
When the elevator arrived, his curiosity was alleviated and intensified when the General pressed the button for the 49th floor. It had been nicknamed the SOLDIER floor by cadets as it was entirely dedicated to 2nd and 3rds. They had fully equipped training rooms, lounge areas, even a pool some people had said, but why was he being taken there?
A few 3rds, mingling in the lounge just outside the elevator, snapped to attention when they disembarked. With a nod and a quiet "As you were." they continued down the main hallway before taking a left down another. The doors here weren't the normal metal but a type of glass. Some were opaque, others translucent and Talin could hear the muffled sounds of fighting behind the opaque ones. Special training rooms? Again, he was burning with questions but held off.
Finally, they stopped in front of a clear door and Sephiroth keyed in a code to open it. The quiet sound of the door closing behind them and then locking had Talin trying not to fidget, he didn't like being locked into small spaces...
"This is one of Shin-Ra's new VR rooms," The General said and moved to a control panel just to the side of the door. "The old ones required a headset to be fully immersive," He turned to Talin, "Now they're good enough that your brain can't tell the difference between real and generated." At the press of a key, the room went pitch black.
"Simulation 255 activated. Please remain still. Voice controls are deactivated for this simulation." The clear female voice of the VR AI came from all around them. In the darkness, shapes formed and shifted as whatever program Sephiroth had ordered took over. Just as all had stilled the lights brightened and Talin's brain fought with his senses over what was revealed.
A forest, deep and dense, that looked untouched by man or machine stretched on around them in all directions. The birds chattered in the trees, the smell of earth and living, growing plants filled his nose, and the moss-covered ground even sunk lightly under his heavy combat boots. Everything was so much more intense due to his heightened senses. Every sound rang in his sensitive ears, the flash of an animal moving in the underbrush caught his attention then another. He couldn't decide where to look first, what to focus on. He was so distracted by the unexpected sights and sounds that Talin didn't notice Sephiroth move from his view.
Strong hands landed lightly on his shoulders and he almost jumped away. His Mentor's voice was quiet as he spoke.
"Don't let your senses run away with you. If you're going through anything like new SOLDIERs, this is all very overwhelming to you, yes?" Talin could only nod as he tried to focus. Overwhelmed was mostly the correct word, but he also felt adrenaline spike through him giving him energy he didn't know what to do with.
Sephiroth could feel the Cadet almost shaking from the overload. Normally, they would prevent new SOLDIERs from trying out their new abilities for a few days, but Cadet Graft only had hours to experience this. Mind made up, his grip on Talin's shoulder increased slightly to get the teen's attention.
"Mako has spread through your system, lit your senses on fire, and your heart is pumping adrenaline into every vein. Expend that energy, Cadet. At the edge of the forest is a cliff face. I'll be there when you're ready. Now," He paused and felt Talin go still, like the calm before the storm. Sephiroth leaned down closer to the Cadet's ear. "Run," The gentle push of his hands releasing Talin's shoulders was all it took.
Talin was a blur of movement as he dashed headlong into the thick forest. Mako that had been simmering under the surface exploded into his system giving speed to his stride. Eyes no longer sensitive to light caught every detail and his body flowed around trees, over logs, and past rocks. The sounds that had so distracted him faded to only the beating of his heart and the scuffing of his boots over each obstacle.
It was a freedom he had only experienced a few times in his life but this time was so much more... powerful. Like he had lived his life in black and white but suddenly everything was in color.
He vaulted another downed tree and slowed to a stop at that thought. Tomorrow everything would be back to black and white... Shaking off the gloom of that future he reminded himself that, eventually, Hojo would finalize the stabilizer. He wouldn't be color blind forever.
Determined not to waste this precious time, he kicked back into a full run. There was still so much pent up energy buzzing inside him...
Sephiroth stood at the cliff edge and looked out at the generated sunset. This simulation was a favorite for new SOLDIERs to acclimate to their abilities. He had never used it till now but could see why it was popular.
The forest was beautiful, massive trees, all manner of animals, full of life, unlike the wasteland surrounding Midgar. Sephiroth himself had only seen something like it once before in Wutai during the war.
They had been posted on the edges of an ancient forest that had been rumored to be haunted. Such things never bothered him, even at a young age, and he had wandered the woods often for the few weeks they had stayed. The nostalgia of long-ago hikes between forest giants put a small smile on the normally emotionless face just as Talin casually walked up beside the older man.
The Cadet moved to the very edge of the cliff and looked down. Knowing that this was a simulation gave him the courage to not fear a fall. The forest below them spread out to the distant sunset in an unending veil of green. He wondered if he could explore it all someday.
"Did you enjoy your run?" Neither took their eyes from the sunset.
"Yes, Sir. Can we come back again sometime?" Talin asked with a contented smile on his face.
"Perhaps. For now, it's almost dinner time and I'm sure some of the 2nds are going to want this room soon." He glanced at the teen and saw that he had indeed exhausted himself as ordered. His shoulders were drooping, breathing still not quite even, and a slight shake to his legs, but still, Talin was smiling like he had been given dessert before dinner.
With a quick order to the AI, the simulation dissolved around them. The door that had been hidden by the clever projection opened and they left together back to the elevator. As dinner was fast approaching, there was no one in the halls and their wait was in easy silence. Talin was far too tired to be anxious any longer and the General was quietly wondering if maybe Mentoring wouldn't be such a bad thing. Upon entering the elevator, Talin hit the button for the cadet's cafeteria and Sephiroth the one for the plaza. Knowing the ride down would be a long one, Talin remembers what he had wanted to say earlier.
"I wanted to thank you, Sir, for taking care of me today. When the Professor demanded the medical exam, I thought I was done for," he was watching the numbers tick down on the panel as he spoke but could see the brief glance his Mentor gave him.
"I wouldn't wish Hojo's attention on another living being." The man paused before continuing, "I also had no wish to lose my Trainee on the first day," The words made Talin look over and they fell into the same eye lock that was becoming a habit.
They were interrupted as the car slowed and doors opened to admit a businessman who was heading down a few floors.
Talin shifted closer to the General and the sight of the businessman's phone made him realize something.
"Sir, uh, shouldn't I get your cell number?" He asked awkwardly, "So we can coordinate for schedule changes," He added quickly. The quirk of an eyebrow was all the response he got till they were again alone in the elevator. A phone was flipped to Talin who almost missed catching it.
"Enter your number," Was all Sephiroth said to the flustered Cadet. Doing as told, he entered his number then handed the phone back to its owner moments before the elevator finally reached the 5th floor. The doors opened for Talin who walked out and quickly turned back.
"Good night, Sir." He said with a salute.
"Good night, Cadet. See you Monday," Sephiroth said as the doors closed. It had been a very interesting day.
Talin knew that by this time his Unit would be on their way down so he waited by the elevators a few minutes. Remembering that he had muted his cell before going up to the 50th floor, he pulled it out and turned the sound up again. A quick check showed a few messages from Callian asking when his session would be over and one from Commander Fair of all people wishing him a good first day with the General. He felt bad for missing them but couldn't change it now. He sent a few messages out while he waited.
SMS Message to: Callian
Callian: Hey, let me know when you're done with training. -3:25 pm
Callian: Since you're not back yet I'm guessing it's going great or terrible. -5:32 pm
Talin: Hey yourself. I just finished and am waiting by the elevators to the cafeteria. Need to show you something when you get here. -7:34 pm
Callian: Dang that was a long session. Be down in a minute. -7:35 pm
Talin smirked at the thought of his friend seeing his eyes and responded to Commander Fair's message while he waited.
SMS Message to: Commander Fair
Commander Fair: Good luck today Cadet! Don't let the General spook you, just do your best! -2:02pm
Talin: Thank you for the encouragement Commander. Sorry I didn't see it till now. Training went well and I didn't let the General spook me. -7:37 pm
Commander Fair: Good! I knew you'd be fine. Anyways, have a good night Cadet and I'll see you Monday. -7:37 pm
Talin: Good night Sir. -7:37 pm
Not having expected such an immediate response from the Commander, he almost missed it when he went to put his phone away. The bouncy personality of the raven-haired SOLDIER managed to come across in his texts easily. Talin almost laughed at the thought of receiving the advice not to be 'spooked'. It was maybe easy for Zack to say but the General was intimidating as hell for any Cadet.
"Yo!" Came the call from the elevator as Callian came charging over to Talin. Lifting his head from his phone he looked over to his friend. The effect was immediate. Callian about tripped over air as he caught sight of Talin's faintly glowing green eyes and then ran the rest of the way over.
"Dude, you using Mako right now? Your eyes..." He didn't know what else to say and became more confused at Talin's laugh.
"It's a long story, but it involves Professor Hojo, General Sephiroth, and a serious case of vertigo." He laughed again at his friend's continued confusion and promised to tell him at dinner with the rest of the guys. No point in telling the story twice.
The rest of the Unit had a similar reaction to Callian when they made it down. As promised, Talin told them about what happened excluding a few parts about being in the General's apartment and the VR room. Talking about the apartment would just draw way too many questions and the time in the VR room was... personal. It wasn't something he could really describe to them anyways.
Describing the experience would be like describing the stars to a blind man. He could imagine sparks of light on a black endless sky, but he would never be moved by the glory of an aurora or made to contemplate his small existence by the view of the galaxy bands.
Several times he catches someone at another table staring at him. They quickly turn away when caught and often start whispering to a neighbor. So long as no one made a scene, he didn't care. Gossip would only go so far and by morning his eyes would be back to normal. He wondered what kind of reaction he would get when his eyes were permanently like this. What gossip would fly then? The thought of people believing they were contacts about made him laugh. Let them think what they would, it would be worth it.
Dinner passed quickly with so much to talk about, and soon Talin found himself pulled along to their regular training room. He was too tired to take part in the practice, but he sat in the center of a few mats and offered advice or feedback to those who wanted it.
An hour passed this way before he started having issues tracking his teammates. Zale and Elijah are closest and notice Talin starting to lose the fight to stay awake.
"C'mon T, let's get you back to the barracks," Zale says as he reaches down to grab the redhead's arm.
"Ya, you look dead tired, man." Elijah grabs his other arm and together they haul Talin up despite his complaints. A few calls of "Goodnight", "Nite!", and "Get some sleep, T!" Follow the three out.
Talin almost can't keep his feet under him at this point and is grateful for the other boy's help. He hadn't realized just how tired he was.
"Shit, Cap. You're freaking heavy, man," Elijah mutters using the nickname from the night before as they move towards the elevators. Zale chuckles as he resettles Talin's arm over his shoulder.
"Nah, he's not that heavy. You just need to build more muscle."
Elijah grumbles as they make it into the elevator and helps Zale rest Talin against the wall. The other Cadet is dead to the world by now.
"Don't think I will envy Talin training with the General if it left him this exhausted. Figured he would go a little easier on him but guess not."
With a final effort, the two manage to get the older teen into Callian's bed and throw a blanket over him.
"Well there's my good deed for the year," Zale says and pretends to wipe sweat from his forehead. "C'mon, we still have a few hours before curfew. Let's go back and practice that takedown again." Elijah agrees and they head back out to the elevators not noticing the small contented smile on Talin's face.
Down in the plaza shopping district, General Sephiroth finally managed to pick up dinner from a local café and is making his way back to the elevators when he gets a message on his cell. With a sigh, he changes his plans and orders the elevator to the 48th floor instead of the 50th.
Not wanting to suffer any delay to his destination, the SOLDIER enters a priority code and the elevator is prevented from making stops on its long trip up the tower. He didn't use it often but after dealing with an over-excited group of fans in the Café, he was ready to strangle the next person he saw.
The group had been led by some kind of reporter who had learned about Sephiroth taking on a trainee. Soon as he got to his office on Monday, he intended to find out how the reporter had gained that information.
The ding of the elevator reaching the 48th floor brought him from his thoughts of retribution and he quickly made his way down to the furthest apartment on the floor. His knock was answered so fast he didn't doubt that Zack had been waiting by the door for him.
"Finally!" the young SOLDIER cries as he pulls the General into the living room, "And you brought food. Fantastic!" Sephiroth sighs and relinquishes the bag to the bouncy 1st.
"By all means, they always give me too much anyway." He smiled indulgently when Zack dug into the container of fries.
"So how did your first session go with Cadet Graft?" He asked as they settled on the simple couch. Zack was curious to see if Seph's account of their training would match with the Cadet's texts. He didn't expect to hear of Hojo's involvement.
"You let him do what?!" The black-haired 1st's heart about pounded out of his chest thinking of enduring one of Hojo's 'treatments'. "How could you let him take something that that psycho came up with in a few hours?" Zack was about to pull his phone out and call the Cadet when Sephiroth grabbed it from him.
"I was with him the entire time and Graft chose to do the trial. Yes, he was unfairly pushed into it, but I respected his decision," The General gave the phone back to its owner and Zack grumbled that he wouldn't have respected that decision. "I understand your position, Zack," He said and placed a hand on the younger's knee. "but you do understand the alternative if something were to cause a spike in Mako."
Zack nodded in defeat. There were no good options in the teen's case. Reluctantly, Zack admitted that the kid had picked the harder road but ended up with a good outcome. He would check on him in his Monday class to be sure.
"Well, at least you both made it out of Hojo's lab in one piece." With a chuckle, the two of them settled in to eat. The Café had indeed sent Sephiroth away with far too much food for just one person.
"So, what do you think of him now that you have had a chance to work with him a bit?" Zack asked while he munched on another french-fry. The General lowered the sandwich he was about to bite and a thoughtful look clouded his features.
"He has a great amount of potential. Although, I do wonder about his history," Those cat green eyes looked distant and Zack started playing with a lock of long silver hair, trying bringing them back to the present.
"What about his history? Like where he's from or something?" The Commander asked but Sephiroth shook his head.
"His determination and aggressive attitude in training doesn't match his personality outside a fight. It's like working with two different people. One is confident the other painfully reserved," His thoughts only managed to confuse the General more as he spoke them aloud.
"Is it something we need to worry about?" Zack's laugh was slightly nervous and he was glad to see the other shake his head again with a chuckle.
"No, nothing like that. I just wonder what would create such an odd mix of personality traits."
The two SOLDIERs continued their meal and talked on other subjects, but Sephiroth couldn't end the train of thought from earlier. Additionally, his mind kept going back to when the Cadet had first looked at him after his eyes had changed, finally understanding why it had been so disorienting.
It had bothered him every time their eyes met, but the color shift had been the catalyst for him to realize what he was seeing. The eyes he had seen at that moment were familiar to him. They were like his. Not just in color or glow, but deeper than that.
He saw a history of scars. Old and painful. Some healed, others festering. This teen had come to Shin-Ra looking not just for control of his unique abilities, but an escape from a history of painful memories.
