Chapter Seven: Exile
Sephiroth found Cloud waiting for him outside in the training room.
The boy was practicing his stances and swinging his sword with practiced skill. He was quite good for someone of his experience. Though there were several ways, he could improve. Still, Sephiroth had been hoping to find Lightning here and spar with her.
"Where is Lightning?" asked Sephiroth.
"She got called off by the Department of Public Relations," said Cloud, halting mid-swing. "Apparently, they wanted her to try on some new outfits.
"I don't see why she cooperates with them."
"She is Scarlet's favorite," said Sephiroth. "Which limits what Hojo can experiment on her for."
"Was Hojo in the meeting?" asked Cloud.
"No," said Sephiroth, thankful for the fact.
Cloud paused. "So, what happened in there?"
"I have decided not to pursue Angeal or Genesis," said Sephiroth.
Cloud stared. "But...
"Genesis and Angeal are part of an enemy army. They're going to kill our soldiers."
"I find that unlikely," said Sephiroth. "Hollander might have eluded the Turks for the moment, but he'll soon be tracked down. Thanks to the information you retrieved, Tseng will close in on their other factories.
"...Why are you even here anyway? Don't you have some other orders to attend to?"
"Not really," admitted Cloud. "My entire battalion is dead; Lazard isn't giving me orders for obvious reasons. And Shinra is disbanding many of its units now that the war is over."
"Shouldn't you be celebrating with friends?" asked Sephiroth.
"I would," said Cloud. "But all my friends are dead. Well, I guess Lightning is sort of one, but she's dead emotionally and is uh... controlling. And the Turks don't want me leaving the building for fear I'll be found dead in an alley. Apparently, they believe me enough to keep me sealed in, but not enough to do anything."
"So you're just training in here?" asked Sephiroth.
"Yeah," said Cloud. "I think you're the closest thing I have to a superior officer at the moment."
"I see," said Sephiroth. He wondered if he was supposed to care about this? Courtesy would demand some kind of response. "Is there anything I can do?"
"Well, if you have some kind of heroic quest or mission, I'd appreciate it," said Cloud.
"I don't usually work through subordinates," noted Sephiroth. "If I want something done, I do it myself."
"Well, then I have no idea," said Cloud. And he went back to training.
Sephiroth had planned to train in here. However, he was used to training alone. Everyone generally left when he asked. But he didn't feel like asking Cloud to leave. Especially since he'd have nothing to do but wander aimlessly. "Couldn't you go to the lounge and make friends or something?"
"Actually, no," admitted Cloud. "Word got out about just what I said about Lazard. Apparently, they really like him around here, and it's wrecked my reputation. The Turks don't like me because I pointed out what they were.
"And I can't leave the building."
"Then can you apply to Tseng for an assignment?" asked Sephiroth.
"I did," said Cloud. "He told me to go to Heidegger for assignment. Heidegger then punched me in the gut and told me to get out of his office. Apparently, he found out about how I spread stories of his cowardice.
"Sure, they were true, but since when does truth matter around here."
"What about Hojo?" asked Sephiroth, reflecting that he was at his wit's end. "You could ask to work as a guard for him?"
"Well, I actually did go to him, but his assistant warned me that Hojo was very angry with me," said Cloud. "Apparently, he was interested in examining the process for making Genesis copies. Then I destroyed them. And all the machinery, and then gave the Turks the location of more factories to destroy.
"So, I left."
"Palmer?" asked Sephiroth.
"Well, after I'd been sent all over the HQ, I was really really annoyed, and I ran into Palmer," said Cloud. "He was very friendly at first and talked about his plans for a space program. But then I pointed out that President Shinra only cares about money. And the space program didn't make any.
"Which meant his dream for a working space program was as good as dead.
"That got him upset.
"When I got to my room, I found someone had sent me a bomb."
"A bomb?!" asked Sephiroth, surprised.
"Apparently, the revelations about the Genesis army upset a lot of people," said Cloud. "They were all looking forward to the end of the war, and I destroyed that dream by revealing the conspiracy. So now they know they're going to have to fight a new war, and all their hopes were gotten up for nothing.
"Fortunately, the person who made the bomb had no idea what they were doing, and I was able to disarm it."
"...Scarlet, perhaps?" asked Sephiroth.
"I don't know, but she is Barret Wallace's archenemy," said Cloud. "She was the one who wiped out his town. Given that I've had to work with him several times, I don't want to go anywhere near her. I think she might take it personally.
"And I don't want to be around when Barret gets to her anyway."
"...Reeve?" asked Sephiroth, grasping at straws.
"Well, he designed the Mako Reactor I blew up and is furious at the damages," said Cloud. "A lot of people got fired when the stock dropped. And there are concerns that the explosion might taint the surrounding area for years to come.
"I don't buy that though, Lightning and I are fine. The reports of Mako sickness indicated it happens very suddenly."
"Well, what about President Shinra himself?" asked Sephiroth, not sure why he was asking.
"I've managed to infuriate his entire command staff, and he can't even fire me at the moment," said Cloud. "I don't think he'll want to see me."
Sephiroth put his face in his hands. "So let me get this straight. You have been in the Shinra HQ for a day, and in that time, you have alienated everyone. Everyone. Every major authority figure. Every organization of any note. And every branch of the government.
"They all hate your guts."
"Truth hurts, I guess," said Cloud. "I don't regret doing any of it."
"Out of curiosity, when you left Nibelheim, were you run out of town with torches and pitchforks?" asked Sephiroth. Cloud Strife seemed to have a knack for picking fights.
"I might as well have been," said Cloud. "No one responds to my letters anyway."
"I can't imagine why," said Sephiroth. "Cloud Strife, I suggest you retire.
"In the immediate future, why not play a game of solitaire. I have a meeting with Scarlet to attend."
And Sephiroth walked out.
Sephiroth spent the time between his meeting with the board and with Scarlet reading a book. It was a detailed history of the Arthurian Campaigns. Unfortunately, the writer was a hack. He spent most of his time speculating and telling stories without any facts to back them up. It was cheap entertainment with little basis on reality. He threw the book aside in disgust after an hour.
By the time of the meeting, Sephiroth was only too glad to meet with Scarlet. Which was amazing since he normally detested the Shinra High Command. When he found her, Scarlet was standing on a metal terrace. Below, he could see technicians working on tanks and robots in the weapon testing grounds.
Scarlet, however, was focused on a human weapon. She was inside a dressing room, speaking to Lightning. Lightning looked to be posing for photographs in a black bikini. Scarlet said something, and Lightning cut her movement with her usual expression. Which was ironic since she was wearing a black leather bikini that was highly revealing.
"We'll end for today," said Scarlet to Lightning, picking up a baton. "Remember the diet I gave you. it's necessary for you to keep the right appearance."
"Whatever you say," said Lightning, going into a changing room.
Scarlet looked up to where Sephiroth was standing and tapped her baton across her fist. "Ah, Sephiroth, I'm so glad you could accept my invitation. Though you are a bit late."
"My apologies," said Sephiroth. "I was engaged in a fascinating discussion with a local stray."
"Kyahahaha," Scarlet's signature laugh echoed, and Scarlet found it infuriating. Did she think she sounded like nobility? "You don't mean that insolent fool, Cloud Strife, do you."
"Yes, that is the one," said Sephiroth.
"He's been bounced around the HQ all day, and no one wants anything to do with him," said Scarlet. "Someone with that lack of charisma isn't fit to be a barista, let alone a SOLDIER."
"That was my assessment as well," said Sephiroth. He thought it was ironic that Scarlet, of all people, was making that comparison. "Now, what was it you wanted to speak to me about?"
"Well, I've been working on a new kind of weapon system," said Scarlet, walking over to the machine shop. "Machines, meant to hunt monsters in place of soldiers. With enough work, they may eventually supplant the need for traditional hunters.
"It will be so much easier once we don't have to pay actual humans to do our work.
"All those peasants can be left out in the cold." This was coming from a woman from North Corel, the daughter of a coal miner? Then again, Scarlet seemed to consider herself nobility. It was why she'd chosen to burn her own hometown down, or so Sephiroth guessed.
"And what exactly do you want me to do?" asked Sephiroth.
"Well, I'd very much appreciate it if you could test your mettle against some of my prototypes. To see what you think," said Scarlet. "I've tested a few of them myself and found them to be a decent challenge." She motioned to some men standing by.
Sephiroth paused, watching as some of the machines were activated. "...You realize that these machines are all going to be scrap on the floor in the next few minutes?"
"Oh granted," said Scarlet. "But I've already tested them against a number of different members of SOLDIER. They've had a number of victories. Those you see here have had their programming refined to deal with them.
"Your fight with them will help us improve our data."
"Very well," said Sephiroth, as the men cleared out. "So long as you understand the cost."
Stepping onto the railing, Sephiroth leaped down and drew Masamune. Coiling for spring, he sensed the machines rising up around him. They were activating even now.
"Now, let us see how the Great Sephiroth fairs against my elite, newly created army of-" began Scarlet.
The guns activated, and Sephiroth moved instantly.
They were firing paint, of course, but he still reacted like in real battle. Moving, he darted between them, slashing and dodging before landing behind all of them. A moment later, they exploded.
Sephiroth felt the heat behind him and moved aside a flying gear. Turning, he leaped back onto the terrace.
"-robots," said Scarlet, sounding annoyed.
"Their reaction time needs a great deal of work," said Sephiroth. "Their aim is subpar and is unable to compensate for my speed. Their thrusts are also clumsy as best. I've found they tend to fire where I was instead of where I was going to be.
"Is there anything else, Scarlet?"
Scarlet seemed to be fuming. "...no, no, there is not."
"Good," said Sephiroth. "Then, I'm going to take some leave."
"Showoff," muttered Scarlet.
Had she actually been expecting mere machines to compete with an experienced soldier? What a naive concept. A machine could only operate on algorithms. It could not adjust its plans for unforeseen events. They would never be a match for a SOLDIER, let alone Sephiroth.
Sephiroth made his way back to the training room. There he found Cloud Strife playing solitaire, alone to one side. Sephiroth paused as he saw him sorting through the cards.
"...So, he's playing solitaire after all?" mused Sephiroth.
Sephiroth was suddenly reminded of himself before he met Genesis and Angeal. In those days, he'd been the youngest soldier in Shinra. But he'd been miles ahead of everyone else. He'd completely bought into Shinra's propaganda. Genesis and Angeal had been the first people to even tie in a match with him.
Even despite that, they'd never have become friends. Not without Genesis' endless efforts to force Sephiroth to acknowledge him. He'd become a nuisance with his endless spars, and eventually a rival. It had dragged Angeal into things, and somewhere along the line, they'd become friends.
But then, Genesis had always wanted to be more than a friend; he wanted to be the hero. And Sephiroth was, in the end, just better than him. He was better than everyone; it wasn't his fault Genesis took it personally.
"Sephiroth he..." muttered Cloud to himself. "He didn't mean that, obviously. It's like when he told us to go home or when he pretended like he didn't know us.
"He must be afraid someone is watching him or... or something.
"I couldn't have come all this way for... nothing..."
He didn't seem to realize he was speaking out loud either. Cloud Strife was obviously far closer to a mental breakdown than had been specified. Why had he even been allowed into the military? Genesis and Angeal had been special cases, as had Sephiroth.
And then Sephiroth's phone rang. He quickly ducked behind the doorframe and drew it out. It was Tseng, the last person he wanted to talk with. Raising it, he listened. "Yes?"
"Sephiroth, what is going on?" asked Tseng.
"What do you mean, Tseng?" asked Sephiroth.
"You're refusing a mission?" asked Tseng.
"It's well within my contract to do so," said Sephiroth. "Shinra is only too happy to tout the letter of their contracts. I have learned by their good example."
"Then what do you intend to do instead?" asked Tseng.
Sephiroth considered the questions and then saw fireworks start outside the window. People were out in the street celebrating. "Take part in the celebrations.
"The war is over, remember?"
"...Yes, it is," said Tseng. "Are you sure I can't change your mind on this?"
Sephiroth hung up in disgust.
Turning, he walked into the training room. "Cloud..."
"Yes," asked Cloud.
"Why don't you get out of this building with me?" asked Sephiroth. "It will infuriate Tseng, I'm sure."
"Yes, sir," said Cloud, standing up.
Sephiroth wasn't sure why he suddenly hated his job, his coworkers, and his chosen career so much. It had certainly made him very rich. But he did know that getting Cloud out of this hellhole would infuriate all of them at once.
So everyone won. Except for Shinra, and who cared about them anyway?