Badass Janitor
(Final Fantasy 7)
In retrospect, anything that happens later can be blamed on Cloud's Squadmates when he was a SOLDIER Cadet. It was their fault, honestly.
Let's rewind a bit.
It start off as usual day in ShinRa for our dear Nibelheim Country Boy. Due his short stature and effeminate face, Cloud, once again, get bullied a lot by his peers. It was the usual stuff. Shoved or tripped and have to do the whole squad's dirty laundry. And name calling. Can't forget that.
But that one day is different.
"Strife, stay back."
Out of blue, the Sergeant in charge called Cloud out. Surprised, Cloud stood firm in place while the others cadets sniggered at him as they left. "Busted" they said, but busted for what? Cloud didn't remember ever breaking any rules. So far he keep his head down and tried to keep attention away from him. It was moot point because he was the ONLY one with Spiky Blonde hair and pretty face, he stood out whenever he took his cadet helmet off, and grow up as Nibelheim's pariah stunted his social skill.
What did the Sergeant want, he wonder?
"Strife, I don't know what your problem is, but this behavior of yours can't be tolerated anymore."
"...sir?"
"How many times you spill off your food? The food at cafeteria honest to Gaia suck, I fucking knew it! I was once a Cadet like you! But don't be bitch and throw them off, fucker! Ifrit's balls, you are Cadet, not some spoiled prissy pantsy ass!"
"S-sorry sir!" Cloud winces. "I'll try to not do that again."
Perhaps he really should find another seat than one close to his squadmates. Only they who find tripping him over funny.
The sergeant glared at him. "Strife, you are decent, I give you that. Your score is rather high and you are quick on your feet, nevermind you had common sense during hunting and camping. But your behavior need adjustment. You can't take orders well, almost to point of insubordination, and you always have this presence that screaming 'LEAVE ME ALONE', you are bad at socializing. Being SOLDIER isn't as much as swing a huge-ass sword or kill monster. You need to worked together with others because it's your life on line, got me Cadet?!"
"Y-yes sir!"
Ugh. He should've know his habit gonna get his ass on hot water.
"Your presence is toxic to Squad Eta. I'll move you to Squad Beta, I do hope you know which Squad I'm talking about?"
"Yes sir." Cloud nodded. He knew Squad Beta, if only because his squad and that one was in same "Camping Mission Slash Informal Exam". They aren't that bad. Probably just ignored him at worst. "Should I moved my things soon?"
"Of course." The sergeant grinned. "But not to Barract C1."
Eh? Wasn't Squad Beta lived in C1?
"You waste too much food. I think you might appreciate it better if you cleans them up, don't you?" Clean? Wait, what was he— "Cadet Strife, for your punishment you are sentenced to moved to Janitor Dorm and you WILL do Janitorial Duty for whole month straight, whenever you don't have classes. Weekends included. If your behavior improved, you may moved to Barrack C1 and your punishment revoked early. If you don't then I have to drop you out from the program, got it?"
Cloud gulped. "Clear, sir."
"Then... GET OUT OF MY SIGHT, CADET!"
"Sir! Yes sir!"
Cloud ran off. Silently cursing his squadmates for landing him in hot water. If not for them he won't have to do Janitorial duty. Oooh, just they wait. They shoved their dirty laundry at him? He will make sure to dye some of them in embarrassing color and hang them in public.
~X~
Janitorial Dorm, which includes Janitorial Office and Main Closet Supply, located not far from Cadet Cafeteria. Only two floors above. Thanks to that, and the fact the Elevator always available 24/7. It means Cloud don't have to ran early in the morning so he won't be late for class.
He was escorted to his new, temporary, dorm by his new Boss. A guy named Sirron.
"So..." the older guy said, "how did you get into this job? Aren't you applying for SOLDIER?"
Cloud shuffled his bag closer. "Long story short, my former Squadmates were jerk. They landed me in trouble, so I was in probation. If my behavior improved, I'm free to moved to my new Squad's Barrack. If no improvement whatsoever I'm kicked out." He answered.
"...oh."
There was only silence for rest of Elevator travel, until they arrived in the Janitor Floor.
Cloud thought Janitorial Office was a small, cramped room, filled with cleaning utensil and paper on top of a simple desk and chair. Perhaps a coffee machine and shelves to hold smaller item. What he found was huge, clean room, as big as Cadet Sword Training Arena. And that saying something as the sword instructed is the behemoth called Buster Sword Jr., modeled after Commander Hewley's iconic Sword. Add with one class had four Squads, with one squad consist of ten people, equals one class = 40 Cadets. Training Arena was the largest classroom and with good reason. One slight mistake can harm, cripple if not outright kill fellow Cadet.
Back to present, Cloud's jaw was all forgotten in the floor. Sirron chuckled off at that expression.
"Mind-boggling at first sight, ain't it...?"
You got no idea, Cloud thought as he took back his jaw and gingerly followed the man. They went to another room that was lined with two rows of plain white bunk beds with black bedframe and small wooden cupboard on each side of the bed. On other side of the room, was space free from bunk beds, but the floor there covered by simple but comfortable rug, two long sofa, a 21 inch TV, and a water dispenser. Some guys were lounging lazily there, and an middle aged man sleeping off the couch.
It... was the dorm slash recreation room?
"Yo, Sirron! Who's the cutie-midget? Your girlfriend?" One of those guys notice Cloud and can't help but tease. Cloud glares at him, but due belated growth spurt (that still HAVEN'T hit him) it looks more like a pout.
"Desmond. Wanna clean The Pipes again?" That guy shut up and shook his head at Sirron's "sweet" voice. "Right. Cloud, that cat-calling idiot was Desmond. To his right was Alex or Al, then Doni. To his left was Richie, and the old man sleeping on the couch is Mr. Clare. He has been serving ShinRa since before SOLDIER Program introduced. There's others, but they currently on duty. Guys, meet Cloud Strife, Probational Janitor."
"Testing the Water or Punishment?" Someone asked.
"Punishment."
Cloud looked back and forth. "What do you mean by that?" He ask.
"Well," Al scratches his cheek, "the Probation time was period where newbie learn the ropes. Testing the Water was for new applicant for Janitorial Job, while Probation was for Cadet who got on Sergeant's bad side and sent here. Believe us kid, you ain't the first."
"Really?"
"Yep," Al nodded. "Thing is, Janitorial Job is Hard, but the payment was so worth it."
Now, Cloud was curious. "How much?"
"Depends on where you cleans, actually, but the lowest payment was around 42,000 Gil if you clean boring office. Only 3,000 Gil lower than SOLDIER 3rd monthly salary."
"WHAT. THE. FUCK?!"
"Oh yeah. If you got delicate case, it can jump to 80,000 Gil. And if you got injured in, job the company paid for it. Ain't that pretty?"
Huge clean room, nice dorm, and then this?
Suffice to say Cloud's image of Janitor was shattered into dust.
His (Janitor) senior, save for sleeping one, laughed their asses off. Cloud's gobsmacked look was so damn funny. It kinda reminds them of Chocobo's confused look when presented with weird thing. And the hairstyle did help the comparison... NOT!
"We kid ya not, laddie!" Doni said. "Say your thanks to Late Mrs. ShinRa who egged her husband to give us this all. She argument that we have to be compensated somehow, since we sometimes literally run from top to bottom of building, clean stuff like vomit, whatever Scientist got in their lab if ya are unlucky soul assigned here, to the pipes, stinky Barrack and toilets, and so on. And that's before some assholes think they could order us around just 'cause they are "respectable" person." The respectable part was in utter sarcasm, it so thick Cloud wonder how did Doni haven't choked yet. "Or when it was Department Head. If it was Urban Developments or SOLDIER Director, good to you. But Heidegger, Palmer, Scarlet, or worse Hojo? Gaia bless your soul." He shuddered. "At least Turk take care of their own stuff."
"Yeah." Richie grinned. "This was nice job. Good housing, pretty money... ya only hafta keep yer head down and yer identity anonymous. Ya know, cuz Turks and Scientist... and SOLDIER in case of ya."
Cloud nodded shakily. This was too good to be true. He was half convinced he was knocked out during training practice and now hallucinating.
"...do other Cadets..."
"Those cowards?" Sirron scoffed. "They can't last long. Either shaped themselves real fast you think they were brainwashed, or quit from system entirely. The longest record was one week."
Desmond sniggered. "Do they knew, even if they were sent as punishment they still receive money? Only fourth of actual salary but still pretty much. And, this is just between us, but not even the higher up realized we Janitors are the best informant cause we have access to everywhere and no one can stop us if we play 'Got To Clean This or That Place'. Oh well, their loss."
Still getting paid, no harassment, Medical Bill covered by the company, and access to literally everywhere? This... was too much for Cloud to take.
He do the only sane thing he could do.
He fainted.
"Aiya, I killed him."
"Shut up idiot. Help me moved him."
"Where? Coffin? Did we have any?"
"I swear to Gaia if you build one for him, I'll bury you myself."
"Har har. Yes mom. We understood."
~X~
Janitor Day 0
Dear Journal,
Today I got strangest day in my life, yet.
Remember my Squadmates treatment? Well, the Sergeant got pissy I apparently "wasting food" so I moved to Squad Beta, but I also have to do Janitor duty for one month straight whenever I don't have class. Weekends and Holiday included. Nasty huh?
I escorted to my new dorm by Boss Sirron. I think Janitor's floor is miserable place because I still remember Mr. Ander from Nibelheim. He was so miserable with his job as Janitor. But ShinRa Janitor shattered my image.
We have HUUUUUGE space for us, TV, refrigerator, and our own kitchen so we don't have to suffer Cafeteria food. Yay! We also got the juiciest story and pretty information, and easy access to forbidden place with Cleaning Card. Then my senior shared their experiences with me. Apparently the Janitor's pay, if they clean boring office, was only 3,000 Gil lower than SOLDIER 3rd Class salary. The harder the place to clean, the better the salary is. And as I in Probation, I still getting paid but only got fourth of that. If 42,000 is what I should get, then fourth of that should be 10,500. Provide I stay for one month. I heard other Cadets quit halfway.
I'll start working tomorrow. Wish me luck.
TBC
