From Weak To Strong
IMPORTANT BEFORE YOU START THE STORY!
First off I want to apologise in advance for the laziness how I will write down how my SI gets into FF7. I really don't have the mindset to write down the brutal torture and death that SI's family get (Same as my DBZ one although this one is more "OC" variant of that one, but same character and I renamed it so it would be more easier to read and put it into english since I'm from hungary). So I die with my family, sadisticly, and everything mankind writes, creates and beyond EXISTS, in difference existence, although if someone is really really damaged mentally sometimes "they" choose where they go to, like in this case. The reason for a death like this, will be of course explained later in the story. Enjoy!
Chapter 1:Hollow Beginning
Blaise (English form of Balázs) Barko. An 18 year old high-schooler who couldn't get a break from life. His height is 167cm, Blue eyes, dark brown, hair.
He was a kind kid, albeit weak physically, who set himself a standard which he couldn't quite set for himself. He wanted to reach for something but he was lazy. He berated himself time and again for this but he never really put a stop to it.
He never really had friends. People never really wanted to anything with him even when he wanted to approach, and even when he got into a crowd, they used him for no reason. He felt pain…
But that pain was nothing compared to the death, and torture he faced before his departure from life.
His mother, father, older brother, tortured and killed right before his eyes.
He died after them. It's a question if his sister met the same fate as they did.
Hojo, head scientist of Shinra, was doing his regular inhuman experiments.
He was in the middle of a sample test from a red-lion like creature, when an energy reading device which was measuring the flow of the lifestream activity, spiked off the charts! It was like the planet itself was scared.
"What is this?" Asked Hojo clearly intrigued by this phenomenon.
Then as abruptly as it came it stopped as fast. The readings became normal again.
'I wonder what was the cause of this…' Thought the scientist with curiosity. He checked the log of the readings, and the highest it was in Midgar. Around the Sector 5 slums. 'I send the turks to investigate this Anomaly' Hojo didn't knew how accurately described him.
Blaise opened his eyes.'Where am i? What is this place?' were his first thoughts.
'I should be dead!' How, how is he alive? He clearly remembers the pipe that sadistic asshole beat his legs breaking every possible bone in his body along with-!
Along with the rest of his family.
He wanted to cry, he wanted to lash out, he wanted to forget what he saw.
But he couldn't cry, because he cried enough when he begged him to stop.
He couldn't shed anymore tears.
He cooled down after a minute and scanned his surroundings...There was a fuckin plate above him, and he swears he never was in place like. It does look very familiar to him. He steps of the big garbage pile, and something catches his eyes. There was a sword next to the dumpster he just landed on, and it was long sword, its blade was sky blue, and the hilt was black & white.
'Good thing I had sword classes, at least I'll be able to defend myself.' he grabbed the sword but he could only carry it in his hand, because there was no scabbard for it. He started walking and he noticed a chapel, and opposite of it was a writing. Shinra electric power company.
"Wait, wait wait…WHAT?!" he exclaimed with no shortage of shock.
'How, why?' he asked himself how the fuck he got into the Final Fantasy 7 world. But his memory was fuzzy. After his death he recalls a hooded figure but couldn't recall what he was talking about.
'Of course I couldn't recall it,' he thought with sorrow now 'I was busy mourning my lost.' even now he wanted to mourn them. 'Dad, mom…' the only four people who mattered most to him were dead. And he was here.
Alone.
After the initial shock, he started to think what he should do. Or even if he wanted to anything at this point. He looked at the sword in his hands. '...Well there is a grim thought…' for a second he contemplated on suicide.
But he was too much of a coward to actually do it.
He sighed and made up his mind to go to Sector 7, hoping that the plot haven't started yet.
He walked a good half an hour until he ran into some thugs. They were trying to rob a kid.
"Brat this is our territory, you have to pay up if ya don't wanna get," dramatic pause from the leader then cue the evil grin."some nasty scars." The kid couldn't be older than 13, pissed his pants.
He was watching it from afar. 'Bastards. You even need to gang up on someone who's weaker than you to have some balls to do it!' he thought angrily. It reminded of him the people who bullied him back in highschool, just because they could. He normally wouldn't get into fights. He could but often wanted to avoid. He hated fights.
But Blaise right now could use some venting.
The brunette started walking towards them "Hey!" the leader turned towards me, as did the rest of them.
"Why you are picking on the ones who are smaller than you?"
"What's it to you?" asked the leader "Mind you're own business if you don't wanna get your balls cut off."
He smiled innocently at the threat and in my mind he knew he was going to enjoy this.
"At least I have some. And I don't pick on those who are weaker than me." Then he continued to fake apologetically, "My bad I didn't wanna pick a fight with you guys."
One of the thugs started to smirk "smart move." but the leader smacked his head.
"Idiot, he was sarcastic!" then turned his head towards me "Let the kid go Fli, we gotta teach this kid a lesson!" and all of them grabbed their knives from their pockets and started to surround me.
He readied his sword. He wasn't the best swordsman, but from what his teacher told him he was pretty solid.
They charged at him but stepped back and, He was able to swing my sword at his hand and knocking the knife off one of the thugs hands. He yelped, at how quickly I disarmed him.
The second was bit more trickier. His defense was never perfect, especially at thrusting attacks. After a few narrow dodges, He slashed at his hand, blood was coming off of it, but he didn't cut off anything from him… yet.
He however made a mistake at only focusing on the second guy. The leader was on his left and he managed to cut Blaise's left arm. He quickly stepped back and grunted from the pain.
The leader charged at him again, but the brunette ducked and kicked him in the stomach, using the momentary stun he swiped his sword at the leaders knife knocking at away quite far.
"It's done, you lost." He said it to them fatly. "Now leave kids like him alone would you?" I turned and start to walk away. But then he heard the kid yell "Watch out!"
He was naive to think that if he proves himself the alpha then they would lay off and scram.
That was the reason he caught off guard. He turned around to see the leader was about to lunged at him, but he didn't.
Because out of reflex Blaise thrust the sword through his chest. He was shocked. The man's death was almost instantaneous and blood leaked. To his sword and some, even to the brunette's jacket.
"YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" yelled the previously known Fli, "We will kill you for this one day!" and both of them fled. The brunette however was still shocked. He never killed before. He knew he had to do this sooner or later. But he was barely an hour into Gaia, and he already had to kill. He shook his head. He could break down later.
He pulled out the sword from the man. And looked at the kid's horrified face.
He couldn't tell if he was horrified of the man's corpse, or of me.
"I'm sorry you had to see this kid," He looked at kid with regret. "I never killed anyone before, and I definitely didn't wanted you to see this… No one should." The kid ran off and he started stumble his way to Sector Seven.
Unbeknownst to him, a certain flower girl saw most of what was going on from afar.
Tifa Lockhart, one of the survivors of the Nibleheim "incident". She scoffed at it. It wasn't an incident, it was slaughter. The day when everyone she cared about died, her father included.
She was nearing closing hour for her bar, and she was on a break. Barret went with his daughter Marlene cause she wanted to take a walk with her daddy, Biggs and Wedge to get the necessary components to make the bomb to blow up one of the mako reactors. Jesse slept in the "secret base."
What she didn't expect was to find a man bloodied man leaning next to a wall with an equally bloodied didn't really knew what to do with him, but she wanted to think that was his blood more than others. So she approached him albeit with a slight hesitation in her voice.
"...Excuse me," she started. He turned to her his eyes unfocused for a second then slightly surprised.
She brushed it off. "Do you need help, you look worse for wear." He then checked himself.
'Oh yeah, was busy pitying myself, I forgot I was covered in blood' thought with some sarcasm the man. 'Oh shit! This is Tifa! When did I even get here?!'
"Uhhm, I was cut with a knife, but…" she noted how his voice dropped."This isn't my blood...I-It was for self defense!" he held up his hand in a placating manner. She relaxed at this. Death wasn't stranger around the slums, but based on his behavior she noted that he is not from around here.
"It's alright I believe you." Tifa answered in a calm manner, to which he relaxed."Come with me, that wound needs to be checked." she offered to which he replied with a thank you.
She led him to her bar. There were no customers at the time so she decided to may as well close up earlier today.
"Take a seat, I'll get some bandages for it." with that she went behind the counter where she kept the first aid. He took a seat next to the corner, opposite of the "arcade game".
Meanwhile Blaise finally noted what he was wearing. He wore a tan colored thin jacket which was bloodied, a black hooded sweater, and a white T-shirt with two blue stripes on each sleeve. He was wearing his black watch which he got for his 13th birthday. Blue jeans, and black, blue shoes.
He removed the bloodied jacket, and jumper. He noticed the small cut it he got from his fight,
But he was mostly concerned with fix the hole in his clothing.
"It's nothing, serious I think." Blaise told her "I'm actually more worried about the blood on the jacket, and my blade than about this." He finished pointing a finger on his wound.
"I can wash it if it's that much of a problem for you." She offered. "Besides it can't hurt to disinfect the wound." He shrugged, she was right though. She poured some alcohol on the bandage, and started to wrap it around my arm. It stinged but hey, he experienced worse.
Meanwhile he also noted how beautiful she looks. Let's just say that if he wouldn't had a shit day so far, the key in his pants would be hard. His musing was interrupted by her question.
"What's your name?"
"Blaise Barko...And yours miss?" Of course he already knew her name but he had to keep up appearances.
"Tifa Lockhart." She answered back, then continued with a small smile."Don't miss me, it makes me think I'm old." And for the first time he came here he chuckled faintly.
"By the way may I ask what happened that made this mess?" she asked picking up his jacket. But she noticed his now sorrowful expression. She cursed inside. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"...Well," he started trying to keep a steady voice. "I arrived recently I walked through the slums. When I noticed three guys threatening a kid. I stepped up and knocked down their knives from their hands with this sword." he explained and pointing at it. " I let my guard down, and the leader lunged at me, the only reason I was able to react was because the kid warned me. I instinctively slashes plunged my sword-rd through him." his voice started to shake a little bit. "The others f-fled and threatened me." he finished with a remorseful expression on his face.
"It's not your fault, you even defended that kid, and who knows what they might have done to the kid had you not intervened." She assured him. "You got nothing to be remorseful about." she finished the matter factly.
He knew she was right, but still, he felt wrong. He also knew that soon this will become a regular occurrence if he decides to join AVALANCHE.
Meanwhile Tifa decided to pour a glass of whisky to him. And put it on the table in front of him."Thank you but...I don't have any gil on me to pay you." he said to her apologetically.
"It's on the house you don't have to worry." She assured him.
"Then bottoms up!" and just as quickly as it was poured it was finished just as quickly.
"Thank you!" he thanked her but she was still a bit surprised how quickly he drank all of it.
Well what could he say, Hungarians can drink quite a lot.
He was about to ask if she knows anywhere he could work for the time being when 4 figure barged in the bar.
It was Mr. T… Or should I say Barret with Marlene sitting on his shoulder Biggs and Wedge.
"Yo Tiffa we got the necessary things to make that bomb!" he exclaimed clearly not bothering to look at the corner where Blaise was sitting.
"A bomb!?" I asked. Everyone stiffened. Barret put Marlene down who went behind the counter. He pointed his gun arm at me.
"Tifa I thought you were closed!" yelled Barret.
"I was closed, because I had to treat him because!" She yelled back.
Barret started taking deep breaths to call himself.
"What should we do with you…" he mumbled it out while in thought.
"He shouldn't be killed just because you were careless." chimed in Wedge
They heard mumbling from Blaise, but they didn't understood.
"Speak up!" ordered Barret. After a moment Blaise took a breath and with an equal amount of vocal power answered.
"If you'd kill me you might even do me a goddamn favour!"
Well this certainly was unexpected and let's just say they were shocked.
He really did not care what happens to him.
'What happened to him that he is so not caring about if he lives or dies?' Tifa thought.
Sure, he killed someone, but that shouldn't warrant for him to even commit suicide.
Jesse finally had enough and came up. "What's this yelling about!"
"Why?" was the simple question Barret asked, to the kid.
"None of your business." the brunette stated flatly.
"And I'm not a snitch, so I'm not going to sell you guys out. It's none of my business whose ass you gonna blow it up." Barret was again thinking to either go along with it or not.
Biggs, who was quiet this entire time a thought occurred to him.
"What's your opinion about Shinra?" Asked Biggs.
"They killing the planet, providing energy, and a bunch of assholes." Blaise answered in a deadpan voice. Barret caught on why Biggs asked this.
"How old are you?" asked Barret.
"Eighteen."
"...Why are you so uncaring if you live or die" asked Barret with small sympathy in his voice.
Blaise is had a blank look on his face. After a moment he coldly said. "None of your business."
Barret decided not to pry. He noticed the bloodied sword next to me."That yours?" the brunette nodded. "Why is it bloodied?
Blaise felt uncomfortable by this question. Luckily for him Tifa decided to interject.
"I'll tell you later, it's a sore subject for him right now." Barret nodded at this.
"One final question. Do you have experience with swords?" Barret asked.
Blaise knew now that Barret is thinking of recruiting him. But does he even want to join up?
...May as well go along with it, it's not like he got anything better to do.
"I was trained using swords, but never experienced many battles with it." he answered him honestly. He knew that he was inexperienced when real shit hits the fans.
Barret hummed, in thought then made up his mind. "Do ya wanna join AVALANCHE?"
"Barret!" Tifa interjected. She didn't really like it, because she feared this kid will just use this as an excuse to get himself killed!
"It's his choice Tifa." Barret simply answered.
"Well, I don't have anything, might as well join up."Blaise answered. "Where do I sign up?" he asked with a small smirk.
"You're in kid. My name is Barret Wallace, and this is my daughter Marlene." Barret formally introduced himself. Marlene came out and shyly bowed then went next to her father.
Blaise smiled faintly at her. He couldn't help it the little girl was adorable.
"And these are Biggs, Wedge and Jesse..."
After the initial introductions, Tifa prepared an extra blanket and pillow for the new member of AVALANCHE. He of course will be sleeping where the trio-who-would die slept, in that small room underneath the bar. After Tifa showed me where I was sleeping she went to prepare dinner for us. We finished the dinner and Barret told me that Jesse and Biggs will get the codes for the reactors tomorrow.
That means Tifa would find Cloud either tomorrow or the day after that. Plus the plan for the reactor raid isn't quite finished yet.
"Thank you for the food." the brunette thanked Tifa. Then something popped into my head which he forgot to do. "Have you got something that I could clean this up?" he asked holding his sword. She gave him a wet rag, and he went outside to clean it up.
Barret was about to ask why the kid had ketchup on him but Jesse beat him to it.
"…Hey Tifa?" asked Jesse in a hushed voice so Blaise couldn't hear them by accident. "Why was this guy covered in red?" Everyone in AVALANCHE wandered about that.
"He just came into Midgard, he saw a trio harassing a kid. He stepped up for him, defeated them with his sword, then walked tried to walk away and leave them be, but the leader of the thugs lunged at him. He let his guard down, and accidently stabbed through the guy killing him. The other two fled and threatened to kill him." Tifa finished re-telling the story that Blaise told her.
"That's why he is depressed?" asked Wedge. "I mean I wouldn't feel good killing a guy like that, but I definitely wouldn't feel bad about it." Finished Wedge but then a thought came into mind. "Unless this was his first kill…" In the slums there were always people fighting or try to kill you. It was the main reason Barret made himself clear that he is the 'big guy' around here. That's why no one even dares to even think about harming anyone around here.
"It was," Tifa sourly confirmed it."He told me he never killed anyone before. In fact the very 1st thing he said to me that this blood isn't his and it was for self defense."
Everyone was silent.
"However…" Tifa continued. "Why the hell you guys had to offer him AVALANCHE?" she hissed.
"...He looked lost Tifa." whispered back Biggs. Tifa gave him a confused look so he decided to elaborate. "He has this look in his eyes deep down that's screamed pain and sorrow and just plain "I don't know where should I go". I think these was also one of the reason you decided to bring him here to clean him up."
"That is true." She conceded.
Biggs smiled at this. He loved it when he was right. But then his face also became a bit regretful. "I wonder what happened to him that made him this depressed. Killing someone didn't help his mental state either."
Barret started to feel like shit. Maybe he shouldn't have been so brash about his questions.
Tifa was about to tell Barret that he should apologise to him when he came back inside.
Blaise came back inside he looked at his sword and face palmed. He forgot something that is indeed important.
How the hell is he going to carry this sword!? He isn't going to carry it in his hands all the time!
"I don't suppose you guys got a scabbard in which I can carry this thing, huh?"
Tifa gave a faint smile and throw him a palm sized, circle shaped metal. He gave her a confused look. "That is a portable magnetic carrier." She started explaining "You can attach to your back so you can carry that sword of yours. Even SOLDIERS are using it" His eyes was shocked.
'Wait, wait, wait… SO THIS IS HOW CLOUD IS CARRYING THAT HUGE ASS SWORD?!'
He thought clearly surprised. He was smiling. Tifa thought he was relieved at not having to carry that sword in his hands, but in actuality…
'YES! I finally got my answer how he carries it!'
After the internal cheering he went to sleep, and did the rest of them.
Blaise was awakened from his sleep by a loud "WHAAAT!?" from Barret. He yelped out of the blanket. On the clock it was 12pm. He was surprised that he slept a little over 14 hours.
He went up to see what was the ruckus about.
There was Tifa, Barret, Wedge...and Cloud. 'How long did I slept?!' he thought rhetorically.
"I accept the job for 1500 gil." stated Cloud. Tifa whispered something to Barret. Probably about needing more man power for this.
"Fine! You're hired" Barret accepted grudgingly. Blaise was silent but they noticed me " Good you're up. We gonna hijack the train tonight which is heading to Reactor no.1"
He then pointed at me "He is Blaise he joined yesterday," then at Wedge "and he is Wedge."
"We can introduce ourselves Barret." I deadpanned to him, and he gave me a look that says 'shut up' then continued "There are two others who will also come, but right now they are getting the codes for us, and ID's."
"I'm not interested in their names." Cloud said flatly. Blaise always wondered how could he get Zack memories, and yet still be an asshole.
Barret huffed. Then something came into the brunette's mind. "By the way, since you explained the plan, does this mean that that Biggs and Jesse knows about it?"
Wedge decided to answer. "Yeah we finished the plan while you were sleeping."
Cloud went outside doing who knows what. So he ask the obvious question.
"Who is that guy?"
"He is my childhood friend," Tifa answered. "He was in SOLDIER 1st class at that."
Blaise picked up that he mentioned SOLDIER somewhat hesitantly. He knew of course that Cloud just thinks he was in SOLDIER.
He nodded. "I'll take a walk, I need a fresh some fresh air"
Barret snorted at the 'fresh air' term. "Don't go too far. We gonna start heading to the station in a few hours."
"Plus dinner is going to be ready soon." Tifa interjected.
"All right."
Blaise went outside, to see Cloud waiting arms fold.
"Can I see your sword?" he asked
"Why?" I asked him back.
"Looks unique."
He shrugged, he knew Cloud isn't a thief so he gave it to him.
Cloud was genuinely interested in this when he saw it on this kid. From the looks of it he deduced that blade on it was made of materia! There were very few people on Gaia who could make a sword like this. It was also sharp, and had 2 pair of materia slots on it.
"Say, where did you found this sword?" he asked with interest.
"Found it yesterday in a dumpster."
Cloud was shocked. Who in their right mind would throw away a sword like this?
"Whoever it was that was a dumbass. The blade is made out of materia." he told Blaise who was dumbfounded that it was made out of materia.
"Whoa!" he was amazed by it.
"Do you know how to use a sword?"
"I have training, but lack experience." He answered him.
"So you haven't had many fights huh?" he concluded.
He simply nodded.
A thought occurred to the 'Ex-SOLDIER' a rare smirk came across his lips.
"Are you up for a spar?"
"Yeah, I want my ass kicked. Sure" He agreed sarcastically.
He gave the sword back to him.
And the ass kicking lasted 4 minutes.
Blaise was panting after he got one of the most one sided spar in history.
"You have a decent swordsmanship. But you lack focus and stamina."
Stamina, yeah he got it he was always working on it.
And the lack of focus… well he was still processing a lot of things.
"You were in SOLDIER I wasn't. We both know this was one sided."
"True." he agreed. "But you have potential. You also accepted defeat, before we even begin." he informed me. "With a mindset like that you will always lose." he put his sword on his back. "Remember that." He was about to leave but he had to ask. After all he was curious after this.
"What's your name?" Blaise was tired of this question, and had "really!?" look on his face besides Barret did tell his name. Nonetheless he answered it tiredly.
"Blaise." he shook his head.
"Not your first name, I meant your last name." Oh so he was paying attention.
"Barko. Blaise Barko."
"Unusual name." the brunette's eye twitched.
"And yours?"
"Cloud Strife."
"And my name is the unusual one." Blaise commented out loud. He only scratched his head. Apparently he didn't think through his comment about his name.
"The food is ready!" Tifa came out and told us. Blaise was really hungry.
They finished it. "It was delicious!" the brunette praised her cooking. She had a smile of appreciation on her face. "By the way did you two spar?" she asked.
Blaise snorted. "More like one sided ass kicking." mumbled it out.
"I mean my arms are somewhat numb, so it's good that we have a few hour break before the reactor."
Barret was at least somewhat relieved that blondie can back up his talk about his skill.
But he also noted the kid was also a bit more uplifting than yesterday.
"Blaise, got a sec?" asked Barret
"Yeah." they both went out of earshot.
"Look I ain't doin' this often, but sorry for asking some of those home hitting questions." He hurried through the words, not wanting to appear soft.
"It's cool." he sighed. "I understand why you asked them."
"Right. Rest up 'cause we gonna go soon." he informed me.
After few hours Barret told them to start packing, they are starting the raid.
'Reactor number one, here I come' thought Blaise as he followed Barret.
Hojo was not in a good mood. The Turks found nothing around the area where the reading happened.
'Lifestream doesn't act up on a whim!' The anomaly is out there, and he wants to find it!
"Professor Hojo!" came in an assistant out of breath.
"What is it?" he hissed.
"JENOVA shows neural activity!"
He quickly followed and sure enough, the reading showed an 1% increase in neural activity.
'So... The reunion is almost at hand hmm' he chuckled menacingly.
That's it for the 1st chapter of this fic.
I also would like to mention that it is possible I'll retcon some of the things I mentioned on the top.
Also please don't expect impressive writing from this story, I only doing it as a hobby!
also Blaise WON'T BE EMO FOR LONG!
See ya guys later!