Author's Note: This is a dark chapter, fiends and beasts. It contains violence and implied situations with a minor. 'Hard Candy' and Kubrick's 'Lolita' are among my fave movies. Both feature underage, manipulative characters who are basically wolves dressed in sheep clothing. Expect to see that here.
CHAPTER 8: Weirdoes
It was roughly three-twenty in the morning when a light rain fell from the sky. Cloud and his companions walked down a long, empty sidewalk in the Entertainment District. Billboard and neon-lit signs flashed around them. Dazed from the night's events, they were on their way to a parking garage a few blocks away. It was time to head home. At this late hour the moon lit up brightly and the air was chilly. Whoosh-like sounds came from the few passing cars that dashed across slick, wet roads.
Cloud's group stayed close together. Midgar always possessed an edgier vibe during these strange hours; wicked thoughts conspired and played out. Persistent dealers and thugs kept a watchful eye on potential targets while shady drivers cruised the streets to hire a warm body for pleasure. And of course, there were the weirdoes. They came out in droves to conduct all manners of perversions. It was because of this the group kept to the main roads and stayed in visible sight.
Cloud dragged his feet forward, his face puffy and red. With each step he took, the weight of gravity fought him. It was as if he were at the edge of a cliff, at the brink of falling. The vision ahead of him, meanwhile, consisted of blurred colors, lights, and shapes. They swirled all around him. At times he saw a small black shadow among them. It moved within the industrial landscape of the Sector 8. Cloud couldn't tell if the shadow was a mental trick played by his muddled mind, even when it had two arms and two legs. Nothing felt real to him anyway.
Swaying back and forth, Cloud wiped hot sweat from his brows despite the cool weather. He clumsily tossed his Chocobo Chow shirt over his left shoulder, tired of holding it in his sweaty palms. Cloud idly wondered if he should take off his heavy coat. He found himself too weak to remove it. A dizzy sensation threatened to tip him over but he held his ground.
"Are we there yet?" Wedge asked beside him, addressing no one in particular.
The group shuffled their feet against the sidewalk's pavement as they walked. Biggs mumbled something in return, sleepy by the alcohol and late hour. Only Ele's reply sounded coherent enough.
"Almost. I think. Maybe. Just a few more blocks…" she said very slowly.
"Gods," Biggs complained. "That's what you said fifteen minutes ago."
"I said we're almost there. It's this way. Definitely this way, man. Don't be an ass. Relax."
"I'll relax when I get home," he griped back and clutched the sides of his head with a moan.
Cloud kept quiet throughout their bickering. He, himself, was tempted to stop walking and take a nap on a nearby bus stop bench. It certainly beat dragging his dead weight across Sector 8's wet streets. Stuck in his half-aware state, he whispered out of the blue, "There are shadows everywhere. The shadow baby follows. It's been there since we left the club. It's come to take me away, I think…"
Ele' raised a brow at Cloud's bizarre remark. He had said it so calmly that it baffled her even more. Fully aware he was the drunkest of them all, though, she led the way without saying a word. She kept an eye out for any Shinra infantrymen on the streets, lest they'd be arrested for public intoxication.
They walked for a good ten minutes. The plan was to pick up Ele's car from the garage and have her drop them at the train station for their trip to the Slums. However, Cloud suspected they were either lost or Ele' had underestimated the walking distance since it was taking too damn long. His patience waned. He was tired. Thirsty. Disoriented. The world refused to stop spinning and a tiny dark figure kept appearing. Small matters of irritation started to build like certain street smells, loud noises, and flashing images. Cloud wanted to burn everything to the ground and find a warm bed to crawl into.
Sometime later, a car honked at Cloud when he accidentally strayed from the group and mistook the middle of a street for the sidewalk. The vehicle swerved and barely missed him. Brakes shrieked as the car came to a halt. Cloud's all-too-sensitive eyes burned from the blaring lights of the car's beams. The noise of its screeching tires still echoed in his head. With a blank look on his face, he approached the driver's side. His quiet and calm demeanor abruptly changed when he slammed his fist against a gray-tinted window there. The glass cracked at the point of impact.
"Watch where you're going," Cloud snapped with venom.
Trembling, the driver gripped the wheel with white knuckles. His wide-eyed expression stayed on the stiff-faced boy outside his widow.
The driver's silence started to annoy Cloud. It reminded him of all the preppy brats in Nibelheim, those stupid little boys who thought they were better than him and refused to talk back. The blond-haired teen sneered at the driver. "What are you looking at? You think I'm crazy? Get out of your car; I'll show you crazy. I'm real good with heavy sharp objects."
The drunken teenager banged on the glass again to goad the driver out of his vehicle. More tiny cob-webs formed on the window. Cloud looked ready to tear the driver's head off with his bare hands until Biggs and Wedge quickly intervened. Together, they pulled Cloud back to the sidewalk and gave an apologetic look to the driver. The driver sped off as fast as he could.
"Whoa, Cloud," Wedge started and blinked profusely, "You're terrifying when you're drunk…"
"I'm not drunk," Cloud denied. He spat out a wad of spit on the ground. "That car nearly ran me over. You saw it. I'll stab that fucker in the heart if I see him again."
Biggs exchanged a look with Wedge. Both boys held onto the unruly teen's shoulders, trying to steady him. And contain him. Cloud eventually growled and slapped their hands away. He created some distance and now stood in front of a large window display with finely dressed mannequins. His back pressed against the window's glass. Cloud glared at his companions when he noticed the puzzled looks on their faces. In his delirious mind, the expressions looked similar to the village kids', the same ones who all thought he was a freak.
"Stop looking at me like that," Cloud ordered with intense blue eyes.
"It's cool, man," Biggs said with a tiny smile that quickly broke apart a second later. "It's cool. We're cool. It's just… You need to chill a bit. You're not yourself."
"Not myself? What the hell does that mean? I'm fine."
"Sorry. Didn't mean to piss you off, bro. It's just that you're normally a quiet nice guy. You're kinda freaking us all right now."
"Quiet nice guy?" Cloud carefully repeated. At this, he snorted. "Wow, you dorks really are clueless…"
A slow smile stretched, even when Biggs appeared baffled by that last remark. Cloud's chuckle soon echoed across the empty block. His husky sound seemed to loosen the tensed atmosphere because now everyone awkwardly smiled. Laughing along, they all assumed it was a terrible joke. But for Cloud it wasn't. He had been brutally honest.
Silent now, the shade in Cloud's blue eyes darkened as he felt an ounce of pity and frustration toward his friends. Whether it was the booze or the drugs or sleep deprivation, an uncomfortable revelation struck him hard at this moment: no one knew who he really was. When he had busted the nose of a nagging customer last week, everyone assumed it was a momentarily lapse of reason on his part; an accident. Some even considered the act noble. Cloud had received only a write-up for it and the assault charges were dropped. No one wanted to believe he could be brutal enough to act out in violence.
They were wrong.
Cloud never mentioned his violent streak back at home to his friends. None of them knew violence was his coping device, a way to deal with the loneliness and anger that boiled inside. In truth, the real Cloud Strife, the misunderstood misfit of Nibelheim, had fallen in love with war and self-destruction. It was hard to think of anything else when he found only social alienation and indifference from his hometown. Nobody liked him and so hating on everyone and everything became second nature to him. Those feelings worsened after the incident in Mt. Nibel.
About the only moment that ever made Cloud feel alive was his near-death experience with a great wolf. Shortly after that event, he had developed a deeper fondness for hunting wild animals. It made him feel significant and superior. Like a God.
He had moved to the city in an effort to change his circumstances and mindset. In his naïve mind, becoming a Tsviet would put his violent habits to good use and give him a purpose. He could become a hero and not the villain in his story for once. And yet, Cloud still recalled the time when the village's priestess had visited his mother, just a day after he had broken a boy's arm during a fight. The priestess had called him a naughty boy; a very troubled, corrupted soul. Cloud somewhat agreed with her assessment. On some days he wanted to save the world. On other days he wanted the world to burn.
Cloud grimaced. Leaning against a window display, an unwanted sensation swirled inside his stomach. Nausea. Making a face, he felt the vomit force its ways up his throat. Cloud clutched at his stomach with a hand. Then he turned away from the group and pushed his forehead against the glass, breathing hard.
"I need to puke or something…" he barely uttered out through clenched his teeth.
His friends stayed put. Their eyes darted back and forth.
"You think he'll be all right?" Jessie quietly asked. She sucked on her lower lip, deeply worried.
"He's good," Biggs reassured her. "Heh, Cloud isn't much of a drinker though. He'll be lucky if he remembers anything after he sleeps it off. Not bad for his first day as a seventeen-year-old, eh?"
Wedge shook his head. "He's been acting funny ever since he returned from the dance floor. He kept muttering about a black color pissing him off. A black crayon or something."
"Black isn't a color," corrected Ele'. She winced in disgust when she saw Cloud suddenly kneel over and puke on the glass wall. "For fuck's sake, how many drinks did he have?"
"A shit-ton," Biggs grimly reminded her while Cloud purged. "I'm surprised he's standing at all."
Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, the nausea temporarily subsided and Cloud tried to stand at full height. He failed. Fatigued and feeling worse than before, the teen leaned sideways against the display window for support. His eyes drifted below. Cloud silently watched chunks of vomit stream down the squeaky-clean glass while he overheard the group talk about him. His jaw reset itself.
Cloud hated being the topic of discussion, as if he were some charity case. Granted, if he were a sober man he might've felt guilty for his current behavior. Cloud didn't want to burden anyone with his pathetic state. He also didn't want to frighten the only people he considered friends with his strange tendencies. But at this moment, he couldn't care less for what they thought about him. He was numb to the point of indifference. About the only thought that tentatively surfaced in his head throughout the entire evening involved a man: Black.
Black. Black was gone from his life. He hadn't said goodbye. Not that Cloud expected him to. Black didn't strike him as the sentimental type. He was a strange creature who existed outside this realm of normalcy. Nonetheless, Cloud was disappointed by the lack of closure between them, especially when he thought he felt a connection.
Shortly after he had reunited with his coworkers at the booth and drank down his shots, Cloud had spotted Black one last time. It was the sight of his long, glorious veil. It had trailed behind Black as he exited Club LIFESTREAM with the other Hosts. That had been an hour before Cloud left with his own party. Black never did look back nor look his way. Just like that, Black was gone.
The image of Black with Red still burned inside Cloud's memory. It was a reminder of the brief but bitter encounter. If he were a stronger man he would've slashed off Red's pretty face and fed it to Ms. Tinker. He'd never regret the action, not when skinning wild sport was second-nature to the young hunter. But the event that happened between him, Black, and Red was over now. Black had departed from Cloud's life. All that was left to do was head home and sleep it off.
Cloud covered his mouth when the urge to vomit came to him again. Provided that he survived the night, he hoped he felt better by tomorrow. He still had a late afternoon class to attend. A dizzy sensation was getting the worse of him, likewise, his warped and out-of-controlled thoughts. He made a face when he noticed something on the glass's reflection.
"That shadow baby is back…" Cloud notified quietly. His unfocused eyes stared at the glass wall in front of him, seeing something the others hadn't noticed.
"Shadow baby?" Biggs asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Shadow baby," Cloud repeated, talking gibberish again. "Behind you guys. It's kinda short. Not really a baby." As if to prove his point, Cloud turned around to point at a particular spot on the sidewalk. He froze when he realized something. Cloud frowned and later said, "…Not there anymore."
"Dude, you seeing things now?" Wedge scoffed. "Damn, you really are fucked up in the head. Remind me to never let you take blue dust again."
"The shadow baby was there," Cloud declared but had trouble controlling the volume of his voice. He stumbled forward and nearly fell in the process. Then he stopped at a specific spot on the sidewalk and pointed down with a finger. "Here. The shadow baby was here."
Both Ele' and Wedge snickered together while Jessie kept quiet. Biggs stepped forward from the group shortly after. There was a giant smirk on his face.
"Was it Dr. Evil?" he played along, "Is the mad doctor on the prowl tonight? Is he after you, Cloud?"
Cloud was too drunk to give a retort. His weakened legs finally gave way and he collapsed on the concrete ground with a soft thump. The world spun again. He groaned and shut his eyes.
"He's coming to get yoooou, Cloud," Biggs continued with an exaggerated voice pitch.
Almost immediately, Wedge marched over to Biggs and punched him on the arm. "Gah, stop it, man. It's not funny. That Dr. Evil shit is real, you know."
"Shh! I think I hear him!" Biggs continued and ignored Wedge. He looked down a street and noticed a lonely car driving up. He pointed at it. "See? It's him. It's Dr. Evil. That's his car. That's the car the mad scientist uses to abduct his victims. He's come to get Cloud. We should probably hide."
Somewhere in the distance, car beams shined. Its engine hiccupped loudly. This caused the entire group to go silent, including Cloud. Wedge huddled closer to Biggs while Ele' gripped her PHS, as if to use it as a weapon. Jessie took a few steps toward Cloud. She looked ready to pull him off the ground at a moment's notice. All five drunken teens stayed still until the car finally came into better view. It was an old sports car model. Quickly driving past them, the group breathed again. It was nothing. Wedge's face contorted to a disapproving pout when Biggs burst into laughter.
"Gaia, the looks on all of your faces!" Biggs blurted, "It was priceless. You guys seriously thought it was Dr. Evil? Oh man, you guys are fucking idiots!"
"Shut up, man, you were pissing in your pants too," Wedge spat. The larger teen punched him again, nearly knocking Biggs to the ground this time. "Asshole."
As Jessie helped Cloud get to his feet, the blond-haired boy mumbled an obscenity under his breath as well.
Fucking Dr. Evil… He was a popular online myth. The stories described Dr. Evil as a mad scientist who stalked the city late at night in a beat-up pinto. He searched for fresh bodies to experiment on. Drugging his victims with a syringe, the successful experiments would find themselves in a tub of ice with a cellphone nearby to call for medical attention. To their horror, these victims would discover their bodily organs had been removed and replaced by bizarre alterations. They lived the rest of their lives as freaks. As for the failed experiments? They were taken to some undisclosed location and never seen or heard from again.
It was all bullshit, Cloud knew. The Dr. Evil folklore legend had been intended to frighten brats like him; to get teens off the streets by night time. But even in a thriving metropolis like Midgar City, people talked. Rumors spread. Online, there were photos of supposed 'freaks' who'd been the unwilling subjects of a mad man's experiments. Some had committed suicide, too horrified to live with their condition. With so many strange and unexplained disappearances happening in Midgar City, including the number of fleshy corpses that randomly popped up, it was hard to entirely dismiss Dr. Evil.
Thunder rumbled in the sky. A bit wearier of their nocturnal surroundings, Cloud and his party cut through Thirty-Fourth and Thirty-Fifth Street to get to the parking garage quicker. It was quieter in this area of Sector 8. Even while the billboard signs still blinked and a few animatronics stayed alive, all of the restaurants and stores were closed. At the other side of the street was a massive metal fence. It surrounded a construction site for a strip mall. A lonely bus stop sat in the middle of the sidewalk across.
The group was ready to cross another street when Cloud abruptly stopped walking. Nauseous and tired, his intoxicated mind decided this was the perfect spot to rest. Cloud plopped himself in the middle of the sidewalk without saying a word. Using his Chocobo Chow shirt as a pillow, he lay on his side and closed his eyes. He ignored the light rain that continued to fall and immediately went to sleep.
"What the fuck?" Ele' immediately kneeled next to Cloud and tapped him on the shoulders. Cloud did not wake up. Looking around, she hoped there weren't any Shinra IMs around the corner to arrest the inebriated fool. Luckily, only a car passed by and no one else appeared in this area. Again, Ele' tapped him, this time harder. "Cloud, damn it, wake up."
"Mmm, gimme a sec, mom…" Cloud mumbled back and huddled inside his thick coat for warmth. His mouth started to drool over the wet, cold pavement he slept on.
"Fuck, man, you're sleeping in the middle of the sidewalk like a bum," Biggs spat. He tried not to laugh. "C'mon, Cloud. Get on your feet. We gotta keep moving. The parking lot shouldn't be far now. Ele' will drop us at the train station and I'll walk you home."
The dead-drunk teen below moaned incoherent words under his breath. He rolled to his other side, away from the group, and continued to sleep. Wedge kicked at the body. It was partly to wake Cloud up and partly to make sure he was not dead. A few feet away, Jessie covered her mouth. She hid the goofy grin on her face with both hands. Cloud was thoroughly wasted; beyond all reason and hope.
"Well, we can't go any further," Ele' announced with a sigh. She crossed her arms. "Even if we drag him along, an IM will surely spot us."
"We'll have to bring the car around to pick him up then," Biggs agreed with a nod.
"In that case, let's get Cloud off the sidewalk right now," Jessie suggested. "We don't want any Shinra troopers to see him like this."
Both Biggs and Wedge exhaled loudly and reluctantly grabbed Cloud from under his armpits. They dragged their fallen comrade to a nearby restaurant's patio. Placing Cloud at a table next to a large artificial tree, Biggs rested his face on the Chocobo Chow shirt. He opened the table's upraised umbrella to keep him dry from the drizzle.
"Aw, man…" Wedge whined afterward and rubbed the sides of his head. "I feel like my melon is gonna explode. I'm totally not looking forward to the trip below. I just wanna sleep."
"Me too…" agreed Biggs. He slightly wavered to the left but regained his balance.
"You guys can crash at my place," Ele' offered. She yawned and later admitted, "I don't think any of you are in any condition to travel to the Slums. The gangs are bad down there at this time."
"Seriously? We can stay at your place? Sweet!" Wedge beamed. Then he looked at Cloud and nodded at his sleeping form. "But what about him? You got room for Cloud at your place too, Ele'?"
Before Ele' could reply, Jessie chimed in: "I-I can take care of him."
Everyone turned to her with a look of surprise.
"I live in the Slums too and need to head back anyway for my morning shift at the car shop," Jessie explained, her voice small and quiet. "I can t-take Cloud with me. My car is only four blocks away."
Ele' raised a brow. "Wait. I thought you were a Plate resident. You're in the Slums?"
"Mm-hm."
"Isn't it kinda pointless to have a car then? Access to the underground is limited to the train. There's no road that leads down there."
A tiny smile formed across Jessie's lips. Her voice sounded more confident when she said, "Not unless you got the whole schematics of the city and know the tunnel that can also access the underworld."
Ele' cocked her head to one side. "I wasn't aware such a thing existed."
"It's a spiraled shape service tunnel that runs within Midgar's main pillar structure," Jessie revealed, "It's reserved for the Urban Development staff. Construction workers have been using it to commute back and forth while they work on the outer wall structures of Midgar's plate and pillars. High-ranked Shinra officials have also used it for emergencies."
"Aren't there security protocols though?"
"There are. But I mimicked a legit badge to bypass security. And because so many construction workers use the tunnel, as far as anyone is concerned, I am a part of the Urban Development team."
Ele' sounded impressed when she inquired, "How did you access this information? I thought you were just a car mechanic, Jessie."
"You're looking at a genius," Biggs butted in with a proud look on his face. He put an arm around Jessie's shoulder. "She is a fucking wizard with the computer."
Jessie softly scoffed. "Er. I-I wouldn't say I'm a genius. I just know my way around with a computer."
"Fuhito, himself, gets some of his information from her," Biggs added. "Jessie's a part of his AVALANCHE movement. It's kinda cool."
"Fuhito is an environmental nut job," Ele' dismissed quietly. She glanced at Cloud's sleeping form afterward and returned her attention to Jessie. "You sure about this? I mean, I can take him with us."
"It's no inconvenience to me. Really. I'm headed below anyway and can take care of myself. At least Cloud can sleep things off at his home and not worry about riding the train with a big hangover in the morning." Jessie looked up at the sky. The drizzle fell faster and lightning flashed.
Next to her, Biggs frowned. He looked at Jessie. Then at Cloud. Then back at Jessie. Something clicked in his head and almost immediately, he suggested, "Maybe Cloud is better off crashing at Ele's place instead." He grinned and told Jessie, "But you can take me home."
Jessie slowly removed Biggs' arm from her shoulders. She stood next to Cloud and addressed Ele' again. "You guys should go now before the rain really comes down."
Ele' held back a chuckle when she noticed Biggs shove both his hands deep into his pockets and glare at the motionless body of Cloud. Then she turned to Jessie and simply said, "Have fun."
A rosy color filled Jessie's cheeks.
To Wedge and Biggs, Ele' silently motioned for them to follow her. Biggs mumbled a few quiet words but ultimately trailed after the girl. Wedge waved a goodbye to Jessie. Then he joined the two. Their figures crossed a street corner and disappeared at the next block.
Staying behind with Cloud, Jessie checked his forehead for a temperature. There was a moment of silence, accompanied only by the gentle sounds of light tapping from the drizzle. Jessie's hand stayed on Cloud's face a moment longer. The dim light in her brown eyes softened. Jessie studied specific features while one finger set aside a stray hair from his cheek. The small gesture stirred Cloud awake.
"Mm? What?" Cloud started. With sluggish movements, he lifted his head up from the table and frowned. "What's going on? Where is everybody?"
Cloud saw no one else aside from the strange brunette-haired girl standing next to him. He vaguely recognized the street. The entire block was quiet, save for a distant siren and low-sounding thunder above. Cloud wiped saliva off the corner of his mouth with a thumb as he studied his surroundings again. Then something caught his attention. He blankly looked ahead at the fenced-off construction site. His eyes stayed glued to the large Shinra billboard sign posted there. Cloud pursed his lips.
"Shadow baby…" he muttered, not making any sense again.
"Shadow baby?" Jessie repeated and stared at the same direction Cloud looked right now. She saw only a large Shinra advertisement sign covered in shadows. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Returning her eyes back on Cloud, she dismissed his paranoia and soon informed, "Um, th-the others have gone ahead. I'm gonna take you home right now. Y-you, uh, feeling better?"
"The others are gone?" Rubbing the back of his aching neck, Cloud looked away from the construction side. He pieced together what Jessie just disclosed and sighed. "You should've gone with them. No need to stay behind for my sake. I'll walk to the train station by myself, thanks."
Jessie made a funny sound through her nostrils. "Don't be silly. You were sleeping on the sidewalk just moments ago."
Cloud blinked. "I was?" His brows pulled together when he realized he was at a patio. He had no idea how he got there.
"Yea," Jessie confirmed with a soft chortle. "You're in no condition to move."
"I'm fine though," he insisted. "You don't have to stay. I can take care of myself."
As if to prove his point, Cloud tried to rise from his seat. His unsteadied legs wobbled back and forth under his weight. Nausea hit him the moment his sense of balance shifted too quickly. Cloud covered his mouth and tried to swallow the bile down. It was too late. Quickly, he fell toward the large artificial tree next to his table and puked inside its pot.
"Just sit tight while I get the car," Jessie implored and bit on her lower lip. "I'll be back fast. I-I promise."
Cloud wanted to protest but couldn't. Jessie hurried off while he spilt more of tonight's contents into the unfortunate tree pot. In his drug-induced paranoia he feared he'd vomit blood or a vital internal organ. He obviously did not. Completely alone now, Cloud wiped his mouth with a hand and breathed hard. Like a ragged doll he lay sprawled across the patio's bricked floor. Cloud felt a little better. A good day's worth of rest would greatly improve his condition, he mentally concluded. Unfortunately, now that his stomach had calmed an unpleasant flavor settled over his tongue.
With the light rain still falling, Cloud crawled out of the protection of his table's umbrella. He raised his head and caught a few raindrops in his mouth to rinse off the bitter, acidic taste there. Almost immediately he stopped and grimaced. "Gross…"
Cloud hadn't noticed it until now. Whereas the rain back home was fresh and clear, the rain in Midgar City tasted funny. The flavor was too sweet and thick, like syrup. Cloud studied the orbs of mako energy in the sky. They continued to leak from the mako reactors and dance in the air. Even the thick clouds above emitted a soft green glow. Licking his lips, Cloud recalled the conversation he shared with Biggs.
His coworker had claimed mako was poisonous. Cloud's mother felt the same. She denounced Shinra as a constant polluter of the planet. Cloud dismissed these declarations as personal prejudices. The idea Shinra would knowingly contaminate the air with toxics sounded ridiculous, especially when mako energy had always been a part of the planet. The entire human race would've died ages ago if it was bad. Even so, the taste in Cloud's mouth right now did inspire many questions. He watched the tainted raindrops collect on the bricked pavement and wondered if there was some truth to the stories.
Cloud paused from his thoughts when a small black shape appeared at the corner of his eye. It came from the construction site; the same spot he had noted earlier. Cloud moved behind the artificial tree to stay out of view. Then he squint his eyes at the large Shinra billboard sign. Was it his imagination again? No. It was the shadow baby.
Cloud called it a shadow baby because it was no more than four-feet tall. Small and thin. The shadow baby currently walked away from the billboard sign it previously stood beside and now appeared on the sidewalk directly across Cloud. The tensed teen remained behind the tree trunk, too reluctant to move. His vision blurred while his heart thumped faster. A moment passed. The figure stepped into the light of a street post. As the image came into clearer view, Cloud's lips parted. It was a boy.
The child carried a very large, black lacey umbrella over his head. Casting a deep shadow over his face, Cloud only noticed the child's finely dressed attire: a private schoolboy's uniform. It was composed of dark olive-green colors that looked black under low lighting. The boy donned the standard necktie, shorts, calve-high socks, and glossy ankle shoes. His white collared shirt was layered by a well-fitted vest and double buttoned jacket. This boy was obviously a high-class citizen of the Plate.
When the preppy boy playfully twirled the umbrella to one side, Cloud caught a glimpse of his profile. Plush lips were the perfect shade of ruby pink. The lashes were long and thick. His flawless, porcelain-white skin seemingly glowed under the streetlamp's lighting while his hair shined with a peculiar silver color. Cut into a stylish bob, the boy's long bangs were shifted to one side of his face and held back by two crossed pins. Had it not been for his gender encoded uniform, Cloud might've mistaken the child for a girl. The pretty schoolboy looked somewhere below ten-years-old. Despite his tender age, he strolled alongside the tall metal gate of the construction site with an air of confidence. His naked fingertips carelessly glided through the chained-link fence and produced a soft cling-cling-cling sound.
Rain continued to fall, this time in thicker drops. The boy's face became an assortment of shadows beneath his umbrella again. Approaching a lonely bus bench, he stopped and took a seat. His umbrella stayed over his head while he removed a large lollipop from his well-tailored jacket. For Cloud, it was strange seeing a schoolboy at this time of the night. He wondered where his guardians were or if he was a runaway. Cloud's eyes soon drifted to the sweet treat in the boy's hand. It glowed and shared the same green color as the orbs of mako energy flying in the sky. The child undid the plastic wrapping and stuck the lollipop inside his mouth. Then he looked at Cloud's direction. Visible large green eyes gleamed. The boy somehow knew he was behind the tree. For whatever reason, his lingering stare reminded Cloud of… Black.
Studying him, Cloud debated on whether to approach the child or not. It seemed odd to spot him at a place like this. Either his presence was a coincidence or he'd been following him this whole time. After all, the shadow had appeared ever since Cloud left Club LIFESTREAM. It showed up everywhere. At least that's what Cloud thought. He wasn't quite sure of it himself. It could've all been one grand illusion; an illusion created by a reckless teenager who couldn't think straight at the moment. Cloud softly blew out air from his mouth. Regardless of why the boy was here, it didn't feel right to leave him alone. He was better off hitching a ride in Jessie's car than waiting out here for the bus during this late hour.
Just as Cloud decided to talk to the boy, a vehicle soon appeared at the street. He momentarily froze. The car was a high-slick vintage model with four doors and a bronze paint job. Hard gill went into the rim tires. The car rode along the path until it slowed down and got closer to the bus stop. Behind the tree, Cloud kept out of sight. His shoulders turned stiff.
He was still paranoid by the Dr. Evil spook earlier and feared the worse when the vehicle stopped in front of the child's bench. Cloud held his breath. He expected a sinister scientist dressed in a white lab coat to pop out with a bloody syringe. Instead, an old well-off fellow in his late seventies emerged from the vehicle with a gold cane. He sported a beige penciled suit and a thick grey beard. The elder wobbled toward the bench with his cane and took a seat next to the child. He spoke a few words but the schoolboy kept sucking on his lollipop.
Cloud remained unnoticed by Greybeard and his two servants in the car. He couldn't overhear the conversation across the street. It was said in soft whispers. He assumed the rich man thought the same as he did and wanted to give the boy a lift. Cloud's lips drew into a thin line though when Greybeard placed a trembling, wrinkled hand on the child's thigh. The elder leaned closer to whisper something into the boy's ear. Then he planted a wet, sloppy kiss on his cheek. It was a simple yet bizarre kiss. Cloud didn't understand the awkward vibe he got from it or why the knots in his belly suddenly tightened. This uneasy feeling only intensified when the silver-haired boy responded with a giggle.
It was a lively, brilliant sound. Innocent and very child-like. Even so, Cloud detected notes of indifference and mockery in the boy's melody. He saw the boy lick his lollipop again while his large green eyes illuminated brightly. Eerie eyes reflected all the dark lust of a predator.
"Such a pretty little boy…" Cloud overheard Greybeard coo.
The old man made a gesture with a shaky, boney finger. He pointed at his car. Several times he did this, begging the boy to come with him. When the child did not comply he kissed the child's cheek again and again and again, as if he were worshipping a prized pet. Cloud winced in disgust. Great. A weirdo, he realized. The smacking sounds of Greybeard's loud, clumsy mouth reached his ears all the way across the street and caused his insides to turn. Cloud was already put off by the old man's appearance. He despised his pale flaky skin, his beady black eyes, and the pattern of discolored aging spots across his bald scalp. Cloud imagined all sorts of discarded food particles stuck inside that thick grey beard. The thought of it sickened him.
"Pretty, pretty boy," the old man said in between his wet kisses, "Yes, a pretty little darling…"
Cloud was relieved when Greybeard finally stopped kissing the boy. A hoarse-sounding laugh now erupted from him. Cloud noticed the slobbery mess he left behind on the child's cheek. It shined with a thick layer of saliva. The teenager was repulsed by it all, especially when Greybeard appeared more proud than ashamed of his work. The old fart took the small boy with both his scrawny arms and set him on his lap. He wrapped an arm around the boy's thin waist. The other hand settled back on the thigh again and traced the bottom cuffing of his shorts. Slowly rocking him back and forth, Greybeard hummed a lullaby to the child.
Cloud halfway scoffed from his hidden spot. He expected the schoolboy to push Greybeard off or run away. At the very least, yell for help. But the silver-haired child did neither. In fact, he seemed unbothered by the whole event. His free hand kept twirling the handle of his large umbrella while both legs bobbed up and down as he sat on the old man's lap. He ran the flat side of his lollipop along his bottom lip before taking it deep inside his mouth. A second later he removed it with a loud pop. The boy was obviously indifferent to Greybeard's actions. Even as the elder tried to tickle him, he didn't laugh. Green eyes eventually found Cloud again. They stayed on him for a while.
The elder cooed at the boy one more time. Despite his failed attempts at tickling him, Greybeard continued to touch him. His fingers explored the visible bare areas of ivory skin. The crane of his neck. The top of his knees. It was when a thumb slipped beneath the fabric of his shorts that the child removed the lollipop from his mouth and finally faced Greybeard. Time crawled to a stop.
Cloud leaned forward from his spot to get a closer look of them. He saw the child hold the lollipop between two fingers. His palm slowly touched the surface of the old man's head and followed along its egg-like shape. The boy's green eyes shimmered. There was a look of fascination across his youthful face, as if the sight of a wrinkle-faced man delighted him. Perhaps the sharp contrast of age struck his childlike curiosity, Cloud wondered. He saw a gentle smile form on the boy's ruby-pink lips. Underneath the light of the nearby streetlamp, he looked like an angel.
The boy really was beautiful. Cloud couldn't deny this. In a way, he understood Greybeard's fascination with the child, even if the reasons bothered him. His long limps and peculiar features… he seemed almost too lovely for this world. There was definitely something special about him. And familiar. Again, Cloud thought about Black. He recalled the Host's grace and silence. He remembered the predatory vibe he emitted. Black was beauty and beast wrapped into one. It was the same for this boy. His green eyes possessed all the vigor of a deprived wild animal.
Greybeard held the child closer to him with both arms, pressing their cheeks together. It was at this point the large umbrella shifted directions. Cloud caught a brief smile from the schoolboy before he and the old man disappeared behind it. Their faces were now blocked from his view. Cloud frowned.
He knew the boy had intentionally moved the umbrella to that position. Only he was aware of his presence and exact location. The action admittedly annoyed Cloud for reasons he either did not know or want to admit. Sitting in complete silence, his curiosity eventually got the best of him and he tried to pick up on anything that transpired behind the large umbrella with his ears. Cloud managed to hear Greybeard's voice. Because the elder spoke in hushed tones he couldn't make out what he said. His ears did pick up a familiar, awful wet sound. Cloud chewed on his lower lip as it grew in volume.
The longer Cloud listened to the two the more awkward he felt. In all honesty, he couldn't decide whether he wanted the noise to stop or continue. He had a funny feeling the schoolboy suspected this too because the distorted smacking sounds resumed without opposition. It was as if the child deliberately wanted Cloud to hear them. The blond-haired teen suddenly felt dirty as he debated what went on beyond the lacey umbrella. The material of it was too thick to make out any silhouettes. Cloud's mind raced with many wild possibilities. They ranged between the vulgar to the horrendous. Had he become a weirdo too?
Staring at the umbrella nonstop, Cloud developed an urge to walk over there and chop off the elderly man's shriveled balls. It would serve him right. He had no right to touch the forbidden fruit. These dark thoughts continued until the irritating wet noises finally stopped.
Cloud froze in place when a low moan emerged shortly after. It was a long and very deep sound. Raspy. Cloud became disturbed by its single, lingering note. Changing in tone and volume, this groan grew louder. And louder. The tiny hairs at the back of Cloud's neck rose. His face turned pale white when a wail abruptly switched into a high-pitched scream.
It echoed loudly across the street. Even while the rain fell and an adorable Cactuar cartoon danced across a flashy billboard sign close by, it continued. A dull, thick sound finally interrupted the scream. It was followed by a strange gurgling noise.
From the ground, Cloud clung to the tree trunk with both hands and breathed hard. The blood rushed to his head. He didn't know what the hell just happened. The blood-curling scream seconds ago had him in fight-or-flight mode. Cautiously, Cloud rose to his knees from the ground. His sense of balance was worth shit but he held onto the tree. He took a small peek around the corner and noticed the umbrella had moved aside. Cloud was almost too terrified to get a better look but dared himself anyway.
Across the street, the boy and old man appeared in his sights again. At first, Cloud didn't understand what he saw. In his dazed, drugged state the whole scene appeared almost comedic. Greybeard rapidly pulled away from the child. That bizarre gurgling sound Cloud heard came from him. For whatever reason, his mouth and the child's were filled with crimson. The old man fell backward. His fragile bones cracked the moment he hit the hard pavement. Cloud was surprised he didn't accidentally snap his neck in half. Sitting on the bench with crossed legs, meanwhile, the silver-haired child cocked his head to the side and played with the umbrella's handle again. He silently watched the old man whither in agony with unblinking crystal-green eyes. The child currently chewed on something that wasn't his lollipop.
It was around this time the driver and other servant stepped out of the fancy car. Both of them were six feet tall and somewhere in their forties. They ran to the old man's side and squatted next to him. Cloud observed them with mild amusement. He still wasn't sure what to make of this due to his disoriented senses. The weird sounds the elderly man made on the ground were either of a wounded animal or a bitch in heat. Cloud stifled a chuckle at the latter thought. As he watched Greybeard's broken body, he admittedly took some satisfaction in it. Cloud recalled his own encounter with a pervert at the train earlier this morning; the businessman. Those feelings of anger and resentment returned. Cloud's piercing blue eyes stayed on the wounded elderly man. He almost smiled.
"You little brat!" suddenly cursed one of Greybeard's companions. "I'll kill you!"
Cloud noticed the two men lunge for the boy. He frowned when his vision abruptly blurred. Across the street, the silver-haired child moved from one spot to the next at rapid speed. Lines of light and colors swirled around his small frame. Surely this was not real, Cloud thought. It had to be the chemicals in his body creating this illusion. There was no way anyone could move that fast. Nonetheless, the child appeared next to Greybeard's car a second later. He climbed on top of its expensive hood and sat on the roof with crossed legs. His red-soaked mouth swallowed down whatever he'd been chewing on.
It was raining hard now. The chilly air bit into Cloud's skin. One hand dug deep into his coat's pocket and gripped the PHS there. For a moment, he contemplated on calling for help. It was the only idea he could think of. It seemed like the right thing to do in this situation. Cloud paused from this thought though when both of the servants removed a switchblade. These guys meant business. They wanted to kill the boy for what he'd done to their master. Cloud had no idea what Greybeard's condition was from his spot. The elder kept thrashing about on the sidewalk. Those terrible gurgling sounds continued. Cloud's hand slowly let go of the PHS.
Even if he called for help there were no Shinra IMs in the immediate area. By the time they arrived, the child would be dead. Admittedly, Cloud also didn't want to involve the authorities for his own sake. He couldn't risk getting scanned for illegal substances. They'd arrest him indefinitely once he checked positive for them. Getting to his feet, Cloud grabbed his Chocobo Chow work shirt from the table and decided to take matters into his own hands.
He knew none of this was his business. And truth be told, he felt Greybeard got what he deserved. But Cloud couldn't stand back and watch two grown men charge after a kid. They were better off leaving him alone and getting their master to a nearby hospital. Perhaps if he knocked some sense into them the situation would diffuse itself. That's what Cloud hoped for anyway. Taking a few steps forward, he ignored his raging headache and upset stomach.
All sense of reason nagged at Cloud as he crossed the road, his legs feeling like clay. Reason told him this was a bad idea and to call for help. He ignored it and hurried anyway. By the time Cloud reached the other sidewalk, the situation got bad. Both men surrounded the car. One of them reached for an ankle to grab the boy. He hollered in pain when his hand was smacked by the large umbrella. The child laughed, taking delight in their feeble attempts to catch him. It was a game to him. His lips glistened with red. When he suddenly noticed Cloud a few feet away, the boy stopped laughing and stared at him.
The teenager felt naked under the child's heavy gaze. From where he stood, Cloud got a closer look at his eyes. A mystifying jade color, they glowed with the same brilliant intensity of the blue-eyed Hosts he had met tonight. But there was something different about the child, something more. He wasn't like the others. With slant-like pupils, similar to a feline's, Cloud was taken aback by this angelic yet strange child. His blood-red mouth formed a small, very sweet smile. It was as if he'd been expecting him.
Greybeard's weak moans reached Cloud's ears nearby. The teen looked back at the old man on the ground. He definitely needed medical attention since there was blood all over the sidewalk. When Greybeard opened his mouth to mutter something, Cloud realized the old man couldn't talk: he had no tongue. It'd been ripped off.
The ghastly sight of him prompted Cloud to take a step back. In all of his years of hunting, he'd never seen anything like this before. But there wasn't time to understand or accept this horrific discovery. Wild and intense, the men that were after the schoolboy hastily climbed the car with knives drawn out. Their blades scrapped against the car metal as they tried again and again to climb without slipping. The falling rain prevented their progress but Cloud knew it wouldn't last for long. He quickly snapped out of his bewildered daze. Dropping his Chocobo Chow work shirt on the sidewalk, the teen approached one of them from behind. He held the hand that gripped the knife by the wrist. Cloud entangled the man's other arm with his own and pulled him away from the car.
"Back off," Cloud ordered as he wrestled the man. Even when his pupils were over-dilated and he had trouble just standing, his voice still carried an even and hard tone.
The two servants must not have perceived him as a threat or dismissed him as a drunk since neither of them reacted to his presence until now. The man in Cloud's grip tried to break free.
"Who the hell are you?" he barked.
"Someone who isn't going to tell you twice." Cloud's hand squeezed the man's wrist tighter to indicate he meant business. "You and your posse should mosey out of here. Get the old fart to a hospital before he bleeds himself to death."
"Fuck you."
The big guy tried to push him off while the other got down from the car to focus on him. Cloud knew the score. It was two armed men against one unarmed idiot. With odds like that, either the chemicals in his system had given him illusions of grandeur or he just didn't give a damn. It wouldn't be the first time Cloud had his back against a wall. He'd gotten into a countless number of fights like this before with little regard for the consequences. Not that he minded it too much. He liked the challenge of overcoming great odds in order to prove his worth. It made Cloud feel alive.
Granted, the country boy lacked the physical strength required to pulverize his opponents. But Cloud did possess speed and agility. His mother had taught him the value of maximizing his personal assets and choosing his targets wisely. Cloud chewed on the insides of a cheek as he debated on his next move though. He had managed to hold back one of the men but the other remained a problem. Cloud gritted his teeth. If he hadn't been forgetful this morning he'd have his trusty knife on him right now and make minced meat of them. Slightly frustrated by this, he made sure his nails pierced the delicate skin of the man's wrist he gripped. He overheard his grunts and curse words and found satisfaction in those sounds.
"We're gonna fuck you up real good, pretty boy," the second servant up ahead promised.
Cloud didn't doubt that. Briefly, he checked back on the boy. It was about to get nasty real soon. Surprisingly, the boy did not appear worried. He made no sound nor moved from his spot. His mirror- green eyes observed Cloud as he licked his lollipop. The blood on his lips was a gruesome reminder of what had happened. Cloud suspected what this child had eaten. Still, he couldn't concern himself with that awful revelation right now. He noticed the umbrella in the boy's hand and an idea came to him.
"Mind if I borrow that for a sec?" Cloud asked and nodded at the umbrella.
In silence, the child complied with the request and offered it to him. Cloud had no choice but to release the servant in his arms to grab it. It was that, or risk getting punched in the face the moment he let go of one of his hands. Cloud kicked the servant forward, hard enough to throw him off balance. As the guy fell to the ground, he quickly took the umbrella from the boy. It would do as an improvised weapon. He had worked with less before.
"Time to bust your cherry, pretty boy," yelled the second male after his partner was released.
The attack happened so fast that there was only a second to react. Cloud dodged left as the man swiped with his knife. A line of hot pain instantly registered over his left bicep. The teen bit back the pain though and gripped the umbrella in the same manner he held a practice sword. Even in his incapacitated state, natural instincts and years of training kicked in. The armed man pushed forward for another attack. Cloud side-stepped out of the way and this time avoided the hit altogether. He brought the umbrella downward and smacked the man's arm. Something broke and the servant screamed. Cloud wasted no time with a follow-up attack. He thrust the umbrella directly at his throat. The force of his hit was powerful enough to break the apple there. Gasping, the male dropped to his knees and clutched at his neck with both hands. His knife dropped and skidded across the rain-soaked sidewalk.
One down, Cloud thought. It was a victory short-lived. He noticed the first man getting to his feet. He was considerably bigger than his partner-in-crime. Cloud promptly kicked at his face to push him back down. He didn't want this creep getting up again. The servant fumbled and lost his grip on the knife. He shielded his face when Cloud kicked at him again and again and again. Bones cracked. Blood splattered across the pavement. The teenager did not stop. He aimed for the man's stomach, his chest, his face, and anything else that annoyed him. Cloud's attacks became fiercer when he caught the sight of a busted nose and split cheek. He wanted to break this man; to tear him apart. This determination blinded Cloud. His desperate victim managed to grab the offending foot with both hands. Yelling like a dying animal, the man held onto it until he got to his knees. Then he used all of his strength to fling Cloud backward against the car. The teenager smashed the passenger's window. Glass shattered everywhere.
Sharp tingles of pain were felt across Cloud's back. While his thick coat managed to cushion most of the damage, he knew a few pieces had embedded themselves in his skin. The teen cursed while he stumbled out of the car's window and dropped forward on his knees. A second later, the big guy appeared directly in front of him. He delivered a powerful punch across Cloud's mouth. His lower lip instantly burst in a fat pool of hot blood. Another punch came soon afterward. Cloud shifted his head to one side to lessen the blow of it. His cheekbone instantly stung at the point of impact. A third punch landed on his temple. Briefly, Cloud's vision was reduced to specks of lights and colors. His eyes rolled back from a powerful dizzy spell; it was a result of chemicals and heavy hits. A terrible ringing started in his ears. Caught between the man and the car, Cloud had no escape.
"See? We told you we were gonna fuck you up," the bloody man reminded him with a twisted grin on his face. A few of his front teeth were missing while the crooked nose bled all over his chin and chest.
Cloud hurt everywhere but the poor sight of the man was actually hilarious. He probably didn't look any better himself. Luckily, he was too high and numb to care for his own condition at the moment. Cloud chuckled. Even as he choked on his blood and ached from the fresh opened wounds, he continued to laugh. His laughter must've pissed the man. Seconds later, Cloud received a swift kick to the stomach.
"You think you're tough?" the servant yelled and kicked him again, "I'll fucking split you in half." He turned and glared at the child on the car. "And you're next! Don't think I've forgotten about you."
Silent as always, the silver-haired child merely sucked on his lollipop. He ignored the threat and kept his exotic green eyes on Cloud. They never left him.
The child, Cloud slowly recalled. The teenager sat up from his spot and rubbed his bruised belly with a palm. He still needed to protect the boy. It was why he came. Briefly, an unwanted memory surfaced in Cloud's thoughts. He remembered the last time he tried to protect someone. It didn't pan out so well.
Already, Cloud saw a mental image of Tifa. Her crimson-brown eyes stared at him while she fell; a thick cloudy abyss below her. He could see her fall second-by-second. Her long gorgeous hair expanded outward. Her hands reached for a place she could no longer grip. As Tifa fell, she screamed his name. Her scream echoed to him, even when she disappeared from sight. It haunted him every night.
Cloud's hand gripped the umbrella's handle. Ignoring the pain on his stomach, he rose to his feet and confronted the large man. His voice was calm and quiet when he said, "Hey. We're not finished yet."
The big guy frowned. He looked back at him, admittedly surprised. Cloud used this brief moment of shock to his advantage. He thrust his improvised weapon forward and popped one of the man's balls with it. Cloud tackled him to the ground soon afterward. They landed together with him on top. The teen ditched the umbrella and resorted to his bare fists. Determined to finish what he had started, Cloud hit the male servant with all the fury inside him. Each time a punch connected, a wet-like thud echoed. It didn't matter if his own knuckles bled or if the man was losing consciousness, Cloud kept punching him. Again. And again. And again. It was only until he heard the muffled sound of a familiar moan and gurgle that he finally stopped. The teenager looked up.
Greybeard was still alive. He had lost a lot of blood but his head was turned. His eyes stayed fixated on Cloud. They didn't blink. Even as he bled from the mouth, the old man weakly whimpered. He was now afraid of the bloodthirsty teenager. Of the monster.
The rain finally stopped. An uncomfortable silence settled over the city. Breathing hard, Cloud returned his attention to the broken servant he currently straddled. The man was a real mess. Both of his eyes were blood-shot and swollen. Air barely escaped his quivering lips. He reminded Cloud of all the boys he'd beaten up back home. In the end, they all looked the same: pulpy. Not far away was the second servant. He still struggled to breathe. His larynx had turned into a harsh purple-black color now.
Something inside Cloud broke. His hands shaking, he didn't know what it was but his eyes burned. He slowly looked up at the angelic creature above him. Cloud didn't know why he did. Perhaps he wanted to find forgiveness for tonight's sins. Perhaps he thought the child could give it to him.
Light from the street post showered over the child. It caused his thick lashes to cast long shadows over his green eyes. There was warmth in them. As the child studied the carnage around him and saw the red on Cloud's hands, his beautiful bloody lips curved into a smile. A look of adoration formed on the angel's delicate features. Cloud could only stare back, transfixed. The angel neither judged nor condemned him. It was as if everything had been preordained and he had his blessing. He had passed a great test. Yet, despite his triumph, Cloud felt broken inside.
More aware of himself now, he glared at his sticky fingers. Everything had happened so fast; his actions on auto-pilot mode. He hadn't noticed how bad he hurt these people until this very moment. Cloud's eyes burned even more and a loose tear escaped his right eye.
His mother always warned him about his uncontrollable bouts of aggression. They got the best of him, she used to say. There definitely was a lot of deep-rooted anger Cloud reserved for the world and himself. It was why Mrs. Strife tried to channel it elsewhere through the hunts and sword training. Nevertheless, she still had faith in her boy. She had told him many times he would find his way; his light. He would become something greater than the world imagined him to be. He was not a monster. Cloud briefly closed his eyes.
He really wanted to believe that.
Cloud carefully dismounted the man he straddled. The servant was alive and semi-awake. Both his arms and legs could still move. The teen sighed and stepped away from him, giving him room. Cloud's own body suffered from various injuries. They ranged from mild to severe. He'd need stitches. Cloud felt dizzy and was ready to pass out. But he forced himself to stay awake, at least long enough to settle matters once and for all. He noticed something shining on the ground nearby and approached it.
Cloud grabbed the knife there and wandered over to Greybeard's body. Standing over him, he dangled the blade between two fingers while the elderly man looked up. Greybeard froze in place. The tip of the blade hung directly above his left eye only a few feet away. He was afraid Cloud would drop it.
"Keep your sights away from the kiddies," Cloud told him, "or I'll stab those eyes out myself, gramps."
Trickles of piss collected between the old man's legs. Cloud said nothing else. He turned and tossed the knife over the construction site's metal fence. Then he carefully took one of Greybeard's arms and dragged him to the back seat of his car. The other two men gradually made their way to the vehicle as well. It was clear to them the fight was done. They were all in need of medical attention. Cloud closed the door after he secured Greybeard inside. He soon directed his attentions at the source of everything.
"You all right?" Cloud asked the silver-haired child on the car's roof.
Leaning slightly to one side, the schoolboy looked down at him. His pink lips wrapped around the hard candy again and a finger trailed along the stem of the lollipop. Cloud halfway expected the child to say something. He hadn't said a word throughout the whole ordeal, only watched. The boy maintained his silence as he hopped down from the roof. His movements were as brief and effortless as a cat's. Returning to the bus stop, the child sat on the bench and cordially crossed his legs.
Cloud nearly rolled his eyes. A simple 'thank you' would have been nice. He spat out a wad of blood from his busted lip. Before he followed him, he retrieved the boy's umbrella from the ground. Its handle was bent due to his administrations. There were also a few drops of blood on the black laced fabric.
"Sorry about your, um, umbrella," Cloud apologized and offered the broken item back to its owner. The boy ignored it. Cloud exhaled loudly in annoyance and took a seat beside him. Later, he demanded, "What are you doing out here by yourself at this hour? A kid your age should be at home. There are a bunch of weirdoes in the city."
As if to prove his point, Cloud looked back at three prime examples. The trio of men finally made it inside the car, ready to leave. The driver started it up and pulled away. They disappeared at a corner.
Cloud gripped his seat with both hands. An unsteadied feeling came to him, especially now that the adrenaline in his blood had washed away. Cloud struggled to keep upright. In a slightly slurred voice, he asked, "Do you need a ride home? My friend is about to pick me up. We can take you home."
The boy did not respond as usual. Sucking on his green lollipop, he stared at some undefined space down the road. Cloud wondered if the boy was mute. Or maybe he viewed him as a weirdo as well. It would explain why he refused to talk. Pretty soon Jessie would arrive though. Cloud hoped this child had enough sense to join them. It was too dangerous to stay out here alone.
"What's your name?" Cloud asked while flexing his damaged fingers.
At this, the child turned. Green eyes met blue. Cloud became rigid from the abrupt moment of familiarity. He could've sworn he had this encounter before.
Beside him, the child tasted his lollipop like he always did. His pink tongue lashed out and licked at the center of the sweet treat in small, slow circles. By now the thickness of the hard candy had turned thin and transparent from his constant licking. The child traced its round outer edges with his tongue, drawing out a long string of saliva. Cloud's throat felt dry all of sudden. He found himself needing to look away. The child's intense stare locked him into place though. He maintained eye contact with Cloud as he swallowed the entire lollipop in one gulp. Then he latched onto the hardy candy with his teeth. With a quick jerk, the boy pulled it straight off from the plastic stick.
It was the crackling sound of a motorcycle's engine that finally broke Cloud out of his trance. He licked his lips. Then he turned to the direction of the road. A lone bike rider approached. The sound of his metal beast roared loudly while his headlights grew brighter. He drew closer to the bus stop. The child surprisingly glanced at the rider as well. His teeth audibly crushed the hard candy inside his mouth.
Wearing a black helmet over his face, Cloud instantly recognized his clothes. Fatigue-colored jacket with cargo pants. Belts and chains. Thick boots. It was the young, raven-haired Host from the club. Pulling to a stop in front of their bench, he shut off the engine and pushed down the brake. A part of Cloud wondered if his other associates were with him. He even clung to the hope that Black was nearby. Unfortunately, Cloud saw only this young male.
Sitting on his bike, the Host removed his helmet and set it on his lap. Light from the street-post reflected back a youthful but very tired face. Bright blue eyes glowed as they did before while his spiked hair swayed against the cool winds. At this close range Cloud had a better look at his facial scar: it had been a clean cut. The brunette-haired teen surveyed the area for a moment. He noticed the blood splatters across the sidewalk and Cloud's condition. He made a face. His blue eyes looked at their direction.
"You done screwing around?" he suddenly asked.
The Host sounded both annoyed and amused. Slightly confused by his words, Cloud didn't know how to answer his question. He stayed quiet and sucked on his bottom lip to make it stop bleeding. The Host eventually looked directly at him. A frown appeared on his face. The Host shook his head with a sigh.
"Leave him alone already…" he murmured.
"Excuse me?" Cloud bit back. He scoffed and quickly defended himself. "I haven't done anything."
The other teen gave him a toothy grin. He laughed. "I wasn't talking to you, sunshine."
Cloud cocked a brow. He hadn't been talking to him all this time? Then it dawned on him. He turned to the silver-haired boy.
Flicking his lollipop stick to a nearby dispenser, the child now rose off the bench and approached the bike. The Host scooted forward in his seat to offer him space. They knew each other, Cloud realized and wondered how. The child didn't seem related to the raven-haired teen. He was also too young to be a Host. About the only thread they shared was the peculiar glow in their eyes.
"It took me a while to find you," the Host said and kept his eyes on the child. "Man, Angeal is gonna be sooo pissed when he finds out where you ran off to and what you've been doing all this time. You'll never hear the end of his speech. Honor. Dreams. The works."
The child ignored the wild teen's gentle ramblings. He was a few steps away from the bike when he abruptly stopped and looked down. There was something on the ground. Cloud followed the schoolboy's gaze and realized it was his Chocobo Chow work shirt. He'd nearly forgotten about it.
Having dropped it before the fight, it was thoroughly soaked from the rain. The child picked it up with both hands and closely inspected it. He tilted his head to one side and studied the goofy Chocobo Chow patch with the name Strife stenciled on it. A snicker escaped the child's lips. Cloud nearly rolled his eyes when he soon heard a giggle. Obviously, the child found his name or occupation or both very funny.
"Okay, give it here," Cloud ordered. He stood next to the boy to retrieve his shirt.
Either the child didn't hear his request or didn't care to oblige since he made no move to give it back to him. His small fingers carefully touched the fine textures of the sewn patch. He traced each letter of his last name with a pinky. Trying his patience, Cloud opened his mouth, prepared to demand for his work shirt again. His eyes widened in shock when the terrible child suddenly ripped the patch right off.
"H-hey!" Cloud started. "What the hell? Give that back, you little brat!"
The silver-haired boy swiftly shoved the Chocobo Chow patch inside his jacket's breast pocket: it was his now. When the little bugger finally returned the shirt back he made no apologies. Irritated, Cloud snatched back his blouse. He had no idea why the child did that. Perhaps he wanted a memento for tonight's affairs. Or he liked Chocobo Chow. Or maybe it was payback for what he'd done to his umbrella. Whatever the reason was, Cloud had one less work shirt to use. Damn.
At the curb, the black-haired Host helped the boy mount his motorcycle. He turned to Cloud and grinned. "Sorry, sunshine. Finders keepers, losers weepers."
Not amused, Cloud muttered a curse word. The sour moment came to pass as he observed the two get ready to leave. The child wrapped his arms around his companion's waist. Their unique eyes shimmered. Cloud was tempted to ask why they glowed like that but the bike rider quickly put on his helmet and snapped the dark visor shut. The Host gave him one last look. It was a long one.
"Don't take this the wrong way, okay?" his soft voice carried, "But… I really hope we don't meet again."
A bit put off by that rather offending remark, Cloud said nothing back. He noticed the Host grow rigid when the child behind him rested his head on his spine. Tiny hands gripped his waist even tighter. The bike's engine started up shortly after. Within seconds, the two strange boys rode off.
Cloud observed their silhouettes disappear within the dark landscape of the city. The bike's roar echoed loudly in the distance. He thought about Black in that single moment and instantly regretted not asking about him when he had the chance. Somehow, though, Cloud felt his presence. The child had something to do with it. Any time he looked into those bright green eyes, thoughts of Black were not far away. Cloud wondered if the two knew each other.
The blond-haired teenager stood in the middle of the sidewalk as he contemplated over their connection. Another dizzy spell hit him though. Feeling lightheaded, Cloud couldn't stay on his feet for long. He had exhausted all of his strength and willpower. Fatigue, chemicals, alcohol, and the aftermath of the fight all caught up with him now. Making his way back to the bus bench, the teenager decided to sit down and wait for Jessie there. He didn't get far. Both legs collapsed from under him and a numbing sensation took over the back of his head. This time Cloud couldn't get up. The body felt too heavy. His blue eyes rolled back. The darkness instantly welcomed him. On the cold sidewalk, Cloud blacked out.