A/N: So long chapter here. Make it last because I don't know when I'll update again, what with the holidays and all. And again, forgive any mistakes, I only read through this once.
And I would like to thank everyone for reviewing! It made me so happy. I believe I responded to everyone who was logged in when they reviewed and to everyone else, thank you! By overwhelming (really, I think it might have been unanimous) majority, this story will now have a Reno/Harry pairing. I've changed the story summary to include it.
Enjoy!
Oh yeah! And remember everyone, this is an M rated story.
Chapter Three
A week later Cloud and Harry were shocked to find they had their room to themselves. After the exam, Chris had been asked to leave the program. It was obvious to everyone the city boy didn't want to be in the military; he had merely joined to appease his parents. He was lazy and had no physical skills and wasn't overly intelligent. After that Steven quit, not wanting to be without his friend. He had only joined to keep Chris company, after all. With both of them gone, Cloud and Harry got their barracks to themselves until new recruits arrived. Happily, the boys shoved the empty to beds against the far wall and moved their own so they had more room.
"So we have access to the first twenty floors of the building now," Harry commented, flopping on his bed and looking over at Cloud. "I was thinking we could go to explore today, since we don't have classes."
Cloud nodded. "It'll be faster if we split up. We've already scoured the first through fifth floors, so we'll start on the sixth. You check six through thirteen and I'll check fourteen through twenty."
Harry agreed. "And remember, if you spot a scientist, follow them, but be discreet! We don't want to tip them off that we're on to them."
"We should go now, before everyone starts waking up. Hopefully we'll be able to cover a lot of ground before people start getting in the way."
The brothers left their room, stopping at the cafeteria to grab a couple of apples before making their way to the elevators. They rode it to floor six and Harry stepped out.
"Be careful," he ordered Cloud. The blonde nodded seriously as the doors closed.
"You too."
Harry turned to look around the sixth floor. Like they had expected, the floor was empty of people this early in the morning. Trying to be casual, Harry walked forward, looking around curiously. There was a large bar off to the left side that sold coffees and energy drinks. It was currently closed so Harry walked past. There wasn't anything else on the floor except tables and fake trees. After wandering around for a few minutes, Harry made his way to the stairs. He moved on to the seventh floor.
The seventh floor was filled with offices. Many cubicles lined the walls with office equipment scattered about the floor. A few people were sitting at their computers, a large cup of coffee in their hands. Harry walked past them as quietly as possible, looking around for anything suspicious. Worried about how quickly he was moving through the floors without finding anything, Harry made his way up to the eighth. He didn't noticed a shadow follow him casually.
The eighth floor was a gym. It wasn't very hi-tech, having a few old bicycles, two stair masters, and various weight machines. No one was using the equipment so Harry moved around the floor unhindered. A few vending machines lined the walls and Harry wandered over to them. He casually hit some buttons at random and grabbed the sides, shaking the machines. All of them were plugged in and looked like real machines so Harry moved on. He poked at the exercise equipment but nothing seemed off there either. With an annoyed sigh, Harry moved on to the ninth floor, rubbing the back of his neck as it prickled.
The ninth floor was more cubicles. He did a quick lap around them, not wanting to be spotted by the unfortunate souls who had to come into work on Sunday. The back of his neck tingled again and Harry frowned. He hurried into the stairwell and pulled his wand from his jeans. He had take Reno's advice and no longer hid it on his wrist, but had slipped the polished wood between his belt on his pants, and covered it with a long shirt. He focused and waved his wand over his head, tapping it. A feeling like warm water spilling over him spread through his body and Harry knew he was nearly invisible to passersby. He ducked under the stairs and hid, waiting to see if his instincts were right and someone was following him.
It didn't take long before the door opened and, to Harry's surprise, Tseng of the Turks walked in. Honestly, Harry had expected it to be Reno. The redhead followed him around sometimes just to mess with him. Tseng glanced around briefly but Harry held completely still, even going as far as to hold his breath. Tseng continued on and Harry quietly followed after him. He wasn't sure why such a powerful man was trailing him but Harry was extremely curious. He debated about confronting him. Tseng was a very important person who could make Harry's life pretty miserable if he pissed him off. On the other hand, Harry hadn't been doing anything wrong so there was no reason to get him into trouble.
Harry decided he would ask, but keep his tone respectful, so as not to upset the deadly man. With a wave of his wand, Harry removed his charm and stepped out of the stairwell, directly behind Tseng.
"Why are you following me?" he asked, and flinched when the question came out more accusatory than he meant.
If Tseng was surprised that Harry was behind him, he didn't show it. He merely turned around and appraised the boy with an almost bored face. "Why would I bother following some lowly cadet? Do you think I have nothing better to do with my time?"
Harry blinked and then frowned. Tseng had a point, perhaps it had been a coincident that they both were taking the stairs. It was a pretty far fetched idea but Harry wasn't willing to push his luck. If Tseng wanted to act like this was nothing, the teen was fine with that.
"Of course, sir," Harry shrugged. "My apologies for being paranoid. If you'll excuse me, I was just returning to my rooms."
Harry turned to leave but the smooth voice stopped him. "Though I must admit, my curiosity was piqued to see a young cadet awake so early on a Sunday skulking around the company as if looking for something."
Harry scowled. "I wasn't skulking. I was merely exploring the building." He gestured around himself vaguely. "If I don't look around, how am I supposed to know what's here? There's a gym a couple floors down that I didn't know about until now."
"And the reason for the stairs?"
Harry shrugged. "I'm a Soldier Cadet. I can handle walking up a few stairs."
Tseng suddenly smiled and Harry was thrown off guard. Out of nowhere his instincts screamed at him to duck. Harry didn't question it and whipped around, ducking so quickly he lost his footing and fell. Reno was had appeared, from Gaia only knew where, and thrown a punch at Harry's head. The boy managed to dodge the hit and stared up at his friend in disbelief.
"What the hell, Reno?" he shouted.
The teen just smiled in that crooked way he always did. He glanced at Tseng and Harry turned to the older Turk, who had a thoughtful look on his face.
"There's potential," he said and without another word walked away. Reno laughed and pulled Harry to his feet.
"What's is going on?" Harry demanded.
Reno just shrugged. "Just testing a theory, yo. Go about your business." He ran off after Tseng before Harry could demand an explanation.
Cloud relaxed against the wall as he rode the elevator to the fourteenth floor. Elevators were such a novelty for him. Until he came to Shinra he had never been on one before. The tallest building in Nibelheim was the inn and it was only three stories high. Even though the circumstances for Cloud coming to Midgar weren't ideal, he was glad he did. There was so much more to the world than the small town he'd grown up in and he wanted to see it all. As soon as they found Hermione, Cloud would finish his training and become a Solider and then travel the world, seeing everything it had to offer.
Cloud stepped off the elevator when it dinged. The fourteenth floor was full of offices. Long hallways were filled with closed doors, all with golden nameplates on them. Cloud wandered past them, occasionally checking a door to see if it was unlocked. They never were. He made his way back to the elevator and pressed the button for the fifteenth floor. Cloud knew it was silly to ride the elevator instead of taking the stairs but he couldn't help himself. He enjoyed riding it up and down.
The next two floors were filled with offices again and Cloud didn't bother looking through them. When he arrived at the sixteenth floor, Cloud stepped off the elevator passed a woman pushing a cart full of cleaning supplies. He nodded and smiled politely, to which the woman scowled and walked away with a huff. Cloud shook his head. One difference between city people and small town folk was the attitude. People in the city weren't always the kindest people and to someone with Cloud's polite upbringing, some of them were down right rude.
The sixteenth floor seemed to be some sort of lunch area. There was a buffet set up against the wall, though no food was in it. A large bar was on the opposite side and a girl in a button up black blouse and knee length skirt was leaning on the counter, looking bored. She spotted Cloud and perked up, looking excited for some human contact. Cloud didn't want anything from the bar but felt obligated to walk over and at least say hello.
As he stepped up to the register, the girl smiled widely. Her teeth were crooked and covered in metal and Cloud realized she had braces. There was a dentist in Rocket Town but it was a long trip for the people of Nibelheim to see regularly. No one went to him unless it was an emergency that couldn't be fixed with some alcohol and a pair of pliers.
"Hi! Welcome to Shinra Coffee Capitol! We have everything you need from a nice hot cup of joe to a cool refreshing smoothy! You name it and we'll make it!"
Cloud blinked at the girl. "That's a mouthful," he said quietly.
The girl giggled. "I know, I have to say it to everyone though."
"That must be a pain when you're busy."
The girl dramatically hit the counter. "Oh Gaia you have no idea! And then everyone acts like you're just saying it to annoy them. It's kinda why I like working the morning shift. Even though it's super slow, the few people who do come around are like you, nice and they talk to me."
Cloud nodded and flashed a small smile at the girl, Tiffany, her name tag read. He glanced up at the menu. The coffee stand did seem to have everything. Various fruits and pastry were available to compliment any drinks.
"What are you in the mood for?" the hyper brunette asked. She glanced between the menu and Cloud.
The blonde shrugged and felt in his pocket. He barely had any money but he supposed he could spend a little bit on a drink.
"What are dumbapples?" he asked.
Tiffany giggled. "Oh, those are what locals call Banora Apples. They're only found in the town of Banora and are better than any other apple." She winked at Cloud. "It's a popular drink with cadets because First Class Soldier, General Genesis Rhapsodos, loves to drink it."
Cloud nodded slowly. "Well I'd like one of those please."
She nodded and skipped over to the cooler to grab the drink. She returned to the register and punched a few buttons before looking up at Cloud. "That'll be twenty five gil!"
Cloud nearly dropped his jaw in shock. "Twenty-five!" he exclaimed. He looked at the small container. It didn't look like he would get more than a few gulps it was so tiny.
"Oh yeah, it's kinda on the pricey the side, since it's imported and all." Cloud didn't notice when the girl's eyes flickered past him and her smile widened. She waved at the next customer before turning back to Cloud.
"Do you still want it?"
Slowly, Cloud shook his head. He looked up at her apologetically. "I'm sorry I can't afford that." He only had thirty gil to his name and he wasn't going to spend twenty-five of it on a drink.
She looked sad for a moment when a hand landed on Cloud's shoulder, startling him. "I'll get it for him, Tiffany. Just put it on Gen's tap."
Zack Fair was standing there, smiling happily. Cloud blushed brightly at the man's offer to get his drink.
"You don't have too..."
"Don't worry about it!" Zack dismissed. "Genesis would be furious if he found out someone didn't get to try his favorite juice because they couldn't afford it." He turned to Tiffany. "So what are you doing working all the way down here? I missed you upstairs."
"Oh? Did you come all the way down here just for me?" She giggled into her hand.
"Actually upstairs was out of this damn juice so Genesis made me run all the way down here for it. Said he can't start his day without it." Zack rolled his eyes in annoyance.
Tiffany looked disappointed by the answer but shook it off. "Well the girl who usually works here got fired for being a member of the Silver Elite."
"What a bitch," Zack said with a shake of his head, his smile revealing he wasn't really mad. Tiffany laughed. "I know, right?"
"Well I'll just have to come down here more often then. No one makes coffee as good as you." He winked and Tiffany blushed, smiling happily. "The usual please. Charge it and Cloud's drink to Genesis and give a holler when it's done."
"Of course!" Tiffany pushed Cloud's drink to him, smiling before walking away to make whatever drinks Zack considered his "usual." Zack gestured for Cloud to follow and they sat at a table underneath a large fake tree.
"So what are doing up here so early?" Zack asked pleasantly, sitting on the table instead of the chairs around it. Cloud sat in a chair and opened his drink.
"I'm just exploring," he said. He took a sip of the juice and looked surprised. "This stuff is really good. Thank you."
"Don't thank me, Gen's paying for it," Zack laughed. "But I'll be sure to pass along the praise. I don't usually come down here but the coffee place upstairs was out of juice and Genesis absolutely refuses to start a meeting without it." Zack rolled his eyes. "He can be such a baby sometimes."
Cloud didn't comment. The other Soldier must have been pretty bad if someone like Zack was calling him childish.
"So today's your day off, right?" Zack asked.
Cloud nodded.
"Awe, I wish it was my day off! But I'm stuck in boring meetings all day. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm super happy that Sephiroth promoted me to Lieutenant General but holy crap does it come with a lot of paperwork and meetings. I went on more missions when I was second class!"
"I've never been on one before," Cloud admitted.
"You're still cadet. They'll send you on a few small ones in the near future. Just grunt work mainly, working with the regular army or maybe hunting some weak monsters. They like to make sure cadets are good and trained before sending them off on real missions."
"Hunting monsters wouldn't be so bad," Cloud mused. "My brother and I were the best hunters in the village. We always sold the meat in the market during the winter to help our mom out."
Zack frowned. "These monsters aren't for eating. You just kill them."
Cloud blinked. "Oh yeah, I know..."
Zack laughed, ruffling Cloud's hair. "So you're a good hunter then? What'd you use a gun or sword?"
"No one in Nibelheim could afford guns. And if someone did get a gun it was useless because we didn't have ammo. No one had swords either. We used axes or bows. I'm a decent shot with a bow."
"A bow? Wow, that is like, stone age weapons."
Cloud bristled slightly and Zack laughed again.
"Well I'll teach you how to kill a monster with a sword," Zack went on. "And I'll bet you'll like it way more than some old fashioned bow."
Cloud's eyes widened. "Really? You'll teach me?"
"Sure! Let's see I have free time... how about Wednesday at three? No, no, you have class then. How about Thursday around eight? I know that's kinda late."
"That's fine!" Cloud assured eagerly. "I don't mind."
"Good!" Tiffany suddenly called out to them and Zack jumped up. "Then I'll see you Thursday at eight. Meet me right here and I'll take you up to the Soldier training rooms. The ones cadets use suck."
"Yeah, sure."
Zack grinned. "See ya later, Spiky!" He waved over his shoulder and ran to get his drinks from Tiffany. He flirted with her for a moment before running off. When he was gone, Tiffany waved Cloud over to her.
"So, was it awesome?" she asked quickly. He blinked in surprise. "Getting to meet a First Class Soldier! Especially one as amazing as Zack. He's so nice! And cute."
Cloud nodded. "He really is."
Tiffany sent him a look and Cloud blushed as he realized what he'd said. "I mean, he's nice, not cute. Well, he's good looking, but that's not what I noticed. Well I did but..."
Tiffany's laughter put an end to his babbling. "Don't worry, Cloud. Everyone says the same thing." She smiled. "Well make sure you come and see me sometimes. I'll be here in the mornings for a long time and if I'm not here, I'll be up on the Soldier floor, number forty-nine."
"Okay," Cloud agreed. "Goodbye."
Cloud smiled as he returned to the elevators, completely forgetting about his mission to search the rest of the floors.
By Tuesday Cloud and Harry had managed to finish searching the first twenty-floors of he Shinra building. They hadn't spotted any scientists or found anything out of the ordinary. They took turns searching either late at night past curfew or early in the morning before classes started. Currently it was Thursday and both brothers were getting ready for classes. Neither was in a talkative mood so they dressed silently. When they were ready, Harry stood in front of the door, taking a deep breath and opening it slowly.
Cloud frowned. "What's wrong with you lately? You're acting really paranoid."
"Of course I am," Harry snapped. He shut the door behind them, looking down the halls before moving. "You would be too if you had Reno jumping out at you all the freaking time!"
"Is he still messing with you?" Cloud asked in surprise. "I would have thought he'd gotten bored by now."
Reno had been surprise attacking Harry for the last couple of days. The redhead offered no explanation for his behavior and would just laugh and walk away when Harry demanded one. At first Harry had thought it was some twisted joke but now he was ready to throttle his so-called friend. It was exhausting, constantly having to look over his shoulder and be on alert.
"Maybe you should go after him," Cloud suggested.
"What, you mean try and surprise attack him?"
"Sure why not? Give him a taste of his own medicine. It might make him stop."
"Either that or he'll retaliate worse than ever." Harry stopped and glanced around the corner before walking around it. Cloud shook his head.
"Can't be worse than this."
The two made it to the cafeteria without incident and grabbed a couple of trays. Like usual, they were among the first people in line. As the cafeteria worker filled up their plates with slop Harry felt his neck tingle. He stopped and looked around suspiciously. He knew Reno was nearby but couldn't see where. His instincts hadn't been wrong yet, but then where would he be?
"Hey, move," Cloud muttered, shoving Harry forward. Harry took a step and reached out for his plate of mush, looking over his shoulder. When he turned back, Reno jumped out from behind the cafeteria counter, screaming loudly. Cloud and Harry both jumped backwards in surprise with twins yelps. Harry dropped his entire plate of food over his stomach, ruining his uniform.
Reno was practically doubled over in laughter. Harry glared at the man. "That's it! You want a fight! I'll give you one!" Harry turned and stormed away and Cloud noticed his brother finger the place he had hid wand. He shook his head and turned back to the redhead who was still chuckling.
"You're going to regret that," he stated calmly.
Reno rolled his eyes. "What's he gonna do, yo? Sneak up on me and yell boo?"
Cloud just shook his head and walked away. Reno didn't know it but Harry could be vicious when he was angry. Years of growing up being bullied had made him very good at what Cloud referred to as "silent revenge." Harry was pretty good and sneaking in places and setting up pranks and then disappearing without being detected.
Reno may be a Turk, but Harry was a force to be reckoned with.
Harry missed his first class while he was cleaning his uniform. The instructor made him run laps as punishment which just made the boy even angrier. He would get Reno back for this. He just needed to be patient. But as Harry ran around the track he spotted a black suit and slowed to a light jog. The man who Reno had said was his new partner, Rude, was walking by. Suddenly feeling inspired, Harry ran from the track and pulled his wand out. He disillusioned himself before ducking inside and following Rude from a safe distance. Harry had to be careful when walking the halls as most people didn't noticed him as they walked past. It wasn't that Harry was invisible, but he did blend in perfectly with his surroundings. Unless someone was looking directly at him, no one noticed the young cadet.
Rude stopped before the elevator and Harry frowned. Even with his charm, he would be spotted if he attempted to get on the elevator with the Turk. Lucky for Harry a large group of people crowded around the elevator doors. They were all wearing business suits and carried briefcases. Smiling, Harry joined the group as they stuffed themselves into the elevator with Rude. He made sure to put his back against the wall and stand so there was a person between him and Rude's eye line at all time. The black man didn't look around as the elevator rose, keeping his gaze straight ahead. Harry could tell the he was uncomfortable in the enclosed space.
The doors opened onto floor fifty and Rude forced his way off the elevator. Harry quickly followed, ignoring the confused grunts from the people he pushed aside. To Harry's surprise, Rude went directly to the stairs. He walked down two floors and Harry followed as quietly as he could. They ended up in a hallway with a couple of offices scattered about. Harry looked around curiously before focusing on Rude. He entered an unmarked office. Harry spotted a chair in what was probably a waiting room and knelt behind it. After a few minutes, Rude left the office and walked into another one across from it.
Harry took his chance and slipped up to the door. Rude had shut and locked it behind him but Harry wasn't concerned. He pressed against the wood and pulled out wand out, keeping his body close to the door, Harry used his magic to unlock it. With a smug look, Harry slipped inside.
The office was medium sized with two desks. One was perfectly kept with nothing out of place. The other was a mess of papers and had various monsters built from paperclips on it. Harry barely managed to stop from giggling. He hadn't thought he would get his revenge so soon. He had only decided that morning to get Reno back for his harassment. Walking around the desk, Harry was careful not to touch anything. Reno was a shrewd bastard and Harry wouldn't have put it past him to booby-trap his desk in some way.
Thinking, Harry fingered his wand, which he had put back up his sleeve. He felt his disillusionment charm wear off and made a mental note to recast it before he left. Harry frowned as he thought. He wished he had brought something with him, like paint or something equally messy. Wait, messy...
Harry glanced over at a potted plant sitting in the corner. He walked to it and noticed it was real. Grinning, Harry leaned over and pulled his wand out. A small jet of water sprout from the tip, turning the dirt into mud. Harry grabbed handfuls of it and walked over to the chair, smearing the mud on the seat. He ran back to the plant and grabbed some of the dirt that hadn't gotten wet and sprinkled it over Reno's computer keyboard. He made sure to get as much dirt in the keys as possible. Once that was done he grabbed more mud, spreading it under the desk where Reno's feet would sit.
Harry glanced around. He wanted to put some dirt piles in the drawers but was afraid to open them. Deciding he couldn't do anything more at the moment, Harry carefully wiped away any dirt that fallen from on the floor. He didn't want Reno to be tipped off before he sat down in the muddy chair. Once all trace of his presence was gone, Harry recast his charm and slipped from the office, remembering to lock it again. He hurried to the open area where a chair was sitting and hid behind it, hoping it wouldn't be long before Reno showed up.
Harry's prayers were answered. Almost ten minutes later, Reno sauntered into the room. He was whistling some off key note, looking like he owned the world. Harry smirked. He would wipe that smirk from his face. Harry's disillusionment charm wore off but he was too focused on Reno to notice. The redhead unlocked his office and entered and Harry sat back, feeling pleased. A hand was suddenly placed on his shoulder and the boy jumped nearly a foot in the air. Without meaning too, he swung out at the person who grabbed him only to have his arm caught in a vice like grip.
"Uh, si-sir...!" Harry gasped as he realized it was Tseng who had grabbed his arm. The leader Turk quirked an eyebrow at him at the same time Rude came out of the larger office. The black man stared at the two in surprise.
"What are you doing here, cadet?" Tseng demanded, his voice cold.
A loud shout echoed from Reno's office followed by cursing. Harry smirked briefly before forcing the smile from his face when Tseng stared at him.
"Just paying back a friend, sir."
Reno came running from the office, his clothes covered in wet mud. His boots left muddy footprints on the dark carpeting. "What the hell, yo? Someone covered my shit in dirt!" He spotted Harry and pointed a dramatic finger at the younger teen. "You!"
Harry didn't say anything, as Tseng was still standing right next to him. But Reno could tell by the superior look in Harry's eyes that he had played the prank and was proud of it.
"How did you get up here?" Tseng asked, ignoring Reno for the moment. The redhead spluttered and crossed his arms, looking down at his ruined suit angrily.
Harry glanced at him and considered making up an excuse but Tseng looked deadly serious. He wanted an answer and something in his gaze told Harry it would not be smart to lie.
"I followed Rude."
Tseng glanced at the man, who looked surprised.
"How?" Rude asked.
Harry shrugged. "I hid in the big group of people that got on the elevator with you."
Rude lifted an eyebrow and glanced between Reno and Tseng. Both were surprised as Rude was clearly saying without words that he hadn't noticed the boy at all. Harry must have had extremely good stealth skills to be able to follow a seasoned Turk without detection.
"Why did you cover Reno with... mud?"
Harry crossed his arms, trying hard not to pout. "Because he deserved it."
"All I do was scare ya a little, yo!"
"Yeah, all freaking week!" Harry exclaimed. "You've been hiding around corners and jumping out at me everyday! I haven't been able to relax because of you!"
Reno started to say something but Tseng interrupted him. "Reno has been tailing you on my orders."
Harry stared at the man in shock. "Your orders?" he yelled. "What, you bored up here doing paperwork? Have to get your rocks off by picking on cadets?"
Harry realized after he'd spoken that he probably shouldn't have said that to the leader of the Turks. In his anger he had spoken without thinking, a trait he really needed to work on, and was probably going to regret it.
However, to Harry's surprise, Tseng actually smiled at his outburst. It was small and more annoyed than happy but it wasn't what Harry was expecting. Across the room, Reno burst into laughter.
"No wonder you like him, Reno. He's just like you," Tseng commented dryly.
"I know, it's great, yo!"
Harry looked between the three Turks suspiciously. "Mr. Potter, Reno has been scouting you for a possible position within the Turks," Tseng explained. "We are very selective with our pupils and Reno noticed your intellect and... let's say devious qualities sometime ago. I had him follow you these past couple of days to test how well your instincts were and how you performed under constant threat of attack."
"Why not just come right out and ask?"
"That would be stupid, yo," Reno dismissed. "We don't want just anybody. We want someone who's worth their salt and we think that someone is you."
Harry frowned and was surprised when Rude spoke next.
"You have impressive stealth abilities and are intelligent."
"Not ta mention you know how'to get 'round people. I've seen ya slack off on your punishments and never get caught."
"We will have to work on controlling your temper and that mouth of yours," Tseng continued. "But with training, I believe you would make a passable Turk."
"I'm a Soldier cadet," Harry pointed out.
Reno rolled his eyes. "Come on kid, you hate that shit and everyone with half a brain knows it, yo. Think about it, Harry, if ya join the Turks there won't be any more runnin'."
Harry almost blurted out yes for that reason alone. He managed to keep his mouth shut though and thought about it. The Turks had free reign of the Shinra building and an easier course load than Soldiers. From what Harry knew, the Turks taught by doing, not sitting around in classes or training. If Harry joined them, he would have more opportunity to search for Hermione.
Also, not having to run miles and miles everyday was just too tempting to pass up.
"Okay," Harry agreed slowly. "I'll give it a try." He met Reno's gaze. "For now."
Reno just grinned wider. "Spoken like a true Turk."
"Very well," Tseng spoke and Harry turned to face him. "Reno is still considered a trainee for another couple of months so Rude will be officially classified as your instructor. You will answer to him and Reno." Tseng faced the redhead. "Since you found him, Mr. Potter will be your responsibility."
Reno just waved his hand dismissively. "Yeah yeah, I get it, yo."
"Welcome to the Turks, Harry Potter." Tseng didn't say anything else as he walked away and Harry felt inexplicably trapped all of a sudden.
Cloud wasn't pleased when Harry showed up after classes had ended that day and told him he'd been recruited as a Turk. Cloud didn't like Turks, he didn't trust them. And he especially didn't like or trust Reno.
"The Turks have more reign over the building," Harry explained. "It will make finding our sister a lot easier."
"They'll be watching you all the time," Cloud countered.
"I can ditch Reno without a problem. And they go on missions too. I'll be alone then."
Cloud crossed his arms. "I don't like it."
"Well I already said yes, so deal with it."
Cloud glared at his brother's back. Harry was tense and straightening his bed. He only ever cleaned when he was nervous or upset. Finally, the blonde sighed. He glanced at the clock and realized it was time for him to go meet Zack.
"I have to go," he muttered. "We'll talk more when I get back."
"There's nothing to talk about."
Cloud ignored him and left. He couldn't believe Harry would do something so reckless. The Turks had a reputation for being nothing but evil. They were information gatherers and assassins. Getting involved with them would bring nothing but trouble. Cloud had enough to worry about with finding Hermione, now he had to worry about his brother getting involved with the Turks?
Cloud was still fuming when Zack arrived at their meeting place. The Soldier stopped and watched the pacing blonde curiously. He could tell Cloud was upset but he couldn't help but smile. The little blonde was cute with his soft pink lips jutting out and his bright blue eyes narrowed. His spiky hair barely swayed as he swung around to pace in the opposite direction.
Happily, Zack bounced up to his friend. "Hey Spiky! What's got you all worked up?"
Cloud jumped slightly and hurried to try and hide his anger. He blushed and looked down. "Nothing."
"Sure, sure," Zack answered. He'd let the matter go for now and get the answer out of the blonde later, when he was least expecting it. "So, you ready to train?"
Cloud looked up eagerly and nodded. Zack waved him to follow and they climbed on the elevator. "Okay so to get to the Soldier floor you need a key card," Zack explained as he pulled his out. "So you won't be able to come up here without me. I was thinking today we could just work on some simple stuff. I know you've got the basics down pretty good so we won't worry about those."
Cloud glanced at Zack curiously. "Why...?"
Zack grinned. "Why am I spending my precious time teaching you?" Cloud flushed but nodded. "I don't know, I love training people who have passion. I've seen how much you want to become Solider and I want to help you achieve your dream, just like my mentor helped me achieve mine!"
Cloud nodded and relaxed slightly. Zack had a way about him that put people at ease. Maybe he should try and introduce the First to Harry. His brother was always too tense and suspicious. Maybe meeting Zack would help convince the other teen that Solider was the way to go, not Turks.
The elevator opened and Zack led them out. The Solider floor was large and contained a training room, materia room, mission briefing room, and a lounge area for off-duty Soldiers. The lounge was full now with Soldiers of different classes sitting around and watching TV. They waved and called hello to Zack who smiled and kept walking. He lead Cloud a gym area that was filled with various weight machines and an open area for sword training.
"So this is the Soldier's private gym," he explained. "The equipment here is specially designed for us. We tend to break the normal stuff on accident so they started making reinforced machines."
"Wow," Cloud whispered looking at all the heavy equipment. Zack grinned, loving his awestruck reactions.
"Over here is a where we keep our weapons. Everything is real, no dull edges like what you guys use." He opened a cabinet full of swords of different styles and sizes. Cloud's eyes lit up as he fingered a couple of the blades. The blades were so sharp he nicked his finger and jumped slightly, startled.
"Hey hey! I just told you there were sharp!" Zack exclaimed, grabbing his fingers.
"It's just a little scratch—"
Cloud's voice cut off abruptly as Zack sucked his finger into his mouth. His eyes opened wide as he stared at the First, feeling Zack's tongue lick his finger, wiping away the small amount of blood. The man pulled back, pouting slightly at Cloud.
"Be more careful," Zack ordered. Cloud nodded and quickly shoved his hand into his pocket, his face a nice cheery red. Zack ignored it and turned to the weapons. "Here, we can use these for now." He held out two broadswords, handing one to Cloud and keeping the other for himself. Zack gestured them into the center of the room.
"Okay, so take your stance."
Shaking off his embarrassment from a moment ago, Cloud did as told. Zack looked him over before nodding approvingly.
"Good. Now the first thing I'm going to teach you is a forward thrust. It's a pretty basic move. You thrust your sword directly ahead of you and then twist to the side, using your momentum to roll away from your enemy. The forward thrust is pretty good to use against monsters, as they're not that smart, but you don't want to use it against people. It's easily blocked and leaves you open to counterattacks."
Zack demonstrated the move and then had Cloud imitate it. He corrected his form and at one point stood behind the blonde, grabbing his arms and moving them through the motion. Cloud barely managed to control his blush by focusing on the sword play. They kept at it for an hour before Zack called for a stop. Cloud sat down on the floor, breathing heavy. He wasn't exhausted but he did feel tired, like he'd gotten a good work out. Zack flopped down next to him, smiling and not even out of breath.
"So, you think you have it down?"
Cloud nodded. "I think so. I guess I won't know until I try and use it."
"I'll ask Seph for permission to take you into the training room. That way you can practice with fake monsters before you have to go up against a real one."
"I've faced real monsters before!" Cloud insisted.
"Oh right, with your stone age bow and arrow," Zack teased.
The blonde rolled his eyes. "I'll bet I'm a better shot than you, even with your enhanced skills."
"Oh I'll take that bet!" Zack laughed. "Give me a couple of days and I'll find a bow and arrow and then you'll be eating those words! I'll bet Tseng will know where to get one."
At the mention of the leader Turk, Cloud's good mood vanished. He frowned and turned away, his mind back on his brother. Zack noticed right away and leaned forward.
"Hey, what's wrong with you? You have a bad run in with Tseng? I know he's kinda creepy but he's actually a decent guy, once you get to know him."
"He's a Turk."
Zack shrugged. "Turks aren't all that bad. Sure they're definitely people you want to look out for and you don't want to cross them, but most of them are good people at heart. You just gotta wade through the tough-guy act and find the awesome person beneath it all."
Cloud stared at Zack hard, thinking his words through. "You know that guy Reno, right?" Zack nodded. "Is he a good person, underneath it all?"
Zack laughed again. "Above all else, Reno is an asshole. There's no better word that describes him. But you know, he's also damn good at what he does. I'd be okay if he was watching my back in a fight." At Cloud's thoughtful look, Zack asked, "Why are you curious about him?"
"He convinced my brother to join the Turks."
Zack's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hair. "Really? Well good for him, I guess."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, your brother didn't want to be a Soldier, did he? I could tell when I met him, he didn't have the same drive or passion as you did. I figured he was here just to support you."
Cloud blinked. Was Harry really that miserable that everyone noticed it except Cloud? It was true Harry never wanted to be a Soldier and the only reason he was at Shinra was to help find Hermione but Cloud hadn't thought it was that terrible for him. Aside from whining about having to run a lot, Harry never offered a single word of complaint.
Cloud suddenly stood, feeling determined. "I need to talk to him. I was an ass about the Turks and need to apologize."
Zack smiled. "Then don't let me stop you. I'll find you again when I have another day off."
Cloud nodded. "Thank you, Zack. I appreciate it."
Zack waved him off and Cloud left, hurrying back to the elevator. Once he was gone, Zack jumped up and returned the swords they'd been using to the cabinet. He glanced over his shoulder and spotted his longtime friend Kunsel.
"Hey man, what's up?" Zack asked happily.
Kunsel just shrugged. "Just watching you trying to flirt with some cadet."
"I was not flirting!"
Kunsel laughed. "Oh please. You practically sucked his finger off! And then getting all close to him, pretending to show him a sword move. You just wanted to touch him."
Zack scoffed. "As if I need to resort to such cheap tricks. Have you seen me? I'm gorgeous."
Kunsel rolled his eyes, not that Zack could see it because he was wearing an army helmet. "Whatever you say, man. Just don't end up like Mario, lusting after something you can't have. Cadets are off-limits, even for First Class Lieutenant Generals."
"Don't you worry about me. I'm a big boy."
Kunsel looked at Zack's crotch. "Indeed."
Zack burst out laughing, shoving his friend in the shoulder. They laughed before leaving the training room, arms hooked around each others shoulders.
When Cloud returned to his room, Harry was already in bed, his back to the door. Cloud stripped off his clothes and tossed his boots aside before forcing Harry over, climbing into his bed with him. Harry growled in anger but Cloud ignored it. He turned so their backs were touching.
"We're not little kids anymore, go sleep in your own bed."
"I'm sorry."
"If you're sorry, get out of my bed!"
"No idiot, I'm sorry for being an ass. If you want to join the Turks, I'm not going to stop you."
Harry didn't say anything but stopped trying to force Cloud to move. The blonde smiled lightly and continued.
"I guess I forgot you have no interest in being a Soldier. I was so wrapped up in making my dream come true and finding Hermione that I forgot about you. You're a good person, Harry."
"I didn't want to complain," Harry admitted quietly. "I don't buy into all of this... military stuff. I don't like getting screamed at for no reason and I don't believe for a second that the abuse builds character. And running. Gaia do I hate running."
Cloud laughed. "I know. I'm sorry I forgot that."
"It's okay." They turned over so they were facing each other. Harry's eyes glowed slightly in the dark, not as bright as a Soldiers but enough to be noticeable. "I don't even know if I'm going to stay with the Turks. Right now Hermione is top priority. After we rescue her, then we can decide what to do next."
Cloud nodded. "Zack took me up to the Soldier floor today. I was thinking if I can manage to steal his key card, we can go anywhere in the building. And he's a First Class, so he wouldn't get into trouble for something like that."
Harry thought it over. "Don't do it yet. Let's wait until we have a better idea of what floor we want to search before making a move like that."
"Okay," Cloud agreed. "But we should be able to get further now, with you becoming a Turk and me training with Zack."
Harry hmm-ed in agreement and closed his eyes. Cloud smiled at him a moment longer before closing his as well, shuffling around to get more comfortable. Harry popped an eye open.
"Hey, we made up, so you can go back to your own bed now."
"Nah, I'm pretty comfortable where I am."
Harry growled in his throat and turned over with a huff, ignoring Cloud's snicker next to him.
High in the upper levels of Shinra, a pair of brown eyes opened. The gaze was hazy and unfocused and the person's mind was slow. She attempted to sit up but found her body wouldn't respond to her commands. She looked around her, confused as to why she couldn't move and why thinking was so hard.
"Are you awake?" A voice reached her ears and it took a long moment to realize someone was talking and they were talking to her. She blinked. "Don't worry, the haze you're in is normal. The fact that you can wake up at all proves exactly how powerful your mind truly is."
She tried to focus on the face hovering above her. The features were blurry but she thought she could make out black hair and glasses.
"I'm ready now to start testing. Hopefully this time will be a success." The man moved away and began speaking but not to her. It sounded like he was dictating to someone or something. "Subject H has been prepped. We are now ready to attempt the transfer to Subject J."
She could hear the sound of machines running and felt something tugging on her hair. The tugging became more persistent and began to hurt. She closed her eyes, trying to fight the uncomfortable pull.
"The transfer isn't going through," the man's voice spoke, sounding frustrated. "Once again the problem lies with the method. I have a few other methods to attempt but it's time to start planning a complete lobotomy of Subject H."
The painful tugging finally came to an end and her eyes began to close. The last thing she remembered before slipping into the darkness was the image of two boys, one with spiky blonde hair and the other with messy black.
"Cloud... Harry..." She fell asleep, grateful to not have to suffer anymore.
A/N: So couple of chapter notes. Reno and Harry are fun to write. As for the bow and arrow thing, I don't remember in any of the FF7 games, there being a bow and arrow, which is why I decided to make it kinda like a joke that they were considered antiques that only country folk use.
So on a side note, I've been writing a ASGZC one-shot. Though it'll probably be more like a two-shot when I'm done. I'm terrible at keeping things short. If I ever finish it, I'll post it for everyone to enjoy.
Last question, does anyone know where I can post a PWP-lemon for FF7? I tried posting on AFF but that site is terrible. Even with an account and following their directions I can't post anything. So what are other sites that will host adult stuff like that? Last I knew, this site didn't like that sort of thing.
Okay, okay, I'm done talking down. Thanks for reading and please review!