However vague Laurie's directions were, Jacob was able to eventually find the "old temple thing," Peter had told him to go to. The boy skidded into the old building, slipping in a puddle of water on the floor. He stumbled, tripped, and fell, hands diving out to catch his fall. His palms scrapped along the cracked ground, pebbles grating themselves along the bare skin, cutting it until it bled.
His chin too smacked the ground with enough force to cut it, but his hands saved him from further injury. He moaned in pain, lying on his stomach, slowly pulling his cut up hands to chest protectively where he began to rub them together, nursing them instinctively.
Jacob's chin dribbled speckles of crimson to the stony ground below, the tiny cuts imbedded in the skin letting small beads of blood gather and fall.
"Jacob!" He heard a familiar voice ring out over the temple. There was a fast beating of feet, two pairs, along the ground. "Jake?! What happened?" Marlene called out in worry, black hair tossing around behind her. Denzel was at her heals, and soon over took her, reaching Jacob first.
"You okay?" He asked, crouching down on his knees to see Jacob better.
"Don't worry," Jacob said, pushing himself up and wiping his bleeding chin with the back of his hand. "I'll live." He grinned, although rather sheepishly. His haste had made him foolish, and in knowing this, he flushed red.
"You're bleeding," Marlene promptly stated, stooping down as well. Without Jacob's consent, she tore a little bit away from the hem of her dress, wet it with her tongue, and pressed it against his chin, pressing in, face concentrated on clotting the blood.
"Really," Jacob peered down his nose to look at the cloth pressed hard against his face, "you don't need to do that. It's nothing."
"Well, even nothing can becoming something." She said, voice full of concentration, her tongue poking out slightly between her lips. "I don't want infection to set in." She glanced briefly up at Jacob, face serious as though infection was totally possible.
"I really don't think that's going to happen. It's a small cut, don't bother." Jacob pushed her hand away, but she insisted.
"At least let me clot it! You're bleeding all over the place." Despite herself, she smiled a little and shook her head, dabbing the cloth again at him. Jacob let her, giving into the battle before it began. She would win anyway.
"S-so," Denzel started, eyes peeling away from Marlene's hand and Jacob's chin. Jacob hid his hands behind his back, deciding it was better not to worry Marlene any more than she already was.
"Yeah?" Jacob asked while making sure his hands were out of sight.
"Why'd you come in here so fast? I mean, you were running…" Denzel looked puzzled and curious, eyes widening a bit as they stared like sponges into Jacob, soaking up a wanted answer.
"O-oh! Right!" Jacob remembered his reason for coming in the first place and started a little, surprised he could even forget it. But, he was slightly glad that he had fallen. Ironically, he felt better for it, but emotionally, not physically.
Marlene lowered the cloth a bit so Jacob could talk easier, her eyes ponderous and mouth forming a slight frown as she listened interestedly.
"Cloud, erm, is taking us, by us I mean Marlene, Terace, and I, to find the Turks tomorrow." Jacob shrugged a little, feeling awkward as for how to start the conversation off, so he got right to the point. Marlene raised an eyebrow, and Denzel shrunk back onto his butt, putting his hands out behind him to support his weight, but was quiet.
"W-what?!" Marlene stammered, blinking a few times, brow furrowed. Jacob nodded a few times, looking from Denzel to Marlene.
"I'm serious! Cloud just sent me to tell you, Marlene, that we're leaving tomorrow to find the Turks. Your dad's coming too, just so you know."
"But why so suddenly?!" She exclaimed, sitting back too, dropping the torn dress piece in her lap as she stared at the floor for a moment in confusion. "We've only just got here."
"Yeah," Jake said, moving himself into a more comfortable position, Indian style, "I know it's a little weird."
Denzel was still quiet, eyes distant, staring at the cracked a slightly bloody floor, jaw working and chewing away at his tongue. He raised a finger to bite on a nail instead.
"When did Cloud tell you this?" Marlene pestered on, leaning forward in her curiosity.
"Just now, well, maybe fifteen minutes. He called me down, and he was in the middle of something, Sending the Clones off to the Life Stream at the time."
"You saw it then? The actual Sending?" Her voice gasped in air, her words now barely audible as though she had struck on taboo, like she was afraid to ask.
"I did," Jacob grimly confirmed, "and let me tell you, it wasn't nice to watch." He felt a small shiver run up his spine as he remembered the proud looking man disappearing to nothing. How was Sending that man humane?
Marlene stared at Jacob a moment, watching him, studying his face patiently, looking for something in his gaze.
"Why?" Marlene straightened herself up a little as she asked, brushing dirt off the lap of her dress.
"Why what?" Jacob was now the one looking puzzled.
"Why the Turks? Why them of all people?"
"…Dun'no…didn't ask Cloud. Slipped my mind to ask, actually." Jake sheepishly said, shifting a little uncomfortably. Of course he hadn't asked the most obvious question. Marlene nodded thoughtfully, eyes slowly drifting pensively to the stone floor, eyebrows knitted into a 'V' shape as her hands twisted in her lap unconsciously. Denzel fidgeted a little.
"Did, er," Denzel suddenly said. Jacob looked at the nervous boy, watching him stare at the side of Marlene's face as though pleading for something. "Did Cloud say anything about me coming?" Marlene looked up and at Jacob for a moment, then her eyes slid to Denzel.
Jacob thought back to the conversation, trying to remember, and slowly shook his head.
"No, sorry, I don't think he did…" Jacob muttered. Marlene looked surprised, but slightly lost for words, glancing between both boys.
"…oh." Denzel murmured, voice crest fallen. He slumped a little where he sat, looking tiny and brittle.
"I'm sorry, Denze." Jacob reached out a hand and gripped Denzel's shoulder. "I know you would want to come, but Tifa needs someone here." Denzel squirmed away from Jake's grasp, inching backwards hurriedly, and he stood up quite unexpectedly.
" 'Course she would need my help!" He snapped, an anger unknown to any present suddenly erupting. "But don't you go feeling sorry for me! No, never! Not for being left behind! I don't need your pity. Not poor, weak, and shy Denzel! Not me who gets left behind when all the action takes place! Well, I'll tell you something, I can watch my back, I'm just as good as any of you, and somebody had better see that! I'm not a kid!" His voice filled the room, ceiling to wall, echoing endlessly.
The boy towered over both Marlene and Jacob, rising to his full height as though to intimidate them, fists balled up at his sides. There was a pause, Marlene opening her mouth as though to say something, but Denzel wouldn't have it. He turned around and raced off, burst through the temple doors, and was out of sight.
"D-Denzel!" Marlene got to her feet and shouted after him, making as though to go after him. Jacob stood up too and caught her arm, tightly gripping it.
"Leave him," Jacob nervously whispered, holding her squirming body so she couldn't get away.
"No!" Marlene tugged at her arm, feet trying to rush off after her friend. Jake bared down, digging his own feet into the ground, forgetting about his bloody hands which were around Marlene's arm. "We're his friends! He needs us!"
"No, not now." Jacob looked at the doors Denzel had just ran through, eyes a little glassy. He shook his head. "Stay for a bit. He's upset and needs to cool it."
"But Jake!" She rounded on him, voice incredulous.
"Really, let him be," he said, trying to beat down the angry look now blazing in her eyes, "Dekel does this all the-" Jacob stopped short, a vein pulsing in his head, a faint ringing in his ears. Marlene suddenly lowered her gaze, arm relaxing in his grip, and sighed softly.
Jacob stood there, awkward, lost for words, and gradually, clumsily, let her arm go. "It's okay, if you need to go, go." He muttered under his breath. Marlene was quiet, staring at the bloody hand imprint on her forearm. Slowly, she shook her head, a tiny smile pinching the sides of her lips.
"I'm going to help you find him." She softly declared, raising her gaze to meet his, a gentle boldness seizing her.
"Huh?" Jacob blankly answered and stared back, shaking his head slightly. "Who?"
"Who do you think?" She folded her arms over her chest. "And Denzel is coming." Her voice was definite. "That's final."
"But we can't just take off!" Jacob exclaimed, waving his hands around violently, blood shooting off in every direction.
"And we won't!" Marlene snapped back, a little insulted that Jake thought she hadn't thought this through. "Listen," she hissed in his ear in an undertone, leading Jacob away by the elbow. He craned his head next to hers to hear her better.
"We'll go off and find the Turks first." she began, her voice fast and quiet, already out of breath due to her excitement, "We can stay with Cloud for a while. It's best to let Midgar's turmoil die down a bit. Once the time is right, we can catch a train and go to Mideel. I hear that's where everyone is going once they're done here. We can get Denzel and then head to Midgar and start our search there." She gazed up at Jacob, searching for his approval, but she couldn't help the slightly smug and proud look forming on her face, twisting her lips into a slight smile.
"You're crazy!" Were the first words to come tumbling out of his mouth. Her face fell a little bit. "And besides, it's my fault Dekel is gone." He shuffled his feet a bit, tugging his arm out of Marlene's grasp, and he moved a few steps away from her. "I-I told him I'd protect him, see? It's my life that should be on the line, not yours." Marlene heaved a great sigh and cast her gaze to the heavens.
"It's our fault too!" She came to stand by Jacob and gently touched his shoulder. He didn't shake off her touch. "Look, Jake, it was my responsibility as much as yours. Nobody blames you and you alone! And so, I have just as much right to get him back as you. So does Denzel."
Jacob stared at her, really stared, mouth slightly open, feeling a little bit like a fish out of water. Her face was so dead set, eyes burning so passionately at him, cheeks a little flushed. A small grin slid across Jacob's face, spreading wider and wider, going from ear to ear. He wanted to hug her.
"Marlene, you're wonderful!" She beamed back.
"I know I am!"
"But, wait, what about Terace?" Jacob inquired as the thought struck him. Marlene gave Jacob a dark look, cocking her eyebrows as if to say, 'you're kidding, right?'
"Too immature to come." She said as if that settled the matter. Jacob slowly shook his head.
"If we're breaking into Midgar, we'll someone who knows their way around weapons. He's our best shot! I can't fire a gun-" Marlene cut Jacob off.
"So learn!" She spat. "He's not coming and that's final."
Jacob shifted his weight uncomfortably, looking doubtful. "Good luck hiding the plan from him. He's reckless but sharp."
"Maybe." She shrugged, and pushed the topic away from Terace. "Come on, let's go find Denzel and give him the plan. He'll want to know. And let's fix those hands up while we're at it."
"Whatever you say." The two walked out of the temple.