(A/N: My apologies for the delay. My computer short-circuited and I didn't have access to my files for two months.
Chapter Three will be posted tomorrow.)
Mama-
Thank you so much for the package you sent me. I can't believe that these huge superstores don't even carry my favorite brand of chips. The sweater was a sweet gesture, but I wouldn't worry too much about the weather; even during the winter it's warm and muggy here in Midgar. I do miss the fresh mountain air back at home. Anyway, I don't have much of a chance to go outside except for field training. Speaking of which, I have examinations in two weeks. That's when I have my chance to be noticed by ShinRa, so I can't let it slip past me. Zack has been helping me train almost every day, and I feel more prepared than ever.
I haven't told you about Zack, have I? He's a friend of mine, a real SOLDIER, Second Class. I can't even begin to imagine why he'd take the time to train with me, but he's been great. He helped me with my weaponry, swordsmanship, and even hand-to-hand combat. I might just move on to advanced training with his help. Apart from that, he's just… nice. Someone to talk to, you know? Everyone here is so focused on moving up, getting ahead. But Zack isn't like that. He's more of a friend than a competitor. Like a mentor, I guess. I've never felt so compelled into conversation with anyone else, which has backfired a little. Ever since I started hanging around him I've been losing my accent and picking up Midgar slang. Granted, he was a little disappointed when he noticed this. He said that the way I talk is 'cute'. I never really knew how distinct my accent was until I moved here. Zack took a picture of us the other day and gave a copy to me, so I went and printed one for you as well.
Yours,
Cloud
Cloud dropped his pen and brought a hand up to his forehead, hissing with regret when his forefinger brushed up against the blackening circle around his right eye. He sighed, folding the letter and tucking it into the envelope before picking up the photograph he had set aside. It was at a tilted angle, as Zack had clumsily held out the camera himself to take the picture. They were seated side-by-side on the steps of the ShinRa administrative building, with Zack grinning and wrapping an arm around Cloud to keep him from shying away from the camera. The blonde's lips twitched upward, before he slid it in next to the letter and sealed the envelope.
"Hey, is that a letter to home?" Cyrus asked from his bed on the far side of the room, arms folded behind his head and a book lying open yet ignored on his chest.
"Yeah." Cloud addressed the envelope, his hand faltering once or twice from his mental and physical exhaustion. How good a nap sounded right about now…
"Well, hand it over. I'm heading down to the library." His roommate leapt off his bed, allowing the book to clatter the floor.
"Thanks." Cloud surrendered it almost immediately. He was all too grateful for the chance to be left alone in the room, and not have to walk downstairs sporting his injuries. The moment Cyrus exited with a lazy wave, he collapsed on his bed with a groan. His lips ached every time they quivered, split and swollen from his earlier escapade. He winced at the memory, turning over and digging the unwounded side of his face into his pillow in an attempt to block the pain throbbing through his skull.
xXxFightingTheTidexXx
"…and Cloud's accuracy is up by almost twelve percent! I really think he's going to do well in the upcoming exams. He works so hard. Sure, he's a little on the slender side for a fifteen-year-old, but he's really showing great improvement ever since we started working together. I think someone just needed to show him that it's okay to fight your own way, you know? Ah, do you have any idea how lucky I am to have a mentor like you, Angeal?"
How Zack managed chatter on and on while effectively sparring was beyond Angeal's comprehension. Perhaps he gave the boy less credit than he deserved when it came to the matter of focus? This small ray of hope was extinguished as (in the middle of praising Cloud's form which he'd allegedly picked up from Zack himself) he disarmed Zack and sent him plummeting toward the floor. He chuckled, holding a hand out to his sheepish student. "I'm very glad your pupil is progressing, but you need to focus on your own training if you want to make First."
"Sorry, Angeal." Zack steadied himself, grasping his sword and leaping back onto his feet in a single fluid motion. "I guess I'm starting to realize what you like about teaching so much!" His larger-than-life smile made the man roll his eyes, and he reached forward to ruffle Zack's hair- a gesture shared between them for years. Outside of professional circumstances, of course. Angeal retreated to the weight benches on the far side of the training room, retrieving two water bottles. He tossed one to Zack, who caught it with a grateful salute.
"The Director is impressed with your records. You've been getting excellent reviews from all of the instructors you've substituted for over the past two weeks. Apart from the shattered windows on the twenty-second floor-" Zack winced, "the results were ultimately positive. The Director wants to perform an on-the-field evaluation before he makes his final decision."
"Wants to see me in action, huh?" Zack drank deeply and wiped the sweat from his eyes. "Alright! What kind of mission?"
"He's scheduled your assessment a week after the cadets' evaluations, so he can attend to it with the entirety of his attention. You'll be recovering a valuable piece of recording equipment that an infantryman carelessly dropped on an extended recon mission."
"Equipment?" Zack scoffed, folding his arms with an expression of mock insult. "Are you gonna let them patronize me like that? ShinRa can replace a stupid video camera without blinking an eye."
"It's not the video camera that's valuable, Zack. It's what's been recorded on the camera. It's been missing for months, much to the dismay of the Research Department. A button was pressed, probably inadvertently by a monster, and the tracking number was temporarily activated. It was linked to a shoreline cavern north of Junon. Unfortunately, this is a high-level monster area and we only have a vague idea of where the equipment is. Your mission will be to find the camera and safely deliver it into the hands of the Research Department. This is ranked as a First Class mission, and a high priority one at that. Lazard chose this mission to test your intelligence as well as your strength. I'll be standing by just in case, but if I interfere that will disqualify you. Understood?"
"Sir, yes Sir!" Zack barked out in jest. He had stopped addressing his mentor so formally about three days after they'd met. Angeal had always been more of a friend than a teacher; a very stern, protective, pedantic friend, but a friend nonetheless. The thought made the teenager's heart sink. "Hey, Angeal…" He paused, twisting the cap onto his water bottle only to untwist it anxiously. "When I make First Class, we can still hang out right?"
The corner of Angeal's mouth quirked upward in a half-smile. "Of course, Zack. We'll be comrades and equal in rank. We'll be seeing quite a lot of each other."
Zack scoffed, reaching downward to grab his duffle bag and sling it over his shoulder. "I have a lot of training to do if I want to be your equal, Angeal." With a wave, he ran off into the corridor, whipping out his cell phone habitually and flipping it open to check the clock. The pang in his stomach, however, was already a clear indication of what time it was: lunchtime. Maybe I can catch Cloud before he goes down to the mess hall. He hurried to the locker room to grab a quick change of clothes, taking care to throw on some 'shower fresh' deodorant and straighten his hair. He prided himself on running faster than the elevators could move, which he promptly demonstrated by dashing down the nearest stairwell to the cadet barracks (avoiding crashing into a First Class, who had a few choice words for him on running in the corridors). When he arrived at Cloud's dorm he pounded on the door with a sing-song call of, "Cloooooooud!" He paused, absolute silence meeting his ears. Maybe the teenager had his headphones in? "CLOOOOOOOOOOOOUD!" He knocked a bit louder, his SOLDIER strength causing the door to tremble on its hinges. When it finally opened, he had to yank his fist back to avoid punching Cloud in the middle of the forehead.
"Heya-" His voice died in his throat when he caught sight of the boy. The blonde appeared weary and dazed as though he had just gotten out of bed, but more so it seemed from metal exhaustion. Cloud's left eye and cheekbone were bruised, along with a split and swollen lip. "What the hell happened to you?" he asked, leaning forward to inspect Cloud's injuries, who promptly shirked away.
"It was a rough day in combat training," Cloud explained, his eyes flickering downward before meeting Zack's. "I got pummeled."
Zack leaned back, his gaze slightly narrowed. He had his suspicions. Moves that struck above the neckline or below the waistline weren't used by cadets on each other in combat training, and merely one such strike was enough to disqualify the offender. Cloud looked as though he'd been punched, and more than once. He desperately wanted to say so, but he knew that if Cloud was lying to him, pushing the situation would only make it worse. On the rare occasion that Zack kept a secret, Angeal would wait until the teenager sought him out rather than press him for answers. "Those who don't want to be helped, can't be helped," he once explained. Keeping this in mind, Zack shrugged and plastered a smile onto his face. "Well, a rough day calls for a good lunch. What do you say to grilled cheese at my place?"
Cloud nodded, finally cracking a smile. "Gimme a sec to get changed."
Zack snorted, clasping a gloved hand over his mouth to hide his laughter. Cloud sounded so cute, saying the word 'gimme' with his underlying Nibelheim accent. Mixing city jargon and mountainous inflection was just too adorable. Cloud emerged from his room in a pair of dark cargo pants and a loose white T-shirt, inclining his head shyly to somewhat shadow his wounds. Zack wrapped an arm around his shoulders and led him to the nearest elevator, hatching a plan on the way there. "So, how are you feeling about examinations?"
"I think most of my written tests will go well; I've been using those online practice tests and I seem to be doing alright. I'm a little nervous about the health and anatomy examination, though. There's a lot to remember."
"I'll quiz you a bit. We'll see what you need to brush up on. And what about the practical exams?"
Cloud shrugged, visibly uncomfortable as they stepped onto the elevator. "I, uh, should…" The blonde shuddered as the elevator began to move up, feeling his body sway back only to find Zack's arm curled around his shoulders, keeping him steady.
"Cloud, you okay?" Zack frowned down at the pallid teenager.
"It's nothing, I just…" Cloud swallowed, uneasy when he tasted something faintly bitter in his mouth. "I get motion sickness a lot."
The elevator slowed to an immediate stop, and Cloud's eyes flickered open to find Zack's thumb pressed against a red button. "Well why didn't you say so? And here I've been dragging you onto elevators left and right… Come on, we'll use the stairs."
"But, there's still sixteen floors left to climb!" Cloud protested as he was dragged out of the elevator and pushed toward the nearby stairwell. The last thing he wanted was for his friend to think he was an inconvenience.
"Let's run it! It'll be a training exercise!" Zack began to pump himself up, jogging a bit in place.
"You don't mind?"
"Of course not! Last one there is a rotten chocobo egg!" Zack took off up the stairs, his friend hot on his heels. The stairs were barren as they sprinted upward, barely able to avoid smashing into the wall upon rounding corners to change direction. When they finally reached the Second Class SOLDIER floor, Cloud was hunched over and panting for breath while Zack was bouncing back on his heels with a contented sigh. "Nothing like a good workout before lunch, eh? What time is your next class?"
"Two…" Cloud coughed. "Two-fifteen."
"Plenty of time." Zack fumbled in the pockets of his cargo pants, coming up with two Potions, a Lunar Curtain, and a ball of lint before finding his keycard. He swiped it promptly and opened the door, adopting a stern expression as he held it open for his companion. "After you, Sir."
Cloud chuckled, nodding in turn. "Why, thank you." The cadet shuffled into the familiar apartment, standing somewhat awkwardly as he often did until Zack ruffled his hair and urged him to make himself at home.
"You, me, grilled cheese. Eight minutes. Time me." Zack sped into the adjoined kitchenette faster than Cloud could blink. The younger sat himself down on the couch, tucking his legs to his chest as he glanced over the sofa to watch Zack fumble about in the kitchen for the proper ingredients. "Angeal told me today that the Director of SOLDIER wants to evaluate me for a First Class position!" Zack called over the sizzling of butter hitting the searing frying pans.
"That's great, Zack!" Cloud's heart jumped in his chest. A wistful smile came to his face as he wondered what it must be like to be faced with such an opportunity. If someone had woken the teenager up a month ago and told him he would befriend a man with First Class prospects, he would have laughed in their face and gone right back to sleep. Why does he even bother with me?
"You'll be able to go on missions soon enough, Cloud. I can put in a request to Heidegger and get you assigned to missions I'm leading. It'll be fun! Two guys on the cusp of adventure, fightin' monsters and savin' the world…" Zack sighed dreamily, staring up at the ceiling in his musings before the smell of grilled, or rather, burned cheese brought him back to the task at hand. He flipped the sandwiches as he spoke, "Zack Fair. SOLDIER, First Class. I like the sound of that. Now I'll get assigned to real missions and get a chance to be a hero!"
Cloud frowned, running a hand through his hair in thought. I thought he was already a hero. He seems like one anyway. Then again, the definition of 'hero' was a bit vague, wasn't it? In his childhood, Cloud would have identified the word hero almost immediately to Sephiroth. However, Sephiroth seemed to be little more than a dreamlike ideal now that he'd met the flesh-and-blood Zack. A SOLDIER who could laugh as hard as he could kick your ass. Cloud's musings was interrupted by a plate being held out to him, adorned with a grilled cheese sandwich cut neatly into triangular halves. "Thanks."
"No problem. Oh, let me get you a soda." Zack set his own food down on the coffee table before retrieving a cola from the refrigerator, glancing over to ensure that Cloud was occupied. He shook the soda swiftly and walked up behind his friend, angling it just enough before opening it. Cola went flying, splattering against Zack's hand and the back of Cloud's shirt. The blonde squeaked, leaping upward out of surprise as his T-shirt clung to his soaking back.
"Oh, man. I'm so sorry, Cloud! Take off your shirt and I'll throw it in the wash. You can borrow one of mine."
"Th-thanks Zack." Cloud stripped off the shirt and Zack got a glimpse of exactly what he was looking for. (1). He pursed his lips, setting the exploded can of pop aside before heading off into the bathroom to moisten a washcloth. After fetching a fresh T-shirt, Zack tossed the acquired items at Cloud, who was doing his best to keep his back to the other. But it was too late. Zack had seen the dark bruises lining Cloud's chest, and that could only mean one thing- Cloud had been in a fight. Or worse, simply beat up on. What was worse was that the teenager hadn't trusted him enough to come to him.
Zack sighed, contemplating the matter seriously as they both settled onto the couch to eat. He had a responsibility as a Second Class SOLDIER to make sure that fighting outside of class was avoided… especially when it was happening to Cloud. Questions ran through his head faster than he could attend to them. Had this been a one-time occurrence? Had it been stopped and cited by an officer? Who would dare mess with Cloud? Well, there was one person who would help him find out.
(1)- …If you read that without smiling, I commend you.
xXxFightingTheTidexXx
"I need a favor."
Genesis glanced up from his paperwork to find a pair of puppy eyes staring at him from over the ledge of his desk. "Sounds familiar," he mused, nonchalantly returning to the document lying before him. "What is it that you need, Zack?"
"I need the latest citations made on behalf of the cadets. And Cloud Strife's class schedule."
Genesis raised an eyebrow as Zack stood at his full height, looking nothing short of sheepish. "I'm not going to help you stalk a cadet, Zack. No means no."
"Wha-?" Zack's cheeks reddened, and he shook his head swiftly. "Genesis, Cloud is my friend! But he's got these bruises and he won't tell me the truth about where they came from. I have a feeling something's going on and he's scared to say anything. You know the sorts of things that go on with the recruits."
"So you're going to follow him around all day?" Genesis signed his name in fancy calligraphy and pressed his seal on the paper before moving onto the next one. "Sounds sneaky and underhanded. Just like I taught you. Before I aid your transgression, I'd like you to remind me why you come to me when you need assistance."
Zack cleared his throat, staring down sweetly at the man. "Because you're the handsomest, smartest, strongest, most accommodating man that I've ever had the pleasure of associating with?" And Angeal would gut me if I asked him.
The redhead nodded, flipping open his laptop and typing away. "Citations, citations, citations. Over the past week there have been twelve curfew violations, three instances of insubordination, and two of violence outside of the classroom. None of them mention Strife. I'll need a minute or two to pull up his schedule."
"Thanks, Genesis. You're a lifesaver." Zack paced back and forth, absorbed in his thoughts until his superior spoke again.
"This Cloud Strife. You say he is your friend, yet he doesn't approach you about a potentially precarious situation. What do you make of it?"
Zack's mouth twisted into a frown. "I can't stop thinking about it. I mean, I've been helping him train for the examinations. We spend a lot of time together; I really thought he trusted me." He sighed, folding his arms over his chest and leaning against the edge of the man's desk in contemplation. Zack could feel his student-mentor relationship with Angeal slipping from his fingers as he progressed toward First Class. He would give anything to have that with Cloud, to be the one the teenager could always turn to no matter what. Everyone should have someone like that in their lives, and to be that for Cloud would be…
"Don't look so troubled. You've only known the boy for a few weeks. Granted, people fall in love with you faster than Sephiroth can scare the piss out of a cadet…" He paused to enter in his password. "But trust itself takes a while to develop. It could be that the kid just doesn't want to bother you." Genesis scrolled down the infinitely long list of names until he found Strife's schedule. The laser printer booted up, and Zack darted swiftly to retrieve the paper that came spitting out. As Genesis watched the raven-haired SOLDIER jog out of the room, he whispered to himself, "There is no hate, only joy. For you are beloved by the Goddess. Hero of the dawn, healer of the worlds."
Zack flipped open his phone to find that Cloud would be expected at his first class in exactly ten minutes. He sent off a quick text:
Angeal-
My friend needs me. Can we please postpone practice until tonight?
The response was almost immediate: Level 49, 1800 sharp. Take care.
Zack let out a sigh of relief, typing back a condensed version of his immense gratitude before dashing toward the classroom complex. He hid behind a door to a storage closet that was halfway open, inconspicuously leaning against the wall as he watched cadets shuffle about to their classes. He spotted Cloud walking alone as he sauntered into his objective classroom with a bored, but ultimately unaffected expression. The SOLDIER wasn't sure what he'd been expecting to happen, but he was almost a little disappointed. Zack made his way downstairs to grab a cup of coffee from the cafeteria and wait out the next hour and a half reading the latest edition of ShinRa's official magazine. For all of his efforts, he found a very nice picture of Angeal, Genesis, and Sephiroth posing for what Zack liked to call the propaganda section. He tore it out and tucked it into his pocket with intent to tape it up onto his wall. By midday, Zack had followed Cloud to three classes and saw no one beating up on him, no new bruises. Not even a sign of slight discontent. Oddly enough, he found that the very friendly and likable Cloud was something of a shut-in among his peers. He kept to himself, never quite interacting enough with anyone to be considered a friend to them.
It was when Zack was above the shooting range, cooped up in one of the observation rooms that he noticed something strange about Cloud's behavior. Immediately after he had finished his rounds (with an eighty-nine percent accuracy rate that had Zack practically crowing with victory), Cloud nearly ran backto the locker room, a somewhat vexed expression on his face. Zack's eyes narrowed, and he dashed down the connecting stairwell, ignoring Genesis' voice chanting in his head, StalkerStalkerStalkerStalker.
He paused just outside of the locker room, where the cadets would store their weapons and return promptly. Zack waited and waited until the young men came filing out, knowing something was wrong when Cloud didn't emerge after the first two minutes. He barged his way in, paying no mind to the cadet who was too busy saluting him to jump out of his way. Zack heard Cloud's distinct voice echoing from the back of the room. Carefully and quietly he slid into the second-to-last row of lockers and stepped onto the nearby bench to peer over them.
"-not my fault you can't point a gun to save your life," Cloud was speaking, settled into a pre-fighting stance as though ready to spring at any moment. It was plain to see why, as a mere five feet away from him stood three cadets, one with a commendable stature and his two lackeys settled behind him. None of them had a particularly pleasant demeanor; one even resorted to cracking his knuckles. Zack's fingernails dug deeply in the palms of his hands. Three against one? There was no honor in such a battle! Before he stepped in, he waited until he had the proof he needed to discipline them. Harshly.
"You and I both know that I was the top gunman in this unit before you started taking private lessons from Fair!" the enemy sneered, stepping taking half a step forward. Cloud didn't even blink. "Any of us would start getting ahead if we opened our legs for a Second."
Zack's blood ran cold.
"I got to where I am because I worked my ass off!" Cloud spat, hands tightening into white-knuckled fists. "Zack is my friend, and I trained with him the way I would with anyone else. I would never lower myself to sleeping around."
"That's the only way a wimp like you could jump rank!" The cadet charged forward, grabbing Cloud's wrists and yanking him forward, only to receive a knee in the gut.
I taught him that move! Zack could have laughed as he watched Cloud deliver two fierce jabs to his opponent's chest and fell back into a position that clearly gave them a choice between additional pain or salvaging their dignity. The lackeys stepped forward, grappling to restrain Cloud's arms, but not succeeding without prompt kicks to the groin. The moment the blonde was firmly restrained, Zack leapt over the row of lockers and between him and the advancing cadet.
"At attention!"
"Sir!" Immediately the recruits broke apart, coursing into a formal greeting and jerking their hands into a salute. An innocent smile tinged Zack's lips as he looked each of the young men up and down; three looked absolutely terrified, one simply confused.
"Combat outside of class is a direct violation of the code of conduct!" Zack barked in a booming voice that he hardly put to use. "Cadet Strife!"
"Sir!"
"As you were fighting in your defense, no citation is necessary. One week of evening sanitation duty."
"Yes, sir!"
"Now, you three. State your names."
"Adel Kochi!"
"Kayne Ferran!"
"Flavien Allaway!"
Zack hummed, flipping out his cell phone and typing so swiftly that his thumbs were blurred to the sight. "I'm citing you for instigating violence and slandering a superior officer. All three of you are to report to General Sephiroth tomorrow morning at 0600 hours to receive disciplinary action. Dismissed."
"Sir! Yes, sir!" They bolted out of the locker room (or rather, waddled due to crotch-related injuries), none of them daring to look back. In a moment's time Zack was by Cloud's side, observing the flesh of his left cheek stained red by the assault.
"Are you alright, Cloud?"
Slightly stunned, the blonde was only able to ask, "What are you doing here, Zack?"
Stalking you. "I know you have a free period after lunch today, and I was wondering if you wanted to go out into the city with me." Zack suddenly got rather bashful, rubbing the back of his neck with a blush. "Sorry I had to punish you too. If I didn't, the rumors about favoritism would have escalated."
Cloud's heart sank. 'Favoritism' was an understatement as to what had been implied. "You, uh, heard everything then?" He could feel his cheeks burning bright red. Zack must hate me. He'll avoid me forever and ever and ever... He nearly flinched when a hand on his shoulder startled him from his thoughts.
"I'm sorry, Cloud." The sincerity in Zack's voice nullified his happy-go-lucky demeanor, and the change was almost astonishing for Cloud to watch. "It never even crossed my mind that training with you would spur on this type of talk. How often do people get on you about it? You can be honest with me," he added in light of Cloud's obvious reluctance.
"It's only gotten physical twice," he admitted, folding his arms over his chest. "People make comments, but… it doesn't matter."
Zack's eyes narrowed, trying to prevent himself from demanding names, dormitory numbers, and an estimation of the target's defenses. "Good. You can't let it bother you. In two weeks' time, you'll show everyone at the examinations what you're made of, and that it has nothing to do with me."
"But… I mean…" Cloud was vaguely aware that his mouth was opening and closing in the manner of a fish. "Doesn't it bother you?"
"Are you kidding? People who are jealous will say anything to make themselves feel better. When I made Second Class, somebody accused me of sleeping with Angeal. And Genesis. And Sephiroth." Zack laughed, as though recalling a fond memory. "Just keep doing your best and let me know if anyone gives you any trouble. I know you can handle it, but I don't want you getting a citation right before evaluations. Besides, I don't think anyone is going to mess with you for a while. Sephiroth will take care of those three."
Cloud finally allowed a smile to cross his face. "You're really gonna send them to the General?"
"Of course! Just you wait. Those three will never be able to look you in the eye again!"
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Sephiroth flipped the manila folder open, scanning its contents with utter disinterest. He promptly closed it once more and opened the next one. What was it about being so high up on the corporate ladder that attracted such pathetically menial tasks? The cell phone on the corner of his desk buzzed, and he reached over mechanically to flip it open. He performed a double-take at the message.
Seph-
Three cadets will be reporting to you tomorrow morning for disciplinary action. Please take a little time out of your busy schedule to scare the living sh-t out of them.
Love,
Zack
A smile tugged at Sephiroth's lips. Then again, his comrades tended to keep things interesting.
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"Oh! Oh! Oh! That's him, Angeal! That's him!" Zack was nearly bouncing up and down with excitement, breath flushing the thick glass wall as he stared down at the proceeding examinations. Angeal and he were just two of the many SOLDIER officials overlooking the infantry from the observation rooms; however, they were among the few that weren't charged with scoring the young men as they ran obstacle courses, engaged in combat, and demonstrated their efficiency with weaponry. Angeal joined his student at the window, gazing down at the cadet Zack was enthusiastically pointing at. The slender, blonde cadet was currently pinning down a much larger teenager to the floor using an ankle lock submission. "Oh, he's using my moves!" Zack tugged intently on his mentor's shoulder. "You see that?"
"He's good," Angeal agreed, inclining his head as Cloud returned to the boundaries of the ring, lips pursed to hide a nervous smile. He was obviously trained above the standards of the average cadet, no doubt thanks to Zack's efforts. "Physically he seems well off. His classes?"
"He studies really hard, even though he doesn't need to. Concentration comes second nature to Cloud."
"You could learn something from him then."
Zack pouted, returning his attention to the exams. The six-month evaluation period was a vital time in a cadet's career. It decided who moved on to advanced training, who remained at the basic level, and who was kicked to the curb. If Cloud scored well, he could move on to advanced training and be in the running for SOLDIER, like he so desired. Zack inconspicuously moved to his left, where a sergeant was jotting down notes on a clipboard. "So, what do you think of that blonde kid?"
Meanwhile 'that blonde kid' was about the step forward to fight his next opponent. Cloud steadied his breathing, barely collecting himself before a punch forced him to dodge and roll to his left. He crouched, performing a leg sweep that sent his opponent staggering before leaping up and delivering a blow to the chest. His opponent merely grunted and straightened himself, before lunging forward to kick at Cloud's stomach. The teenager managed to catch the cadet by the ankle and jerk him forward to deliver a third blow. Cloud took this chance to pin the man, earning himself his third straight win. His heart pounded harder with every passing minute. He was doing it! He was really doing it! I wonder if Zack is watching.
"Strife, Cloud! Report to the laboratories!"
Cloud let out a sharp exhale. Only advanced students reported to the labs! He patted himself down with his damp towel and jogged over to the stairwell with a smile that couldn't have been slapped off of his face. If he played his cards right, he was going to be a member of SOLDIER! Keep a straight face, keep a straight face. Remain professional. He was intercepted by Zack, who proceeded to give him a bone-crushing hug and spin him around with gleeful laughter.
"You did it, Cloud! You're going to the labs!" And it's the only time in your life you'll be happy to go there.
"I couldn't have done it without you! Thank you so much!" Cloud laughed, returning the hug with equal zeal. Screw being professional.
"Now, don't be nervous," Zack began with his arm wrapped around Cloud's shoulders as they descended the stairs. "They're going to give you a dosage of mako and test your affinity to it. Most of the time you just get a little nauseous and your muscles ache a bit. It'll pass with a good night's sleep."
"I'm not a big fan of needles," Cloud mumbled, rubbing his bicep reflexively.
"Don't worry. They keep it short and sweet down in the labs. In and out, that's their motto. They don't have enough time to cause each patient gruesome pain and misery."
Zack escorted Cloud as far as the door to the laboratory, and they were intercepted by a stern young man in a white lab coat who guarded the metal door. "Name?" he asked, eyes flickering from the clipboard back to the boy.
"Cloud Strife."
The door slid open and Zack squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "I'll be waiting," he said cheerfully, before stepping away. Cloud strode nervously forward, following the lab assistant into an eerily sinister section of the ShinRa building. The corridor became a thick jungle of wires to duck and dodge until they reached an entryway heavily guarded with various mechanisms. The man must have swiped four keycards through the slot to open the door, which led to a room tightly crammed with machinery, computers, and odd things swimming in tanks of green… something. The dim lighting, the dozens of syringes, and the organisms with too many eyeballs made the whole setting feel like some outdated horror movie.
The lab assistant gestured to a treatment table in the middle of the mess. "Professor Hojo will see you momentarily."
Professor Hojo being the villain in the movie, naturally. Cloud sat himself down on the table, swinging his feet nervously just to distract himself from the huge collection of needles that were just waiting to sink into his flesh. He had heard many things about Hojo over the past few months- that he was terrifying, cruel, ugly, and had a bone-chilling laugh ignited by the misery of others. It was said that even Sephiroth feared the man to some degree. Cloud clicked his tongue, trying to distract himself from the silence that was only broken by the bubbling of tanks and the whirling of a computer processor.
"Cloud Strife."
He visibly flinched as a hunched man emerged from the darkness, his narrow face scrunched into a sneer as he pushed his glasses atop the bridge of his nose. Hojo set aside a folder on the nearby table and went to work, moving about bottles and syringes as he glanced at the file. "It says here that you were born in Nibelheim. How much time did you spend around the reactor there?" The man had a distinctly unpleasant voice, one that seemed to cackle menacingly.
"I never went there. It was too far into the mountains." Cloud's eyes widened as Hojo filled a syringe with green goo, never once glancing up from his file. I wish he would look at what he's doing.
"This is a dosage of mako that is equivalent to that of a beginning SOLDIER," Hojo continued, leveling off the liquid and finally giving it an eye-level glance. "The most common symptoms are nausea, headaches, soreness of muscles, and involuntary muscles spasms. You are to report to me tomorrow at six o' clock sharp along with the other cadets. Any vomiting, bleeding, loss of consciousness, fevers, skin irritation, swelling of the throat, burning of the lungs, or any other such symptom should be documented. You should spend the rest of your night in the presence of another person, as you may find yourself in need of serious medical attention and unable to call for it yourself. Understood?"
"Yes, Sir." Cloud winced. Was he supposed to call this guy 'sir'? He didn't have time to think it over as his right bicep was rubbed with alcohol and promptly jabbed with an absurdly thick needle. Cloud was unable to tear his glance away from the huge syringe sticking out of his arm, no matter how ill it made his stomach. The green toxin was drop by drop injected into his bloodstream, and he could feel its warmth spreading through him like wildfire. Cloud's eyes fluttered and he swayed a bit as the needle was removed.
Zack's eyes widened as he browsed through the booklet Angeal had given him, elaborating upon his transition into First. I'm gonna lose my vacation time if I don't use it by my induction! Not happening. He had a whole week of vacation time he'd acquired, and he was not letting it slip through his fingers. Could go to Junon, I guess. Really nice city life there. There's that one hotel I stayed at that's pretty sweet. But Costa del Sol has much better beaches. A smile twitched at Zack's lips. Sun and fun sounded pretty good right about now. Don't be mistaken- Zack Fair loved his job. But he was due for a vacation! Angeal worked him to the bone.
His head jerked up and he pocketed the booklet when the lab doors opened again, revealing a very pale Cloud. "How did it go, buddy?"
"Um… fine." Zack frowned. Cloud's voice was distant, as though he wasn't quite attuned to what he was saying. The blonde staggered forward, caught by the raven-haired man's arms in an instant. Cloud groaned as Zack made an attempt to steady him.
"Let's get you somewhere you can rest." Zack led Cloud toward the stairs, then paused. The poor boy didn't look like he could get much more nauseous, and he needed to get him to a bed fast. He made his way for the elevator instead, all the while keeping Cloud close. "We'll head up to my place for now," he said, trying to distract a shivering Cloud from the upward motion of the transport. "The barracks are way too noisy." When they finally reached Zack's apartment, the SOLDIER was more than worried. The blonde had started to tremble, eyes bleary and unfocused. "Cloud? How are you?" he asked softly as he opened the door and ushered the boy inside, receiving a vicious shake of the head.
"Bathroom." The word barely escaped Cloud's lips before he started heaving. Zack quickly guided the teenager by the shoulders to the bathroom, where he proceeded to collapse and violently vomit up his guts. Zack quickly fumbled for a washcloth, wetting it and pressing it against the boy's neck as he surged forward with another bout of retching. Zack felt unimaginable panic swell in his chest when he saw the blood splatters tinge the floor tiles.
Stop staring and pick up the phone! Angeal's voice barked in his mind. He needs a medic!
Don't you dare! Genesis' voice hissed. If you let the labs know he's having a critical reaction to the mako, you'll ruin his dreams of becoming a member of SOLDIER!
Zack flinched, gently rubbing Cloud's back as he fell still, the harsh panting of the blonde weighing on his guilt. Maybe he'll be okay. Maybe we can wait this out.
Three hours were enough to prove him wrong. The trembling and retching had only lessened when the blonde had collapsed in Zack's arms in an unconscious state. Zack pulled his phone from his pocket, glaring at the gleaming screen. He had a decision to make.
xXxFightingTheTidexXx
Genesis sighed, nestling deeper into the niche of the windowsill. How he so enjoyed windows. Transparent, yet protective. They offered a glimpse, and that's really all he needed. Just a reassurance that the world still existed, still revolved when he felt that everything had come to a standstill. He glanced down at the open volume in his lap. "My friend, your desire is the bringer of life, the gift of the goddess." He had whispered the same words to Sephiroth on the night he had sold his soul to the silver-haired god… Genesis sighed, leaning back to pinch the bridge of his nose with exasperation.
"Genesis? Are you awake?"
The redhead's eyes fluttered open as a voice seeped through the thin canvas of the tent. "I'm always awake," he whispered, to which the opening of his tent was unzipped. Genesis shifted with a sigh, pounding a fist into his pillow as though it was the cause of his insomnia. Silence had fallen over the campsite three hours ago, but no member of SOLDIER could shut their eyes without seeing the mangled corpses of their comrades intermingled with the blood that had been spilt that day. Sephiroth slid into the tent gracefully, his long hair brushing against Genesis' cheek as he settled next to the older man. Genesis reached under his pillow to produce a small flashlight, flicking it on to meet the emerald eyes of sixteen-year-old Sephiroth. The young man had seemed so innocent that night. Fresh from the laboratories, Sephiroth knew only the cold metal of machines and the pain they could cause him. The only contact with humanity he knew was the prickling of needles and the merciless prodding of gloved hands at his body. Despite this, he had befriended Angeal and Genesis with almost extraordinary ease. They understood what it was like to be treated as test subjects. They understood what it was like to be treated as sub-human by those monsters Hollander and Hojo.
"You fought well today," Genesis whispered, reaching upward to run his hand through the young man's hair. "We captured the fort thanks to you."
"I did what was necessary. What I was trained to do." Sephiroth spoke the words mechanically, something that made Genesis' heart twitch. Those fucking scientists thought they succeeded when the brainwashed Sephiroth into thinking he was only entitled to what was expected of him. Well, Genesis would prove them wrong Firstly, by introducing Sephiroth to the pleasures of reading. He handed the other the flashlight and initiated their nightly ritual- Genesis would read aloud and Sephiroth would simply listen, enjoying the sweet sound of the Genesis' silky voice. LOVELESS had been a favorite of the redhead's ever since Angeal had taken him to see the live stage performance in Midgar, and Sephiroth never protested whatever Genesis chose to read.
By the time Genesis had finished, Sephiroth's head had found its way onto the shared pillow, eyes half-open and still unable to find their rest. "I have heard the poem so many times, I am sure I could recite it back to you," Sephiroth whispered, to which Genesis smiled.
"Yes, I suppose so. LOVELESS is a beautiful piece. Sad, but beautiful." Genesis shut the book and tucked it safely away, before curling up underneath his sleeping bag and holding it open in invitation. Sephiroth shut off the flashlight and slid in beside him, clothed only in a pair of loose sweatpants. They were silent for a few minutes, shoulders just barely touching. Genesis was conscious of how often he shifted due to Sephiroth's steadfast stillness. He was somewhat surprised when Sephiroth broke the silence:
"Do you believe in it?"
"Believe in what?" Genesis whispered, just barely able to make out those mako-green eyes in the darkness.
"The gift of the goddess. You speak of it so often, as though it is a tangible thing."
"Of course it exists," Genesis scoffed. "It is the path to happiness and fulfillment."
"And what exactly is it?" Sephiroth's voice sounded amused, patronizing. Genesis would not stand for it.
"I imagine it's not the same for every single person. Life is a quest to find that fulfillment."
"Oh? Well then, what does it mean for you or I? We were born to kill, and we kill until we die. Where is the fulfillment in that?"
"There's more to our lives than our occupation. There's the honor that comes with it. The pride of our efforts."
"Those things are imaginary. They exist only in the creator's mind to ease and justify. They mean nothing."
Genesis' breath caught in his throat. It was the first time he'd heard Sephiroth speak so definitively about the abstract. But Sephiroth was still a boy. The existence he led in the laboratories had been horrific, to be sure; but the beauty and ugliness of life was still a mystery to him. "What about our friendship? Does that mean nothing as well? Is that imaginary?" His words were met with silence. "Not everything that's intangible is unreal, Sephiroth. Being human means being affected. By our surroundings, our bonds, our friends…"
"How can you be sure?" Sephiroth demanded, his voice strengthening in volume. "Perhaps emotional response is a façade. Perhaps it is merely variations of attachment that we allow to affect us unnecessarily."
Genesis rolled over onto his side, resting a hand on Sephiroth's chest to steady himself. "Sephiroth… if I died in battle tomorrow, could you live without giving me a second thought?"
"No." Genesis bit back a smile. He could almost imagine Sephiroth's 'so what?' expression.
"You can't prevent yourself from missing someone. You can't prevent yourself from being affected by your surroundings. The things you feel are real and good and human. No matter what they say, Seph." Genesis swallowed hard when he felt a hand enclose over his own, and Sephiroth's heart accelerate beneath his touch.
"I don't know if I want to be human. You make it sound painful."
"There are beautiful things too. Things that make life worth living."
"Show me."
Genesis pulled the younger boy into a kiss, with every such intention.
Genesis jolted as the phone in his pocket vibrated, before lifting it to his ear with a distant, "Hello?" His greeting was met with a familiar voice shaken with fear.
"I'm sorry Genesis, but… I need another favor."