A/N: I apologize for the slow and slightly redundant pace (honestly, I should have combined the first three chapters, but people were complaining about length), but here's a bonus update. Things should pick up by Chapter 3 and by Chapter 4, things get bloody.
Chapter Two
Driving is an art
Being an infantry man is a difficult job. First, you are at the bottom rung of the military hierarchy. Two, your higher ranking teammates are always waiting to tease you. Three, despite the fact that you work your ass off in keeping your community safe; you are treated as the local pansy in your neighbourhood.
Life is just beautiful for Cloud Strife.
As an environmentally friendly man, Strife takes public transportation to and from work. Said public transportation is unfortunately operated by volunteers.
It is a lovely thing for the citizens of Radiant Garden to be so generous and offer their time and energy to drive the buses, but it is a terrifying thing when a driver needs to call in sick. What is even more traumatizing is when your superiors think that this is a good training exercise and hire the substitute.
"TIDUS. STOP."
"Nu'uh, Mister. If I stop here, I'll cause traffic accidents! And please sit down. It's unsafe to stand while the bus is moving at high speeds."
"And it's perfectly safe to drive into oncoming traffic, Tidus. Let me drive."
"Mister, you say that every single time you come on this bus. Look at your fellow teammates, they are perfectly fine with me driving." Strife glanced back to his fellow workmates. The rest of the men were deathly white from the young boy's definition of driving. Some were laughing nervously and the rest are whimpering like kicked moogles. And there is the local sadist, but he didn't really count. "So take a chill pill and relax, we are almost at your place. So sit down, it's alright, nobody is going to die."
The bus dodged another truck.
Of course, nobody is going to die.
It is just another day for the hardworking troops of the Kingdom of Hearts.
The wet earth shifted slightly and a quiet curse slipped through the rows of flowers. A dirty hand reached out, slapping the ground in attempts to find the folded ladder a foot away.
"Riku, are you sure you can reach the ladder?"
"Mr. Frost, I'm sure I can get it… It's just right there." Riku's arm appeared again, trying to reach the ladder-case.
"Rikuuuuuu, you are heavvvy… I don't think I can hold you up any more…"
"Sora, don't you dare drop Riku, I don't want to repeat this ordeal."
"Why can't I get the stupid ladder? I'm getting sick and tired of trying to keep Riku up, Mr. Frost. Why don't you get it?"
"I'm carrying the two of you, would you rather support the weight of an adult? Where are the other three anyways?" Even's more important question was ignored by the two boys. Typical.
"Okay, fine, but Riku is taller and stronger than me, why do I have to be stepping stool number two?"
"Shut up, Sora, it's not my fault that your arms are too short," The silver haired boy's arm reached out again. The fingers finally clasped onto the casing, tugging the metal skeleton closer to the opening in the soil.
And then Riku slipped.
"It's not my fault this time."
"Shut up, Sora," was the unanimous reply.
Well.
That was a new achievement.
The bus still is in one piece.
Aeleus, Xion and Vanitas stood clapping as the bus screeched to a halt in front of Strife's home. The owner mindlessly walked to the door and stopped in the doorway of the vehicle.
"Tidus, why are we stopping here?"
"Mr. Chocobo, you silly person, we are at your place."
"No, we aren't."
"Your house is 3409 right? Look, see that on the house? Three. Four. Zero. Nine. Look, even your neighbours are outside. Off you go, Mr. Cloud, you don't want to hold up the rest of the bus do you?"
"My house isn't pink."
"Oh… You sure you didn't get it painted while you were away, Mister?"
"No, I didn't… Aeleus, Sir?" The redhead glanced at Strife who was cautiously walking towards the pink monstrosity in front of him, "do you have any idea who did this?"
"No." Strife looked disappointed.
The silence stretched uncomfortably. Vanitas shifted slightly, hiding the several blotches of pink on his clothing behind Xion. Sighing, the blond walked over to the bed of flowers. The wind was offering a gentle breeze and the flowers' scent filled the air. The soil shifted slightly, but none of the bystanders noticed.
"Well, at least the flowers are nice… Reminds me of- Argh!"
"Sorry Strife."
"Riku, why are you apologizing to him? His expression was AWESOME." Riku glared at the boy behind him, "Manners, alright, alright, Ma. Sorry, Mr. Strife. Do you like your house? Kairi might like it. Did you have a contract for some sort of cancer organization? How much did you donate? If you have that much money, can you get me an ice cream?" The boy clambered out and the two children offered a hand for the aging Even.
"Uh... Not that I know of. What were you three doing down there?" Bright glowing eyes squinted with well placed suspicion.
"Strife, I must ask you to check the stability of the soil on your land. It's rather unstable." Even immediately took over the situation before Sora could open his talkative mouth. The two set off into a quiet banter about the situation, leaving Sora and Riku out of the conversation. Which was a good thing, as Sora was in his heroic manners mode.
Pouting, the boy turned onto his brother and the girl. "Vanitas, how could you leave me down there? I could have died!"
"You are out now, aren't you?" An argument ensued between the bothers as Xion and Riku failed to keep it under control. Amused, Aeleus wandered over to the van that had dropped off the unfortunate blond. The remaining occupants were trying to look nonchalant or were snickering at Cloud's 'unique' day.
The loudest hyena was sitting in the front seat, "Tidus."
"Uh...Hi, Is there anything wrong, Sir?"
"Just wondering why you haven't taken the rest of the men to their homes yet. How is the job and does it fit in your schedule?"
"Aww, well, I like this job and Mr. Luxord, didn't mind me having it on top of my school schedule. So, can I keep the job? I mean, everyone is having a blast when I'm driving. It's like an amusement park, EVERYBODY SCREAMS! Well, mainly Mr. Chocobo and a couple other peeps. Everybody else laughs at them."
Yellow spikes swung from Even to the bus driver, "Would you ever give me a break, Tidus?" The soldier scowled as the little brown haired brat shook his head in disagreement. Strife muttered something about having to repaint the place as he entered his house. Aeleus felt slightly guilty for making the man's day worse. Just slightly.
"Say, Mr. Ael, would you like to go for a ride some day?"
"Another day."
"Okay, Mister."
"Drop off the other men, and return home."
"YES SSIIIIIR!" The bus sped off with the rest of the unfortunate squadron. The children stopped arguing the minute they heard the blood curdling laughter and screaming. No bus should be able to accelerate that quickly, and the four were utterly amused by the recklessness of their fellow classmate.
"Hey, Vanitas, we should go for a ride when he comes back. Get Repliku too, I want to see his face when we turn a curve."
"That... I'll need to get a video camera for this, won't I? Xion, go get your brother." Xion offered Vanitas a sharp glare before stomping off, grumbling about how the elder children abused their authority on their younger siblings. "And we'll need helmets at thi- Hi Dad."
"Vanitas. Sora. Interesting choice for arts and crafts." Sephiroth tilted his head to the side and after a moment, he smirked. Riku cringed a little. Somewhere, perhaps in Disney Town, a kitten suffered a miserable and cold death. "It fits his personality."
"Isn't it awesome?" Sora clambered onto the silver haired man and was treating him like a distorted playground. "Hey, Daddy, is it time to eat?"
"Almost. I need you two to set up the guest room." Both boys turned their attention to their father. Even, Riku and Aeleus pitied the guest. The poor visitor will not be getting any rest tonight. "Vincent dropped by."
"GRAAANDPAA VINCENT!" Black and brown hair streaked across the road, leaving the three neighbours in confusion.
Even quirked up his eyebrow, "Sephiroth, I wasn't aware that Valentine was your father."
"He isn't." The scientist gave the specimen an odd glance, Aeleus just sighed and Riku offered the wide-eyed stare that children seemed to offer when they were confused. "I presume it is because he spoils them."
"So, he's more like a grandmother who bakes cookies and knits scarves?" Three pairs of eyes swung towards the boy. Riku gulped, "He's going to shoot me for that, isn't he?"
Xion and Repliku came running back out, bringing a message that their mother wanted to invite Aeleus, Riku and Sora's family to dinner. Sephiroth politely declined as he had a guest and two overly hyped teens, but Aeleus and Riku gladly accepted the offer.
And thus, our manly red-head and silver headed victims are now currently cutting cucumbers for a salad. Repliku is amazed that Riku hasn't destroyed the kitchen yet. Mrs. Frost walked over to the sink, surveying the work.
"Mrs. Frost, I'm sorry that I'm making such a mess."
The woman chuckled, "It's alright. Repliku had issues when he started cooking. Aeleus, Even said that there is a call for you." The tall man nodded and left the lady to teach the boy how to cook. Xion was currently absorbed into the task of creating the perfect pasta, so Repliku offered to take the man down to the lab.
"Did you cut your hair again?"
"Yeah," the short haired silver boy nodded. "Papa retrieved another sample..."
"How did you start balding anyways?"
"Sora and Vanitas."
Some things are just better left untold.
A/N: FFVII characters are fan-service. Honest. Besides that, they have plot relavence as do all the characters.