Chapter II: It's a Father/Son Thing
"So, you want to join SOLDIER?"
A black haired teenager, slightly shorter than average but with a strong wiry build that belied an inner strength, nodded his head vigorously in response to the question.
The tall silver haired man sitting at the desk in front of the boy sighed, stood up, and prepared his response.
"That is…"
The teenager leaned forward in anticipation, kneading his hands.
"…totally out of the question."
The teen face faulted. Obviously, this was not the answer he had been expecting or hoping for. After picking himself up, he asked the obvious question. "Why?!"
Sephiroth sighed for the second time. This question was becoming a frequent occurrence in his house, and each time he had the same response to his son's question. Lawrence, his one and only son, had his heart dead set on joining SOLDIER, and Sephiroth was dead set on not letting him join. In Sephiroth's eyes, it was bad enough that his late best friend's only child was not only in SOLDIER but in his squad, and there was no way he was letting his own join.
"But dad, you let Yuay join, why can't I?" Lawrence intoned, as if calling his father's judgment of his skills into question.
Sephiroth glared his son down, a feat only a few people could accomplish. "I didn't have a say in Yuay's joining, and if I did I would have told him the same thing I'm telling you. I don't want you to join because it's dangerous and I will not let you put yourself in a position where you could easily get hurt. End of discussion."
Lawrence sighed in defeat. He knew that the odds of his father letting him join were slim, but his desire to follow in his father's footsteps as one of the most powerful Captains of all time was just too strong to allow him to let the subject die. One of his best friends, Yuay Strife, had joined the force at the youngest recorded age of 13, even now he and many of their friends were still in Shin-Ra's in house school and Young Officers Training Program, a supposed fast track to becoming a high ranking officer in SOLDIER.
"Come on," Sephiroth started, pulling Lawrence up from his chair by the hand. "we need to get going if you want to get to class on time."
--Shin-Ra Academy Mess Hall, lunchtime the same day—
"He said 'No', didn't he."
Lawrence nodded his head in acknowledgement to his blond-haired friend. He didn't need to, but it made him feel better if he did anyway. There were days when he really envied Yuay's abilities as a mindcaster, but he also knew that it wasn't as all powerful or as convenient as many people thought it was.
"He isn't exactly happy that you joined either, you know." Lawrence commented as he sat down at the table.
"I know." Yuay responded, taking another bite of his sandwich. Lawrence was not the only one who had been on the receiving end of Sephiroth's lectures. Many were the times that the captain had 'spoken' with Yuay over his decision to join the force.
"My uncle's offer still stands, you know. It isn't an official job, but it beats having none at all."
Lawrence looked over at Yuay, once again mentally considered the offer that Zack, Yuay's uncle, had given him. Zack's squad, Squad 6, needed a new requisition officer, a position usually filled by the squads lieutenant. However, Squad 6's lieutenant didn't have the patience to deal with such a slow and political process as acquisition, and it wouldn't be the first time a student had filled such a position.
Coming to his decision, and knowing that his father couldn't argue with his decision this time, he gave the blond his answer.
"Tell Zack I'll do it."