READ FIRST: Finally completed this chapter it's much longer but I'm not sure about mistakes or grammatical errors, I corrected them as best I could. I seriously need to read a good book since I just feel my writing ability has gone dramatically down the pan you may see what I mean. The next chapter should be shorter and you won't have to wait nearly as long for it I've finished my exams now but now I have pictures to complete for my mum, movies to watch and the previously mentioned book to read. Still I won't take me a year.
"No way"
"No, no, a thousand times no!"
"Why is he with the Turks?"
"He's a friggen mummy, this can't be allowed!"
"He's gonna get killed-"
"Is this a punishment?"
"What's going on?"
This and more rushed over Rude's ears as he stared at the last addition to the stage. He was not as shocked, indignant or disgusted as the others, Tseng had said the redhead would be there after all and he trusted the man's word. Admittedly he'd had his doubts when the kid hadn't shown up during the first round. It was both a relief and cause for concern considering his condition. Relief since he was obviously healed enough to pull off stunts like that and concern because it was just impossible for anyone to heal from that much blood loss in less than a day. Then again he was no expert in ShinRa medical techniques though he knew standard field equipment, like potions and powerful healing magic, could fix open wounds in a cinch he figured from the other Turks reactions the young man's problems were more severe than that.
There were things he was starting to make sense of; they were so clear now he felt ashamed that he had ignored such details. Admittedly he couldn't believe someone so childish, with no regard for manners or authority could survive in a system they'd been trained to recognise as strict and ruthless. However if that had been the case, John, Jim and Tabby would surely have never made it through even before they drifted towards him. Then there were the actual Turks, all of which the description 'quirky' could apply and not to mention, they all appeared familiar with the redhead. Thinking back to the conversation with Arisa, she more or less told him he was well settled in the company and wasn't some ruffian that was running around. To add to that, every time they'd seen Red's interactions with senior staff it constantly shocked them with just how familiar he was. So it was blindingly obvious he'd been with the company much longer than any of them and it was therefore plausible that he could be a Turk, if not one in training via different means. Rude had only started doubting him to be a Turk on his behaviour when they first met. He had originally thought he was a Turk before thinking better of it. He just didn't know. No one did, in fact many had not got over the immediate shock. John was muttering oaths of disbelief beside him and Tabby appeared to have lost the ability to speak. Jim kept looking at Rude as if he had an explanation.
Still the fact remained he was probably not fit to fight. Rude had felt the blood, heard the screaming, seen Tseng carry his limp body out of the bathroom, but more importantly knew his system and mind had been messed up by the blonde witch only last night. How do you recover from that in such a short time?
Veld appeared on the Balcony, gracing the audience with a solemn nod. His stern presence made the room even more silent, everything waited on his order. "Thank you for your patience, please enjoy this demonstration of some of ShinRa's finest officers in our Department of Administrative Research. As you are aware, we are at war with Wutai, only the best can survive the task of ensuring Midgar's security. May this evening show that you are not only in safe hands at this present time but shall be in the future."
There was a round of applause following this short speech, increasing when he stepped back and Lyon walked to the centre of the platform. He turned to Kyo who obediently stepped forward. The other's remained like ceremonial statues around the edge. Tseng lifted an arm, signalling for them to get ready and commanding the crowd to quieten. He cast his dark eyes over to the Rookies and they knew he wanted them to watch the following matches with care. However Rude found himself too preoccupied with the mystery surrounding the Redhead to give much thought to fighting at the present moment.
"Oi, big guy, what's with that face?" Jim suddenly broke off his musings.
"Isn't it the same as always?"
"That's the problem." Jim stated as if wondering how Rude couldn't understand the issue, "aren't you surprised... at all by this? I mean come on if anyone knows how unfit the Kid is you would and he's with the Turks, the Turks, Rude. Don't you think something is messed up, its ridiculous-"
"No." The bald rookie replied flatly cutting into the older male's ranting.
The sharp reply, however didn't deter Jim, in fact he didn't seem to even notice Rude had said anything. "Okay I know ShinRa isn't always by the book and let's face it their desperate with the war and everything. Hey they let us guys in, well not you, I mean of course you're in but you're a different league altogether from us, I mean- you know what I mean, the point is somewhere along the line things have gone beyond the barriers of acceptability right?" It was clear from his tone Jim was appealing for some confirmation or explanation but Rude could not give what would set the man at ease, if he shared his own hypothesis he risked Jim dropping dead from the shock.
To him and many others Red was just the kid that had saved them in a unorthodox manner, upset a senior official, then proceeded to wake them all up at ungodly hours, to speak out of turn at a meeting, appear to have attention deficiency disorder and cause some mysterious drama that resulted in him disappearing and reappearing looking more like a mummy than before. From that perspective one could understand the refusal to accept what was blatantly in front of them. Yet could in some way or other the Kid's skills or experience out rank their own?
Rude shook his head.
"What?" Jim exclaimed in a frustrated whisper as things started to quieten down, his change of tone was enough for Rude to turn his head but he still watched the proceedings from the corner of his eye, looking beyond the performance to Red, he was mildly surprised how natural the slender man appeared, he didn't look out of place at all. His laid-back stance portraying his confidence that he had every right to be there, but Rude still couldn't shake off the feeling that it just wasn't right somehow though he was equally convinced of his own conclusions. He tried not to look at the redhead that caused too much turmoil in his mind as contradicting theories bubbled and warred giving him a headache just trying to understand them.
"Maybe he isn't what he appears to be."
Jim was about to protest but stopped himself, instead he actually appeared to contemplate what his big friend just said and it appeared to sink in as a few minutes later when the fight was getting interesting he let out of a soft "Oh," of realisation. For the rest of the fight he stared off into space, an expression not unlike wonderment on his face.
As far as the fight went it was definitely a more impressive display than anything the audience had seen thus far, even if it was partly staged and no real damage was inflicted. The crowds 'OOOO'ed and "Ahhh'ed as if on cue they were so absorbed, Rude wondered if they had bets on these fight as well. Much more he wondered how much of their true strength the Turks would show tonight, it was one think for the new recruits to go at each other as if their lives depended on it but for the companies most mysterious department showing their limits he doubted very much that would be allowed. Clearly they didn't think the capabilities of the new recruits would be enough to push the veterans either, which begged the question what the whole thing was really about aside from an excuse to gamble and hold a party that actually had nothing to do with anything.
He suddenly wanted, more than anything at that moment to ask Arisa what this was all about. She was certainly a woman with a lot of information and seemed to trust him enough to let bits slip, whether on purpose or accidentally. Up until now she'd been a short lived lifeline to his slow understanding of ShinRa. Working for a company and knowing about it were completely separate things and if he learnt anything from the academy it was knowledge could be key to survival. Unfortunately Arisa was out of reach and the next opportunity they would have to talk he had a feeling he'd be too distracted to have a conversation. So he watched. Picking up anything from the Senior's fight, looking out for patterns in their movements, preference in style and possible weaknesses they were trying to exploit.
Thankfully he'd seen Kyo fight before and experienced enough of his personality to correctly assume he would be the aggressor. This left more time to watch Lyon who was forced into the defensive but his advantage in strength- though not as great as Trent's - was enough to stop him being overwhelmed by the younger man's flurry of furious kicks. The older man had experience on his side, he was much more balanced than the orange haired man, combining his quick reflexes and strength he compensated for the lack of speed while conserving energy, only moving when absolutely necessary and lashing out with a powerful punch when Kyo was in close range.
In Kyo's favour he was fast and agile. Rude also noted the pair of black gloves the ginger haired man was wearing and despite his knowledge of ShinRa paraphernalia being comparatively limited, since they were bringing out things all the time, he had a feeling they were no ordinary gloves, as bangles and earrings were not just accessories. Lyon had also armed himself with a pair of arm guards that extended from his hands to his elbows, hooked claws protruded menacingly from the knuckles. It was obvious they both specialised in close combat but the larger Turk had the advantage. Kyo wasn't the greatest example of prowess and from everything they'd seen of the Turk supervisors Lyon was probably the oldest and most experienced, not to mention he had claws. Not that Kyo's martial art skills were to be sniffed at but Rude had yet to see Lyon in action, so it was anyone's guess who really would come out on top.
"I don't recall him doing that in practise yesterday."John commented when Kyo performed a viscous tiger style grabbling move to escape Lyon's hold while twisting his body to avoid being impaled by the claws. It was probably unremarkable but the flawless execution had them gaping, they really couldn't have paid more attention even if they'd glued their eyes to the platform.
As it turned out he would have been right to put his money on Lyon. When the match started they appeared evenly matched but the ginger haired man's subtle, maybe even purposeful, slip ups allowed Lyon to catch and over power him. It was short and it had been sweet. At times the battle could have gone either way but the more efficient fighter won in the end. Whatever the outcome most of the Rookies were already weighing themselves against the performance and finding they came up short.
Trent was the next to take on the blonde Turk. Like Kyo, he was wearing a pair of black gloves but unlike his partner he relied on strength rather than speed making him a whole different ball game for Lyon. However despite already just taking on a fellow Turk Lyon was not short of breathe, as if the previous match had been nothing more than child's play. Rude took a quick look at Kyo, though the man's breathing had been slightly laboured it was already back to a steady pace. These really were nothing but exhibition matches.
Sure they'd been told that but after watching the two Turks go at it like cats and dogs it hadn't appeared that way. Indeed the current fight which was reminiscent of a bear trying to break a giant boulder seemed tiring and strenuous but all Trent was doing was going on the defensive allowing Lyon to show off a different variety of moves and thus his versatility. Occasionally he would take a swipe at him but his main priority was to keep Lyon's claws away from him thus showing his dodging capability and rapid reflexes.
Both were strong men, Trent undoubtedly the strongest but all that compact muscle made his reactions the smallest whereas his opponent was more balanced, he was big and strong but still lean enough to have greater agility and his speed was probably on par to Rude's. However showing off what he was capable of also had the unplanned drawback of showing the Rookies what he could not do. So even though Lyon did eventually catch Trent across the throat with his claws- an automatic win- Rude actually felt more confident about fighting Lyon than either Trent or Kyo.
Arisa was a whole different game.
Unlike Lyon's previous opponents she was armed with Chakrams. The large wheels were adorned with spikes which made them effective for blocking, throwing, gutting and impaling. More so she was slim and flexible and her powerful long legs gave her an edge speed wise as well as a powerful kick. When the fight got started she moved in a similar fashion to Kyo despite working best at mid range. This was partly due to Lyon not giving her enough room and her own reluctance to throw her weapons and end up with the possibility of being unarmed. She knew how Lyon worked yet it appeared to put her at a disadvantage as she weighed her own tactics against his reactions. To her credit she lasted longer than either of the other men and even got a few good kicks in. Unfortunately for her Lyon could take more blows than she'd handed to him and he made sure he moved to minimise their effect.
"Just kill me now." John sighed, looking to the ceiling as if his salvation would strike him down there and then. Unlike Rude he wasn't receiving any useful information watching the Turks battle, other than he was completely out of his depth because he knew that he'd have his butt handed to him almost as soon as he got on that podium again. It was too late to reconsider career choices; Shiva knew his brains would be painting the walls if he did. He hadn't idled his time between now and when they'd been given access cards to the ShinRa building, along with Jim and Tabby they'd tried to look through every file they could get their hands on when they were alone. It was more to see what they'd be up against but all he got was harmless, old case files, which the Turks were very careful to not report their involvement in unless it was unavoidable.
Jim started to get restless again being presented with what the company expected of them in a few years- providing they didn't get killed before then-had his very bones shaking. You didn't realise how sheltered or ignorant you've been until things stare you in the face. This hadn't just dawned on him; he'd got the message during their first mission since they'd screwed up royally. Admittedly it wasn't his fault, it was Marko's. That only made it worse, if the most promising candidate could get it wrong then what chance did he have? But more importantly it wasn't just a case of if he messed up than it was all on him. No, if one messed up everything could fall apart, everyone in the team could suffer the consequences. Unlike these matches were everything was down to your own performance, on the field what you did would affect whatever happened next and whoever else was involved. He knew that he was the most incompetent person in the group, someone had to be and that badge of honour had fallen onto him. John may have confidence issues and he found it easier to channel his own insectaries into an effort to bring his friend's self-confidence up but that didn't change the fact that if he messed up and John or the others ended up in the morgue he would never forgive himself, in fact he may just follow him to the Lifestream for everyone's sake.
Shaking his head violently he dispelled such morbid thoughts, they'd only get in the way and he needed to concentrate especially if his bald friend's theories of the Kid were correct - not that the uniform told lies- than he'd have to prepare himself for a round with him as well, at least if he wanted to walk away with some dignity. Then again there was no honour in defeating an opponent who was looking more like the undead that had been left in the cold for three days. If he wasn't so scared and confused he would have laughed at himself for wanting to join ShinRa for a comfortable and easy life all those years ago. He cast a wary glance at Rude who hadn't even responded to John's plea for a swift death from the Gods. Not even a disapproving eyebrow. Though he'd known the man for only a short time he hadn't seen him enthused about very much, though it was hard to tell when the guy had about five expressions max but even he could see his tall friend was taking a almost obsessive interest in the redhead and sure he'd teased him about it, almost as badly as they teased Tabby and her 'brainiac' hunting, but he had hoped Rude would get over it like he did everything else and though he very much liked the kid himself there was the risk that they'd never see him again or he could cause trouble and may jeopardise his friend's safety. Looking at Red now his whole manner screamed reckless in the sort of loose cannon way yet he'd also seemed quite calculating when he'd saved them all. His brows knit painfully together and he was sure by the end of the evening his brain may just grill its way into a lump of ash, why wasn't life nice and simple anymore, why leviathan why?
Oblivious to the mental torment of his companions Rude was fixated with the coming clash which Tseng was subtly delaying. All his senses were geared towards the two people in the centre of the platform. Red's body posture remained blasé as opposed to Lyon's much more uptight and tense stance, like a coil waiting to spring. They exchanged words, probably banter but Rude was too far away to hear it especially as the crowd had turned up the volume once again, it was meaningless anyway. If the kid was wise he'd go on the defensive, take a few faints then let Lyon win. However Red didn't seem the type to do the sensible thing or if he did he would find the most complicated way of doing it. Still whatever foolish plans the redhead may have at least Tseng would be on hand to protect him, the thought alone gave him comfort.
Another thing bothering him though, was Red always so small?
In the end he was a little disappointed and frustrated Red was willing to wait for his opponent to make the first move but not in the same way as Kureno waited to turn the foe's strength against them. Red had yet to portray any other look other than boredom, lazily teasing his opponent while not having the faintest interest in their reaction. That wasn't really the problem however, it was the times he dodged at the very last millisecond and from Lyon's gradually less controlled attacks he would certainly be playing with fire if he kept it up. Part of him felt the Kid could move faster but the bandages were restricting him, not to mention the obvious blind spot with one eye was covered which his opponent relied on more and more wanting a swift victory and a winning streak. After a series of rapid fights this strategy of attrition was even more tiring, the crowd's energy seeming to sap along with the older Turk's who was wearing down. However the most frustrating thing was when the battle did end he missed how it happened. It was if he blinked at the crucial second and suddenly the two combatants bodies were entangled with Red restraining Lyon in a scrappy one armed strangle while the other limbs locked the older man onto the floor careful of his claws.
The crowd roared at the turn of events and once again the Rookies were in a stunned silence, no one had expected that. Rude, disconcerted that he'd missed the defining moment watched as the redhead walking slowly returned to his original position on the platform, taking note of the more pained movements and limp in the left leg. Around him the others were exchanging notes at what they'd seen as everyone was convinced they'd also failed to catch what had happened so they planned to draw up a picture with their shared accounts. Nevertheless Kureno also voiced concern about the Kid's current condition, wisely directing discussion back to their own strategies rather than get caught up in irrelevant stuff since it was more important to note the unseen move was probably a desperate act to end the match and it was luck that it'd been pulled off successfully.
Rude once again found himself watching the second in command but the Wutai man's face had become an unreadable mask. Lyon left the Platform and sat on the bench placed out for the Turks' earlier and Kyo took centre stage, his first opponent was Trent and it went much the same as the rookies had seen in practise including Trent chucking the slimmer man across the Platform where he toppled inelegantly over the edge ending the match. Kyo's only saving grace was that he landed on his feet at the last second although his face was flushed as he angrily straightened his uniform and messed up hair before marching back onto the podium.
Arisa was his next opponent and even from this distance he could probably guess what she was lip syncing to make Kyo radiate with annoyance, ears almost blowing steam. Yet they were equally matched although Arisa was armed, their movements' fluid like a vicious but rehearsed dance. Kyo redeem himself by the performance but it still ended in a draw. Red stepped forward just as he had done with Lyon making Rude think he'd used a cure materia while they'd been preoccupied with the other matches.
Kyo took the lead, attacking first, forcing the redhead back and chasing him around the stage until Red had no choice but to take a half hearted kick for Kyo's stomach to get some distance between them. A second passed before they lunged at each other again this time Red becoming the aggressor though his moves were mostly feints and the tide quickly turned in Kyo's favour again until Red fell back. For that fraction of a moment the rookies thought it was over for the younger man but he caught himself at the last moment and supporting his weight on his hands, he swung his legs round to knock Kyo's from under him before flipping over to pin the ginger haired man. Only he wasn't fast enough and instead of pinning him it turned into a confusing scrap for a futile minute before they silently agreed to part and try again. This time however Rude noted a vital difference between the two, though Red appeared to be performing poorly his breathing wasn't at all laboured while Kyo was showing more signs of strain and discomfort. They leaned forward looking ready to pounce at each other again. Kyo charged but to the spectators surprise Red remained fixed, his eyes narrowing in concentration or pain it was hard to tell. Rude found himself holding his breath waiting for the collision that would surely knock the redhead out.
Then Red moved. It was a surprisingly graceful motion timed when Kyo was practically on top of him and it looked impossible for him to evade, but he did. Side stepping out of the way he simultaneously spun round bring his left arm down in a precise arc striking the vulnerable area at the base of the skull. Kyo dropped, stunned.
The applause was deafening, the sudden end triggering them into action again. Rude watched as Red helped Kyo up wishing he could hear what they were saying. He felt someone nudge his ribs and looked down.
"...Guess the Kid isn't doing too badly," Jim was saying to Robin and Lithia and as usual his waving arms were what had poked Rude.
Robin, who was once again side saddle on the bench, smiled, "Well considering we all thought he was going to die I think he's doing very well."
"Don't you think it's strange though," the woman mused, "there's not much remarkable about him yet he keeps winning so far."
"You think he's cheating?" Robin exclaimed incredulously catching Kureno's attention and he too leaned in to listen as Trent stepped into the middle.
"No," Lithia defended, "I'm just curious as to how he's doing it."
"If you don't mind me intruding," Kureno said, getting in before Jim could formulate a word first, "I think he's winning because of his timing."
"Timing," the oldest Rookie blurted out confused, "they all have good timing but that Kid keeps doing stuff we can't see, I'm not saying he's cheating but he's hardly the fastest out there so how come their not countering his attacks?"
"You've just said it, we can't see them, maybe they can't either," John joined in leaning across Rude now.
"I don't get it though," Jim whined, "I thought he was going to be the one in trouble and-"
"Best not kill your remaining brain cells thinking about it buddy," John teased clapping Jim on the shoulder as best he could from his awkward position, "I think we have bigger concerns anyway, like what are we going to do when it's our turn."
"Wise words," Lithia approved, "and if it makes you feel better the kid may not last to our rounds, he's certainly not on par with his form back at the warehouse but the others are probably going to chew us over and spit us out anyway."
Jim and John exchanged grimaces; they did not like that reminder at all.
"Always the positive one," Robin jibbed before he swung round and watched the rest of the Trent versus Arisa fight.
Rude meanwhile had been paying attention and Trent seemed to be having more trouble with his female opponent than his friend. She appeared to be aiming for his back; those Chakram's threatening to tear into skin if he was a little careless. The large man was wise to keep on his toes demonstrating he was suppler than Rude had previously realised. She danced round him but he kept his place, sweat beaded on his forehead and glistened in the light. Like the waves crashing against the cliffs she was wearing him down and Rude was sure Trent may just let her have it. On the other side Arisa looked fresher, trying to force a opening in her opponent and the large Rookie could start more of the unrefined moves seen on Midgar's streets but combined with her grace and standard martial arts she was quite a beautiful sight, each point of contact slamming into Trent with enough force to fracture a lesser man's bones. However, Rude couldn't help but notice how she avoided his recently healed shoulder even though it was a glaring weakness. In the end she did get under his guard but to everyone's surprise, including Arisa's he grabbed her Chakram, cutting his hand but getting a good enough hold to pull her in and just like Kyo toss her off the stage before she could even respond. Rude mentally noted Trent was capable of unpredictable bursts of speed but judging the rate of the man's breathing at the end it was costly.
"Oh I thought she was going to win for sure," Tabby said, she sounded disappointed and a pout marred her usually pretty face, "Didn't they say they weren't going to be serious with each other, why are they tiring themselves out?"
"Perhaps it is because they are restraining themselves that it is more difficult for them," Lithia replied, much to the back rows surprise since this would be the first time they'd seen the two women communicate directly. Rude had secretly thought Lithia may have some contempt for Tabby, who was so much plainer and less skilled than herself but came from a much more privileged background, he dared to thing some class resentment may have been there but he must have been wrong.
"I wouldn't know anything about that, even at my full strength I can just about knock someone out." Tabby blushed.
"The staff is not a particularly brutal weapon, perhaps when it holds some Materia you could do more damage. However being able to keep the target alive can be more useful in this business than killing them. You should be fine with more training." The taller woman reassured even going so far as to give Tabby's quivering knee a kind squeeze and the women shared one of those confiding and supportive smiles only possible to their sex.
Rude missed this touching exchange, attention entirely captured as soon as the Redhead took his place against Trent. He had to be healing himself between fights, the limp was gone and all other signs of fatigue and pain had disappeared, but so had a lot of the colour from his face, if he looked pale before his white complexion was ghastly now. He was so white it made his already intense eyes stand out more, to the point they seem to sparkle unnaturally but that may have been a trick of the glaring lights. Despite what had happened before Rude felt this was it for the young man.
Backwards and forwards they danced, Red leapt, spun, swirled in degrees that should be anatomically impossible for a normal human, let alone one in his condition, yet he showed no hint of pain or weakness. Rude would go so far as to believe all the potions and cures the redhead had been through may have actually mended him completely if it was for the brief glimpse of scarlet on his shirt, revealed during a flip that caused his jacket to stay up long enough for Rude to catch the fresh and even spread stain. Trent, force to move in order to catch his opponent was gradually getting more annoyed, if he stayed still so did Red but no matter how much they moved in the small space he couldn't lay a hand on his nimble foe. It could not continue like this and predictably Red gave out first, stumbling at the end of a cartwheel that unwisely stretched his bleeding side, resulted in him crashing into to the platform and coughing up more red fluid that sprinkled out like rain. Of course none of the spectators could see from where they sat but a melodramatic, collective gasp resonated within the enclosed space all the same.
The large Turk was quick to take advantage of this, twisting round just in time to stamp on the ankle Red couldn't move out of the way fast enough. His weight and with the awkward angle as Red had tried to roll away combined to make a snapping sounds as the bones were crushed. However, stunned by what he'd just done, Trent didn't react when Red swung his leg round, catching his knee and sat up so fast he head butted the large man's exposed groin, unorthodox but effect, the Turk doubled over instantly and slipped off the redhead's ruined ankle. Freed, Red spun on his back simultaneously bringing his uninjured leg round to slam into Trent's exposed neck, literally kick starting the momentum needed for a graceless stomach throw, followed through with Red rolling on top of the large man, at the expense of his wounded ankle to complete an array of complex locks that were remarkably pulled off with one less leg than normally required and allowed someone of his comparatively minute size to neutralise Trent's muscular bulk. Red was lucky his rapid kick had paralysed Trent for most of this, though it was surprising that he was strong enough to do it in the first place.
Unlike before there was no cheering, although Red won many presumed his injury would write him off for the rest of the evening. Indeed Tseng was already looking to the balcony; Rude followed his gaze and could just about see Veld consulting with the President. A solemn nod from the senior Turk , then he returned to the edge of the balcony to shake his head at his second in command a definite sour expression on his face. Around him others had noticed as well, voicing their curiosity about its meaning: No, he could not continue or no, he couldn't go to the infirmary. Rude knew it was the latter when the Wutai man tensed and his lips thinned, had it been the former the large rookie was certain he would have relaxed. The battles were paused as Tseng personally escorted Red to the medical room while Trent took his seat with the others, noticeably more shaken than before while Arisa remained agitated on stage.
Naturally the volume picked up again, first in the crowds and then amongst the rookies but it was Jordo's voice which caught his attention. "Ouch, that's going to be nasty."
"Do you think it'll heal?" Doug asked Marko whom he always relied on to know the answer.
Marko gave a careless shrug his air, unlike the others, was unaffected if more pompous than before, "I doubt it, it'd be better if it didn't he'll just wind up killing himself otherwise. Did you see how awful his technique was, I can't believe something like that is allowed to make a joke of our profession."
"Still pretty impressive that he managed to throw that guy, and with an injured ankle that's got to be worth some credit."
"Jordo," Marko replied disparagingly, "it's classified as idiocy, someone like that is a liability."
"Yeah, yeah. Think you can do better?"
Whatever Marko said was lost by louder remarks as Jim and John got into an argument, John was convinced Red was out of the picture permanently while Jim insisted they'd find some way of bringing him back, Rude was regretting sitting between them. The Bald rookie did find it interesting that one of Marko's loyal lackeys was being so cynical, if not challenging, he couldn't help but recall the wink Jordo had given them early that day, though it seemed weeks ago, and want to review its meaning. However it was pointless as concentration was rendered futile by the two men who were now leaning on his knees as they pushed their faces closer and closer together, the arguments being reduced to name calling and evil glares. Rude, used to this behaviour though not necessarily across his lap, turned to Tabby who was nervously biting her finger and staring at the medical room doors, from which Tseng had yet to re-emerge.
He reached across and patted her shoulder, a better form of comfort than words, since he had none to sooth her with. Automatically she smiled; it wasn't the same as the one shared with Lithia, the feeling being less sincere. With nothing more to offer he let his hand slip away but immediately occupied it with forcing his other friend's heads apart since there was only so much personal space he was willing to sacrifice. Of course his actions turned their attention to him instead of each other.
"Oi, what did you do that for."
"Man, you hands are like sledge hammers I thought my head was going to get detached."
"Don't suppose gentle is in your vocabulary?"
The offhand remarks bounced off, Jim and John nursed their foreheads but Rude could tell they were just trying to do something than think about the matches to come. Tabby admonished them, "You asked for that" yet even that lacked substance her thoughts still in the medical room. The whole stadium seemed to be filled with a sense of confusion; the echoing chatter voiced back his own uncertainty, he vaguely wondered if this accident would reflect badly on the company or the discontent was due to unhappy gamblers, maybe they didn't think anything and it was all in his head.
Finally the infirmary door opened, Tabby was the first to notice but the noise above remained the same indicating just how important these change in events were. Tseng walked out, alone. A cheer rose up when he reinstated himself on stage as if his absence had never happened and it was just like any other round.
"Apologises for the delay, the final match of the second round has been cancelled." There was an audible groan from the stands, some sections even slumping the effect reminded Rude of waving black cloth or the pulsating, slick skin of a dying eel he'd seen washed up on the sure of Costa del sol . "We shall now begin the third and final round of the evening."
The place thunderous applause again cancelling out the previous dissatisfaction, perhaps most of the spectators were just as eager for the long night to end as the combatants. Tseng made his way down to them and the rookies quietened and stiffened on reflex. "There is no order so anyone can go first, who volunteers?"
Rude could have sworn the last words were sprinkled with amusement even though the second in Commands serious expression didn't waver but he didn't think anyone else noticed it. Then again what he said rather than how he had said it had grabbed their attention and no one looked willing to go up for the slaughter. Having already decided he was going last Rude calmly observed the others squirm warring internally with fear and the need to prove themselves, until a soft voice to his right called out.
"I-I'll go."
"Tabby!"
The Wutai man ignored John's horrified exclamation, offering Tabby a warm expression and small nod before beckoning her up and returning to the platform himself. As soon as the Turk's back was turned John lashed out and grabbed Tabby's elbow when she went to follow.
"Are you crazy? Let one of the others go first."
"I'm going to have to sometime and it's better to get it over with," Tabby said sternly grabbing John's had and forcing it off, "you should be resting."
"She's right man," Jim agreed, while Rude placed a restraining hand on John's shoulder, "Besides she'll get points for bravery."
Their friend's expression soured but he made no more complaints so Tabby managed to get on stage unhindered. Lyon was already there waiting and the appraising look he gave her wasn't missed by any of them, Rude noted John's darkening expression and glanced at Jim who only shrugged and turned to stare at the stage looking worried. He wasn't the only one, many who didn't even know their companion were biting their lips and frowning not liking the idea that one of the weakest among them was taking the first hit. Again Rude checked how Marko considered this development, hoping he'd be feeling similar shame but he was disappointed.
He barely felt John shove his hand off him but he did hear his friend's disgusted "chi" that voiced his own feelings. "I know what he's thinking."
"What?" Jim whispered as people quietened when the battle was about to start. John nodded in the direction of his Brother but the oldest Rookie only shrugged again catching on. "Ignore him; we all know he'd prefer all the weak to wear them down first."
"Well I'm going next."
"Why?" Jim asked surprised but John waved him off and made a show of giving the fight his undivided attention, frown firmly in place. The older man exchanged a perplexed look with Rude then did the same.
Tabby was doing well or to be more accurate Lyon wasn't really attacking her but creating a rhyme that kept things interesting without overwhelming his more cautious opponent. With every strike he'd parry, every thrust he'd hop back and every hit he'd block and force her back in a manner so contrastingly gentle to how he'd acted with his fellow Turks it was almost laughable and Rude couldn't tell if he was being kind or patronising. Lyon paid for his tenderness when, in a complete turnaround in tactics, Tabby spun and dashed round Lyon swiping his knee as she passed and going for the back of his neck. Hindered as his leg buckled the Turk only just managed to twist round and dodge but Tabby wasn't finished yet. In a fit of aggression they'd never seen before she tore at him relentlessly, spinning and twirling her staff from hand to hand so each technique would have maximum impact and as Lyon was overcome by the unpredictable flurry she created a beautiful Kata, making their audience's eyes bug in shock and admiration.
It wasn't to last, Rude could see she was tiring even before she started really attacking, he dare say the change in plan was because she knew she wasn't going to last much longer. Her final hit smacked Lyon's shielded arms, the sound hard and ringing as it bounced up to the ceiling, but she put too much force into it and lost her balance helping Lyon, who had already grabbed her staff and pulled it roughly down to expose her neck which he immediately grasped in his claws, ending the match. On either side of him Jim and John had leapt from their seats, (as had Manube who was the shortest but had found himself sitting behind Doug whose large frame was blocking his view.) Sighing Rude grabbed his friends and pulled them back to their seats, silencing any angry remarks they'd been about to cry at the stage.
When Tabby passed the rookie ranks she was generally given praise and sentiments of goodwill or at least admiring applause. When she sat down, face radiant from embarrassment and exertion Lithia was already there to lightly punch her shoulder and give her a proud smile before John and Jim pounced on her with words of annoyance and over the top wonder which was more confusing than praising. Rude gave her a proud smile as well and helpful detached John who at some point crushed her to his chest, which wasn't helping her more urgent need to get her breathe back.
The celebration was short lived as Tseng beckoned the next one up, John shot up so fast he nearly knock Tabby over having just released her. Jim sniggered and Rude felt the nervous almost giddy energy that circulated amongst the rookies, Tabby's show encouraging them and dispelling doubts a mood of eagerness taking the place of worry.
John had a tougher time, Lyon wasn't being as gentle and maintaining distance between them was the most the rookie could do. At one point he managed to block two swipes at him with his daggers and by sheer determination push Lyon back but he spent the next ten seconds running and dodging, looking incredibly feeble compared to the Turk, like a ball of yawn being tossed about by a Cat. Eventually the display ended with Lyon finally catching John and smashing the rookie's stomach into his knee, forcing out blood as cracked ribs pierced the lungs. Everyone in the stadium blanched at the unnecessary force and Rude wondered what words had been exchanged that the Turk would think it fitting to teach his friend a lesson. Tseng didn't look too impressed and had a Curaga materia and potion at the ready, mending the Rookie on stage in seconds but frowning the whole time.
Still the defeat didn't put the others off and as Jim, Tabby and Rude took a better look at John's injuries Lyon went through five of their comrades in increasingly rapid succession before they concluded Tseng had healed it up nicely and so long as he rested for half an hour he'd be fine. The Turk mowed down the remaining lot, taking out Jim almost as soon as Tseng said "go", the only ones causing him bother being Kureno, Marko, Kito and surprisingly Maya who activated her limitless bow and arrows that were mako infused especially for the Turks, they proved more effective and destructive than fake bullets.
When it was Rude's turn he already knew how he was going to eliminate Lyon. The man was strong, fast and controlled but also experienced enough to adapt his strategy for everyone he'd had to fight, catching some by surprise because of it. He'd taken out the other Turks except Red and gone on to blast through the rookies like a horses tail swatting flies, yet it all meant nothing. Confidence flowed through him, assurance and brash determination drove his stride to the stage, his visage dark like the faces of the stone guards outside tombs and temples crafted from the blackest marble. The shades made it impossible to see a crack in his composure. When he took his place opposite the Turk Tseng nodded appraisingly and Lyon took a double take.
(THE REST STARTS HERE)
...............................................................
Shino had spun in his chair three times for each ring of the PHS held loosely to his ear before it had been picked up. His shift had finished an hour ago and he hated surveillance duty, so normally he'd be out of the surveillance room as fast as he could but tonight he'd made an exception to routine. He had stopped spinning and absentmindedly glanced at the monitors that covered the walls, an eye automatically training to the large screen that was showing the abhorred Tournament and had stayed there through most of the conversation, now he started spinning again.
With a million and one screens at my disposal you'd think there'd be something better on, he thought darkly, surveying the last bunch of recruits who were just glad they had not gone through the terrible ordeal the rookies on screen were. He almost envied their ignorance as he replayed the later parts of the conversation through again.
"Wutai troops are gathering in number and strength daily I don't think the current SOLIDER troops will be enough so we'll need those rookies out recruiting. We're weaker than the President realises especially against the ninjas and guerrilla tactics that have already cut into our forces. We've lost Adole, Bilal and Chanu-"
"No! What? All three, when?"
"Bilal five days ago, Adole and Chanu were ambushed yesterday. I have the reports on the cases, you can read them if you want to. Raine's taken it pretty hard but I'm not allowing her out of the camp, tomorrow I'm starting the retreat. I can't see us making any more headway without losing too many men and risk being cut off."
"I'll tell Tseng, Odin this is a mess. I wish I could say these rookies will be up for the task but right now they're just fodder. You could really do with the Kid but he should be hospitalised if this company was sane."
"We could do with Sephiroth, Angeal or Genesis but after the incident I know Sephiroth is out of the question and I understand Genesis and Angeal are otherwise occupied."
"Well from my sources Angeal is scouting north, guarding Terras as he scouts for Mako reactor sites and Genesis is still in the test tube. So no luck there, the incident is finally biting."
"The company lost a lot and is still losing. What is the update on replacements?"
"I'm sure they can handle terrorist groups especially with the SOLIDER ranks increasing and the other forces they'll have the help they need . Listen have you told Kansi about Adole, I think she has a right to know."
"Kansi is dead. She was killed the day after Bilal. She uncovered a group of Wutai soldiers in the Caves of Narshe the battle caused the tunnel to collapse. She didn't make it out. I haven't heard from Osino since he sent a trooper with the message, his PMS was also destroyed when they crossed Wutai resistance forces and the trooper may not have made it back with a replacement."
"I'll report that to Cissinei, it'll probably mean more to her than us."
"For one so young she is very impressive, it's wise of Veld to keep her there."
He had not responded to his seniors idle comment still reeling over the other news, four possibly five dead. It seemed the Guerrilla tactics were really working for the opposition; so much for Wutai's supposed honourable samurai. He glared bitterly through his shades but otherwise his expression remained neutral as he continued to spin. Yes it was wise Veld was making sure as many Turks were off foreign soil as possible but he knew this influx of beginners was the Presidents way of undermining their superior's arguments. He was more than intelligent enough to pick up the tense relationship the Turk department had with the rest of the company when he was just a recruit all those years ago and it had not changed since. Eventually the receiver became too quiet for his liking and he brought it back off his shoulder, he dare not continue where they left off, he couldn't trust himself but felt his friend needed a distraction just as much as he did. Luckily this evening had provided them with one.
"You know Arisa, Trent and Kyo are coping pretty well back here."
"..."
The quietness of the line, no shuffling papers or anyone moving in the background made him to check to see if they were still connected. They were but that was more concerning. "Are you still there?"
"Yes, I was just...it doesn't matter, you didn't mention Lyon or-" He sounded a little choked up and Shino conjured a particularly vivid mental image of his friend hunched over documents and reports, alone in a tent somewhere in the thick jungles of Wutai trying to keep it together so those left still had a strong a leader to depend on. The death of a childhood friend couldn't get in the way, Chanu would understand. Shino only hoped their deaths had been swift but he supposed he'd find out when the reports got back.
"The Kid's not in good shape, Trent may have just put him out of business but the he'll probably bounce back given his record, the miracles the medics can pull off and the President's stubbornness will play a hand obviously."
"The last being the most potent reason." The Wrynessof the man's tone caused Shino's eye to twitch but no one saw. It was no secret most of the Turk department was not senselessly loyal to the company but he'd never expected to hear any bitter word about their employer from his friend before. He put it down to the man trying to suppress his grief, nothing hurt more than losing someone close to you and everyone deserved a chance to release the pain and he was willing to feed it, he didn't think much of the Shinra family anyway.
"Boss man just likes to remind us who's really in charge, that and he's hoping the Kid'll get himself killed."
There was a noise on the other end as if he was trying not to laugh, probably finding amusement and comfort in Shino's mandatory comments on their Boss and taking the automatic role as defendant. "That's not exactly true; he's proved himself invaluable to the company and is almost as indispensible as some of our most highly trained."
"I know Cissinei is trying to keep him out of trouble, she's got her hands full with him though, I got some stories actually for when you get back, one set just last night with Scarlet as supporting star. Cissinei's just going to have to learn the hard way she can't mother everyone." It was unusual for him to talk so much on the phone, it was enough to have some of the rookies begin glancing anxiously in his direction but he ignored them, he knew none of them had studied Mideelian and the conversation was safe from prying ears except for Cissinei's fake name.
"It's in her nature, and he needs to learn to stop playing with fire." As expected the conduct of any of their compatriots was an effective diversion, focusing on the living would keep their minds off the dead. "Someone should take him off her hands."
"No one put him in them, she thinks she's helping Tseng but nothing's going to help him until this mess with Wutai is cleared up."
"The War may end but help will never come, not the help we all need."
"Everyone's got a ghost looking over their shoulder or a skeleton in their closet, you mean? We'll live we're Turks, it's in our nature."
"Ha," Shino sighed at his friend's little laugh, there was going to be sadness behind his determinedly serious words for a long time to come and that alone was going to keep hurting Raine because like him she knew her partner well enough to pick it up even if no one else noticed. "Hopefully these Rookies will adapt fast."
"They'll have no choice, got to pity them coming in at this time though."
"Midgar needs manning, considering the reports I managed to send through Veld may want to rethink being so reserved with the resources." This made Shino frown, this was the first he'd heard of any such reports. Then again as the department grew the circulation of certain documents were becoming more restricted and the tournament had taken priority with the President wanting to keep up appearances over anything else. He'd had Veld and Tseng running around for weeks getting things organised, anything from Wutai was possibly still in their desks with messages being sent out strictly on a need to know basis. "I haven't seen the report you're going to have to fill me in a bit more than that."
"Let's just say if we can't stop the matter here it's going to head towards Midgar. Their ripping through us, there's some big holes in our net and many sympathisers on the continent-"
"Say no more I can do the math." He hissed the situation was looking increasingly damning; he didn't need any more spelled out for him to know that. Once he'd finished he was heading straight to Dexter in Weapon's development if nothing else he could use a good drink and Dexter would appreciate knowing the fate of some of his old colleagues.
"I'm sorry to say this but if tables don't start turning ShinRa could be heading towards the end."
"I know, I know. Look the Kid's in the medical room, probably has his laptop with him, I'll send him a message to pass onto Tseng and Veld along with another to Cissinei. You'll get that back up and you and Raine are coming back alive."
"Heh, We'll try. Could you also tell the Kid to take it easy from me? If nothing else his humour would be dearly missed if anything were to happen to him."
"Got it covered. Out."
The PHS shut with a dull click, ending the connection and leaving him with a strange emptiness coated in fear for his friend's life. He hardly registered the gasps of anyone who had been paying attention to the large screen. It seemed a rookie had finally beaten a Turk.
------------------
If I keep tearing open the wounds they'll end up scarring, they said. The rate I use Restore Materia I beg to differ. Of course I wasted more than half my energy keeping the ones on me charged but, and I hate to admit this, if I'm going to make it through the night I'm going to need everything I can get. I wonder if you can get Mako poisoning if you use too many Mako based products. Well wouldn't be the first time I've overdosed on Mako. With all the potions and Elixir being pumped into me and who knows what being injected I'm going to start glowing, which I can't help but think would be kind of cool. Scarlet's paying for this though, I have no idea what she did to me but I've gathered enough from the 'good' doctors whispering to each other that she's messed up my natural healing ability or compromised it, hence the excess artificial substitutes I guess. No wonder Tseng was so mad, not every day someone under your command is used as a bio weapon lab rat.
I would be more worked up, you know kicking and screaming but the sedatives are a little too effective for their own good, I can't even keep my eyes open and the rest of me is simply numb from the neck down like I'm just a floating head. I want to know what's going on; the walls can't keep the noise of the audience out and whatever is happening it sounds exciting. Typically, the moment I think getting a good fight out of the rookies was something to look forward to I get careless. Tseng is right I need to brush up on my moves but the departments been in chaos since I came out of the infirmary after the incident, even Two Guns (should really stop calling him that) and that lazy, womanising Ex Terrorist (never caught his name) have been on the field constantly that there hasn't been a chance. I hate being bound to the building; it's as boring as Corel prison. Urgh, now that's a place I really could do without thinking about.
Another Cura spell washes over me; threatening to send me completely into the realms of sleep I'm so relaxed, they might as well have just used Dream Powder but apparently they avoid using 'attack' items unless absolutely necessary but there was all those other knock out drugs their usually fond of or a good old 'Angel Whipser'. Well since I haven't been moved it must mean I'm still up to fight, as long as the rookies hold out long enough for me to heal sufficiently. None have been sent in yet so the guys must be taking care not to harm them too much or finishing them off swiftly; if they can't fight back then the chances of them getting injured aren't as high, a messy technique can be more deadly than a perfectly executed one, or at least someone told me once. I suppose it's like guns, mess up a shot and the target can take hours to bleed out, get it right and they won't suffer.
You'd think one Mega Elixir would do the trick but another one is being shoved down my throat. It was so sudden I choked it back up; I think someone must be propping me up but if anymore goes down I can't tell I can't feel let alone taste the stuff, that's a blessing in itself Elixirs are gross. Anyway there aren't any more groans so I must be swallowing it. Looks like whatever poison is in my system just isn't giving up, at this rate they may announce I'm going to start degenerating or something. Probably not, ShinRa doesn't make a bio weapon they haven't got a cure for, or at least one in development. Maybe that's what Scarlet thought she was injecting me with, I'm not defending her I just know it would stroke her ego if her department came up with the cure to one of the many things wrong with me at the moment. I've read Hojo's Lab report and the amount of stuff I crashed through in his lab- it would have to be were all the diseases and other nasty things were stored- I'm a walking culture of every hazardous bacterium, virus and chemical poison going, natural or otherwise. It doesn't exactly fill me with confidence when one of the mad scientist's assistants starts joking they could just use my blood to kill off the Wutai army.
Yeah I should be dead, so mass bleeding and those weird fits I get are a small price to pay for life especially as I have been promised it is only temporary and I'm not contagious so long as I have my medicine. I know Hojo's going to get his way eventually and they'll start putting me in Statis so he can harvest some of what he's lost unhindered while I heal, he's already furious my immunity has "murdered" some species. My heart's breaking for him the venous, heartless, vile snake. Two departments lost some of their best men or had to take them out of action and all that man (if you can call him that) cares about is getting replacement bacteria. He had the nerve to request a 'pause' in my treatment to see how whatever is inside of me would coexist and what would 'out compete' each other as some had 'similar niches' (which is basically a high brow way of saying they like the same environment or eat the same stuff-which would be bits of me.) Thankfully Veld, Tseng and quite a few others had my back when news got around Hojo had made the request and the President had even given him permission. Guess that's what happens when your fate is in the hands of someone who would rather like you dead when you have no more value and another who doesn't give a Land Worm about life in general.
It's so quiet, I hadn't noticed before but all I can hear is a ringing and muffled noise which I presume is people talking around me. Something heavy duty is about to happen, no doubt involving my ankle, I can't complain I'm getting some feeling back but I don't know what's what, the hand I think is holding my right hand could be holding the left foot for all I know. Hands are everywhere actually, pushing quite hard and if I'm right about that gradually warming burning sensation starting from somewhere that I think is 'down' than I'm not going to be lying still for much longer. They must have known that, yet I'm still strangely detached from it all. Well not completely, I'm still aware of my limbs and body jerking because of the sharp coldness that comes and goes with each thump I can just about to hear. I must have hit someone as well as I'm aware of wetness on what must be one of my hands at the same time as someone other than me cries out and swears. I suppose you could say what I know should hurt and sensations that should register as painful aren't, in a confused way I know what is happening yet I'm not focused on it. It's difficult to describe and it's definitely not something I've been through before nor want to go through again. One thing I have lost all aspect of is, is time. The weird feeling seems to be all there is and then its fading and I'm wondering if anything happened at all. I can hear things and everything is where is should be, I can even wiggle my middle toes and know it's on my right foot.
I'm not clear headed, I'm just enjoying knowing my heart is in my chest pumping how it should be and knowing that strange achy tingling in my previously injured ankle means is as good as it was when I woke up this morning, maybe better. Somone's telling me I'm going to have to rest for a couple of minutes before trying to stand then someone is saying some new drug is going to help or- I don't catch the rest its drowned out by the massive cheering. That's reassuring that I haven't missed it. Someone's hand is running through my hair, its firm and doesn't quite feel real but its gentle, the way it strokes right to the end and pauses before starting again tells me its Veld and he's probably shaking his head, my hair hasn't exactly been his favourite thing. A keyboard is being struck far to my right, sounds like it's coming from the next bed. Knowing my laptop is the only thing with a keyboard this close to a bed the last time I had enough sense to do simple maths I force my eyes open. Ignoring my superior as I sit up surprising everyone and look round him to see Tseng sitting where I thought he'd be with my laptop on his knees. He doesn't acknowledge me, he must have noticed I'm awake since Veld and anyone medical are trying to push me back down again and I'm protesting hoarsely (my mouth feels like sandpaper.)
Veld eventually has enough of my antics and pushes a pressure point near my spine making me go limp but I'm still awake. He lowers me firmly back into the bed getting eye contact just so he can give me one of his disapproving looks. I'm about to yell at him, I don't know about what but I'm glad Tseng chooses that moment to interrupt, I'd probably regret just reacting something I'm still trying hard to control.
"Shino sent you a message, but we've saved you the trouble of forwarding it to us." The Wutai man informs me as he comes over to stand beside Veld, my laptop is closed and he's hugging it to his chest. "I haven't deleted it but once you read it remove it immediately."
"More bad news?" I ask, his free hand is holding mine now and I'm squeezing it, probably because that burning feeling before is coming back as pain killers and whatever else is wearing away and if I didn't have something to express my pain through it'd probably try leaping up and running it off, breaking something on the way.
"I'm afraid so," Veld sighs, he's uncharacteristically withdrawn, usually bad news would have him seething but I've come to know him well enough to figure the reason he takes failure so badly is because of the consequences it will have on the department or the possible deaths that maybe caused by the slightest slip up. A successful mission meant our safety and the respect for the department within the company would be maintained. His behaviour now is telling me something terrible has happened, a terrible failure and its way past getting angry about. "Tseng I'll see you later." With one last, firmer stroke of my hair- something he'd been doing automatically I realised his mind distant even when I tried to get up- he leaves.
There's a long pause which follows, Tseng doesn't want to say anymore on the issue and it's obvious he's not relinquishing my laptop for the rest of the night, I don't know what that was all about so I can't comment either. The medical staffs is taking care to give us as wide a radius as practically possible except the one man standing on the other side of me looking ready to pounce if I attempt anything. Tseng sneaks some tablets out from the inside of his sleeve, the same kind he gave me this morning. I look into his dark eyes, searching maybe for something that'll tell me what's going on behind them but their closed and I nod feeling strangely better than I did before.
"So who is refereeing the matches?" I ask slipping a bouncy ball from my pocket and start tossing it between my hands.
Lyon raised his hand to signal the beginning of another round. They were finally half way through the rookies with Trent and like himself and Kyo he was making reasonably short work out of them. The unusually high number of rookies was making this usually simple affair more work than it had been in the past. They'd been instructed to finish up quickly but it was going to be impossible to stick to schedule at this rate. Those with weapons were always going to be a problem, rookies or not they were still more skilled than the average street thug. However four were standing out, Kito, Marko, Kureno and the only one to not lose a match all evening, Rude. The tall man was proving to be the real dark Chocobo. They'd read everyone's records and though the man had slipped from second place ranking and become part of the only failed mission you wouldn't have realised the man on paper was the man they'd seen tonight. Of course Lyon suspected Rude had chosen to be last because the Turks would be worn out by the time it was his turn and he'd be completely rested.
He still couldn't believe he was careless enough to take for granted his finishing move may not have worked, he'd pulled it off with near perfect execution straight into the younger man's throat and assumed because he went down that was the end of it. It wasn't until his own face met the hard platform did he realise Rude had dropped down to sweep the legs from under him. All was lost from then on, the rookie had him pushed into the floor and it wasn't until Tseng announced the man as the winner did he get off. Lyon thought he was through for the evening but then Tseng requested that he referee the rest of the matches. He knew the Second-in-command was going to visit the Kid and although he thought they might as well let the redhead go straight to the infirmary instead of trying to do a half job and have to finish it up later he never said anything, they hadn't appreciated his opinion before they certainly weren't going to want it now. He knew the kid was going to overdo it; he had come out with something to prove and paid for it.
He was as bad as the rookies; too many of them were looking too far ahead that they were making mistakes. Rude wasn't, that man was like a machine his expression didn't change and every time he changed his game Lyon could imagine a little person inside of him just changing the setting. Every match started and finished the same, he would nod at his opponent maybe grunt a "Umm" then either shift into his fighting stance and at the end he would turn and walk off if he didn't feel obliged to help someone he'd injured. Lyon had not met many people like him before, such people he thought had no personality but they were good drones, efficient workers and worth having. Another who was taking things as they came was the small woman, Tabby. She was clearly resigned to the fact she wasn't going to win and was approaching each match with the goal of lasting as long as possible, a preserving and survivalist attitude that he could relate to. Her courage and sweet determination was more than admirable and he'd have to make sure she had a partner who'd developed her confidence and abilities. In the current climate if she ended up with someone who wouldn't take care of her she may not last a whole year.
The Rookie fighting Trent, Eden was giving Trent a difficult time, using his Katana to keep a good distance between them. Lyon knew another Turk who could teach this one a thing or two about using his chosen weapon, of course that Turk was incapable of staying anywhere for long and was probably not here tonight. Eden would have to get rid of the ponytail he thought as the young man tried a spinning attack; Trent nearly grabbed the length of hair as it whipped round. Lucky for the man his moves although not always graceful were quick. It took Trent a few more attempts before he finally managed to catch the man's wrist after dodging an elaborate swipe, possibly the man's attempt at a winning move that didn't quite work out and left him exposed- you're always at your most vulnerable during your strongest attacks. With a sudden twist the katana clattered across the platform and Eden was swing over Trent's head then off the stage, landing in a painful looking heap crumpled around his red and swollen wrist. The injury would be dealt with easily with a cure which Lyon proceeded to cast while simultaneously announcing Trent the victor.
The only ones left were Hana, Maya, Thatch and Rude. Maya went next. She started the fight firing three arrows at once, forcing Trent to dive to the floor her demeanour was strangely sombre considering the more cheerful and playful disposition she'd had most of the evening. Instead of firing at a distance she risked more close range attacks, trying to make sure they hit home and one did, straight through Trent's foot. The Turk cried out in surprise but reacted fast enough to dodge another arrow aimed at his shoulder. Maya was very close now her opponent appeared pinned, the long metal arrow had struck with enough force to go deep into the stage, it wasn't coming out easily. However the last arrow that missed was the last at her immediate disposal. As she swiftly reached round for another to reload Trent was already using a Transform materia, the 'mini' spell hit the woman before her fingers touched the feathers of her arrows.
With morbid fascination everyone watched the rapidly shrinking form until she was just 3 inches tall and utterly terrified but she should be grateful it hadn't been 'Toad' he cast, apparently that one had some embarrassing side effects if cast incorrectly and Trent was no Mage. Sighing, because he didn't know who to tend to first, the woman or Trent's foot he announced Trent the winner before considering either. By then Trent had almost fully removed the arrow and Hana had run on to the stage to rescue her distressed friend. Unfortunately he knew no one had a Cornucopia at hand but just when it looked like they may have to have a trip to the infirmary a medic came rushing out, the tribal style mallet already in her hands. Now that was dealt with he concentrated on healing Trends foot, the medic had also come with a high potion so after a few minutes both fighters were back to their original states.
Maya returned to the benches, Hana stayed. Out of the duo her style was naturally more aggressive and her personality much calmer as if she was constantly in a trance. Long black, fringe covering equally dark eyes which seemed to stare right through you, she cut a disturbing image especially looking at her down the length of a rifle. Still they'd come across worse in the field and rookies always made mistakes. Lyon noted with approval Trent kept the materia in his hand, something that was making Hana wary but there was little she could do if he decided to cast the spell in the limited space of the stage. They were both armed for long distance attacks and Trent definitely had the advantage in close combat. It would be interesting to see who would make the first move.
Trent did the honours, seems after the shot in the foot he wasn't taking the chance of it happening again. Materia could only do so much though; to the trained eye it was clear Trent was favouring the damaged limb much like he was still trying to keep his recently healed shoulder out of harm's way. Maybe this was why Hana was taken by surprise to have the man's large frame suddenly rushing towards her, she faltered causing the shot she fired to be too far to the right, easily avoid and she before she knew it the rifle was being pulled from her hands. The fake bullet was enough to slow Trent's momentum, making him change tactics from a full on tackle to a quick disarmament. Hana had good reflexes and sense; she didn't fight for the weapon doing so would only have got her thrown off the stage with it. Looked as if it was going to be a close range match after all, and from the glance shared between Lyon and Trent it was going to be quick. The woman was lissom, much like Maya but more willing to go for strikes and faster to withdraw if a move was going sour. She lasted two minutes more but eventually Trent's superior skill, stamina and experience got the best of her. He caught her leg mid kick; she lost her balance, slamming hard on her back while Trent quickly performed a leg lock. She tapped just before her knee joint snapped, signalling that she forfeit the match. Maya helped her limp off and Lyon could tell they'd probably become partners by tomorrow night, they'd make an effective sniper team.
Now the man walking onto the stage was one of the kinds Lyon wasn't sure what the department would do with. His weapon of choice, a spear could have a retractable design for concealment but it was not something commonly seen in the department and weapons development would certainly sniff at it with contempt. On their assignment together the strange man, although nervous had showed good intuition and curiosity but his actual fighting abilities were quite poor. His ability to blend in with ordinary citizens was quite exceptional, skilfully coming up with believable lies and more importantly sticking to them. Lyon didn't see him as cunning; the man's mindset was not malicious despite being good at deception, his earnest aura inclined people to believe him and maybe he didn't look smart enough to trick others and his clumsiness would appear to right him off as a bumbling henchman at best, a misleading image whether it was intentional or otherwise. On the other hand his combat skills ranked him approximately 14th out of the twenty rookies, in the past he probably wouldn't have made the cut.
As he predicted Trent made short work of him, making up time he lost with Hana. The Turk attacked first, forcing the man to act so he could counter his counter, get in close and strike the back of the man's head knocking him out. Wutai soldiers were fond of their spear/gun weapons, what Trent did was standard procedure when dealing one on one with a Wutai foot soldier and it was something these rookies were going to have to learn as well.
Lyon didn't care much for the fight, despite Thatch having been under his command for a short while and it was likely he would end up there again; the blonde Turk's interest was already on the dark skinned man making his way onto the platform. The rookies bumped shoulders accidentally, Thatch still dizzy from the blow to the head and rough awakening. In the moment Rude took to help steady the man Lyon shared a look with Trent and they nodded. It wasn't personal but they knew people had bet big money on each Turk going undefeated, Lyon and Kyo had already lost ruining a few of those people's evenings. They weren't going to be punished for it but tomorrow at the office was going to be murder, this was Trent's chance avoid that ridicule.
Transform Materia ready the Turk mirrored the rookies fighting stance, he took reassurance in the small orb glowing warmly in his palm, although he probably wouldn't need it since Rude was also a short distance fist fighter. Indeed Rude was taking note of the materia and considered his folly for never considering bringing some of his Fire materia, he'd nurtured some of his own to Level 3 which would have come in handy. Now he'd have to rely on Trent's poor casting, not many of the others had noticed or at least commented on the fact Trent had needed to focus entirely on Maya and it was only during the crucial second while she was also standing still did he cast the spell. Rude also speculated the man wasn't too confident at casting while moving especially considering he tended to move only when forced. Every Turk had particular strengths and weaknesses, good Turks were just very good at hiding the weaknesses and sometimes weaknesses could be found looking at a person's strengths. This was especially true for Trent; he could take hard hits and had more muscle than he knew what to do with making him able to take much of what anyone had to offer unless it involved cutting or slicing. He would rather endure than dodge so Rude had the advantage of speed but unlike those who were light on their feet he was also strongest and even if his frame wasn't as great as Trent's the force of his punches were possibly equal if not greater; neither of them knew this though.
When Lyon signalled they begin Rude dived to the right, zigzagging his way towards the Turk. As the distance between them shank so did his chances of evading a spell so he had to disarm Trent as soon as he was in range. Easier said than done, the Turk figured out what he was planning and ran forward to meet him. Perhaps Rude had made a mistake and the Turk could cast while on the move, however even as he thought that Trent proved his first assumption correct, the Toad spell he cast missed its target by a millimetre even though they were just three steps apart. For a moment time froze as the warmth of the magical energy whizzed pass his ear, and he took in the shock of Trent's face when he realised he's messed up, he felt nothing but relief then he reached for orb. However that stretched second gave Trent time to stumble back, Rude's fingers barely touched the man's jacket as he tripped forward. The orb disappeared from view and they were both on the move again, running around the small space maintaining a constant distance until they decided what to do. Rude kept moving in case the materia appeared again, Trent knowing the material was now a hindrance to his performance rather than a help dedicated his time to keeping his back away from the Bald rookie. It was unusual to have an opponent that matched him in speed and strength maybe surpass him and he needed more than ever to rely on his superior experience, he wasn't the type to lose because of over confidence or hot headedness like Lyon or Kyo but he knew he had faults so the key was to not let the rookie take advantage of them. The best way to avoid making a mistake was to overestimate his opponent that's what he thought. Unfortunately for Trent he couldn't make the most of Rude's obvious weakness, his comparatively worse speed and agility than the other rookies not to mention so far all forms of trickery had not fooled him, nevertheless he wasn't completely out of options.
The crowd was getting restless and his opponent was waiting for him to make the first move, well he'd just have to oblige. Rude was surprised to say the least when Trent started to charge, zigzagging towards him, mirroring what Rude to start the match. Unsure what to expect he froze in place somewhat intimidated but mostly analytical and a little tired of running in circles anyway. He heard some of the rookies, particularly Jim and John yelling themselves hoarse when the realised he wasn't going anywhere and Trent was still set on a collision course with him.
Then for a second it went black and silent. Winded and disorientated he followed his instinct to roll because somehow he had ended up on the ground. As the floor and far off ceiling took turns to appear in front of his rotating vision, he just about saw Trent's fist almost coming down onto him with enough force the platform actually shook on the impact. A hit like would that certainly should have jarred Trent's arm and naturally he'd need half a second to recover which was all the time Rude needed to get back on his feet and reset his jaw. It clicked loudly and the unpleasant achy feeling travelled right to his ears, he also took care of a crick in his neck at the same time. Once done he just about blocked another punch to his face, noticeably from the fist Trent hadn't slammed into the ground. A kick followed but the Turk's leg was too heavy to grab and hold up to make the follow through moves worth bothering with so he just parried it. Unlike with the others Trent's sheer mass didn't knock him off balance and he found the hard muscle knocking against his own better than the bonier feeling of everyone else he'd sparred with tonight.
The Turk smiled, impressed and quite enjoying someone who was still standing at this point. He hadn't expected Rude to take the straight punch in the jaw let alone stand up. Now they exchanged blow after blow like equals, each hitting clean and sending vibrations right through their limbs giving them the 'feel good' buzz any fighter enjoyed. But they weren't practising and both acknowledge this by trying to hit harder and faster until the other couldn't keep up, covering ground as they blocked, dodged and parried each punch, grab and kick the other threw at them. In keeping with Trent's build they progressed slowly, feet sliding somewhat reluctantly as they changed stances for each move adapting along the way to each other. Rude could feel his forearms and calves bruising from the brutal impacts, his skin glowing from the heat and rawness as fabric rubbed against it, minor discomforts of course but he was going to have to finish this or his new suit was going to get fade patches.
He knew it was despicable, he didn't know if Trent was going to fall for it as he over reached with a roundhouse kick he stumbled forward on a poor landing, a mishap from tiredness he hoped everyone would presume which left him wide open for an attack. The Turk, seeing the exposed back automatically brought an elbow down to strike hard between Rude's shoulder blades while reaching for the closest arm for a takedown. He got the arm but he also got a sudden elbow to the face. Rude snatched his captured limb back the second Trent's hold slackened and palm heeled the Turk's jaw much like what the Turk did to him before. Without pausing he grabbed the large man and brought his knee up to smash into his gut, elbowing him between the shoulder blades as well and dropping all his weight onto the man like a street wrestler. As soon as the man was on the ground he quickly twisted his arms behind his back and kept a knee dug into his spine in just the right place to prevent him standing up again. It was only after the man was secure did he feel the dizziness or the nausea from the Turk's blows, his ears were ringing so badly he could barely hear the gasp and applause. He did see Lyon signalling the match over.
Slowly he extracted himself from Trent's arms and then helped the Turk up, he was disappointed to see his strikes didn't seem to have affected the Turk too much for the man heartily smacked Rude on the back, which was also very painful and laughed, "Well Played, well I've never met anyone who could take the hits you took there, we should spar again sometime alright."
"...Uh" He managed to grunt before another hard pat almost sent him to the ground.
Trent seemed to be the only one laughing though, catching a glimpse of the other Turks he noticed Kyo was covering his face in his palms and Arisa looked caught between being concern and being impressed while Lyon was utterly deadpan and impatient to start the whole thing again with Arisa. The blonde Turk gave caught Trent's eye and meaningful indicated with his head to get off the stage, the large man complied and Rude felt relived his large presence was gone as he steadily went down the steps, careful to take deep breathes as it eased the pain spreading across his back.
"Rude, you okay," John called as he walked past the third row of benches, "You look...paler?"
Rolling his eyes behind the shades he smiled at Tabby as she came towards him, although she was going to start the next round of matches against the fourth Turk he knew she was heading his way on purpose. He patted her on the back before she could say anything though, offering her good luck in the next round, not that she needed it since the Turks seemed to be automatically kinder to her. She grabbed his hand mid pat and held it carefully taking in the heat, brushing her fingers over his tender knuckles. "I'm fine," he said gruffly, pulling his hand back while she continued to look worried, "Hurry they're waiting."
"Okay, but Rude don't do that again, tonight we can afford to lose."
"I know." He responded, giving her a nudge to keep walking, not looking at the rookies who were listening to their brief exchange and tried to ignore the sensation of someone glaring daggers into his back. When she went he returned to his seat to deal with the gushing of not only Jim and John but now Robin and Kureno who had joined some sort of cheerleading squad, even to a certain extent Lithia although she was more dignified and subtle about it.
"Wow, I mean...WOW!" Robin breathed while Kureno was all smiles – he did look very handsome when he smiled- and Jim and John were just the usual mix of tedious congratulations and teasing comments since they were running out of appreciative lines. Although by now they were accustomed to Rude's reception to this, primarily a couple of embarrassed nods of thanks at best, his two friends found it quite amusing to make a fuss to try and make him squirm. Fortunately for Rude they were always fell silent when Tabby started fighting.
It went much the same way as the others, or at least to Rude it did. The style and movements were different but the format was the same with a few exceptions; the weakest were taken out quickly and the better a person was the more time they were given or earned depending how you looked at it. Tabby usually got better a chance but they couldn't let her have too much time, it wouldn't look good for the more skilled rookies. Also there was always one they had some difficulty with and then there was Rude but then people could always argue they were tired by the time it was his turn. Arisa actually was probably the most rounded ability wise, fast, strong, agile and had many unique techniques which seemed to get her out of most hold if anyone actually caught her. The giant pointed wheels were effective against Maya's arrows or even blocking the fake bullets and she was more willing to throw her weapons when fighting the rookies. The only opponent that caused her trouble before Rude was Kureno but he suspected it wasn't because the man's tactics were difficult to counter, if anything she seemed distracted. Eventually she got over whatever it was that was bothering her and almost a tad recklessly she knocked him unconscious, trapping his sickles in her Chakrams and performing a flipping kick so suddenly she could have snapped his neck. She seemed to realised this and was a tad too flustered and apologetic at the end but Kureno- when he regained conscious- was laughing it off, a little intimidated by her more boisterous personality especially as she started demanding he go to the medical room even though (miraculously) nothing serious was damaged. It took some convincing by both Lyon and Kureno before she would drop it and she seemed a little shaken by it for a few matches after.
Swift, supple and a vocabulary of techniques befitting several tomes from a range of martial arts, it was always going to be a difficult fight. Arisa appeared to be able to nullify an opponent's strength and counter everything that had been thrown her way, she was probably the most well rounded competitor of the evening, her ability to read people was incredibly effective tool in battle so it was a wonder how Rude managed to disarm and pin her in the end. However she was tired. After so many consecutive fights, with most of her movements generated from the pelvis downwards her stamina was comparatively less compared to her male counterparts which were decisive factors in his victory.
As expected there were moments- more than he liked- that seemed impossible for him to come away conscious or without a Chakram nestled in a vital point. On such occasions the temptation to give up and have done with the whole thing flickered across his mind. However something, maybe his nature, his pride, the expectations of others or politeness to try his best when his opponent was doing the same, made him battle on and gain unnecessary wounds in the process. Maybe he should have given up, he needn't prove himself when he was honest with himself like his late master taught him yet it felt as if he threw the match now would be like throwing his life away in the real world.
His determination to snatch any chance he saw was the only difference between him and those equally skilled but inhibited by traits such as kindness or straightforward thinking. His promise to lead a fresh start but with little idea what that would mean left him somewhat blank, like a clean piece of paper although morals and values were still ingrained into him such as the want to help others and protect them. He saw these objectives as noble but recognised to a certain extent they would come to limit him blind him since he was not yet capable of the task of protecting or helping all those that he wished. At least the last few days of the academy and the days of admission had taught him an essential lesson, protect what he could, if he could with anyway you see fit, it seemed like the best and only realistic way of achieving his goal.
Behind the shades the days seemed darker, life's vibrancy and contrast removed it became duller and he was starting to see the gray. He knew more but understood less and though it was early days on a path he'd set himself long ago and vowed not to look back on would take a long time to crumble. He didn't really feel he was anyone anymore, a blank. Empty, he wanted to be empty so he could start his life afresh but being human it was an impossibility people just didn't function like that. Trying to completely erase the past was simple folly- unless gifted by some selective amnesia which allowed you to keep useful knowledge and abilities without anything knowing how you knew, like a machine he supposed – yet he could still save judgements until a later date. What was good or bad shouldn't matter anymore, he told himself, only survival mattered for now and to survive he had to win.
Slowly he'd been gradually changing the way he thought, tasting different outlooks in the hopes eventually one may stick and being unhindered by past and unclear future helped focus on the present, on not being bashed, impaled or broken which was a working strategy so far. A similar look was in the Turks eyes, deep in the depths of their mysterious black pupils the same nothingness lurked, everything else had been built around it, who they were, how they thought, what they wanted all twisted by the company bound to severe, protect and likely to die for live watch hounds for their master. Copying this mentality he could only hope for Youji's and his Sensei's forgiveness, while he remembered them before he stepped over the threshold of darkness that he knew he was heading for.
The Turks felt rather than saw this in him and acknowledged it by fighting him as an equal despite fatigue, responding to his blank page by making their mark on it. Arisa did this in blood, scratching into his skin, tearing up the new suit she had picked out for him but eventually she had grown careless, forgetting those with only the second to live for could be the most unpredictable, the hardest to read- the shades didn't make it any easier- although she recognised as someone burdened with conscious which had resulted in her miscalculating him, thinking he couldn't shed the past as easy as he was trying to do. When he charged recklessly into her chakram, points piercing so deep as to connect with bone of his forearm to push her back, knocking her over she was intrigued that he had turned out to be an interesting person. She was glad when he pinned her and for a moment the glasses slipped revealing the completely focused glaze in the once too emotional eyes. He would make a good Turk, maybe one of the best.
Then she remembered the chakram buried in his arm and thought he was a masochist moron who still had a long way to go.
By the time the noticed the applause it had reached thunderous levels, both wished it was still the distant echo but ignored it anyway since there was the more pressing issue of whether the tournament was final over or not. Perhaps that was what made Lyon hesitate, the rookies anxious and eventually the crowd quiet. People started looking at the balcony expecting instruction but Veld remained out of view for several minutes leading to discontented rumbles. Finally when their superior made an appearance he looked grave.
"Everyone," the senior's voice boomed across the room- artificially enhanced no doubt- ensnaring the crowd's attention, "We appreciate your patience up until this point and hope you will bare with us for one more round. You have seen enough already to know a new Generation has joined the ranks of the Department of Administrative Research which will compliment the company's ever growing military forces. Both will be crucial to cope with the growing external threats, the monsters that plague the continents, the extremist that with to terrorize us and Wutai who want to destroy us. A ruthless mentality must be adopted deal with this, each passing tournament acknowledges with more demanding challenges but the quality coming through has increased." There were general grumbles of agreement through the crowd before Veld carried on, "The examples of a select few of the candidates whom will protect all our interests should give us confidence the bad times will come to an end, ShinRa will be victorious and Gaia will be at peace once more." These words were met with even more applause and other noises of appreciation, Rude had to say Veld knew how to work a crowd when it was required of him.
While the audience was distracted few noticed Tseng, followed by Red slip out of the medical room and back on stage. Red was still bandaged up as he would fall apart without the fabric keeping him together and Tseng was even more emotionless than before. Lyon gratefully relinquished the position as referee and by the time Veld finished his motivational speech only the Wutai man and red remained on the stage, waiting.
"Now for the final round of the tonight's event, the undefeated from the first and second round will face each other. Although one is severely injured he has proved himself capable in the past regardless of handicaps. We trust these competitors will demonstrate the commitment we have at ShinRa for security. Such devotion will not be found anywhere else and it will carry us through the greatest hardships to come." More cheering but the fancy words were nothing but meaningless repetitions to Rude's ears, except the last part.
Somehow he knew it was to be, to Red again felt inevitable. Truthfully though he didn't want the chance to fight the redhead, he did not (could not) fight someone in the state Red was in, those crumbling morals told him no, his blank page even told him no – it didn't want to be stained by the experience of beating an opponent unfit to be out of bed, probably running on nothing but mako energy. Whether he's decided to discard his past and no look for a future he still had reason, still had the moments he was living by and to have a moment in battle with Red the way he currently was...it was wrong, unfair, insulting? Did they really expect him to fight someone in such a condition just to please the crowd, to wrap things up? Surely irreversible damage could be wrought if the young man continued to strain his body.
Standing, glowering at the foot of the steps changed nothing, the other rookies behind him where to stunned by event to do much more than wait as he did, unable to object as it wasn't their place but expecting the strangeness to end or at least believe they'd heard wrong. Eventually Tseng beckoned him on stage. There was no point arguing, Rude sighed inwardly slowly going up the stairs. He'd imagined thinking he was just a blank piece of paper, taking anything as they came regardless would guard him against feeling as reluctant as he did now. Typical as soon as he thought he'd found a mentality to stick to; he was faced with the one thing to shatter it. Admittedly he was still unclear what moral standing he was keeping and what he was willing to live without. His acceptance of his attributes and limits in combat were meaningless if fighting itself was unacceptable.
He had no choice. Forfeiting was out of equation; therefore he was left with the one thing he'd thought despicable for most of the evening, to throw the match. One way or another he was leaving tonight guilty and dissatisfied, he could already feel it. Still he reassured himself, he was flexible, blank, he could break trivial values to keep those that meant more to him, he would be situation dependable. He nodded to himself, as if it would somehow affirm what he planned to do, before finally looking at Red standing across the stage. Red gave him that look, radiating a million and one emotions hidden under his Cheshire cat smile, making Rude's insides shrivel deep into his gut as if he was being rung internally and his blood had gone dry.
Woo, finally its over XD Just so you know in the future Reno may do things that remind you of Axel from Kingdom hearts (if your familiar with this character) only because they are the SAME character/characterisation just in totally different circumstances so because Axel gets significantly more screen time than Reno I'm enlisting him aid my righting of the loveable redhead Turk. I did notice a scene in 358/2 day clip –the reason the sun is red- Axel is laying back and the close up of his face and his expression is almost an exact replica to Reno's in a clip of him in a trailer for FFACC (Advent Children Complete). Also Reno is very young in this fic, he's probably two/three years older Cloud and I think I'm setting it in 1997 (yes I have been researching) so he is very, very young here, but Zack is 16 at the start of CC but looks older- I'm blaming in on Mako- so actual age means nothing physically here only mentally so I'm being optimistic in trying to show his maturity through the story- I know I have to write the story to do that- so Axel traits should be few but you may notice them.