Hello again. This update came out earlier than planned. I love cliffhangers, but I know how it is to be on the receiving end of them and so I didn't want to do that to you guys. So, here it is. I want to keep some things a mystery, but I'm not going to go overboard with it. That's what got me stuck with Present from the Past and I don't want a repeat. By the way, that story definitely isn't dead. I've just hit a writer's block for it. Sooner or later I'll get around it and start updating it again.
Enjoy!
Chapter Sixteen
Cloud was jarred into semi-consciousness by a feeling of impact that he couldn't explain. He still couldn't see what was happening nor could he put together any coherent thoughts. All he knew was that he had to get help. He could hardly see and only a small tunnel of vision surrounded by blackness greeted him when he opened his eyes, but even the small range of vision he had was blurry and he couldn't focus. He tried to stand, but fell face first onto the ground.
The ground was hard-packed and felt solid. He wasn't in the wastelands anymore, the city then? He crawled as best as he could until he sensed light flooding over him and heard the muffled sound of music from somewhere nearby.
He heard incoherent shouting before he felt something trip over him and knocked him onto his side.
"S-y 'bou- th- y-. Y- o-y?"
Cloud tried to focus on the blurry vision of red and blue that stood over him, but all he could manage was to shake his head.
"H-y…inf-n-ry u-i-f-m!"
Cloud wished that he could hear and see, but there was something that was making his thoughts constantly swim in a whirlpool of pain and he felt like his head was going to explode. All he could manage to get out was a groan. The stranger standing over him made a noise that sounded like laughter before Cloud felt himself being lifted and half dragged, half carried down the street before blacking out again.
. . .
Sometime later Cloud slowly opened his eyes only to find he was in a place he had visited a few times before; Shinra's medical wing.
"Hey, there's mister sunshine! Finally awake at last."
Cloud turned his head to face the speaker only to recognize the red and blue shaped blob from before. Only this blob was human. The man had bright red hair and goggles that rested on his forehead. He had green eyes and red tattoos right underneath them. What surprised the blonde most was the blue uniform he wore, a color only worn by once branch of Shinra; the Turks.
"Who are you, what happened?"
"Dude, that must be one nasty hangover. You look like shit."
When the blonde shut his eyes again and shook his head the Turk only chuckled. "You should ask the nurse for some meds for that. That's the great thing about Shinra. They have excellent pills for hangovers, at least if you're a Turk like me and can afford it."
"Sure Reno, rub it in," the blonde mumbled.
The redhead chuckled before his eyes lit up. "Hey, you've heard of me! Guess my reputation is pretty well known. SOLDIERs ain't the only ones who make a name for themselves you know."
"But we are the first to notice when one of our own goes missing," came a voice from behind the Turk.
Reno turned and Cloud was just able to make out the helmet of a Second Class.
Even though Reno couldn't see the man's face he could read his body language well enough. "Whoa, easy there champ. I wasn't snatching him up for the Turks, we have more clever ways to do that then by getting someone so drunk they pass out…well, except for my case anyway. That was lame on their part. Effective, but lame."
The SOLDIER merely folded his arms before the Turk held his hands up and waved them defensively. "Alright, alright, I'm goin'. I just wanted to make sure he was alright. When I found him he looked like he had just played a game of ring around the rosy with a zolom."
"As if you've ever seen a zolom," the SOLDIER replied.
"You'd be surprised," Reno smirked.
"Out," the SOLDIER ordered by pointing his arm towards the exit.
Reno ducked passed him and vanished, leaving the two alone.
"Strife, right," the SOLDIER asked. When Cloud nodded his head the man flipped open his PHS and texted something before putting it back away and stepping into the room from the doorway. "I'm Second Class Kunsel. I've heard quite a few things about you from our mutual friend."
Cloud started to sit up until Kunsel stopped him. "I wouldn't do that, you really do look pretty bad. The Turk wasn't lying about that."
"mmmfine," Cloud mumbled, trying fight the man's attempts, but his world started spinning again and he let the stronger man push him back down. "Headache…too much," was all he could manage to get out.
Kunsel nodded in understanding. "Say no more. I'll go find a nurse and get something for it, but first I probably need to act as your bodyguard for a while."
"Why," asked Cloud.
The SOLDIER smirked as he shrugged, "Just a hunch."
As if on cue a commotion started down the hall. There was some shouting followed by charging footsteps. The door suddenly flew open and the all too familiar form of Zack Fair stormed in. "Where the hell have you been Spiky?" He demanded.
Kunsel made a very effective shield from the SOLDIER's ferocity as he made his way into the room. "Zack, you may want to keep your voice down. He's had a pretty rough night. A Turk found him passed out in front of a bar in the slums."
"He was what?!" Zack's eyes shot wide open in shock.
"I wasn't drunk," the blonde replied.
"Then why were you on the ground outside of a bar? That only happens if you drink too much."
Cloud knew he wasn't going to get anywhere without telling him the truth, but he could only tell Zack and it was impossible to explain while Kunsel was still in the room. As much as he appreciated his help he didn't want to let anything sensitive slip. He waited for Zack to make eye contact before shifting his gaze over towards the Second Class and then back.
Zack understood the message and nodded slightly. "Alright Kunsel, you can return to your normal duties. I've got this covered."
Kunsel was about to protest but the higher ranked SOLDIER placed his hand on his shoulder. "Seriously, it's alright. I've had this infantryman in my sights for a while so I feel responsible for him."
Kunsel nodded in understanding and started to leave but stopped when he stood next to him. "Just be careful, if the Turks are involved he may end up being snatched away from you. Whatever you're going to do, you better make it quick."
Zack nodded and Kunsel left, leaving the two alone. Zack checked around before leaning against the wall. "So what happened? You never got back from your mission."
"There was no mission," Cloud replied.
"But that PHS message," Zack started, but stopped when the blonde rubbed his forehead.
"I think it was Vincent's way of getting me alone."
"Vincent? He's here?"
Cloud shook his head as he tried to remember, but the encounter was fuzzy at best. "I don't really remember what happened. I just know that he was there and he took me outside the city, but that's it. The next thing I know someone else was talking to me and then started to drag me before I blacked out and woke up here. I think it was that Turk, Reno."
"So, you've met him already, huh? I was going to wait until you were safely in SOLDIER before introducing you. He's a solid Turk, but we've become friends. I never had to worry about him before because all of my friends are either SOLDIERs or civilians. I was worried he'd try to recruit you to join them."
Cloud shook his head, "Don't worry about that, I'd never join the Turks."
"Well that's good to hear, but do you even know what a Turk really is?"
Cloud couldn't mask the confused look on his face as he recalled what they were even though he had never met one before tonight. "It's weird, I've never seen him before, but I feel like I've known him for years."
Zack nodded in understanding. "Yeah, Reno has that kind of personality that can throw you off guard. Do me a favor though, never let your guard down around him. He could act friendly and nice or even drunk one minute, but then in a flash he can change and you'll be neck deep in the trouble before you can say chocobo."
Cloud shook his head and leaned forward, bracing his head in his hands while his arms were propped up on his knees.
"I'll go find something for that headache of yours," Zack replied before stepping out to look for a doctor.
. . .
The next day Cloud left his bunk, having been discharged from the medical wing a mere two hours after waking up he was feeling much better than the previous night. The medicine Zack had ordered the nurses to give him helped too. He'd never use the fact that a First Class was his friend to his advantage, but it was nice having medication that worked without having to pay the cost, and that medicine was expensive, however it was pocket change for a high-ranking officer like Fair. He headed out for another mission and it was one he made sure was official.
It was a simple grunt task of finding a troublesome thief who had robbed a Shinra employee of some important documents that were to be delivered straight to Scarlett. The employee himself was already in hot water because he wasn't supposed to take those files off base. Cloud and two other infantrymen tracked down the thief and had him in cuffs.
Once the mission was over the three excited the building and one of the others clapped Cloud on the back. "That was some nice work back there, Cloud was it?"
Cloud nodded as the other man removed his helmet, "Just completing the mission."
The brunette nudged their partner. "Listen to him; it's no wonder he didn't make SOLDIER being that modest. Come on, the way you knew where the guy was going to come out from that back ally and then when you just sensed him and tripped him up at the perfect moment only to pin him down like that. Aside from tracking him, you did the hard work. I don't remember you being that good before."
Cloud thought about what they said. It was true that his skills were better today, but he just assumed it was the meds.
It bothered him all the way back to HQ. The commanding officer nodded his head in approval. "Not bad Strife. Keep that up and you'll be taking my job one day."
Cloud wasn't sure what to make of that praise. The captain seemed to be pleased, but another infantryman, the bunk mate that Cloud had warned Tifa about was giving him a harsh glare. However, instead of giving in and looking away, Cloud met the challenging glare with one of his own. He couldn't explain his sudden case of courage, but something deep within had decided he was done giving in to bullies and taking what they dished out. It was time to start standing up against them. The other man recognized the challenge and it didn't take long for him to react.
Later that afternoon when they were released for some downtime until evening patrol the man had followed Cloud and cornered him in a secluded ally.
"Where'd a whimpering little shit like you grow some balls?"
"It's none of your business," Cloud replied, rubbing his bleeding lip.
"Don't give me that tough guy attitude; no one changes that quickly overnight." The man, Lancaster was his name, picked up a piece of trash and threw it at Cloud who deflected it. Lancaster only shook his head. "You think you can work your way back into SOLDIER? That's not going to happen to you. If I can't be in SOLDIER then no other grunt is gonna get the chance. You think you're some special snow flake?"
"No, I'm not," Cloud replied as he took a step forward. There was no fear in his eyes as he replied. "Just because I realized a few skills doesn't mean I can save the world." He thought back to what Sephiroth had told him about his future and a deep, aching pain overcame him. "I'm no hero."
Lancaster huffed before turning to leave him, knowing his work was done. "Just don't forget it."
"I'm also not afraid to do what needs to be done."
Lancaster turned then and there was a dangerous shine in his eyes. "What did you just say?"
"Is there a problem?"
Both of them looked towards the entrance of the ally to see a SOLDIER standing there. Cloud recognized the Second Class right away. "Kunsel?"
"Strife," the Second greeted before he turned his helmet towards Lancaster. "Not trying to get kicked out of another branch, are we? Getting demoted twice would leave an ugly stain on your record."
"I ain't done nothin',"…yet. He added silently.
Kunsel didn't seem to buy it and made it clear as he issued his next order. "You're to return to your quarters until the midnight patrol. You're captain's orders."
"Sir," Lancaster replied with a salute before heading out, but not before shooting Cloud one last glare as he rounded the corner.
Once he was gone Kunsel just shook his head. "Cloud, you really need to watch yourself. I don't want to see you in the medical wing on a weekly basis and I can't be your body guard against a First Class mother hen whenever you get yourself into a jam."
The blonde smirked at the reference towards their friend. "I understand, Sir, but I also don't have to bow down to those of equal rank just because they feel threatened when someone else does better."
Kunsel nodded in understanding. "Well, my real orders may end up changing that point of view of yours. You're being reassigned to the cadet barracks. Seems the general saw some potential in you during your mission in Nibelheim and has given you a second chance to try out for SOLDIER,… that is if you still want to?"
Cloud's eyes lit up. "When do I start?"
The SOLDIER smirked with amusement. "Tonight."
