Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no money from this work. Anything recognizable to the Final Fantasy VII series and its associated parts belongs to Square Enix and affiliated companies.

Green Dreams

Chapter Ten: The Back Market

The hot spray of the shower sizzled and writhed above his head in steam. Reveling in the feeling of both the heat and cold, Sephiroth leaned back against the cool tiles, comfortable in his nudity. He flicked his hair from his face before looking into his reflection in the glass. He wiped the fog away to get a better look at himself.

Demon…

He stared at the image, his eyes roving critically over the muscle definition that came from a life spent training to be in peak condition, the sheer expanse of pale skin unmarked, no scars a warrior could be proud of. Proof of the genetic meddling that had created the closest thing to a perfect warrior science was capable of.

Monster…

He looked away sharply, letting his wet hair hang in front of his face and block the view of his profile.

Sephiroth let out another long breath, enjoying the steady thrum of the water as it struck the top of his head. He could forget about all the terrible acts he had committed, the murders, the painful childhood. Mendacity soothed the ravaged beast.

Today was the parade, and he hoped to postpone the nightmare just a little bit longer. It was worse than battle because it was something he couldn't fight back against. He could deny Shinra and their propaganda by refusing to go—always a tempting thought—but the drawbacks would be sharp, not the least of which was that his SOLDIERs would still be out there, even if the General refused to show. If they had to be there, then Sephiroth would suffer through it with them.

As the water continued to pound, Sephiroth's hair turned a steely gray color and clung to the corded muscles of his back and wrapped around the tense strength of his arms. It was quite heavy and constrictive, and often more a pain than a blessing, but Sephiroth didn't want to cut it. His long hair was one of the few vanities he maintained. Not only did it anger Hojo at the absurd length, but it was also something Sephiroth spent time caring for, not killing. The feeling of the slick conditioner, sliding over his scalp, and the routine meditation of combing it at night was worth any aggravation over the length.

Sephiroth pulled away from the wall and stepped more fully under the spray, slowing peeling the hair twisted around him to throw it all behind him, closing his eyes. He didn't think he could possibly stay sane at the parade. All the people would be shouting and cheering, his men marching in time, each step and yell blaringly loud in his ears. Then to stand there at the podium with the President swelling with pride like a balloon about to burst… Though he wouldn't mind slaughtering most of the Shinra executives, he could hardly afford to lose all control in such a crowd.

The stress was already beginning to catch up with him, he realized, and he tried to push the thoughts away. He looked through the shower's glass wall to his uniform. It was a fine white silk with heavy shoulder ornaments, stripes in red and pins decorating it. The whole ensemble looked absolutely ridiculous, and he glared fiercely at it as it hung on the large bathroom's door.

Sephiroth tipped his head back and willed away the aggression, but thoughts of the parade made him tense, even angry. He had barely thirty minutes before he needed to round up the SOLDIERs and lead them out, and that left few ways to burn off this energy.

Sephiroth glanced down, contemplating. He didn't really have time, unless he wanted something quick. He preferred more time, not one to do something by haves, but sometimes it was necessary, and at least it would take the edge off.

The muscles in his stomach clenched as he wrapped his strong fingers around his hardening length, beginning to pump slowly, twisting his wrist, thumb rubbing the head just right. He never had one lover long enough who knew what he liked, but he could imagine.

Smaller hands, gentle but firm, calloused, and a lean body that pressed up against his chest, he could feel his nipples harden as he imagined a soft breath exhaled against them. He stepped back until he could lean against the wall, letting the hand that touched him quicken.

He could almost envision his lover. Male, his lover had always been male. Sephiroth didn't think he could stand condemning someone to a life as a monster, especially his own child. He focused on the ripple of muscle in his imagined love, the way his mouth would open wide in arousal, eyes glazed. He'd have a lithe body, compacted strength, satiny soft neck, and some of the wildest cries and pleads that had to be wrung out but were worth the effort.

His hand moved faster as he imagined the warm, gripping heat and the tight shoulders just at the level of his mouth. His lover would gasp, beg him for more, every time Sephiroth cupped and stroked him he'd buck and beg. How he could kiss sweet lips, devour him whole, nip and bite him until he bled. Until his lover knew who he belonged to.

The heat in his belly began to spread, his abs defined at the exertion. The building pressure mounted as the constant thrumming of the water hit his chest and shoulders. He rocked himself into his hand, almost reaching out to caress the fine bottom he imagined himself inside, maybe red from a spank, and so tight and hot. He wanted to pull his lover back against him, make him arch against him, whisper something dirty in ear, bite the beautiful flesh and let it be known he was no one's but Sephiroth's. He didn't stop as his hips left the cool wall for a moment, then slammed back into it again. The feeling was so intense, so brilliant he repeated the action again and again.

He let out a sharp breath as he climaxed powerfully, all his muscles tensing then relaxing, suspended for a moment like a Greek statue caught in an instant of ecstasy. He wanted to lean forward and rest his forehead against the soft shoulder, feel the shaking body tremble and turn into him, lean on him and hold him and enjoy the afterglow in bliss with his lover. Just as Sephiroth blinked and shoot the hair free from his face, he could almost imagine the blue eyes that peaked over their shoulder up at him.

"Let me tell you about the slums since I doubt you know too much, mountain boy." Reno barked and laughed a bit, but Cloud didn't crack a smile. "There's eight sectors, an' each has a reactor in it. Some reactors are bigger than others. A huge wall, then a reactor, then another wall divide sectors. Sometimes, if the reactor is small enough, people build in the open area there. They don't build houses though, 'cause some kids have popped out wrong—you know, missing arms and three eyes and stuff." Cloud ignored the blatant exaggeration of mako-influenced birth defects. "Usually it's just markets and the red light district and stuff. The train graveyard is like that. So is Wall Market. It's not properly controlled by Shinra, so things get a little wild." Reno smirked at that.

"The rest of the Sectors are essentially slums where the people live. A lot of them look like Sector 7, some are better though, but Sector 7 is quieter than most. If you get caught wandering around, oh, Sector 3, you'll get robbed at the drop of a hat," he continued.

Cloud remembered most of this and just followed Reno as they walked. Reno explained as they moved how they were going to get to Wall Market, where he had some friends who could get him an inexpensive but good weapon. "Wall Market is between Sector 6 and 7, but you can't access it from this side of the slums. We're gonna go through Sector 6 part of the way, then there's a gate in the wall where Wall Market will be."

When Cloud had been in Midgar, before Meteor struck and turned the remains into Edge, Sector 6 had mostly been a pile of rubble. He and AVALANCHE had blown up the Sector 5 reactor, and it had toppled and destroyed most of Sector 6. Now, the place was a little brighter, with some better houses that looked to have a logical construction. It was evidence of how close Wall Market was because the better homes were around it.

As they walked up the main road up to the market, Reno expertly weaved through the people while Cloud followed a little more carefully. A kid up ahead of Reno and Cloud was also making his way through the crowd. He looked nonchalant, though he fought against the tide of people as he cut through the road. Reno spied the quick hand that nabbed a fancy pin off a woman's shirt: Pickpocket. Reno smirked. The kid was clearly relatively new to the job, because that lady had a bag with some expensive looking make-up that would have reeled in more cash than a pin.

The redhead glanced at Cloud, noting his outfit. He blended in better than most people from outside Midgar, but the way his eyes moved over the buildings and people revealed how new the place was. If the pickpocket were smart, he would probably notice it then make a snatch for Cloud's pocket. Reno slipped between two women in front of Cloud, effectively catching the pickpocket as he made to go around, eyes only on his next target, and dragged him off to the side of the road.

"Don't get caught next time." Reno flashed the kid a cocky smirk, his grip on the boy's wrist a little too tight. The kid's bright brown eyes narrowed in a glare at Reno's own green. Still he didn't argue with the older boy, likely knowing that he was being let off easy. The redhead shoved him away, almost knocking the kid over as he fell into an older woman.

Cloud watched in silence, and Reno turned his head slightly to look out of the corner of his eye at him. The blond just looked at Reno, and the redhead shrugged at the lack of outward response to the incident. He filed it away though, because surely a small-town boy had never dealt with a pickpocket.

They kept walking, and eventually Cloud spotted a familiar playground set off to the side. The blond faltered just a half step as he looked at it, remembering his run-in here with Tifa so long ago and how empty and abandoned the place had been. All these people had probably died when the reactor fell, he thought suddenly. He was a little shocked to realize he hadn't even considered it. He had become wrapped up in his world and how it changed, let alone the changes that affected the unknown faces around the planet, like the ones he saw now. No one had warned the people here, no one counted the dead, he had never known or even conceived of how many people lived in this hellhole before.

Past the playground was the opening to Wall Market. As soon as they escaped the crush Cloud was able to take in the sight of Wall Market again. At least on the surface it hadn't changed much from how he remembered. Tons of shops and stores were lit with bright lights, customers crowded around the wares and shopkeepers shouting prices and exchanging money. The odor of garbage was hidden behind the smell of spices, cooking food, and cheap perfume. There was color everywhere in the clothes, the hair, and the shops, starkly different from the gunmetal gray above the plate. Voices were everywhere too, arguing prices, calling for friends and children, and hawking wares. It was like all the life and color of the slums was gathered in one place.

Reno was practically beaming as bright as the neon lights of the inn off to their left. Cloud thought the redhead looked rather funny with that idiotic grin on his face, but he didn't comment. "Welcome to Wall Market." Reno grinned and slapped him on the back. "Let's get going. Up ahead is a weapons shop my friend runs. He'll get us some stuff he doesn't sell normally." Reno actually sounded gleeful. Cloud remembered that this was where Reno had grown up—the plate must seem an alien place in comparison.

Cloud and Reno made their way up the street, sometimes fighting against the crowds. It was chaotic, and Cloud more than once had to watch his pockets from being picked. Reno had no problem slapping people's hands if the drifted too close. Cloud, a little unnerved at the proximity of the people and still new to the idea that someone would even attempt to rob him, stepped out of their reach if they came too close. It was like a dance, as he sidestepped them and moved, making it discreet as possible. Reno's annoyed shout as the same kid came back twice was anything but. AVALANCHE before hadn't had any problem with thieves—Barret and his gun arm was frightening enough to give them a ten-foot radius, and one flash of mako-glowing eyes got you a wide berth.

They broke into the next area where there was a gap in the crowds. It was a little calmer here, with mostly men loitering about and arguing with each other. The local gym was closest to them, a little cardboard cutout in the wall, where loud music and cheering shouts along with bet calls were heard. Cloud shuddered a bit as he remembered "Big Bro", the gym owner, who was a little too enthusiastic about cross-dressing. Cloud said a quick prayer to the Planet that no one he knew in this timeline would ever find out about that little incident. Farther up ahead was a tavern, where softer music played and smoke wafted out of the door. Men stood outside, lighting up and joking with each other.

Reno pointed to the building across from the tavern. "That's the shop we're gonna hit. They have a backroom full of stuff you can't find anywhere else except from corrupt Shinra officials." Reno laughed again as they headed towards it.

The weapons shop was ordinary as he stepped in. The main room was open, with one shelf right in the center with a variety of rounded weapons and shields sitting on it. There was a barrel full of small projectiles, the way some stores had barrels of candy, and some sharpening tools were resting on the floor by the wall. The rest of the display lined the walls and climbed to the ceiling. Cloud was vaguely surprised that the thin walls could even hold that much weight. Though given how predominate weapons were under the plate, the owner probably did good business down here.

The man at the counter wore a grimy shirt that may have been white once, with a shock of black hair on his head. He grinned widely, revealing two missing teeth, and promptly jumped over the counter in a quick move to greet Reno.

"Red! Yer back! Shinra hasn't poisoned ya yet I see. Must mean they like ya. You here for somethin' special?" Reno laughed brightly as both slapped five before tensing their biceps like they were going to arm wrestle. It must have been some kind of secret handshake. They caught up for only a moment, Cloud hanging back behind Reno scoping out the shop. Reno seemed to remember he was there fairly quickly though.

The redhead gave the man a bright grin. "Yeah Chip. This is Cloud, fellow cadet who needs a little somethin'." Cloud noticed that Reno's slang had suddenly gotten a lot heavier, his accent much thicker. "He's a sword guy, so anythin' with a blade should do. No guns for you Cloud?"

"No."

The owner grinned again, and winked at Reno when he thought Cloud wasn't looking. "Then you'll wanna come this way boys. Got some special stuff in you might just like."

The backroom was impressive. Automatic pistols were in a box on the floor, the ammo piled up right next to them. Shotguns that had already been neatly sawed off were leaning against the wall. Variations on military rifles, upgraded barrels, infrared and x-ray scopes, dangerous poisonous and acidic bullets, and ones that shattered on contact filled up crates all over the room. Some of the rarer and more expensive weapons were back here along with the illegal ones. Scimitars and wickedly curved blades, scythes and axes, rods that unsheathed to be swords, and maces and spears decorated the walls and hung from the ceiling. Behind the crates there was a small work area where Cloud assumed the owner fixed broken weapons. Various parts of a rifle were there, scattered along with jars of oil and several old rags covered in grease.

"We got somethin' for everyone. See anythin' you like, Blon–?" Cloud cut him off before he could finish.

"I know what I need."

There was something a little unnerving in Cloud's gaze, as he glanced over at the proprietor. Zack called Cloud 'Blondie', but it was all in good fun. Cloud didn't really like that nickname coming from anyone else though.

"I need something small that I can slip through security and carry around. Daggers, boot blades, shuriken, something of that nature." Cloud watched the man closely. People who ran businesses like this could be very dangerous and the guy might rip him off, even with Reno's watchful eye.

"We've got some right good daggers if you're interested." The guy rearranged his poker face and scurried over to one wall, pulling down a couple of sheathed daggers. Some were more like small knives, hardly longer than Cloud's extended hand, while others were longer than his forearm. The quality wasn't too bad; at least the weight was even.

Reno watched Cloud silently; surprised by the way Cloud handled himself. Reno hadn't expected a mountain boy to be so confident in this environment. He knew what he was looking for, and it was slightly intimidating to see him like this. He definitely wouldn't be seriously ripped off now.

Cloud moved forward and picked one of the longer ones up. It was a dagger with a double-edged blade, made for stabbing and thrusting. They were best as secondary weapons, but incredibly useful in close range fighting. This one was poor quality though, and sported a stub tang. Those tended to shatter and Cloud discarded it with a brief look.

Cloud picked up several others as Chip looked on. Reno, bored and ignored, wandered about the room examining some of the uncommon weapons. He admired the artwork on some Wutain katana and even inspected some hand bombs, but his eyes alighted on a small rod.

"Hey, Chip. That thing extend or what?" The owner moved to the other side of the room to explain the weapon Reno was pointing out. Cloud only gave them a quick glance, recognizing the item as crude looking Nightstick. Figures. Clearly it was fate, the inevitable love Reno had for that particular weapon. Cloud had been hit one too many times by that thing though to feel anything less than distaste for it.

The man looked away for too long and Cloud deftly slipped one of the smaller daggers into his waistband. He didn't feel too much guilt over it, the guy had tons more in another crate, and Cloud knew his priorities were more important than emotions right now. It never hurt to be prepared, and he could really only afford one weapon. He lifted the one in his hand to the light. It wasn't really a dagger, more of gladius really. Unlike daggers, gladii were short swords that could be used for cutting like a regular sword. It was useful, and could even be used as a main weapon until Cloud could get a hold of a real sword. They were small enough too that it could fit in a shopping bag or a backpack. He paid for the purchase with most of his meager savings, and Reno even managed to secure him a small discount.

The price was still a little higher than Cloud expected, especially for a dagger. He couldn't really complain, since this guy did have higher quality stuff, but any remaining guilt over the stolen dagger disappeared. They left the store soon after, Cloud carrying a nondescript brown paper bag. Inside were the gladius and its sheath. The licensing rule about purchasing weapons was only followed if you bought from the front room, Reno explained, so Cloud could literally walk out without signing a thing. There also wasn't much risk of the meager security force under the plate ever asking questions—they had a lot bigger things on their plate than one knife purchase.

As they walked, Reno got to talking about the various weapons he'd seen in use, mostly gun varieties, but he was quite excited by the nightstick, which was amusing to Cloud. "See, a nightstick is different—not just like any old staff. It has an electric charge going through it. So when you hit 'em, you shock 'em too."

Cloud nodded along, but he didn't really bother to hide his distaste for the nightstick. When you got hit by it as many times as he had, it was hard to like it. "You should just get a mace if you want to smack people over the head with a weapon. At least you can draw blood."

"Welts man. And you can't shock people with maces. Not to mention they're really heavy and not subtle at all. Not exactly my style."

"Subtle works, but in a tight spot those big weapons'll save your life. There are plenty of monsters that are big enough a gladius would barely make a scratch."

Reno shook his head, rat-tail hair whipping around to lie against his front shoulder. "There's subtle, there's conspicuous, and then there's ridiculous. Have you seen the sword your SOLDIER guy carries? That's got to be at least five hundred pounds! That sword's maybe three times as wide as a regular sword—how is that logical to use?" Reno waved his arms about as he spoke, excited by an argument.

"It ends the fight before it even starts sometimes," Cloud said, shrugging before tacking on—"that's what Zack said. One swing of a buster sword will take down a really large monster. And it handles somewhere between a broadsword and a claymore."

The banter continued good-naturedly as they headed back into the main area of Wall Market. Cloud's knowledge on weapons was extraordinary, though he made sure to try to make references sound book-like rather than from experience. He couldn't exactly pin everything on Zack when he'd only "known" the First for a week.

Reno guided them into a restaurant and sat them down. The chairs on the inside were mostly stools, probably stolen from the bar up the street. Someone in the store had wised up though and chained them to the counter. The ones outside, like the ones Reno and Cloud were sitting on, seemed to be of all assortments. Reno had managed to nab what looked like a school desk's chair minus the desk, while Cloud got a legitimate wooden one. A man a couple feet away from them was seated on a lawn chair. Reno murmured something about only ordering canned drinks, and Cloud nodded his head without really thinking about it.

They talked for a while after ordering their food, Cloud making a point of asking for bottled water. Reno got a soda. The redhead moved the topic of weaponry off blades to guns, which he was more familiar with. Much to Cloud's surprise, Reno mentioned a triple-barreled gun he'd heard about on the street. "Man, I'd love to shoot that thing. What a beaut." Cloud unwittingly thought of Vincent's massive Cerberus gun, complete with engraved triple-barrel. The blond wasn't sure if Reno had seen the famous gun in the past, but it was an amusing thought.

Their seats were outside the restaurant, away from the crowds at the counter and booths, and in the little open area fenced in around it. They could watch the people rushing by and rest their legs. Cloud didn't admit it, but he was a little tired. All those exercises in the morning combined with all this unceasing walking was getting to him. Cloud's mouth tightened a little with displeasure as his mind automatically jumped to the advantages of mako, and instead he focused on back on the conversation.

The food came, and Reno crowed with relief as he put the first bite in his mouth. Cloud followed suit, but had enough self-restraint not to sigh blissfully the way Reno did. The food, though not as good as Tifa's, was heavenly in comparison to Shinra's gruel: soft, well-cooked chicken, flaky and perfect fries, green beans that were actually green, and all of it tasted amazing. Cloud savored each bite.

Both cadets visibly relaxed even more as they ate. Reno started up with a story about some adventure he had, how he tricked some goons after him into thinking the red thing up on the roof was a cat. They both laughed at Reno's imitation of a cat's meow, even hissing at some poor kid walking by. As Reno's story closed up, Cloud tried to think of something he could share. He didn't have too many good stories though, and the first one that came to mind was Corneo's and the cross-dressing experience. Cloud swore he'd never tell a soul that story, so he tried to think up a new one.

"Well, a mercenary who came to Nibelheim once told me this one. He came down from the mountain, and had cut through a forest to get there. He said there'd been a ninja with a wild battle cry and…"

Reno snorted loudly at Cloud's description of Yuffie, the "mysterious ninja", who robbed this guy blind of his materia. The way Reno laughed and his easy grin erased any inkling that he might have been suspicious of the story. Cloud was able to warm up to a bit. He still remembered yelling across that field at Yuffie, still so young and so erratic. She'd turned out to be incredibly loyal and a valuable member of the group, but he'd had his doubts at first.

The pleasant lull in the conversation abruptly ended when Cloud noticed the crowds on the street were getting agitated. He sat up pretty fast when he spotted the group coming down the street. They didn't even try to hide the fact that they were armed, and walked proudly through. The whispers of "AVALANCHE" that followed them said enough. They passed by without a second glance at anyone in the crowd, but Cloud felt himself go hot and cold inside.

Even though being a cadet was a little like being in a bubble, the world was still moving outside. Hojo was still running his grotesque experiments, and AVALANCHE was still very active and quite violent. Cloud remembered hearing about Elfé, the previous leader. Even if they had never met, Barret had held her in high regard.

AVALANCHE had been a far more organized group under Elfé, almost like a miniature and unstable SOLDIER. They actually paralleled an awful lot, now that Cloud considered it. The main scientist, Fuhito, had mindless, powerful minions who were the blunt force for much of AVALANCHE's activities, along with a lot of cannon fodder recruits. Barret had never agreed with Fuhito, and so the moment Elfé and her closest fighters died, Barret had made sure Fuhito was out of the picture. This, Cloud discovered later, was not just out of cold blood, but also for revenge for the deceased Elfé.

This violent and barely-controlled AVALANCHE was still alive and running at this point in time. The AVALANCHE led by Barret and then by Cloud would not really form until after Sephiroth's disappearance and Cloud and Zack's incarceration by Hojo—well after this AVALANCHE collapsed. If Cloud diverted from the timeline as planned and saved Sephiroth's sanity, than the AVALANCHE he would later lead would never exist.

The thought was quite unsettling. Cloud knew the camaraderie of AVALANCHE was not worth the price of saving Sephiroth. Their lives would be better off not being a part of AVALANCHE, he told himself. He wasn't sure if he was convinced though.

Reno snapped his fingers in front of Cloud's glazed face. "You okay man? I've seen some of those guys around before and they're trouble. I'm sure you know what I'm talkin' about. You'd best steer clear of 'em."

Reno's wise words brought Cloud back. AVALANCHE now wasn't his problem. SOLDIER would quell anything they did, and they had no real part in the Jenova and Sephiroth issues. Cloud let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He needed to focus on SOLDIER and Sephiroth, and let Zack and the others worry about AVALANCHE.

Reno and Cloud finished up lunch and wandered around Wall Market. They had popped their heads into a variety to stores, but hadn't bought anything. Neither really had the Gil for it, especially if they wanted to go home.

Cloud was brainstorming ways to separate himself from Reno when Lady Luck dropped into his lap. Both Cloud and Reno had spotted the group of men hanging around outside a bar. They had the distinct appearance of thugs: heavy-set, muscular, loaded with poorly concealed weapons, and in general trying to look inconspicuous while being obvious about it. Reno laughed loudly at them, elbowing Cloud before realizing the men had seen them.

Cloud didn't recognize them or the symbol painted in blue on their bare arms, but the redhead must have. "I'm gonna get out of here Cloud. I'll catch up to you later. Look around, but don't get mugged all right? See ya later."

It was apparent they knew each other, because Reno took off down the nearby alley, and Cloud backed out of the way as the four men came after the redhead. Cloud was a little relieved they weren't interested in him; he really didn't need the attention. He did prepare himself to move though; Reno might need backup if things got nasty. Cloud watched in surprise though as Reno took a running leap and managed to grab the top of the wall. In one motion he hefted his whole body on top of it, then much to Cloud's amazement, jumped to the roof next to it. The four thugs at the bottom began to try a fireman's lift to reach the redhead.

Reno taunted them a bit longer while on the roof, shaking his butt at them and making faces and yelling rude remarks. Incensed, the men worked faster, but Reno took off with a serious head start.

The redhead was fluid at he leapt and ran along the rooftops. Nimble, and with a lot of practice, he was easily able to maneuver over and through obstacles in his way, propelling himself with his momentum. At the end of Wall Market, however, the wall that rose to the plate began. Cloud watched him with rapt attention, taking in everything as Reno moved, tailing him by ground. Cloud had done a lot of chasing and running in his life, and he'd never seen something like this.

When the hell did Reno learn that?

Far behind Reno on the roofs Cloud could see the thugs, just two of them, clambering slowly and clumsily across the shops. They'd never catch up to Reno as the redhead made an amazing long jump and took off deeper into the slums.

It took Cloud a moment to realize he was now alone. Reno had run off into the next sector, and would presumably double back, but likely he'd wait a bit before risking being spotted a second time. Cloud knew this was the only chance he'd get: time to head to the church in Sector 5.