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 Nineteen: A Fist to the Face (or Ten)

Zack held the door open for Kunsel as they stepped into Sephiroth's office without knocking. Zack was shaking his head at the Second, clearly in disagreement with whatever the other had said. Sephiroth, seated behind his desk watched them for a moment, contemplating on commenting about their lack of propriety to even knock when entering another's office, especially their direct superior. With Zack it usually wasn't worth the effort. Sephiroth watched as Zack took his customary seat, motioning to Kunsel to do so as well, even as he lifted his feet up to put on his desk before pausing. Zack scowled good-naturally at the strategically moved paper filer. The General hid a smile of amusement at Zack's predicament. He took great pleasure at thwarting him when he could.

Zack, his lips twitching upwards, carefully toed the filer back a couple paces. Sephiroth's elbow conveniently rested in the path, and the filer was still too close to the edge of the table for Zack to put his feet up. There was a momentary standoff before Zack grudgingly put his feet down. Only then did Sephiroth glance away.

Making sure Sephiroth was watching, Zack shifted in his chair to put a booted foot on it, dirtying the pristine material. The General's face didn't move an inch, but Kunsel's stifled snort was barely muffled.

"So, Seph," Zack drawled, "how's planning for the SOLDIER Exam going?" Zack's waggled eyebrows and the way he eyed the papers on Sephiroth's desk cued the General in immediately. His Lieutenant General wanted to know all the details as he had in years past, but this year Zack was privately training a cadet. It had only happened a handful of times before—including with Zack when he was a cadet—for a high-ranking SOLDIER to take a cadet under his wing. Even though Sephiroth trusted Zack to hold his silence, he could hardly condone it by anyone's standards. As General he toed the line when needed but when he didn't have to, he wouldn't.

Kunsel was still standing, having ignored Zack's insistence he sit. He hadn't saluted though, but was leaning against the second chair. He spoke before Sephiroth could reply. "It's not as though your blond's gonna need more help. He's already beyond most cadets from what I've heard." Kunsel had a strange tone to his voice that Zack picked up on.

"You just need to see him in action to understand. It helps to, you know, talk to him properly." Zack sounded petulant as he spoke, and Sephiroth knew Zack was still touchy about Cloud.

Sephiroth thought for a moment Kunsel would roll his eyes. "I've already seen enough action with him, I think. You don't wonder about that jump in skill? Even the General asked me to look into it."

Sephiroth put his hands together on his desk and leaned back a bit in the chair. It wasn't uncommon for Zack to end up in conversations in Sephiroth's office that didn't directly involve the General. Sephiroth got a lot of insight into other perspectives this way, and Zack's personality tended to relax those who would be less forthcoming when speaking to him alone.

"Motivation most likely. What else could it be?" Zack was dismissive of the topic. He and Zack had worn that discussion to the ground and without any notable conclusion. Sephiroth knew, just by reading Zack's expression, that the younger man was ready to help Cloud no matter what the reason for the jump. Until Cloud slipped up or something happened, the two let it be. Sephiroth privately thought Angeal's death might have something to do with Zack's incessant defense, but he didn't comment on it. That moment in history was not something to be brought up lightly.

The General could tell Kunsel disagreed though. The Second Class SOLDIER was clearly trying to persuade Zack to be a bit more suspicious of it. Kunsel and Zack were close, but Sephiroth wondered if Kunsel had ever been on the receiving end of Zack's bite. His Lieutenant General was a mother Rottweiler when he wanted to be.

Sephiroth cleared his throat to get their attention. "I would be interested to know your opinion of Cadet Strife, Kunsel." Sephiroth made sure to keep his phrasing and body language open. He knew they both could be quite volatile, and he'd played mediator to others before.

Kunsel didn't hesitate. "There's something weird about him." Zack looked like he wanted to comment but Sephiroth lifted his hand.

"How so?" His voice was quiet as he addressed Kunsel.

The man looked straight at him even as he spoke carefully. "There's more to him that we don't know. I thought he might be something like those child soldiers and orphans who fall into gangs, but obviously he's not from anywhere like that. I just wonder why he wants to be so good," Kunsel said, going for casual and missing the mark.

"Because of SOLDIER," Zack said immediately. "It's his dream, like a lot of kids here, except he's going after it with more ambition than others. We should encourage this sort of thing, not get all suspicious over it."

Sephiroth didn't comment on that, though the switch in focus was a little annoying. Trust Zack to jump to Strife's defense. The General still wanted to know from where Kunsel was drawing his conclusions. He knew of Kunsel's experience and its value, and the man had personally seen a side of Strife no one had even known about. He wondered vaguely how aware the blond was of it.

"Look, not everyone is a good guy, and I'm just saying Cloud might fall the wrong way." Kunsel was frowning now too at his old friend. This was an obvious point of divergence for them. Sephiroth wondered at why here was where they really seemed to disagree. Was Kunsel worried Strife was threatening his relationship with Zack? Kunsel and Zack hadn't seen each other in almost a year, and even then Sephiroth knew they were little more than friends that dallied on the line like many SOLDIERs. Was Kunsel invested more than even Zack was aware?

"Cloud won't. We're friends, and he'll talk to me before he does anything serious-"

"But he won't tell you who trained him." Kunsel's voice rose a bit, and it was clear he was getting a little caught up in the conversation. Zack was tense in his seat, and Sephiroth noticed how his hands gripped the arms of the chair. Kunsel had also taken a more defensive stance. "You said it yourself; he knows more than he's letting on. He's hiding something, and until we know what, I don't want to put too much trust in him. You don't know what he's capable of."

Sephiroth was silent, watching this development carefully.

After a moment Zack's face split into a huge smile—though not all the tension was lost. "You worried I can't take a cadet?"

Kunsel seemed abruptly taken aback as he realized what he'd said, and he offered a self-depreciating smile as he laughed. "Not like that. You wouldn't die that easily. Have to be eaten by something and digested for a month before they'd really get you." Zack smiled at the teasing before playfully reaching over and punching Kunsel.

"Then what? Cloud Strife, 5'4 and a half, seventeen-year-old, blond—AKA, blood-thirsty assassin?" Zack sniggered, relaxing even more.

Kunsel couldn't help but laugh either, and Sephiroth's lips twitched before he could help himself. The mental image of Strife strapped to the teeth in armament stalking around some deserted alley was strangely absurd to Sephiroth. "No, no, I guess I'm just being paranoid. Don't want to lose my position or something to some upstart."

Sephiroth nodded to Kunsel at that last comment. As a Second Class and foreign-based, Kunsel had a precarious position at times that he had to deal with. He was on the brink of First Class, but there were already twenty-eight. Due to policy, mako limitations, and the General's preference of a small elite force, First Class SOLDIERs were a very rare breed. Until one of the First Class' died or "retired", Kunsel would remain a Second. Despite that, he had already turned down the promotion to First Class once before, not wanting the attention and added burden that came with the position. That sentiment was particularly well understood by Sephiroth.

"You won't be moved from your position until you ask for it." Sephiroth reminded him. Kunsel nodded, pleased. The General was wondering how to bring the conversation back to the Second's apparent unease with Cloud without drawing more fire from Zack, when said SOLDIER let out a particular loud snort, laughing to himself.

Kunsel turned to look at him quickly. Sephiroth noted how sensitive Kunsel got about his position. "What are you laughing at?"

Zack was sporting a cat-got-the-canary grin. "Now the only thing you have to fear, Kunsel, is Cloud taking Seph's spot." Kunsel smiled and barked out a laugh as Zack closed his eyes, no doubt envisioning Strife seated behind the General's desk.

The General was silent though, introspective. It hadn't ever occurred to him before he could lose his position. The General was obviously the strongest SOLDIER, and Zack still wasn't at his level even as his second-in-command, but what if one day someone did come along?

Kunsel and Zack continued to crack jokes about Strife in his uniform or attempting to wield a sword taller than he was, when the fax machine jumped to life suddenly, spewing out paper, and reminded them they had come in here for a reason. Sephiroth was brought out of his thoughts, but they lingered in the back of his mind, something to be ruminated on later.

"Seph," the General brought his focus back to Zack, "I was supposed to tell you the results for the second set of swim trials are finished. Secretary's got it." Zack got up and headed out with a wave as he spoke, followed by Kunsel who gave him a half-smile as he left.

Sephiroth sat back in his chair and tried to examine just what he thought of having an opponent really at his level, a true challenge.

It would be a fight worth waiting for.

Reno woke up bleary eyed, not quite sure what he was looking at for a second. In the center of the room was Cloud doing one-handed pushups, though to the redhead it was more of fuzzy oblong shape that looked to be humping the floor. As Reno's eyes focused, he could see how Cloud had that effortless up and down movement that indicated a lot of practice and strength, not to mention balance. The blond's eyes were determinedly facing forward as he no doubt counted up to five hundred in his head, or some other ludicrous number. Sometimes Reno had trouble standing Cloud. The blond was doing amazing in class and being trained by a First Class SOLDIER. He had the ambition and suddenly the talent Reno was sure half the bunker secretly wanted. It made Reno jealous sometimes, but usually he felt more relief that Cloud was securely on his side.

The redhead turned over in bed, refraining from huffing like some girl. He couldn't lie and say Cloud was some prodigy who did amazing shit and didn't lift a hand to do it. He worked his ass off, and Reno knew being angry he couldn't do the same was just stupid.

He thought this more and more often as he watched Cloud get better and better, reminding Reno that the redhead wasn't exactly what SOLDIER was looking for, but that anything was better than living in garbage. Anything, even if it meant spending his free hours hitting dummies over and over again.

"Thank Gaia it's Saturday." Reno flopped down on the mat next to Cloud and slowly lolled his head over to look at the blond who was running though the last movements of their form. Cloud ignored the redhead completely as he ran through the kata once again, feeling the strain on his muscles. It had been a week since he and Reno had resolved the Turk question, and things had pretty much gone back to normal. They were even bothered a lot less by the other cadets, who were easing up on their bunker.

The redhead occasionally got the urge to go train and tried to join Cloud when he went off to practice, and Cloud wasn't sure if he appreciated Reno trying or just didn't want the company, because he had mixed feelings whenever Reno popped by. It usually ended up with the redhead collapsed somewhere just watching Cloud go at it for another hour or so. Dan had long since given up after he almost skewered himself on a practice sword when he nearly fell asleep leaning on it.

"How do you do it?" Reno had rolled on to his back and was staring up the ceiling, his face half bemused half curious now.

"Practice."

"I mean, why? You're already gonna get in SOLDIER, so what's the point?" From the corner of Cloud's eyes he could see Reno's sprawled out like a discarded doll, his hands dirty from the over-used handles of the practice swords.

Cloud decided after a moment it was better to be silent and let Reno think whatever came as the most obvious answer rather than lying straight to him. He knew how much he hated to be lied to, even if it was by himself. He'd tell him one day. Reno's loyalty wasn't easy to get, but it was solid, and with his connections and abilities, Reno would be a very useful ally.

Reno laid flat on his back quietly for another minute before Cloud finished up. The blond stuck to the straight army style kata when he practiced in the open rooms, aware that though Shinra was full of variety in fighting, cadets were only taught the basic army katas. Until SOLDIER, people didn't branch out and experiment with alternate fighting styles.

The blond put the practice sword away and watched Reno struggle to his feet, moving his limbs as if they had fifty-pound weights attached. The two left the army gymnasium, cutting down the hall from the gym and across the dirt courtyard behind Shinra Headquarters to the cadet side of the compound. The canteen was there, shaped like a square steel box dropped on to the dusty earth, utilitarian to the core. They headed inside, Reno not even bothering to wash his hands before picking up a tray and joining the line.

It was high time for lunch and the line was quite long and slow moving because today they had macaroni and cheese. This meant people doubled back for seconds, and it extended the line and slowed it down when people cut in or tried to get more on their plate than was given to them. Cloud's mind drifted back to the morning, ignoring how Reno shouted at some guy three or four paces in front of them who had just cut in; or Dan, who had managed to squeeze in behind Cloud a couple minutes ago.

Cloud had woken up like he'd been jerked awake, as if a string in his middle had yanked him into sitting up. This last dream was a little more vivid than recent ones, which was why he'd gone off to work himself to the bone as soon as he could. In the dream—no memory—he'd been forced up off the operating table after just being stitched up to make room for another experiment; no anesthesia used because it didn't mix well with high levels of mako. It was a painful recollection of how little he'd been worth to Hojo, something Cloud didn't appreciate relieving. After thinking he might vomit and waiting for his vision to clear so he'd stop seeing the lab, Cloud had gotten out of bed and started to exercise. It had always been a good way to clear his mind—killing things worked better, but that wasn't an option at the moment.

The line moved slowly, and as the sordid details of the dream came back to him, Cloud began to balance on his toes, counting to twenty before relaxing his calves. By doing this at a steady rhythm he could effectively bury the images and sensations and focus back on the present.

The macaroni and cheese resembled plastic and tasted exceptionally artificial, but Reno was wolfing down his third helping greedily, and Dan was being a little less precise about how he ate than usual. Cloud watched them with only a mild sense of disgust. The dairy in his stomach didn't always settle well with him. In Nibelheim there was a distinct lack of cows or sheep, and any milk was usually from what few mountain goats wandered up to the higher elevations. As such, most kids were weaned off major dairy products early in life, and it still unsettled his stomach to have too much of it. He would never really grow out of that, he recalled, since Midgar wasn't flourishing with cows either.

It didn't surprise Cloud too much to know Reno could eat almost anything. The aptly named "street urchins" were capable of consuming just about anything: spoiled, rotten, moldy, old, thrown out, or half-eaten. They had to if they wanted to survive. As for Dan, he was straight out of Juno and they had a more mainstream diet. He was probably used to home-cooked macaroni and cheese. This, even a poorly done substitute, was still better than the usual gruel though.

When Reno shoved his tray away and patted his stomach contently, Cloud stood up. The room was already almost cleared out of cadets, and Cloud wanted to get back. He had some written homework to do but still wanted to take a run around the track. He could spend forty-five minutes on the homework and still make the track without cramping up.

Dan gulped down the last of his water before standing up too. "What's the rush?"

"The track closes at ten."

Dan hardly looked fazed by this comment. He was used to Cloud filling up his day with practice and training. Reno, however, was a little more vocal. "You just spent all day training, don't think I didn't see you in the weight room this morning, Cloud!" The blond didn't even bother to glance at him. He knew that, but there were more important things than—"Why don't you and I head down under the plate and find something to do tomorrow? Or hit a bar tonight? You need another hobby."

The local dive bars and maybe even some under the plate were where most cadets were probably heading tonight. It was Saturday, and just a handful of weeks before the exams started. Already classes were prepping for the written exam, and people were feeling the heat. Cloud wasn't as nervous for that part as he was for the physical section. He was sure to pass it this time if Zack was right, but he wanted to finish the exams and move on. He had plans, things to finish, and he didn't want to think about how he'd failed last time.

Cloud marched out, ignoring Reno's annoyed grunt at being ignored. His mind was locked on finishing that battle strategy class homework quickly so he could get to the track.

The three left the cafeteria into the hallway and turned to the large metal door leading outside with an emergency lock system. The cadet buildings were so old many of the doors had dead bolts and key locks rather than electronic ones. Cloud had more faith in those locks than many of Shinra's more advanced security systems. He knew a dead bolt was better at keeping a monster out than any coded lock that could be hacked, or unlocked from another location. Enough of Hojo's beast had gotten out that way before for Cloud to know.

Distracted as he was by the thought of Hojo, Cloud didn't quite realize there was a crowd of cadets outside until their voices washed over him. Reno walked forward a bit to see what the commotion was, but Dan lingered back with Cloud. The blond didn't know what was going on, but neither did he care—at least until the group turned to look straight at him.

They were a crowd of cadets, most of them nameless to Cloud though he recognized them all from neighboring bunkers. They were gathered behind two buildings, with one opening at the end of the alley to the fields, the other to the barracks. They'd obviously chosen this position because it was relatively concealed with easy exits.

"Strife." Maxwell's face was tight and tinted a light shade of red. He looked angry and Cloud noticed the same expression was copied on a number of faces. Noticeably Acker from his own bunker was there amid. Cloud was sharply reminded of a riot when he noticed how the boys grouped themselves behind the leader, Maxwell, and took aggressive stances.

"Not good enough for with us Strife? Sucking up to SOLDIERs all day?" He spat on the ground and there was muttering behind him, agreements and exaggerations on what Maxwell had alluded to. It was obvious what this was, and Cloud had to consciously relax and not mimic their fighting stances. That would just provoke them.

Dan stepped away from the blond, and Cloud realized a moment later it wasn't to flank him—a little disconcerting because AVALANCHE had always been right there when Cloud needed them. The brown-haired boy had taken a more neutral stance between the parties, and Reno hovered with him, obviously waiting to see how this would break.

Cloud thought it was abundantly obvious though, even as he squashed the hurt over his lack of allies. A little liquor and some hyping up from the group, and they were bound to start railing against Shinra, the training regime, or anything that came to mind that offended their sensibilities. Cloud, unfortunately, hadn't quite realized until now how much he had alienated the others in his age group until now. He had dismissed them easily as shallow children and refused to interact with them, which probably wasn't smart in hindsight. He could take one of them or maybe two easily, but a group of ten or fifteen was a different game—and now he'd made an appearance they could jump on. Literally.

At least it would be unlikely they had weapons on them. Cadets didn't make much money, and the slums usually had overpriced stock. Still, a knife to the gut would put him in the hospital for weeks, and Cloud didn't doubt they'd kick him if he went down. Deciding diplomacy probably wouldn't work here, not with an angry group of teenagers, being a little more aggressive might get them to back off. Granted, their group significantly outnumbered him, but stalling for authority worked just as well. Dan might actually do the "cowardly" thing—though Cloud knew it was intelligent choice in this situation—and get a superior before things got physical.

Acknowledging the leader was the first step to showing them he wasn't afraid. "Winkler." Cloud made eye contact and noted the way Maxwell's eyes were beadily focused on him. They stared each other down.

Maxwell's eyes flicked away first, and Cloud wasn't surprised. He was the hardened warrior here. The cadet's eyes glanced just to Cloud's forehead and then over his general attire to avoid eye contact before speaking up, "Whatever shit you're taking, whatever you're doing, I don't care." The people behind him shifted dangerously, a not-so-subtle reminder of their numbers, if nothing else. Cloud's eyes darted to them, taking into account the clenched fists, no weapons, counting their numbers (eleven), and noting who might be the most important to take down first. Maxwell was of course, top priority, as he was the major backbone of this mob.

Wonderful.

Cloud didn't know what to do, even as he settled his weight more evenly, discreetly preparing himself. He tried to grope for words but kept coming up blank. He could deny he took anything, but that wasn't the reason this crowd was here. Saying he just wanted to be a good SOLDIER or something along those lines would probably piss them off. In fact, anything he said would probably just make things worse. Silence wouldn't do any better than words, and he could hardly just turn around and take another route from the building to avoid them. They'd jump him no doubt, and even if he got away this would simmer below the surface. Better hope there was some way to clear the air before things got brutal. It was a stalemate until someone snapped.

Dan was poised on the balls of his feet, too caught up in the high tension of the moment to run. His hands were shaking slightly, and he was horribly afraid they would beat up Cloud or Cloud would beat them all up. Either way they would all be in huge trouble because it was going to be a free-for-all either way, and everyone knew it but no one wanted to start it.

Reno, on Dan's side, was watching avidly too. He'd been in more brawls than he could count, and this one was as unfair as they came. Cloud against eleven brutish cadets who had fists and probably some liquor to beef them up. Dan was drawn so tight he might fly if he left now. Maxwell wasn't going to move before Cloud did and vice versa, and the ten behind Maxwell didn't have the guts to move first, so it was Dan and him who held the trigger. Reno's whole body was thrumming with energy, and he glanced at Dan out of the corner of his eye. The kid's hands were shaking, and his calves were pulled so tight they would cramp in minutes. His hair was practically standing on end, and he was already flush. He was going to snap right…

about…

now.

Dan bolted.

Cloud had hardly felt him whip by before Maxwell jumped forward. Cloud automatically dropped to a crouch but Maxwell went straight for the cheap shot. He kicked out aiming for the groin, but Cloud skidded to the side and ducked another punch. Watching Maxwell for the feint, he heard the wind through clothing moments too late. Someone's first smashed into the side of head, knocking him to the ground. Immediately two boys were kicking him, and Cloud curled up automatically and rolled on to his back. Like a shot he unfurled and landed on his feet, knocking one guy to the ground.

His other leg struck out to take down another, elbowing the guy that tried to put him in a headlock. He could hardly hear the jeering or the cursing of the group as he moved, keeping up constant motion to deter them and maintain fluidity, barely weaving around so many opponents. Maybe he'd never been in a fight this badly one-sided, or against so many opponents without a team behind him.

Dan had better run fast.

His breath was coming in pants, and he dared not turn around. He didn't want to see anyone getting mauled. Dan flew around the corner of the building and sprinted across the fields to the SOLDIER barracks, silently thanking the conditioning coaches for taking no slack at all. Just one SOLDIER would be enough, one person with a whistle or even just a regulation army guy, just someone.

Cloud took another shot at one cadet's kidney, hitting him before he'd registered it and dropping him like a sack. Another kick to someone's stomach shoved them several feet away, cleaning the area to his right, but the responding kick to his back from another cadet sent him flying forward into Maxwell's waiting punch.

The full force of that hit left Cloud dazed for a moment. He could feel a sharp pain in his nose and blood welling and dripping down his lips and chin. There was something ferocious in him as he ducked the next punch and swung out immediately with his leg, using his momentum to send a powerful kick at the attacker that was almost level with his neck. He wiped the blood away without a thought, as he evaded another punch and responded in kind.

Meanwhile, Reno watched helplessly as the fray turned into melee of swinging fists and feet. Cloud was barely visible in the circle, only just holding his own for now. A really nasty punch by Maxwell drew the first blood, along with the taunts and yelling to beat the crap out of the blond. It didn't matter to Reno that he was about to let himself be outnumbered one to five or that it was really the adrenaline talking. He wasn't thinking about the advantage of winning Cloud over more by helping him out or about how he'd prove his own strength by smashing the skulls in of nine other guys. He was thinking about Cloud getting his nose destroyed by a big bully outnumbering him in a fight.

Without another thought he launched himself right in.

Cloud noticed Reno immediately, specifically when he was thrown into Cloud and how they both hit the ground hard. Something jarred Cloud's side, but the blond forced the pain back after a moment, annoyed that it even took him that long. These were cadets. They were poorly trained, inexperienced boys looking for an easy win by ganging up on someone. Cloud could take them, he'd had worse odds before—Sephiroth had to count for a small army at the least. Reno certainly wasn't making this easy for them either if his next comment was any indication.

"Bring it bastards!" Reno charged from next to Cloud's right into a group of three guys, flailing and kicking. Cloud was fairly impressed as Reno took down two of them using his typical street-learned tricks. The blond stared for a moment too long and nearly got knocked down again when Maxwell tried to kick him in the back of his knee. He was able to regain his balance from his awkward dodge, using the stumbling momentum to turn and counter Maxwell's hit. He landed a nice hit on the side of the boy's face—definitely a black eye later he thought vindictively—and decided Maxwell really needed to go down.

Dan was breathing hard as he made the final turn and the front of the SOLDIER apartments came into view. It was just the Thirds rooms, but even that was enough. As he stopped long enough to catch his breath he vaguely wondered what he was supposed to do now. Did he just go inside and shout for someone? Or should he knock? Or maybe he should go and find a SOLDIER not in the apartments?

Dan ended up knocking on the door when he realized it was a key-in and electronic lock. Still puffing a bit he hoped someone would answer, but after waiting a few moments there was nothing. He started to seriously wonder if Cloud was still okay when he thought he heard footsteps. Immediately he knocked again, louder this time, but still there was no response.

The bloodied image of Cloud rose up in mind with a grinning Maxwell kicking the battered and down cadet. Horrified at the thought, Dan shouted through the door but still nothing happened, and now he was wringing his hands and frantically looking around. He couldn't just break in, this was a SOLDIER barrack and the door was locked, but maybe there was someone outside?

Dan mumbled a hurried prayer to the Planet there was someone meandering around as he ran around the side of the building and to the back, but no one was in the fields out there. He wasted a moment waffling about where to go. Back to the apartments? Should he seriously run across the fields to where the Firsts stayed? The Seconds apartments were too far if he had to double back. What about the SOLDIER gym?

Deciding the Firsts were too scary, Dan turned back and ran to the private SOLDIER gymnasium. Twilight was descending and the gym was well lit and easy to find. It was also security locked like the apartments and Dan tried shouting again. No one answered though, so rather than waiting around he ran back over to the regular fitness area hoping to find an army officer. Just as he came around the corner of the apartments again, he noticed someone going inside.

"Wait!" Shouting and breathing unsteadily he ran over to the SOLDIER who was staring at him strangely. All the sprinting he'd been doing for training didn't seem to help a bit. He was completely out of breath and the stitch in his side was screaming every time he drew in a breath.

"There's… a fight… behind the c-canteen." The SOLDIER was just staring and Dan pointed back in the direction of the cadet barracks, praying to the Planet this guy would just take his word for it.

"Are you serious?" The Third looked skeptical as he took in Dan's red, sweaty face, the way he was leaning over his knees and slowly getting his breath back. "Kid, I don't have –"

Dan waved a hand at him, rudely cutting him off, trying to convey annoyance. What was this guy, stupid? Like he'd be sprinting all over the place for a joke? "Yeah. It's over there. Go, c'mon!"

The SOLDIER followed after a moment when Dan took off at a slower sprint. The stitch in his side was painful, and he had one hand rubbing it as he limped along. The SOLDIER was slightly behind him, and his footsteps were even and quieter than Dan's heavy breathing and clumping boots. They made it around the backside of Shinra Headquarters before the canteen could be seen. The back was only just visible and there were still a crowd of standing boys there. Dan was horrified to see a smudge of red on the ground and for a second he thought it might have been Reno's bleeding corpse.

The SOLDIER, realizing what was going on since he probably wasn't going cross-eyed from sprinting all over the compound, darted past Dan's slowing jog to the scene. He started to shout even before he'd reached them, but Dan couldn't make out the words. The boys immediately broke up though and four cadets tried to run when they realized they'd been caught. The SOLDIER collared two, jerking harder than might be necessary, before they could get away, and the others babbled the names of the two deserters with a little pressure.

Dan came up on the scene in horror. There were nine boys left in all, with Cloud and Reno off to the side. Reno was flat on his stomach with blood oozing from his mouth and his left ankle twisted strangely. His cheek lay against the dusty ground, and when Dan moved closer the redhead lifted a bruised wrist in greeting. "Hey ditcher. You missed the fun."

Reno's teeth were stained red and his top lip was split. Dan winced at his words. He would have helped, really, except well… everyone was going to be in huge trouble.

Cloud was sitting a little ways past Reno, his back against the wall of the cafeteria. He looked angry as he nursed a bleeding nose and a black eye. The blond's shirt was ripped on the left side, and the bottom left pants leg torn. Dan noticed the black look on his face as he glowered to himself. His hair was in complete disarray and dirty, and the toe of one boot had blood on it.

Dan could hear the SOLDIER talking angrily on a PHS to someone. He was kicking up dirt and pacing in front of the meekly standing line of cadets. He had all their names by now so there wasn't any point in running.

"We lost. Bad." Dan looked back down at Reno whose mood had darkened considerably as he turned his head to look at the dirty, bloody blond. "Cloud's pissed." Reno put his undamaged hand down on the ground and pushed half his body up until he could roll on to his back. The redhead still seemed to be holding in a tightly leashed fury, and he bared his red teeth menacingly, though at what Dan wasn't sure.

Reno's front was worse than his back. His bicep was cut twice on one arm and bleeding from the shallow cuts, the sleeve completely gone. Dan could tell it must have been a knife or even some kind of shiv, and he knew things would be a lot worse because of it. Both knees in his pants were torn and one was skinned bright pink.

The SOLDIER stepped towards Cloud first, no doubt because the blond looked in worse shape, and said something to him. Dan couldn't hear him over the voices of two other Thirds who had come over to help. The group of boys who had started the fight, Maxwell among them, was herded together and many of them didn't look too good themselves. Some of them were hurt but overall they were more bruised than anything else. Maxwell looked nastily vindictive, even while sporting a bleeding ear, black eye, and a cut on his cheek that Dan secretly hoped would get infected.

He turned his attention back to Cloud and the SOLDIER, more interested in his friends' prognosis than the damage they'd managed on the bullies. Cloud seemed to be refusing help but the SOLDIER was adamant. Sneaking a bit closer while trying to look like he wanted to talk to Reno, Dan listened in:

"I think it might be broken." The SOLDIER sounded very frustrated.

"It's fine." Cloud was his usual blank self. It was amazing he was still able to convey such frigidness even with a nasal voice from his bleeding nose.

"Look Strife, you're a mess and you need to get that rib looked at it. Even a hair-line fracture can be a real problem." The SOLDIER was exasperated and clearly not happy with Cloud's lack of cooperation. Cloud was being stubborn and obviously his injuries didn't allow the SOLDIER to really force him to do anything. Dan only hoped his friend wasn't downplaying the seriousness of his injuries.

"It's not fractured and I'm fine. Just need to get cleaned up." Cloud sounded disdainful, but he wasn't looking at the SOLDIER, just glaring at the sky. He was still holding his bleeding nose in one hand, tilting his head up to help the stem the blood flow all as he spoke.

"And disinfected. And an x-ray or two. Lieutenant General Fair will feed me to an ochu if you don't cooperate. You might have even broken your nose."

"It's not. Just bleeding." Cloud was glaring at him as the man nudged even closer and prodded at his side. After a couple more moments and poking, the SOLDIER made a quick call to medical on his PHS and moved back over to the group to talk to the Thirds were checking out Maxwell's group.

With precise movements, Cloud put both hands to his nose and with a quick jerk snapped it back into place. There was no sound, but Dan flinched hard at the action, just imagining what that must have felt like. Cloud's face didn't even twitch.

"What the hell are you looking at?" Reno's sour mood was only made worse when the SOLDIER shouted to the medical squad as they came running through the field, still a couple hundred yards away.

"He just… His nose…" Cloud ignored both of them, but Dan continued to stare. He'd broken a finger once and it had been painful. He'd cried at even the slightest movement. How could Cloud…

"Cloud's got some medical knowledge if you can't tell." Reno's sarcasm was as dry as the dust he was laying flat on his back on. Reno's eyes were unfocused and Dan wondered what he was thinking about. Did the slums have doctors? Or did Reno have to fix himself up before like Cloud had just done? Dan stared at Reno trying to imagine something so totally alien when it occurred to him that Cloud wasn't from the slums like that though. He came from a normal town.

"But where did he learn it?" Dan winced as Cloud prodded his own side, twitching only slightly when he touched his ribs. There was a calm familiarity in his movements; he knew what he was looking for. Dan could see what Reno meant.

"That's what I want to know." Dan looked down at Reno as the SOLDIER moved over to him. The redhead looked aggravated and in pain as the man analyzed his wounds.

"Your wrist is most likely sprained but that's a twisted ankle for sure." The SOLDIER probed at the back of Reno's hair carefully with two fingers. "No concussion same as Strife over there. He must have a hard head 'cause being thrown into a wall like this one is bound to do that." The SOLDIER muttered something more about unhelpful stubborn people and deserving to get licked a little before pronouncing Reno better off than Cloud but not by much. He'd still need a tetanus shot like the blond because of the shiv—which someone was in serious trouble for having.

"Medical is on the way, so don't even try to get up. Keep your arm and leg level." The SOLDIER then looked back up at Dan, who after a second straightened. "Watch them both for me. Make sure they don't leave until Medical gets here."

With that said, the SOLDIER dusted his hands off and headed over to the other boys. Seeing Cloud and Reno sitting or lying on the ground, both scowling and angry, Dan looked back over at the larger group.

In the end, Maxwell had been blamed for the start of the fight and for providing the liquor, so he was separated off to the side, as had the kid who had been holding the small knife—he hadn't been bright enough to even drop it. Two boys were standing by the adjacent wall, one favoring his foot and the other swaying a bit sluggishly. Dan had heard the SOLDIER mention the word medical again and assumed these two were the worst off. The Thirds escorted the others back to the barracks while Maxwell was no doubt getting a serious dressing down by the Third.

Before Dan could sneak closer to hear what was being said, Medical arrived. Four men in crisp uniforms headed over, black bags in their hands with the symbol for the Shinra Medical Squad. The SOLDIER turned away from Maxwell to direct them to Cloud first, then Reno, before he promptly marched off with Maxwell in tow.

Dan, watching the white-coated men troop over, missed the way Cloud stiffened. Reno didn't though, and the redhead noticed the reservation Cloud treated the doctors with. He was eventually convinced to lie down and woodenly complied, before being placed on a stretcher and carried away.

Reno rolled his head to the side to get a look at Cloud lying on the hospital bed next to him. The blond had turned out to be even worse off than the SOLDIER had thought. The doctor had gravely announced to the back of Cloud's head (he had turned to the wall when they first arrived, and Reno had a good idea why) that Cloud had a seriously bruised hip bone, fractured rib, and broken nose, but thankfully avoided a concussion. Although miraculously set right the swelling of his nose gave that one away. Last but not least, he'd gotten a black eye to be matched with another tomorrow because of said broken nose.

Oh, and totally popped that huge ego he'd grown. Reno wasn't even happy about it.

Fuck you Cloud.

He didn't even know why he was so unhappy. He'd come out pretty badly, but he'd been worse off before, and it wasn't like Cloud hadn't been asking for it with his attitude these past weeks. And yeah, so Reno threw himself in, but he'd sort of expected to win. Cloud had been doing pretty damn fine before he joined in, but what the hell had all that training been for? Shit, Cloud was supposed to whoop ass, not get it handed to him by a pack of Shinra trainees! Cloud was being trained by a First Class SOLDIER, practiced every fucking day, woke up at godforsaken hours just to train more, and he still lost. The fuck was wrong with him?

Reno could feel the hot anger in his system burning through him. He couldn't believe Cloud had the audacity to lose. He raged a bit more inside and turned to glare at the offending cadet and say something when he saw Cloud's own fists clenched white on the sheets. They were so tight Reno could see all the veins and the folds of skin in his knuckles, and they were shaking he was fisting them so hard.

It stopped Reno's internal rant inside, because while he was beating up Cloud, so was the blond—and probably worse than he was. Reno hardly had time to consider his revelation though before his own diagnosis came back. The doctor announced he'd mildly sprained his ankle, sprained his wrist, had two shallow cuts on his bicep from the knife—fucking Blitz—a skinned knee, split lip and bruising on basically every other part of him. He'd been free to go soon as they got the splints on for his ankle and wrist but Cloud would be here a bit longer for his ribs. Cloud didn't visibly react, and Reno wasn't sure what to think.

"Well… um, I'm glad you'll both recover," Dan murmured from where he'd followed the doctor into the ward.

Reno ignored the other cadet, mostly because the kid had run from the fight and that didn't sit well in his book. The redhead propped himself up in the hospital bed, irritated that it was actually more comfortable than his bunk in the cadet barracks. As if that wasn't pathetic enough. Cloud wasn't looking at either of them, just staring steadily at the wall. His lower torso was wrapped up to include his hip and he had more bindings around his ribs. He was obviously seething about losing the fight, and tensed up even more with all the doctors swarming around. Reno had difficulty resisting the urge to ask why Cloud was afraid of doctors, but he successfully squashed it. He wasn't going to draw attention to it somewhere so public when Cloud was likely to bite his head off.

Reno wasn't angry at Cloud anymore, not as he stared at the boy who looked so much younger wrapped like a mummy and trapped in a hospital bed, fists quivering from probably a mix of rage and fear. Now he was just angry at himself for letting Cloud's ability blind him. The blond was still a cadet and fallible, that was what had eluded Reno. Cloud wasn't invincible, just a kid with no life outside training and a bare couple of weeks of steady improvement.

Yeah, and they were friends and Reno got his assed kicked for him, but like good friends, Reno knew saying anything about the fight or hospital until Cloud calmed down would probably land him here with the blond for the next week at least, even if Cloud couldn't actually get up from the bed. He could still throw things and even if had shit aim in practice Reno didn't doubt he'd manage to land a few hits where it counted.

Reno didn't get the chance to brood on it much longer as the door opened and a SOLDIER came in. Reno had never seen him before, but the redhead had the sense to not move from his hospital bed as Dan let out a small, undignified squeak. This guy was Second Class by uniform and was probably here to screw them over.

"Cadet Cloud Strife, Cadet Reno." There was a pointed moment of silence as Reno hastily saluted and Dan snapped a perfect one. When there was still continued quiet, Reno glanced over at Cloud, who had turned just enough to stare with a perfectly blank face at the SOLDIER. Or more like executioner.

The Second Class didn't make any remark, but his silence said enough. He almost seemed to hold Cloud in contempt, though Reno couldn't be sure why.

"At ease." Reno swore the SOLDIER gave Cloud a nasty look for not saluting, even if he was bedridden, "You are both to be punished accordingly for the fight you participated in this evening." The SOLDIER stood perfectly still with feet slightly spread apart, hands relaxed at his sides. He had rolled up his sleeves to reveal a hook tattoo on his lower arm and he certainly looked like a pirate with all that messy copper hair. Reno watched him warily as the SOLDIER took in their condition, eyeing Cloud in particular. The blond glared right back at him, unfazed.

"Cadet Strife," he almost drawled the words out, and Cloud's expression might have tightened a bit, though Reno couldn't be sure. Dan was standing at attention by Reno's bed, watching the proceedings. "Your punishment has been issued by your private instructor, Lieutenant General Zack Fair. Cadet Reno is to be included."

Cloud didn't look any different after that announcement, but Reno had to hold back a gusty sigh of relief. Fair would probably go easy on Cloud, and it meant Reno would get it easy too.

"You're to paint the outdoor, ranged weaponry shed upon your recovery. Lieutenant General Fair will be overseeing your work. If you fail to complete it properly or within the given parameters, you'll be given additional punishment." With another measured look, he turned to go.

Dan visibly gulped before speaking up before he could leave. "Sir, Mr. SOLDIER Second Class," he squinted for a moment to read the nameplate, "Stryker." Dan stumbled over the word, feeling it out as he said it. Reno was almost embarrassed for him, the wuss. "Could you tell us, sir, what will happen to the other boys?"

Stryker turned to give Dan a calculated look. Reno looked on as Dan fidgeted in place, his hands twisting the skin on his knuckles behind his back. Cloud was watching closely too. "They will be punished as befitting the crime."

A suitably vague answer, but Dan didn't ask for elaboration. His forehead was beaded with sweat, and he'd seemed to have pushed his barriers for the day. The SOLDIER glanced one more time at Cloud before leaving the ward without another word.

Reno exhaled quietly, aware that Cloud had turned his head away again, and Dan was still standing at attention like an idiot, like he'd forgotten he didn't have to anymore.

Damn, but at least that guy isn't overseeing the sentence.