Disclaimer: Just as a reminder to all, anything recognizable from Final Fantasy VII or any affiliated games or movies does not belong to me, and I make absolutely squat on it.
Green Dreams
Chapter Twenty: Dichotomy
Reeve really needed a new spot to meet.
The roof of Shinra Headquarters may have been surveillance free, but it was also where the wind was the strongest. It towered above all the buildings on the plate by a good forty stories at least, but because its base started atop the plate, it was actually more like seventy-plus stories in total. Reeve was almost surprised the air wasn't thinner up there.
He knew from experience thaton the best of days the salty scent of the ocean could be carried from a distant breeze all the way to Midgar. The wind didn't whip the right direction tonight though, in fact, in didn't seem to have any one direction at all, other than seeping through Reeve's jacket. The air instead smelled reminiscent of seagull feces and the garbage dump that was the slums, officially known as Lower Midgar. He knew which direction the ocean laid, even turned to it hoping to wash out the smell of burning trash, but without a moon tonight the inky darkness beyond the city lights was all the same.
Reeve pulled his long blue overcoat closer to himself. The wind's fingers were like ice. The stars were out again tonight at least, the few visible ones twinkling dully down at him. Reeve craned his head back to look at them, wondering when the last time was he'd seen them all proper. Kalm? When had he last been to Kalm? And he wondered if Midgar would ever see the stars again, as he often did when he was up here.
He remained in that pensive state for a moment longer before the entrance to the roof creaked. The door eased open with the nightmarish screech as rusty metal ground against metal. It was Reno as expected, walking onto the roof with his usual swagger,although Reeve noticed he limped a 'd had various meetings like this for a short while now, and Reeve had grown accustomed to Reno's stubborn cockiness and attitude. The boy was a different kind of manipulative than Reeve had dealt with before. Reno had a whole different style to him that seemed sometimes childish, sometimes naïve, and sometimes downright dirty. Somehow it worked facts loose from people's lips in a way that was certainly unorthodox, nothing like the smooth or sly diplomatic charm Reeve was used to. He'd found himself susceptible to spilling or explaining more than he might usually. Maybe it was the mix of genuine naivety and a clever ability to hide it that opened people up, but whatever the case, it undeniably worked well. He certainly respected Reno for it, if nothing else.
As Reno came further into the light of the security lamp, Reeve was surprised to see him looking beaten up. He had a nice shiner on one eye that made him look ghoulish in the security lights. It looked to be a few days old, but still very visible.
"Hello Reno." Reeve decided to forgo mentioning the bruisingunless Reno himself brought it up it. Anyone on Shinra's payroll soon figured out that avoiding the larger issue was a time-honored skill to keeping one's job.
Reno just grunted before heavily sitting down on the ground. Reeve wondered if the boy's arse wasn't freezing, but Reno didn't seem to care for the moment.
Reeve, polite as ever, tried again. "May I assume the reason you missed our last appointment was because you were entertaining the hospital ward?"
"I've been through worse." Reno rubbed his fist against the still-healing split lip. He seemed miffed, the agitation was palpable,but he must have come up here for a reason.
"I don't doubt you have. Gang violence below the plate is a high as ever."
Reno visibly looked away, focusing rather on the billowing of Reeve's coat in another chill breeze. The redhead looked cold, but it would hurt his pride to accept Reeve's jacket. Reeve had never offered the jacket; he had sensed from the beginning Reno had a sticky pride he wouldn't let go of easily. So, Reeve watched as the other spoke and the failed attempt to casually put his red fingers into his pants pockets. "Well, you've heard how it is."
"Yes, but you've lived it. If this," Reeve gestured over to Reno's form, "happened below the plate, then you clearly aren't well-liked."
Reno shrugged, but he seemed to be regaining some of his normal attitude. Obviously talk of his old turf, something he knew he could lord over Reeve any day, made him more comfortable."This is from a bunch of dickhead cadets who got bored on Saturday. Down below, the only people who want me dead is Corneo. And he wants everyone not under his fat thumb dead." Reno muttered something else lost to the wind. Reeve smiled behind the upturned collar of his coat.
"Ah yes, Don Corneo. I have no proof of course, but Shinra and he are associated."
Reno didn't perk up at that like Reeve expected. The older man frowned. Maybe the redhead had already reached that conclusion.
Reno snorted. "There ain't no way Corneo could be where he is without Shinra backin' him up."
Well, even if Reno knew that already, Reeve knew Corneo was obviously a touchy subject now. He'd never come up before in their conversations, and looking back now that might have been deliberate even."I'm not sure how they back him, but he does keep the people under the plate subdued, does he not?"
"With whores." Reno's mumbling drifted off, but Reeve caught those two key words. Whores huh? Reeve looked down at the seated Reno who had tugged the sleeves of his jacket together and buried his face in the arm of one. He looked young and angry. Don't like whores do you, Reno? Strange for someone your age with your background.
"Well, Corneo seems to wield his power as well as the President does, if I do say so." That line was a bit risky, but Reno took it.
"Both fat asses too."
"Yes."
"Corneo's got his headman Heisa—the bastard—keeping his ring runnin'. Like the General. 'Cept Heisa seriously looks like he's got no nose when you see him sideline—musta been smashed in too many times." Reno shot the ground a dark but proud look. "I got a shot in too once."
Headman Heisa…
Reeve put that thought into a corner of his mind. He'd have to look at that one later. Now, before Reno clamped up, he better share something equal—that was how this little arrangement worked. Reno's distaste of Corneo needed to be complimented for the boy to speak up a little more loosely, but he knew Reno wanted information on the elusive Scarlet and Heidegger. Even though Reno had given Reeve some interesting stuff, it still wasn't worth what Scarlet and Heidegger might offer. Though Reno might pay up, he might not, and it might be safer now to use someone a little more…distant.
"Well, you're lucky you even get the shot. Many a man would like to take one at many people here."
Reno jumped right on the hitn as expected, smirking with a tinge of malice on his face. He no doubt was envisioning someone, perhaps the cause of his bruises and injured ankle. "Well, we all know Shinra doesn't give just anyone what they want."
"No indeed." Reno was going to have to fork it up or play this well to get what he wanted.
"If you've got a SOLDIER on steroids like the General, no one's gonna go against them." Reno's lips hinted downward, and he certainly looked letdown by the notion he'd never "get that shot", but Reeve knew it was a farce. Reno probably knew Reeve knew too. But it was so like him to play that card anyway, covering up for something else entirely. Sneaky and unorthodox, just as Reeve had thought.
"There's certainly a man the General would take a shot at first chance he got."
Reno shivered deeper into his knees. Reeve knew he was hiding a smile. "Ain't that one lucky man to actually rub the stone-cold General's fur the wrong way."
"Lucky indeed. And he has the ear and practically the arm of President Shinra."
"The General?"
"The President does defer often to the General,"—and sweats like a cow when he's around—"But he'll oppose him for only one man."
"That insane scientist with the glasses." Reeve nodded to confirm it, glad Reno wasn't looking his way but rather out across the roof. Reeve was quite surprised Reno had caught on so fast, let alone known that much about the Professor. Yes, Hojo had a reputation that preceded him as much as the General's in some circles, but to know him physically? Reeve had seen the man on few occasions since the war, knowing that the scientist was prone to locking himself in his labs and not leaving for months at a time.
"You know, all the scary stories have mad scientists in them." Reno looked up at him and shifted his position slightly. He leaned forward on one knee now, one leg stretched out in front of him. The cold didn't seem to bother him anymore. Whether he was warming up to the conversation or it was simply the adeptness of Lower Midgar citizens that let them adjust quickly to new situations, Reeve didn't know.
"Yes, I'm aware."
"Betcha he's just like one of 'em."
"I am afraid the good Doctor might not have such nice intentions as say, Dr. Frankenstein."
"That monster was a doctor?"
"No, the monster in the story had no name. He was dubbed Frankenstein by readers because of his creator's name."
Reno was silent, staring at the ground. He only shifted slightly to move his hands in front of his knee. Then he glanced up at Reeve to make eye contact. "So who's Hojo's monster?"
It was a relatively well-known fact in SOLDIER and throughout the higher levels of Shinra that Sephiroth was the product of Professor Hojo's "creative genius". Though no one ever said where Sephiroth had been found, it was generally assumed Hojo had taken some poor child, probably an orphan on the streets not unlike Reno, and with a lot of mako, tinkering, and personal training from day one, the child had become General Sephiroth: the prodigal leader of SOLDIER and the powerful man he was today. Of course, that wasn't open knowledge on the streets, and something many people might be surprised by. Reeve knew a lot of the populace had either never given a thought as to where Sephiroth came from (his public profile said he was born in Midgar) or how he came to be so powerful.
Reno might have doubted or wondered about those things before, but this tidbit, something he would probably have learned later anyway, certainly would seem valuable to him. The redhead certainly seemed to take it as such. His eyes were still connected with Reeve's, and the executive was sure that last question had been rhetorical.
"There's that group, AVALANCHE under the plate," Reno said suddenly, and their eyes remained together, locked. "They've got their own Dr. Frankenstein with them apparently." Reno suddenly looked away to the doorway, then across the open expanse of the roof. Reeve wondered if Reno knew he was looking out at the sea. The boy had probably never seen it before.
"Doc's got a pet Raven or two the Professor might like." Reno looked away from the ocean and back at Reeve. "The leader has a freaky tattoo on her back, and she's sick. Rumor is she's dying."
Reeve was deathly silent. That was a hell of a lot more than he'd given Reno, and he could feel some of that softness in him pleading to share something more with Reno, to even the odds. But he needed that last bit.
"There's someone inside Shinra leaking to AVALANCHE," Reeve murmured.
"No shit. And that doctor of theirs is a freak. He whipped out the nastiest cocktail of steroids so she'd live to fight the General. Heard that made her 'condition' worse in the long run."
"That fight was a draw I heard."
"Yeah, cause she was a monster."
The word hung in the air awkwardly for a moment. Reeve could feel his conscience pulling at him to say something. "General Sephiroth apparently had no desire to kill her." Goodness he was getting soft. Now he was defending a man he had implied was a bastard creation of science just moments ago. He needed to get back on topic and give something back to Reno for that new intelligence Reeve was fairly sure even the Turks might not know.
Ah, the Turks… "The Turks, especially the leader, are under suspicion." Reno sat up and Reeve paced a bit, uncomfortable with giving out something as close to the chest as this, but Reno had practically handed him information on AVALANCHE no one else might know, and it was only fair.
"AVALANCHE's attacks are a little too close to home, a little too well-coordinated for President Shinra's comfort." Reeve spun on his heel and continued to pace back and forth. His arms were around his torso to keep warm, but he couldn't feel the cold anymore. He felt like he could more directly do something with what Reno told him than he ever had before, and he had to return the favor. "They're sending out SOLDIER Firsts apparently to knock out some of AVALANCHE's hotspots and people. They don't leave until later this week." Reeve exhaled and stopped pacing in front of Reno. "It means the Turks are stuck here on duty while the Firsts go out and play. Seems the General's stuck too since that 'draw'. Apparently no one's happy he didn't kill her when he had the chance."
Reno's face had taken on the slightest hint of a grin that he couldn't hide as it grew.
They both just stared at each other a moment, acknowledging that a lot of sensitive information had just been passed, before Reno stood up and headed towards the stairwell. He paused before the door to turn back. "Since we're all buddy-buddy for a sec, let me ask you something upfront: I thought you'd be all for the end of Shinra."
Reeve sighed and looked down at the ground a moment before glancing back up at Reno. He felt he should be more cautious, but he hadn't been able to say these words aloud, well, at least not to something that might respond back. He couldn't find the will to care for the moment."Some of the Seconds sent after them were mauled by unknown creatures, summons it was said." Definitely those Ravens, whatever they were, Reeve knew now. "That kind of violence… no one wants that for a replacement. At least at the moment there's equilibrium."
Reno nodded faintly in the starlight. He was mulling it over from the look of it, so Reeve thought he ought to ask a question too. "I would have thought you would at least silently support AVALANCHE."
That had befuddled Reeve when the topic of the terrorist group came up in previous conversations. Reno had always leaned a bit away from their side, which made Reeve wonder why, and whether perhaps AVALANCHE's image of "freedom fighters" and not terrorists to the slums people wasn't as right as many in Shinra had silently guessed.
Reno leaned against the doorframe, trying to look cocky even as he carefully kept the weight off his ankle. "Shinra can fall when I'm on the right side of it. And right now, I'm in the middle." With that he turned and headed down the stairs. Reeve stayed on the roof for a couple more minutes thinking it through, then wondering what exactly to do with the information he'd been told. He didn't doubt Reno's sincerity, not for a moment tonight.
Reno wasn't always perfectly reliable. His sarcasm got in the way, and undoubtedly he wasn't as used to compromise, if his normal involuntary question for a smoke was anything to go by. That had tapered off, in much the same way one weaned a child off begging for his mother, after several meetings.
Reeve wondered sometimes how much Reno was catching on. The boy had never been a pro at this, but he was certainly getting better at dealing the right cards with the kind of higher-class tongue-twisting that essentially made Shinra. He also had to wonder what he did with the information. Was he passing it along? If so, what Reeve had revealed tonight could be very detrimental to the SOLDIERs, but he wasn't inclined to think so. It was abundantly clear that Reno didn't think any more highly of AVALANCHE then Reeve did. Did he just hoard the information then? Or was there some other purpose?
The executive shook his head slightly to clear away those thoughts. AVALANCHE and these Ravens were his main concern for the moment. Perhaps a note slipped under the General's door?
Saturday. The blessed weekend. And what was Reno doing? Serving punishment. Like self-defense was some kind of crime in the military.
Reno scoffed as he and Cloudtrooped out to the field, heading towards the ranged weaponry shed. It was, of course, the farthest building in the fields from the canteen. He hadn't done any exercise all week since he'd been banned from practice classes—not that he could have participated anyway with his sprained ankle. After a weekend in the hospital and a week of sitting out, he was only marginally happy to be doing something. He'd tried to visit Cloud in the hospital shamelessly admitting he was bored, only to find Cloud wound up tighter than his own bandages. He'd been no fun at all, and Reno hadn't been able to tell if he was still angry about the fight or something else.
Cloud still wasn't entirely back to normal, but he was at least better now that he was out of the hospital. What Reno had been planning to tell Cloud soon as he saw him had ended up getting pushed farther and farther back. It was mostly because of Reno's second-guessing and partially because Cloud was scaring him a bit with his moodiness.
It had been eating him since Wednesday night when he talked to Tuesti. The man had dumped some serious shit on him (not that he hadn't done the same), and Reno needed to share. There was no way he could keep this one down. Of course, that sentiment was wonderful and all, but Reno had actually stayed up Thursday night wondering if he should tell Cloud.
The blond did admire the General with either hero-worship or a serious crush at least, but either way, no one liked to hear their hero/crush was made by a crazy-ass scientist. But then, Reno reminded himself, he loathed ignorance, and that was something he and Cloud had in common, so wouldn't Cloud rather know? Even if it made him angry at Reno, the redhead would be forgiven in the end since he could hardly be blamed. It's not like Cloud appreciated being left in the dark.
It wasn't a totally convincing argument to Reno, so he'd fine-tuned it Friday with an offer. He'd tell Cloud first about the Ravens, so Cloud could go warn his First Class SOLDIER friend who could tell all his buddies, and then tell Cloud about the General. That way, he wouldn't be starting out empty, but already have a couple good points in.
That decided Reno slowed his walk down, hoping Cloud would take the cue. Cloud might take a brutal pace, but Reno knew he wouldn't be able to keep that up for long. The blond's gait was still stiff from the fractured rib. The black eyes from his broken nose had disappeared over the week, though Dan had commented quietly that Cloud looked sleep deprived, or at least overly tired. There was still some tape on his nose, but Cloud had been checked out on Monday (Shinra probably held them only as long as they couldn't walk or wheel out) with only a warning not to partake in any physically activity for "awhile". Which in Shinra standards still meant far too soon to be healthy.
They both slowed down though, and Reno prepped himself for what he was going to throw at Cloud. He wasn't ready to tell the blond he was talking with Reeve—Cloud might not like that, Reno wasn't sure—so he thought it safer to just not mention a source.
"Cloud." The blond turned to look at him. He was tired, that much was obvious from the pallor of his face and the bags under his eyes that Reno knew weren't remnants of two black eyes. The blond hadn't been sleeping, and Reno empathized. He had some nasty times where sleep was the last thing he could do—whether he wanted to or not. "I found something out."
Cloud didn't say anything for a moment, but he walked closer to Reno and craned his head. Even though there was no one close enough to overhear, Reno let him have his paranoid quirks.
"You've got that First Class friend right? Well, I know he's your friend and, see, I heard something…" Reno felt a little sheepish talking like this. He felt a little like some kind of double-agent passing on information like this, even if Reeve and Cloud weren't really on opposite sides or even aware of each other at all.
Cloud didn't physically cue him to continue, but his expression had softened a bit from his harder tension. That was good enough for Reno. "The Firsts are being deployed to do something about that nutsy group AVALANCHE." Cloud didn't say a word but his eyes flicked to Reno's, obviously curious."I've heard about these 'Ravens'. Nasty monsters they are. Flying, mutated, fight with claws, all the shit. I got a friend who saw 'em under the plate. Bad piece of work."
Cloud stopped walking, staring at Reno. He seemed hunched a bit, unsure. "What do you want?" The words were curt, but Cloud's tone wasn't. He was a little confused even though it didn't really show. But there was also a dangerous tension in him ready to spike at the wrong words.
"Who said I want anything?" He didn't sound nearly as cocky as he did usually. Reno couldn't help feeling affronted that Cloud expected him to be a self-serving bastard like that when they were friends, but really the blond normally wasn't terribly far off the mark.
Cloud didn't respond. It was obvious there was some part of him that understood that life in the slums was about number one and that there was no charity. Which was weird, considering Cloud's mountain-village background. Not important right now, Reno thought. "Alright alright, so I found something else out too." He wasn't going to fight that perception. He actually felt a little proud Cloud hadn't taken him at face value, which was bizarre because Reno usually relied on that."I found out the General is Professor Hojo's experiment. Well, I mean, like, he made the General what he is, with all the mako and super-SOLDIER junk."
Reno urgently looked at Cloud's face, wondering if he might see Cloud breakdown or something. Which would be a sight in itself, but it also made Reno a little nervous. He hadn't exactly broken that one nicely. But the blond seemed fine, completely unchanged.
"Everyone knows that Reno."
Reno's jaw almost dropped but he managed to catch himself in time. "You already knew that?" Had Reeve screwed him over? No… There's no way Reno wouldn't have heard this before from inside Shinra, even if it weren't talked about much. Hell, no one talked about mutant beasts from the labs and Turk cover-ups, but Reno still knew about those. This was Cloud flashing that weird edge he'd had for a while now. Was that on purpose for Reno to pick up, or unintentional? Or was 'everyone' a set group of people? Was Cloud a part of something else? Reno couldn't believe how many questions exploded in his head at just that simple comment.
"Every SOLDIER gets mako from Hojo." Cloud looked a little angry, and Reno had the sudden thought that maybe Cloud was attempting to defend the General when Cloud's second comment threw that one out the window. "The whole of SOLDIER is his science experiment."
Reno wanted to ask something like "then what the fuck are you trying out for?" but all that came out was, "But the General's different."
"He's just stronger than they are." Cloud was started walking fast now, and Reno was starting to feel some strain on his ankle as he tried to catch up. "Takes mako better or something."If that wasn't a complete dismissal of the topic Reno didn't know what was. He considered briefly attempting to continue it, then figured there might be another angle he could work later.
"I can't believe they don't put that on the application form. 'Warning: If pass the SOLDIER Exam, will become the side-project of mad scientist.'" Reno knew his totally lame attempt at sarcasm was pretty bad, and it showed.
Cloud didn't answer him though, another voice did. "Shinra doesn't put a straight label on anything. Ever look at the fine print? Says 'see article 493C of the Archives for further information'. Only Shinra officials with written permission and the board of directors have access to the archives." Cloud and Reno approached the building where Zack was standing. He was smirking at Reno who was eyeing him. To the unspoken question Zack answered, "Your voices carry."
The First Class SOLDIER looked smug at Reno's peeved look for responding to a conversation he wasn't a part of. Reno knew he was crazy popular among the SOLDIERs, but that didn't mean the redhead had to like him. Which was childish but entirely true.
The SOLDIER didn't linger on Reno too long, preferring to look at Cloud. He had an openness to him that probably drew as much as repulsed introverts like Cloud, but clearly Zack had too much magnetism to resist. (Reno liked to think Cloud was coerced into the friendship sometimes, but he knew better) There was certainly magnetism to this First Class, a charisma and charm that was probably three times more deceptive than any manipulation.
Reno glanced at Cloud to share a raised eyebrow look, but the blond was staring at the shed. He looked uncomfortable to be here, and Reno glanced at the SOLDIER before looking back at Cloud. Clearly the fight hadn't been discussed yet between them. Reno shrugged though—not his problem.
Reno then looked over at the shed too and realized the damn thing was bigger than he thought. It was long and thin, not too high though neither he nor Cloud was particularly tall. There was a stacked pile of paint cans in a neat pyramid to the side, half the height of Reno. This might take a while.
"Alright you two, you got lucky. Defeat in battle is the real punishment." Reno wasn't even paying attention. He was eyeing the decorative figurine above the door of the Shinra logo and wondering if that was real bronze. He could probably sell it or get it melted down for something. "You've got all weekend to paint the entire exterior of the shed. That white paint over there is primer. You'll put the other coat on once it dries tomorrow."
Reno looked away from the figurine and back at the SOLDIER who was grinning at him knowingly. "If you screw up the job you'll get a proper punishment through the chain of command. Which won't be pretty because I know the guy who'll give it to you, and he's a bastard. So do it right. And nothing should take a little walk and go missing." The damn man even had the audacity to wink at him."Cloud, can I talk to you for a moment?"
Reno let them walk away around the corner of the shed as he looked around. If Cloud's expression was anything to go by, he was glad he didn't have to answer to that guy. Zack—that was his name wasn't it?—seemed like a real charmer and genuinely nice. But those guys were the ones who surprised you by suddenly turning nasty, and there's nothing worse than seeing the blacker side of someone you couldn't see it in before.
Not that a little part of Reno wasn't curious to see if Cloud would tell his SOLDIER friend what he'd told him. They better not be gone long though, he thought, I ain't doing all this by myself.
"How you feeling?" Zack was looming over Cloud protectively, hovering like a mother hen. He didn't even mention the fight, just going straight for his usual main concern, which seemed to be Cloud's health: mental, emotional, and physical. How Zack encompassed all that in one question Cloud had never quite figured out.
"Fine Zack, just a bit stiff."
"Ah well, you should've taken advantage of laying in the hospital for as long as you could. I heard you zipped out of there. Unless you get a leg ripped off you won't be in there longer than a day as a SOLDIER."
Cloud flushed before he could help himself at Zack's easy assurance of him being a SOLDIER. Some part of Cloud still doubted he would make it, still expected the failure he suffered before. Zack's wholehearted support and reassurances were new this time around, and they still caught Cloud off guard. He didn't like to admit it, but he craved hearing those acknowledgements from Zack, to hear the words come out his mouth so sure, surer than Cloud ever was in life.
Which reminded him, he should probably warn Zack. Reno's words had initially made Cloud suspicious of any ulterior motive. If Reno had gotten defensive or angry, Cloud might seriously have considered withholding the information from Zack, but when Reno had just sighed and not bothered to comment on it, Cloud truly wanted to think Reno had done it out of friendship. Setting aside Reno for a moment, Cloud had been horribly surprised to hear about AVALANCHE's movements. He hadn't realized how far alone they'd nothing too drastic would change. Was Barret a member yet?
Cloud took a deep breath, looking at Zack's face as the SOLDIER examined his face and gently prodded his torso wrappings. "Zack, I need to tell you something." Cloud stopped Zack's impromptu examination. His friend looked down at him with curious, generous eyes. His breathing was even, his mouth quirked ever so slightly at the corner. His eyes, Cloud noticed vaguely, were a different kind of blue than his own, more water rather than sky. Cloud took a moment to take in the features: the playful smile on his lips, the locks of black hair that dangled just in front of his face, his bright eyes, that thin white scar just below his left ear.
Cloud breathed out and looked down at the ground. "I heard the First are going to be sent out after AVALANCHE."
Zack didn't hesitate to try to put his mind at rest. "You don't have to worry Cloud." Zack's hand landed on his shoulder, squeezing gently. "You know I'll be fine. Seph will kick my dead carcass' ass if I let something kill me that easily."
Cloud carefully put his hands into his pocket to stop himself from wringing them. "I know, but see…"
"I said don't worry Cloud." He was almost cutting him off, and Cloud felt a little down at that. Didn't Zack want to hear this from him?
Zack had been absent from the hospital and hadn't even come to see Cloud. It had bothered the blond more than he liked to admit, aware that his attachment to Zack could become very clingy very fast. But surely Zack, the ever kind, ever concerned friend, would visit him in the hospital? Why hadn't he?
Cloud shook his head quickly to clear away those thoughts. He knew little about Zack's childhood and early years at Shinra, but he'd heard and read about the events that almost broke his best friend. The Ravens were just the first step towards that, and that was most likely what was taking up Zack's time. It was a shaky excuse, but one Cloud maintained nonetheless. He'd seen the nasty scar Zack's "friend" had inflicted, heard the pain in his voice in that one debriefing audiotape found in the rubble, and Cloud felt unsteady when he thought of how little he could do. He'd been incapacitated and hidden away from the doings of AVALANCHE and the world. This was the least he could do for his friend.
Before Zack could get another mindless reassurance in, Cloud started."AVALANCHE has these monsters with them. They've got a crazy scientist who made them based off information about SOLDIERs." It came out in a rush, but Cloud felt the uncomfortable tightness in his chest relax just a little. Zack would be prepared, and that was half the battle.
Zack was silent for a long moment. "Cloud." After a beat Cloud looked up to make eye had a faintly disapproving air that immediately made Cloud feel bad, guilty even, the way his mother had been able to. The SOLDIER had not moved at all, and yet he seemed to have taken a step back and assumed the rank he really was. There was a distance there hadn't been before."How do you know this?"
Cloud's eyes flicked away immediately. He had hoped Zack would just take his word on it. That had obviously been too much with all that he was withholding already. Zack wasn't stupid, far from it."They're called Ravens, probably because they can fly or at least have wings. I don't know how many there are, but not a lot."
Zack put his other hand on Cloud's bicep, holding him there in place. The First had taken some of the cold edge off, but they still were far from where they'd been moments ago."Cloud, how do you know this?"
Cloud swallowed. "I heard it from someone."
"Don't feed me that crap, Cloud." The blond stiffened at the rebuttal by Zack. His words were sharp, and Cloud immediately felt a great welling of guilt inside. This was Zack, the last person he wanted to lie to, and yet the first person he had to. The blond didn't look away from his the grass off to the side; aware of the chastising Zack was laying on him without words. Was he hurt that Cloud didn't tell him the truth?Or was he just suspicious of him? "Look, I'm sorry Cloud."
Zack lifted one hand and ran it through his hair. The tension didn't entirely break, but Zack seemed more normal, if stressed."Can you at least tell me who you heard it from?"
Cloud hesitated. He didn't really want to sell-out Reno, but he didn't want to screw up what he had with Zack any more than he already just had. Zack or Reno? "Reno."
"Ah of course." Cloud caught the slightly relaxing of Zack's shoulder, the fleeting look of relief on his face. Cloud felt a terrible duality at that: guilt towards Reno, elation towards looked away for a moment, before pulling Cloud suddenly into a surprise hug. "I'll take your word for it." He ruffled Cloud's hair a second before letting him go and walking off.
Cloud watched Zack go, feeling strange and indefinable inside. He wasn't sure if he'd done the right thing, and yet he felt he had. That information could save lives, and yet, what had he done?