The next morning came without much incident. But as Genesis went to go find something for breakfast, he noticed a data disc sitting on the table.
"Cloud." Genesis said, picking it up. Scrawled across the disc's label was the message 'You might want to be more discreet.' In a familiar handwriting.
Cloud walked up behind Genesis as the man passed the disc over. "Is that...?"
"That's Reno's handwriting, alright." Cloud said, taking the disc over to Genesis's computer.
He put the data disc in and opened the file. Security footage of their spar yesterday started to play. Genesis cursed. "I forgot that the VR rooms were recorded. Angeal wouldn't have thought to disable the cameras, we never cared if anyone caught us in there."
"Do you think Reno was sent back, too?" Cloud asked.
"I don't know, he wasn't with us when were where speaking with Minerva, but he only died a few minutes before we did. You'd think he would have approached us if he remembered." Genesis said, watching the fight play out.
"We need to talk to him." Cloud said, looking away from the screen.
"Agreed." Genesis said, turning the footage off.
Angeal had to admit, after Cloud's performance against Genesis yesterday he was worried about Zack. He knew that Cloud obviously cared a lot about the raven haired boy, but neither he nor Genesis seemed to understand exactly how strong they were.
The match was set for tomorrow. It had been the only day in the next month that everyone in question could attend. He'd thought about finding a way to excuse Zack from the fight and offer himself, but Lazard would likely just select another 3rd Class, which Cloud had less reservations about fighting.
He was going to be a nervous wreck he just knew it. Maybe he could convince Lazard to let him watch down on the floor rather than the observation deck.
"You sure you're alright, Cloud?" Genesis asked while rubbing the blonde's back.
"It's one fight, one fight with this stupid helmet on, where I not only have to make sure I restrain myself enough to keep from hurting Zack, I can't prove to be much more powerful than a normal unenhanced human." Could said, releasing a shaky breath.
"You'll do fine, just treat him like you did Denzel." Genesis said encouragingly.
As much as remembering the young boy hurt, it wasn't a bad suggestion. Denzel had asked Cloud to teach him how to wield a sword and he had managed it quite easily actually. He wouldn't get the chance this time around to be the boy's father and teach him these things, but that would be because Denzel would be raised by his parents, safe in his home. Not in a bar with a bunch of people who belonged in a mental institution.
"After the match I'd like to slip down to the slums and see if Aerith is there." Cloud said, realizing she was the one person he could at least check on still in Midgar. He already knew Reeve was fine.
"Thinking of letting her know?" Genesis asked curiously.
"No." Cloud shook his head, "I don't even want to talk to her or have her see me. I just want to make sure she's ok. And try and figure out how to get her and Zack to meet."
"Could always push him off the plate again." Genesis said with a laugh.
"As tempting as that is, I'd rather not risk killing him. I don't know how either one of us survived that fall." Cloud said, shaking his head, but his mouth held a smile.
"Flowers." Genesis offered as an explanation.
"I'd rather not test my aim." Cloud said "Besides, there is no guarantee she'd actually be there."
"I still like the idea of pushing him off the plate." Genesis said teasingly.
"Of course you do." Cloud said dryly. Though Cloud and Genesis's arguments over Zack were of a much more friendly nature than Genesis's and Angeal's had been. Genesis really would have pushed him off the plate back in the day.
"I suppose I can settle for besting Sephiroth in a duel." Genesis said wistfully.
Cloud just shook his head as they exited Genesis's apartment. Cloud picked a bit at his clothing, he could barely remember wearing a cadet's uniform and the helmet just seemed so damn impractical. He wouldn't be wearing it now if he didn't have to hide his eyes. On his back was a cheap piece of crap, standard issue sword. He couldn't wait until he could remake First Tsurugi.
"I feel like an idiot." Cloud barely whispered.
"Oh, stop your complaining." Genesis said with a grin. Though he had to admit, he was glad that they had come back to a time when he was already a first class SOLDIER. If they had arrived when he was still in Banora or freshly arrived in Midgar, he would be going just as crazy as Cloud was.
When they arrived at the entrance of the training hall, they saw Zack standing there, bouncing from one foot to the other, full of nervous energy. Angeal on the other hand looked almost distraught.
"Ready?" Cloud asked with a smile.
"Oh yah!" Zack said, pumping a fist into the air.
"Alright then, after you, we don't want to keep the President waiting after all." Cloud said, trying to sound excited himself. However, it just made him sound foolish. At least Zack didn't seem to care and Angeal knew the truth.
"Come on, Angeal, let's go. I don't want to miss this." Genesis said, motioning to his friend.
Angeal was a bit hesitant as he started to walk away before turning back. "Just don't hurt him."
"Of course I won't, Angeal!" Zack said with a smile, thinking the words were meant for him.
Cloud just gave a slight nod to keep from drawing Zack's attention as they entered the training hall.
When Angeal and Genesis entered, everyone else had already taken their seats and Sephiroth was feigning interest. The real match he had wanted to see was already over. This current farce was just something to get through to get Cloud into SOLDIER.
Lazard was acting confident, but he was still worried that Genesis was trying to pull something. The only reason he agreed to this whole show was because Angeal had been behind Genesis. Lazard trusted him not to set him up to look like a fool.
Heidegger was fawning over the President, who was drinking a glass of wine...at 9 o'clock in the morning. This was already turning out to be a lovely demonstration.
Zack and Cloud both stood down in the training hall, looking up at the observation deck.
"I believe we all know why you two are here. You may commence with your sparring match at anytime." Lazard said through the room's intercom system.
Zack grinned and turned to Cloud, "Come on, man, time to show 'em what ya got!"
Cloud just nodded and raised his sword. He had a small amount of hope that Zack would have started off the fight, that way he could have just defended and would have allowed him to gauge Zack's current strength while hiding his own. However, Zack thought he was the stronger of the two and was being nice or so he thought.
After about 20 seconds Cloud finally attempted a swing. His sword met Zack's and he sighed in relief. "Nice hit man!" Zack said with a grin and swung his own sword around, which Cloud easily met. Cloud was tense and his nervousness was showing to those watching. Luckily those who didn't know any better just assumed it was because he wanted to prove himself.
With each swing something akin to terror griped him, if it had been any one else he might have been ok, but the thought that he might hurt Zack scared him more than it should. The side effect was that every strike was focused. Something else that was showing in the box above.
Heidegger and the President were watching, but not really comprehending what they were seeing other than a couple of capable young men fighting. Shinra had already decided he didn't care if this boy was allowed in or not as long as he didn't spend the whole time falling on his ass. After about 5 minutes of the fight, when the blonde was still standing, the President had turned back to his wine. Heidegger would side with the President.
Genesis however was worried about Lazard, Angeal and Sephiroth already knew the truth, Lazard was the one they had to fool.
"I have to admit that he is rather remarkable." Lazard said, leaning forward.
Genesis watched Lazard carefully, whose eyes were trained on Cloud.
5 more minutes passed and it had felt like an eternity for Cloud. Zack however was still smiling. "Lighten up, you're doing really good!" Zack said, trying to sound encouraging.
Cloud however couldn't break his concentration long enough to return the smile. His mind kept processing mistakes in Zack's form. He was so easy to read because Cloud's own fighting style had been developed from Zack's memories. His body screamed at him to take advantage of the many openings Zack kept giving him and his muscles had came close to reacting instinctively.
"I see why you recommended him." Lazard said, at this point convinced that Genesis had not been playing with him at all. He agreed that this man would make a fine SOLDIER. He only imagined what he would be like once he got his mako enhancements.
"Where did he say, he got his training?" Lazard asked and Genesis was ready for the answer. He and Cloud had already discussed it at length.
"He's from Nibelheim, a small village on the Eastern Continent. Apparently they have a rather nasty monster problem. He said a traveling mercenary passed through when he was younger and gave him some basic instructions in exchange for a bit of shelter and food. After that, he honed his skills on the monsters around the town." Genesis said smoothly.
"Hmm, Nibelheim, I do remember receiving reports about monsters in the area. If the cadet grew up there, no wonder he knows how to handle himself." Lazard said, sitting back.
Their words would work for now, but Genesis knew that the Turks would soon be investigating Cloud. It was about all they were good for. They had thought about several different contingency plans if something turned up to completely discredit their story, but if Reno really had come back with them, it would solve a lot of their problems.
Finally a few more minutes passed and Lazard turned to the others in the room. "Does anyone else feel the need to see more of Strife's abilities?" he asked.
"No, the boy is obviously talented. I have to agree with Genesis that putting him through cadet training would be nothing but a waste." Sephiroth said with a bored tone.
"You have my permission to advance the boy, but I'm afraid I have something else to attend to now." President Shinra said, taking his glass of wine and leaving the room without another word.
Heidegger was close behind the president. "Do what you want with the boy." He said, not inclined to argue with either Sephiroth or the President, even if he had felt differently.
Decision made, Lazard's voice filtered through the PA system again. "Fair, Strife, I believe we've seen enough."
Cloud's reaction was immediate, he dropped his sword and backed away from Zack.
"Aw man, I was just beginning to have fun." Zack said with a smile. He really was, too, once he realized he didn't have to hold back on Cloud the way he thought he would have to. Genesis's new apprentice could really fight.
Lazard turned to Genesis, "I'll get his paperwork processed this afternoon and have him officially assigned to you. Once that's done, I'll have the labs contact you to schedule his first injections. "
Genesis nearly sighed in relief, "Thank you, sir." Genesis said before he realized it. His old self would never have said that.
Lazard just looked at him. "I'm not sure why you've decided to take such an interest in someone else or why his advancement means so much to you. I suppose I can only hope Commander Hewley is actually starting to rub off on you. If there is anything else you need to let me know." With that he exited the observation deck as Cloud was coming up the stairs, Zack trailing behind.
"Congratulations, Strife." Lazard said in passing.
"Thank you, sir." Cloud said and could really manage a smile this time.
Cloud walked through the door. Genesis grabbed him and spun him around. "I knew you could do it."
Zack for his part just stared in shock. Genesis was actually being nice, really nice, it was actually rather creepy for him.
"Come on, Zack." Angeal said, a bit of relief in his voice as well. He had noticed a few close calls, but Cloud had done as he promised.
"Congratulations again, Spiky!" Zack declared, waving at the Blonde and Cloud froze.
The nickname had came as casually this time as it had originally and why Cloud was so surprised that Zack had dubbed him this again, he didn't know, but hearing that name from Zack touched a place in him he long thought dead.
"Thank you." Cloud finally said a bit meekly.
"Chin up! You're pretty awesome, you know that?" Zack said, thinking Cloud's reaction was a self confidence issue. With that he left with Angeal.
"You know, I don't know if Genesis is the right person to train Cloud, what with his obvious self esteem issues and all." Zack's voice filtered back down the hall way.
"The puppy doesn't think I'm good for your self esteem." Genesis said with a small smirk.
"So what do you plan to do about his mako enhancements?" Sephiroth said, almost startling the two other men in the room. They had almost forgotten that he was there.
"Confuse." Genesis offered as an explanation.
"Confuse?" Sephiroth replied.
"See, it's already working!" Genesis declared.
Cloud just smacked him on the arm. "I plan on going in for the injections, casting Confuse on the lab tech, entering the data in my file, then hide out for a couple of hours. "
"That is a very stupid idea." Sephiroth replied with a deadpan expression on his face.
"Well, if you've got a better one, we'll hear it, but back at the apartment, not here." Genesis said, looking down, a few seconds had already claimed the now free training gym.
Sephiroth glanced to Cloud and noted that he didn't look too happy with Genesis, but he didn't argue. Sephiroth then looked back over to Genesis, "Let's go then."
"So what plan do you have then?" Genesis asked, lounging on his couch and looking up at Sephiroth. Cloud had his arms crossed, leaning against the far wall. He had removed his helmet the moment he walked into the apartment.
"Simple, let him receive the enhancements." Sephiroth offered.
"And assuming I want to go anywhere near a lab again, how am I going to explain already having mako in my system? Shinra scientists aren't going to believe the 'I come by it naturally' line. Especially if they check my file." Cloud said, addressing Sephiroth.
"Contacts." Sephiroth said like it was the easiest answer in the world. "They don't generally do any blood tests prior to your injections and I know many of my men have used them when they were on missions where they wanted to hide the fact that they were members of SOLDIER. I'm surprised Genesis didn't suggest it."
"I..." Genesis felt like a fool, "I completely forgot. I never used them and it's been so long that they didn't even cross my mind."
"Apparently." Sephiroth said dryly. He'd about had it with hearing how far in the future Genesis was from.
"I've never heard of these contacts." Cloud said, looking to Genesis.
"They weren't used a lot, mostly for missions when a SOLDIER needed to accompany a Turk into a tricky situation. Getting our hands on a pair might be difficult, but not impossible, and certainly easier then falsifying computer entries." Genesis said thoughtfully.
"I have access to where they are kept. They might question what I want with a pair, but I doubt it." Sephiroth said.
"You're both assuming I want to go near the labs again." Cloud spoke up. He had sworn to never set foot in one again.
"Well, it's either this or possibly face a lot more time in one." Genesis said, really, Cloud could be impossible sometimes. "It's not like a bit more Mako is going hurt you anyway. The dose they give to 3rd class SOLDIERs is laughable." He reasoned.
Cloud crossed his arms. "If I even see Hojo in passing, I'm killing him, Shinra and SOLDIER be damned."
Genesis just sighed. "We will get there eventually, if he ignores you, then there's no reason to reveal yourself. If I can handle going to Hollander's little check-ups to keep up appearances without throttling the man, you can stand to have Hojo walk past you."
Cloud didn't think he agreed with Genesis, but he remained silent.
"Good boy." Genesis said with a teasing smile.
"You're lucky I love you." Cloud snapped.
"Very." Genesis agreed from his spot on the couch.
"I'll leave the two of you for now, I'll get the contacts as soon as I can." Sephiroth said.
"Thank you." Genesis said and Sephiroth just shook his head. It still felt like some really weird dream at moments. Especially when Genesis acted so out of character.
"Good bye." Sephiroth said, then left the apartment.
Cloud just walked over and sat next to Genesis. "Why is he being so helpful? From the way you talked, he wasn't like this before."
"Hmm, I think it's because you intrigue him." Genesis replied.
"I intrigue him." Cloud said with an 'are you serious look?'
"Don't be so surprised. In the previous timeline, no one ever came close to matching his power. It wasn't until you and Nibelheim that someone managed to get the best of him. Outside of Angeal, Hojo and Myself, everyone treated him almost like a walking god, even I was one of the masses when I first met him. You're likely the first person in his entire life to truly challenge him. Of course, he's going to be curious about you."
Cloud just snorted a bit. "Great, seems like no matter what I do, the man becomes obsessed with me. Anyway, you're stronger than him now, why isn't he curious about you?"
"Can't blame him for his obsession." Genesis said before leaning over to steal a quick kiss. "But I imagine he is a bit, but you're obviously the stronger of the two of us. That and he already knows me in a way, at least who I used to be. I'm not as big of a mystery to him."
"Lucky you, I promised not to kill him, I didn't promise to befriend him. I don't feel comfortable accepting favors from the man." Cloud said.
"I imagine he already considers you a friend or he wouldn't have offered." Genesis pointed out.
Cloud just groaned. "I thought he was doing it for you."
"It's not impossible I suppose, but you have to remember, Sephiroth's list of friends is horrendously short. He can hold a conversation with you and he can treat you like an equal. He knows he doesn't have to be the ice cold General Shinra everyone expects around you. That's about his only requirements in a friend." Genesis pointed out.
"Great," Cloud said "Just don't expect me to spend a lot of time around him."
Genesis just laughed. "You're acting like such a child."
Cloud just raised an annoyed eyebrow at Genesis.
"You're whining, just listen to yourself. If you're really going to judge Sephiroth for who he is now, you shouldn't just shut down the idea of friendship. The more friends he has, ones he can trust, means the more grounded to reality he is. Think of it as one more defense against Jenova, if it makes you feel better."
"Not really, but I understand your point and I can't risk out right rejecting him." Cloud said with a sigh. Cloud and Genesis both knew that, while his state of mind had hastened his possession by Jenova, she could use virtually anything to get to the man's mind.
"It's not so bad really. He can be a good friend, if not a bit awkward sometimes." Genesis said, leaning his head on Cloud's shoulder.
"Fine, I suppose it wouldn't be too much of an issue once we put our plans into action. He'll be busy here while we're busy out there. It will give me more time to adjust to the man." Cloud said with a sigh.
"You need to relax." Genesis said, snaking one hand up to Cloud's shoulder and started to massage it.
"I'll relax when we've taken care of Jenova, Hollander and Hojo." Cloud said.
Genesis was pleased to note Sephiroth was not on Cloud's list. "You said you wanted to go check on Aerith?" He was hoping to cheer the blonde up.
"Yah," Cloud said, but he didn't want to move with Genesis's massaging him like this, he really was tense and he shifted so that the redhead would have better access to his back.
"We'll get something to eat and then slip down there." Genesis said, though he didn't stop massaging Cloud's back.
Later that afternoon found Cloud with his helmet back on his head, standing next to Genesis in the sector 5 slums.
"I should probably stay here, I've attracted enough attention as it is." Genesis said in a whisper. Though he had to admit, having people recognize him instead of the blonde next to him did stroke his latent ego a bit.
Cloud looked over to Genesis. "That's alright, I'm just going to sneak over to the church and take a peak in to see if she's there. She's being watched by Turks so I can't stick around too long." Though seeing Tseng wouldn't be too bad. He had been the most tolerable of the Turks who still served Rufus after Meteorfall.
Genesis nodded and Cloud slipped off. Most people avoided him, they were rather wary of Shinra down in the slums and for good reason. It wasn't but a few minutes walk to the church and when he caught sight of it, Cloud just stopped in awe. Even now the building was damaged by time, but it was still in better shape than Cloud had seen it in years.
"It really is beautiful, isn't it?" Said a soft voice behind him.
Cloud whipped around, eyes going wide (thankfully hidden behind his helmet.) Aerith was standing there before him in a white flowered sundress, looking much younger than Cloud had ever seen her.
"Sorry to startle you. I'm Aerith" She said with a smile.
"Um, hi." Cloud finally managed to say.
"You can come in if you like, it's much prettier on the inside." She offered, moving to the door herself.
"No, that's alright, I need to get back to base soon." Cloud said softly. He really wanted to go in and talk to her, but it would be too dangerous. Plus it was Zack, not himself he wanted her to get to know. He could meet her again later.
"That's too bad." Aerith said with a soft smile. "The planet likes you. I haven't met someone that's got her so excited in a long time."
"Thank you." Cloud said, unaware of the faint red flush to his cheeks, before he turned and ran off. He would process what she had said later.
Aerith just stood, watching curiously as the man ran off, knowing she would see him again soon.
End of chapter 5, not much to say except thanks for reading and please leave a review -DHT