"So, this ancient chic can fix my head?" Reno slurred, looking over to Cloud. They were currently in the sector four slums.
"Her name is Aerith and, yes, she thinks she can." Cloud replied calmly. Reno's antics were nothing new.
"Thinks or knows? Cuz I need knows right now." Reno said a bit cockily.
Cloud just sighed. "The planet is willing to help."
"I thought the planet was the problem." Reno snapped.
"No." Cloud wanted to roll his eyes. Reno really never changed.
The slipped into Sector five and Reno shoved his hands in his pockets. Rude was the one currently assigned to watch the church. The man had already figured out something with up with his partner. Reno was never quiet or reclusive. Hopefully seeing him slip into the girl's church with Cloud wouldn't push him over the edge and, if it did, he would come to Reno for answers before going to Veld.
Cloud stepped into the church, Reno close behind. Aerith was seated near one of the flower patches, tending to them. When she looked up, she offered the pair a small smile.
"So you're the one that can fix my head?" Reno asked, looking Aerith up and down. He hadn't actually been this close to her before.
Aerith smiled at him sweetly. "I can help if you'll let me."
"Anything." Reno pleaded, dropping his act for a moment. Cloud just stood back, letting Aerith work.
"I'm sorry it took this long." She said, touching the side of his face. "When Minerva sent them back, your soul hadn't been completely destroyed. The pieces that were left managed to filter back and attached themselves to you. We have to remove those pieces." Her voice was soft and smooth.
"Sounds marvelous, but what about the memories I already have?" Reno asked, he wanted to forget most of that shit.
"Once we remove the soul shards we can work on suppressing the memories from the future." Aerith replied
Reno breathed a sigh of relief. All this shit would be over soon. Cloud was concerned however. They had needed Reno's help before and might need it again. In the end though, it wasn't worth the agony it was causing the redhead.
"Now just relax." She whispered. Reno breathed in the sweet scent of the flowers and listened to her voice, there was also something else he couldn't quite make out. Before long, he was out like a light.
"What now?" Cloud asked as Aerith laid Reno down in the flowers. His eyes didn't miss the small wisps of lifestream rising up out of the ground.
"We wait while the planet works." Aerith smiled and stood.
"Thank you." Cloud said, before giving her a small hug. He really had missed her and, while he had intended to stay way, the blond was grateful to have her back in his life. Aerith just returned the hug, Cloud felt like the big brother she'd wanted all her life and she supposed, with the way the planet felt about him, he kind of was.
They were startled however when the doors to the church flew open. At first, Cloud thought it might have been Rude, standing guard. They had been in here for a while. But his eyes went wide.
"Zack! I thought you were in Kalm." Cloud said, startled.
"I was." Zack's voice sounded hurt. "I got back an hour ago. Shit hit the fan back at HQ and I was sent to find you. Tseng said you'd been spotted near here, so I came to check. Guess I shouldn't have." With that he turned to leave. He hadn't even noticed Reno asleep in the flowers.
"Zack, wait!" Aerith cried.
"What." He snapped a bit, more out of hurt then anything, refusing to look at her for the few tears in his eyes.
Aerith just ran up to him. "It's not what it looks like. Cloud's like a big brother. I was helping him with a friend."
Zack just froze, that still didn't explain why they'd never said anything about the other. And Cloud had been from Nibelheim, it didn't make sense. "A big brother you've known for like a week? 2 months at most, he hasn't been here that long and he was gone for most of it."
Aerith looked at Cloud, pleading. If they didn't say something, then she risked losing him and so did he. Telling him the truth now after they'd hid it so long could be just as damaging.
Cloud sighed, though in the end he had been foolish trying to hide the truth.
"Zack, I've known Aerith for well... about 15 years." Cloud finally let slip and Aerith started rubbing the man's arm, trying to calm him down.
"You've known Aerith since you were in diapers, huh?" He said with a hollow laugh, but he turned to face them all the same.
"Not quite, please, come sit down." She asked, quietly pulling him to a pew.
"Then what's going on?" Zack questioned after reluctantly been led to a seat. Aerith sat next to him. "Mind you, we have shit to take care of."
"Zack, the story is long and complicated, but the short story is that Genesis and I were sent back in time to save the planet. The future is pretty grim and dark. Aerith is connected to the planet, so she was able to sense some of it and help us out. She was one of my best friends in the future. You were, too." Cloud answered, eyes locking onto the man.
"Time Travel... Your answer is time travel..." He laughed a bit, "But you're not interested in Aerith?"
"Hell no." Cloud said, then got a sheepish look. "No offence."
"None taken." Aerith giggled a bit and Zack started to relax again.
"Zack, I'm gay. I've been with Genesis... well, for a very long time." A bit of a shadow came over his eye as he spoke. It had been nearly 20 years, but so much of it had been lost. There were nearly 10 that they hadn't spent together.
"And Zack, you're it for me." Aerith added, before kissing him on the cheek. She had to admit deep down that he was cute when he was jealous.
"Wow." Zack said, placing a hand on his cheek and looking up at Aerith.
"We can talk about the rest later though. Kind of on duty." Zack stood and kissed Aerith's hand.
"What's going on?" Cloud asked, straightening up.
"Chaos, man, chaos. There are people everywhere, rumors flying. Lazard is livid, Genesis nowhere to be found, though with what you just told me, you might know more about that. Anyway, Sephiroth and Angeal aren't back yet. I just got back and you were missing." Zack spilled out.
"He said a month." Cloud mumbled under his breath. "Will you be ok with Reno?"
"I'll be fine, go." Aerith smiled.
"Reno?" Zack asked, a little shocked.
"My friend Aerith was helping." Cloud said, pointing to the redhead in the grass.
"Oh. Wow, you can explain that one later too, let's go." Zack said, throwing a fist in the air. Zack rebounded pretty, well it seemed.
"Be safe."Aerith waved to them as they left.
Genesis was running and fast. Weiss and Nero were right behind him.
"Are you certain about this?" Nero asked as they flew through the halls.
"I swear, kill them, get out and we can make sure no one bothers you again. You'll have your revenge and you'll have your freedom." Genesis promised.
"If we stay in this forgotten city." Nero said a bit sarcastically.
"You can leave if you choose, but we can't guarantee your protection. You can leave now, if you want. You have your freedom after all. I'm just offering revenge and a safe haven." Genesis replied.
Nero scowled. He knew who Genesis was, what he was. He still didn't trust him. Especially when the man stated that he didn't wish to give up his ties to Shinra and come with them. "How can we trust you?"
"Nero, now is not the time. We've discussed this at length. This is our only choice, our best choice." Weiss snapped back. He loved his brother, but at times like this he wanted to throttle him. Genesis was one of them. More than them, really. He had given them a way to stabilize their need for mako, offered them a home away from the scientist and offered them revenge. Nero questioned the man's motives, Weiss however could see them clearly.
"Do what you wish, but I can't follow you further. I've given you directions and the rest is up to you. Remember, try not to kill anyone but the scientists." Genesis stressed as he came to the door.
"I should slaughter them all." Nero said as his eyes pulsed black. "Who would you side with then?"
"Nero." Weiss snapped again.
"Just go, I need to make sure the others make it out safely." Genesis waved as Weiss pulled his brother through a set of doors.
Genesis sighed. He hadn't remembered Nero being so unstable, but maybe something had happened between now and when they'd meet in the future. Weiss at least seemed a bit more level headed. He just hoped Weiss could keep his brother in line.
Genesis needed to get to the lower levels and fast. They had taken the security feed in the building down, but that didn't mean he couldn't still be spotted. Cursing that his wing was out of the question, he went over to the nearest elevator and pulled the doors open. At least Cloud wasn't here to yell at him, he thought as he grabbed the cable and leapt, using it to guide his decent.
His coat fluttered as he fell and his glove grew warm, but no worse than when he was casting.
With a thud he landed on the top of the elevator that was thankfully stationary. He quickly opened up the safely hatch. Finding he'd made it down to the 15 floor, he moved to open the door, but they sprung open anyway.
Standing front of him was Scarlet, lovely.
"What are you doing?" She screeched as he ran past her, spilling her coffee.
"Invaders in the building to deal with." He said to her with a smirk on his face.
He heard her scream something else, something about not leaving her alone, but he didn't care.
He raced to the stairs, hopefully by now the rest had reached the ground floor and would be out soon. The chaos Nero and Weiss had caused would have been a decent distraction, he hoped. Though he was relieved he hadn't run into Cloud yet. He knew his Lover would be angry. At the same time however, he was a bit disappointed, Cloud would be a sight for sore eyes right now.
"Genesis, where have you been!" He heard Lazard yelling at him from further up the stairwell.
"Dealing! And I'm continuing to do so. You should be in lockdown. Scarlet too, she's out wandering around." The red head took the time to stop only because it was the director. He had to appear to be doing something to stop the others. And he wanted to be on the ground floor when word came that Nero and Weiss had killed Hojo and Hollander. They would have plenty of chances to escape before he would have been expected to confront them.
"Whatever, just go. This is mess!" Lazard snapped.
Genesis resisted the urge to roll his eyes before turning and continuing the decent.
Once he hit the lobby, he burst out of the stairwell. Everyone was gone in the panic, which was a good thing.
As he turned to head to the part of the building the other Tsviets would have headed, he faltered.
Cloud was coming through the door, Zack in tow and he looked pissed.
"Cloud." Genesis said, feigning a smile.
The blond just stalked over to him, before raising an arm. Genesis went to dodge the blow, but Cloud just grabbed the back of his head, pulling the man into a kiss.
"You are the biggest idiot I have ever met!" Cloud yelled.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Genesis asked, glancing behind Cloud.
"He knows, at least part of it. The rest of the explanation comes later." Cloud snapped.
"So what do we do?" Zack asked, Cloud had explained that they actually intended to help the people escaping. It had thrown him for a bit of a loop, but Cloud had promised to explain.
"Weiss and Nero should be taking care of Hollander and Hojo shortly. We need to make sure the rest make it out. Then they are heading north, where they will wait for Vincent to lead them to the city." Genesis explained.
"So how do we do this without looking all suspicious-y?" Zack asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
"The cameras are out. We make sure they make it out, then say they were already gone. They should currently be hiding. If anyone is there, we'll send them away and think up something then." Genesis explained as he started walking.
"I thought you had everything planned out." Cloud questioned, but followed. Zack quickly moved, too.
"Well, I didn't expect the puppy." Genesis explained.
Cloud just shook his head. He didn't know how added help could negatively affect things, but this was why Genesis always took care of strategies. Cloud just couldn't think that far ahead.
They made their way through the back of the building and eventually came to a bare wall.
"So what now?" Zack asked, looking at the supposed dead end.
"Now, we open the door." Genesis replied before taking Rapier and slashing the wall. As he stood back, two doors fell seamlessly to the ground.
Zack stood in shock, he had to have walked past this door 30 times day and never knew it was there. However the people behind it startled him more. They all seemed tense and on edge.
"These are friends, now let's get you out of here." Genesis spoke to the group.
A young girl came up and gave him a hug. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, Shelke." Genesis said with a smile and Cloud remembered the confident woman she would one day become.
"You better go." Cloud said, glancing down the hall. Footsteps pounded in the distance. "Zack and I will stay here and buy you more time."
Genesis nodded before kissing the blond again. "Thank you Cloud, see you soon."
"Just don't do anything else stupid. You've hit your quota." Cloud replied before the redhead smirked and left with the group.
"I really feel sorry for you." Zack said with a bit of a laugh.
"Yah well, you should see what Aerith is like when she's mad." Cloud had a smirk of his own.
"What do you mean?" Zack asked as his face took on a slightly panicked look. Cloud didn't have time to answer though as 3 men came around the corner.
"Zack!" One of them cried.
"Kunsel, hey man!" Zack said with a wave.
"What happened here?" Kunsel said, bending over.
"No idea, man. Me and Cloud just found it like this. We were about to tell the director." Zack said, scratching the back of his head, and Cloud wondered how they had ever called him a bad actor.
"This is bad, there might be more of them." Kunsel glanced at the door.
"Why don't you go tell the director for us and we can find out who did this?" Cloud suggested.
"Alright man, but just be careful, these guys are serious. Word is they've taken out some of the higher ups. Can't get a lock on who though." Kunsel said, shaking his head. Cloud assumed it meant that Hojo and Hollander were dead.
"We'll keep our head. Promise!" Zack said with a grin.
"Alright, man." Kunsel said as he and the other two left on their errand.
"That was good, Zack." Cloud smiled.
"You just better have a really really good explanation for all this." Zack sighed.
When the dust finally settled and damage was assessed, the building itself had sustained minimal damage. They hadn't released all the details, but that's why Genesis was currently in a meeting to find out. A meeting where he was currently being screamed at.
"What use are you!" Scarlet railed. She never had liked the SOLDIER program.
"I may be a 1st Class SOLDIER and a Commander, but I can't be in more than one place at a time. I was on the main floor, because I had received word that hostiles were there. There was no way I could have made it back up in time." Genesis said with a sigh.
"We could have been killed just like them!" Palmer shook with fear.
"I have to agree, this is unacceptable. If Sephiroth had been here, this wouldn't have happened." It was the president this time.
"Even Sephiroth couldn't have made it back up in time. Besides, the man may have been on vacation, but there are many reasons he's gone. Are you never going to send him to Wutai again?" Genesis bristled a bit. He hated politics.
Though he realized 2 voices where missing from the noise. "Where's Heidegger and Tuesti?"
"Dead ! Along with Hojo and Hollander. Don't even know what you've done, do you!" Scarlet raged again.
Genesis's blood ran cold. While Heidegger hadn't been planned, he was no big loss, Tuesti... Reeve. His gut twisted. This wasn't supposed to happen.
"What do you mean dead." Genesis asked shakily.
"Now you realize the danger you've put us in! As soon as Angeal and Sephiroth are back, we'll deal with proper punishment." Shinra was going on again. He'd likely suspend Genesis for a month or send him to Wutai if he remembered. Genesis didn't care. Reeve was dead and Cloud was going to kill him.
Scientist, damnit, how could he have forgotten that Reeve could have fit that. Even if he was more of an engineer than a pure scientist. Though that would have explained Heidegger. Maybe Nero had just lost it... He ignored the rest of the meeting, too lost in thought.
"Alright Cloud, spill." Zack demanded, they were currently back in Genesis's apartment while the man was at a meeting.
Cloud took in a deep breath. Part of him was glad they were alone. But he could really use some back up.
"Genesis and I came back from about 15 years in the future. By that time, the world was a waste land. In fact, at the end we were the only ones left alive..." Cloud started and just found that he couldn't stop. He explained everything. Genesis's degradation, the chase, Angeal, Modeoheim, Nibelheim. The experiments. Being drug across the world unconscious. He paused for a moment before he got to Zack's death.
"That's... wow." Zack was still stunned.
"That's not even half the story. You died on the cliffs trying to protect me." Cloud swore he wasn't going to cry, but a few tears came anyway as he went into detail as best he could. Events that happened during his Mako poisoning were unclear.
"That's just... no wonder you fight kind of like me... man, I'm so sorry." Zack finally said.
"Sorry, what on earth do you have to be sorry for?" Cloud looked astonished.
"Sounds like I was a pretty lousy savior." Zack admitted.
"Zack..." Cloud shook his head. "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."
"Yah well, you seem pretty torn up over something you couldn't help." Zack gave him a small smile.
"I did miss you." Cloud admitted. "Do you want to hear the rest?"
"Yah, I still haven't figured out how this relates to letting those guys escape." Zack replied.
Cloud just nodded and finished the rest of his tale.
Genesis walked into the apartment, Cloud and Zack had finished earlier and Cloud was alone. Zack had taken things as well as only Zack could. The blond had expected him to be pissed, but no. He seemed to understand and was glad that Angeal knew, too. Both were tired however and promised to talk more later.
Now however Cloud's focus was on Genesis.
"You look like shit, what happened?" Cloud asked with concern.
Genesis just put his head in his hands.
"Gen... what happened?" Cloud repeated.
"I-" This bad, a miscalculation. He had gotten someone killed.
"Genesis!" Cloud nearly screamed.
"Reeve died." Genesis finally let it out. "They killed him along with the others."
Cloud froze at the words.
They were supposed to be saving people, not harming them. He hadn't even gone to see Reeve, sure that the man was the safest and he had no way to make the meeting not awkward.
"How?" Cloud finally demanded.
"I don't know. I can only think that they lumped him in with the other scientists... I just. Cloud, I'm so sorry." Genesis was almost shaking. It was a mistake, one of many he had made, but it was big one.
"We... we have to be more careful. You have to be more careful, Gen. This is it." Cloud fell into the couch. At least he could attend the funeral as a Shinra employee without much fuss. It was more than the man got before.
Reeve had been invaluable in the future. Hell, the comforts they had after Meteor wouldn't have existed without him. The WRO, all of it gone. And Cait Sith, his prized creation. Did the blue prints even exist yet? Cloud had no idea.
Genesis had expect to be hit, sworn at, Cloud to rage, something. Something he could deal with, not this solemn depression. It made him feel so much worse.
"We need to tell Vincent." Cloud broke the silence that had descended on them.
"Will he still help them?" Genesis questioned. He knew the man well, but Cloud knew him better. This might have been too much.
"I believe so. Especially the others. Nero and Weiss would be the ones to blame. And in the end really, it's us. We should have done it, instead of leaving it to them." Cloud answered, looking away a bit. Being able to remain in Shinra wasn't worth this.
"Cloud..."Genesis trailed off, losing his words as he placed a hand on the blond's shoulder.
Cloud just whirled around and latched onto Genesis. "I know it's foolish, but after everything else. I just-" He was cut off as Genesis kissed him.
He just relaxed into it. It had been a foolish notion. As they were, Cloud and Genesis where unequalled in this world. He wouldn't lose Genesis so easily, not again. But Cloud would be liar if he said that the redhead's disappearance hadn't brought back bad memories. Now Reeve was dead and he hadn't even had a chance to say hello, let alone good bye.
The kiss grew and was starting to turn into something more when the PHS in Cloud's pocket started to ring. He just ignored it for now.
But then it rang again and Cloud sighed, pulling away from Genesis to look at the phone.
"Aerith." Cloud said, looking at the number and Genesis's expression turned curious.
"She found a way to help Reno. That's where I was before the attack. I almost forgot." Cloud explained before he answered.
"Cloud here."
"Cloud! Thank Gaia, we have a problem!" Aerith sounded like she was crying.
"What happened? Is Reno ok?" Cloud asked, standing, Genesis followed.
"They took him before it was over! His partner came in, tried to joke around about him sleeping on the job and apologized for him disturbing me. I tried to stop him. But Cloud! He'll be worse than ever when he wakes up. He won't even know what time he's in! You have to get him back here." Aerith was frantic. And Cloud was reminded that she still was a young teenager and not the girl he had come to know.
"We'll find him, Aerith, don't worry." Cloud tried to calm her.
"Thank you! And hurry!" Aerith pleaded before the call was over.
"I heard the conversation, let's go." Genesis was already at the door.
Cloud nodded and soon they were off to the Turk floor. Cloud just hoped that Genesis had a plan and that it was better than his last one.
Gawh over two weeks. I feel so bad. Trying to kick my ass into writing gear.
Please review-DHT