Cloud's sudden friendship with the SOLDIER was the prime gossip material the next day. As such he had to redirect a lot of questions about how it happened since saying that he had been saved like some maiden in distress was not an option.
Of course, once it became public knowledge that Irwin Carman and his friends were serving detentions for a month, the entire story wasn't hard to piece together, much to Cloud's embarrassment. No one would have believed him if he said he had been kicking butt, especially considering that he had been taken to the infirmary unconscious, so he remained quiet that he had in actually knocked Drake out before he had been knocked out himself. In short, Cloud was keeping even more to himself than usual when Zack found him in the library that evening.
"Biology?" He asked, reading over the smaller boy's shoulder. "Man, You're one of them... science people, aren't you?"
"Mh, just thought it'd be useful."
"Hm, well, biology might, but you were doing mech yesterday. We have a whole army of technicians to make stuff for us. If you care to use money on it."
"I'm sure. But what'll you do when you're standing alone on a road 200 miles from Midgar, your bike broken down and no technician in sight?"
"Oh no. Oooooh no. You're not only a science geek, you're also one of them... foresighted ones." Zack took a step back in mock horror, his hands raised to ward off any possible affliction. Cloud just shot him an exasperated glare.
It was nice though, how it felt like they had been friends... always. Even though they had only met yesterday, Cloud felt no reservations about talking or giving his opinion. Like they were really equals.
"Ah, sorry, sorry, Spike, don't bite me." He grinned and flipped a chair around to sit on it, leaning forward onto the chair back. "So... I can't help you with biology or your mecha stuff, I took communication and geology, but I was mean in tactics and quite decent with materia too. Want me to help?"
Cloud mulled it over slowly, before shaking his head. "I don't want to be accused of only succeeding because you were backing me up. I want to do it on my own."
"What?! Does that mean I can't help you with sword fighting either? You said you had trouble with that."
Grimacing at the sudden vivid picture of him sparring, or trying to spar, with a mako pumped and overeager SOLDIER, Cloud emphatically shook his head. Definitely no.
"Aww." Cloud bit his lip and refused to look at Zack's pleading expression. "But I'm really good with the sword!"
"I'm sure, Zack, but... you're a SOLDIER. And I want to do this on my own."
"Okay, if you're sure. But the offer stands, remember that."
With a grunt of understanding, Cloud turned back to his homework.
"So..." Zack tried, fiddling with a pen. "How are you at all that academic stuff? I remember from back when I was doing it, it was hell. Never had been used that amount of homework in the school I went to back in Gongaga."
"At least you went to school."
"Hm?"
"Nibelheim doesn't have a real school. I think there was one in the village in the next valley, but it was too far to go there and they demanded that you were there every morning. Trekking through the mountains that early and that often was just too dangerous, so we all learned basic reading and math by the mayor, since he didn't have anything better to do anyway. But that was pretty much all we learned."
"Wait. You are telling me that when you came here... you knew nothing but basic math and reading? And you're still here?!"
"Well, I know a great deal about... " What? Hunting? Sure he could set up a snare or even catch a rabbit with his hands if he was lucky or patient enough to get close, but that didn't quite cover it. "About how to behave in a forest," he finished lamely.
Zack tilted his head, questioning. In truth he had no idea what the cadet was talking about, but he didn't want to hurt the boy accidentally by being callous.
"Well... you know..."He shifted a bit on the hard chair, averting his eyes. "Like... how to walk without being noticed by monsters and not disturbing anything or making noise, uh... how to find bird nests, catch small animals... know where you are..." His voice trailed of, now thoroughly embarrassed.
With his eyes averted, Cloud never noticed how Zack's face lit up as he explained and he was therefore taken quite aback when a muscular arms was suddenly dragging him halfway out of his chair and pressing him firmly up against Zack. "That's awesome, Spike! That's like... crazy useful, even more useful than the mech stuff you're learning!"
"Zack... can't breathe."
"Woops, sorry. Sometimes I forget my own strength." Freed, Cloud rubbed against his neck giving Zack a doubtful look. And he thought training together was a good idea? No way. "But it really is a useful..." Zack gestured, as though that would explain whatever word he was fishing for, "To know, yanno? Especially the walking silent thing. Very useful."
Cloud smiled and turned back to his homework as Zack began a tale of how he wish he had known something like that when he had been on a scouting mission as a Third and been ambushed by a bunch of ninjas.
The story wasn't just boasting, although Zack clearly had gotten out on top despite the ambush, but rather about how he had gotten lost three times, fallen into a mud pit and only saved because the Wutaians had come out to gloat.
"It's a fine example of why gloating's stupid."
Cloud listened with half an ear, humming at appropriate places as he continued his reading. They were dissecting rats the next day, and Cloud needed to know what he would be looking at.
- - -
It was yet another taxing lesson in the sword that Saturday. There was no telling how much Mårdh had been told of the clash between his students, but it didn't change the fact that he relentlessly picked on Cloud's stance. They had progressed to exchanging blows in a semi-planned manner. That is to say, speed was optional as was aim, although they weren't supposed to use any movements they hadn't specifically been taught. Needless to say, Cloud was bruised and limping slightly when they lined up at the end of class.
"I have a treat for you, ladies!" Mårdh barked. "Tomorrow, I have one of the simulation rooms booked the entire day. I expect everyone to meet me at nine am in front of room 28-b, no excuses. I'll hang a timetable for when exactly you'll be up, however you're required to stay and watch your classmates.
"You will be fighting real monsters that can do real harm, but I don't believe that chuse tanks will be much of a problem... for most of you." The sergeant didn't even have to run a cursory glance over Cloud for everyone to know who he meant. "The monsters will be released one at a time with enough time between them that you can cut one down before the next will come at you, however if you don't, you will have several attacking at the same time. I will only end the simulation, should you complete the mission or fall unconscious." Another nasty look at Cloud. Huh, so he had heard about it. Some of it at the very least. "The simulation will last for fifteen minutes with a new chuse tank every thirty seconds. Dismissed."
Talk started up immediately as Mårdh left, excited exclamations about the simulation and what a good experience it was going to be. Cloud just hurried to their next class, firearms, not even waiting for his classmates to file out before rudely pushing past them.
It might not have been Mårdh's intention (although the possibility wasn't ruled out in Cloud's head) but the instructor had presented a rather difficult problem. Cloud had no doubt that he would do horribly in the simulation, as the day's class had obviously shown him that he had not magically been gifted with sword fighting abilities after Thursday's tussle. And if the simulation was to be kept on until he lost consciousness, he would be waking up in the infirmary again.
He angrily disassembled the Winchester riffle, cleaning it quickly and had it reassembled again before the first of his classmates came in. In the shooting range he imagined Mårdh self-righteous little head where the target was and while he still wasn't hitting dead centre, it would still have killed the sergeant, had the fantasy been real.
He had to find Zack and humiliating as it was, he had to make sure the SOLDIER would be there when he eventually woke up.
- - -
"But... you were better than those other three cadets! Surely you can handle chuse tanks." The disgust at the low-level monster was rather evident, and Cloud was too high-strung not to be annoyed.
"That was a freak incident, I told you! I'm horrible with a sword, it's gonna be a miracle if I don't stab myself and even more of a miracle if I actually manage to hit anything!" His voice broke in typical teenage fashion halfway through the sentence. Cloud kicked the closest wall.
"Hey, easy, easy. I... I don't know if I can make it. Angeal, my mentor, should be coming home tomorrow morning and he's probably been as bored on that peace delegation as I've been holed up here. He'll probably take me training or something..." All the air seemed to go out of the small, wiry form and he suddenly looked much younger, looking away. "I'll ask, though, okay?" Nodding, the cadet turned away, not quite willing to let the older teen know how very nervous the entire prospect made him.
Who knew what he would have done if Zack hadn't been there the last time to halt his escape? Cloud had a faint idea that he might never have stopped running and where would that have gotten him? Unlike the rest of the cadets, he didn't venture out into the city except on the daily morning races and those had a very definite route. In any case, cadets leaving the Shinra Building without permission was as good as discharged or at the very least removed from the SOLDIER program.
Damn it. He hoped whichever doctor on duty would pay heed to the fact that he was latrophobic or it was going to be a mess.
- - -
It was clear that Mårdh's intent was humiliating him as much as possible. The timetable plastered on the door to the simulation room made that abundantly clear. Adulio Fuentes was first, probably to set a good example, and he was next, for the opposite effect.
Cloud began stretching. He had started warming up already an hour ago, knowing that he would most likely be either first or last. First to serve as an example or last to serve as the butt of a joke. Well, he wasn't exactly first, but it was close enough and being five minutes early meant that he still had at least twenty minutes to keep his muscles warm and subtle in.
Fuentes arrived half a minute later, checked the timetable as well and threw Cloud an unreadable look before he too began stretching. The rest of the class came in bulk following that and Mårdh himself arrived just in time to start the simulation to let Fuentes in on the dot. Cloud kept stretching.
There were cameras installed inside the room feeding four monitors outside. Cloud noticed that the video was being recorded as well. Great, his humiliation was going to be taped. Additionally, Mårdh seemed to be able to comment on the progress through a microphone next to the monitors. Not that he said much to Fuentes of course.
Even stretching, Cloud noticed how Fuentes easily dispatched the chuse tanks one by one. They really weren't all that fast, an with Fuentes precise attacks he only had to hit them once, maybe twice. Thirty seconds to dispatch one was really overkill for the limber youth.
The environment inside the chamber had been transformed to that of some sort of industrial waste ground, building materials and machines scattered throughout. Well, he wouldn't have any advantages there either.
With a sigh, Cloud accepted the weapon Mårdh handed him with a sneer, barely noticing that it was a real sword, with a real edge. It was no heavier than the steel enforced wooden one he usually practised with, only sharper, slimmer.
He tried not to think of the times he had whacked himself over a hand or shin with the wooden one as he entered the simulation, faintly hearing Mårdh's praise of Adulio behind him before the door shut and the simulation was started.
He shuffled into a ready stance to meet the first monster, wherever it was going to come from, only to be interrupted by the sergeant's biting voice, telling him to stop spreading his legs like some whore.
Cloud grit his teeth and did as he was told.
The chuse tank attacked him from his left, forcing Cloud to spin causing him to lose his balance and miss. He was hit with a claw just as e went down in a heap. At least he was still holding onto his sword.
He got up and tried a swing at the small monster, only to be told to gather his feet again. What the hell was wrong with Mårdh? He was in a fight! He wasn't supposed to be interrupted. The correction made him hesitate long enough for the chuse tank to land another hit and Cloud grit his teeth. It stung. He could maybe take five or six more of these attacks before he'd lose consciousness.
And then there were suddenly two chuse tanks in front of him. He cursed violently, venting frustration as he backed away. He did his best to keep the form Mårh had tried to teach him, but his feet kept not being where he expected them to be and he kept almost falling over them. A lucky stumble had him avoid a simultaneous attack from the two chuse tanks and then there were three.
Cloud turned tail and ran, ducking through a pipe of some sort, furiously trying to ignore the derisive comments from his instructor about what a coward he was.
He grit his teeth, noticing that there was now six flying, over-sized seahorses out there. The truth of the matter was that he simply could not defeat them with the level of skill he possessed. What was he supposed to do? Mårdh reminded him that the simulation would not be stopped unless he completed the mission.
There were twelve monsters out there now. Shit, had he zoned out or did time really go that fast? Adrenaline was pumping in his veins and his vision was somehow shifting between more focused than usual and almost swimming.
He was going to be found by the monsters any minute and then he'd be attacked, helpless as he was with that damned sword and he would wake up in the infirmary with some stupid ass doctor hovering over him with all the best intentions in the world.
Cloud grit his teeth. There were more than twenty monsters. Where the hell had the time gone?
"Get the fuck out there, you stinking little pussy, or I'll release something worse into that room!"
With a snarl, Cloud bolted out of his hiding spot, angry at himself for trying to hide and angry at Mårdh for so thoroughly disregarding his pride. He was reminded that the rest of his class was out there as well, watching while he had been hiding like a lost chocobo chicken. Growling, desperately in need of something to vent on, Cloud turned to stare down the dozen or so chuse tanks attracted by the noise. At the very least, he could club the damn things.
He steadfastly ignored the corrections to his stance and his grip and every fucking thing he did as he snarled again and attacked.
And it was so easy.
The sword he had was still too short and light, but he could make up for that as he ploughed through the monsters, making them disappear left and right, easily ducking attacks and dealing out counter blows. Somewhere he was aware that Sergeant Mårdh was still trying to make him follow instructions but he couldn't care less and he was laughing as the last monster fell, winking into nothing.
Smiling brightly he exited out the door to the shocked expressions of his classmates. They took a step back as he approached and he tilted his head wondering what had gotten into them.
The slap was completely unexpected and almost threw him to the floor. His head spinning, Cloud fixed icy eyes on his instructor, resentment flashing through the blue orbs. "What the..."
"When I give you an order, cadet, you will follow it! I don't care how many officers you spread your legs for to even get into this class, but don't think that just because you're sucking SOLDIER cock now, I'm going to be any more lenient. I'm not sharing in their faggot pedo fantasies! I demand respect and I will not stand for insubordination."
Cloud was staring at the sergeant, mute with shock. The insults thrown had always been cutting but this... he had actually accused him of... of trying to sleep his way into SOLDIER. And... and he had called Zack a paedophile.
That was crossing the line. Realising the sword was still in his hands, he tightened his grip and raised the tip. Mårdh almost took a step back, had already placed one foot behind him, when he realised that he was conceding to a cadet. In front his entire class too.
He swallowed, knowing it for a sign of weakness, but unable to help himself. Even with his cheek turning red after the slap he had dealt, the look in the boy's eyes was deadly. "Are you going to attack me?" He cursed himself for actually being proud that his voice was steady. Cloud never moved a muscle. "If you attack, you know you'll be discharged, even if you can't land a scratch on me." Of course he couldn't. The kid was horrible with a sword, what had just happened on the monitors was just a... a freak incident.
Narrowing his eyes, Cloud weighed the words. They were true damn it all. Nevertheless there was no way he could stay watching the rest of his class go through the simulation right next to Mårdh for another four and a half hours. With a disgusted sound he turned, placed the sword in the pile by the door and walked stiffly down the hallway.
"Cadet Strife, you were never given permission to leave!"
Cloud paid him no heed.
Adulio Fuentes watched him leave. Well, that had been interesting, to say the least. Cloud had finally been pushed past his limit. Both in the simulation room and again now by Mårdh. Strangely it seemed like the insults to himself hadn't affected the teen quite as much as the insult to his new friend. And he had been on the verge of attacking their superior officer, there had been no doubt about that. Adulio cast another look at the monitors. He might even have succeeded in doing some really serious damage. Yes, very interesting indeed.
- - -
Cloud was beating a hole through the punching bag when Zack finally found him. He had had a training session with Angeal in the morning, but the SOLDIER First had understood Zack's plea to go check up on his friend and so, he had been given leave earlier than he normally would.
But Cloud wasn't in the infirmary and according to Judith, had never been there either.
Which of course begged the question of where the blonde was. He had easily spotted the class still waiting outside one of the simulations, but Cloud hadn't been among them, and so Zack had gone in search of the erstwhile cadet.
It took him half an hour to come upon the training room Cloud was in, venting on the sand bag. He was covered in sweat, panting and still fuming when the older teen caught his fist.
"Easy there, you're gonna break something."
Cloud just threw him a frustrated look and tried to pry his wrist lose.
"Uh-uh, that won't work on me."
"Let me go!"
"No."
"I said-..."
"And I said no," Zack interrupted. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Don't give me crap. Tell me. Something about the simulation? You didn't destroy all the monsters?"
He was somewhat surprised at the humourless laugh his questions caused. "Oh, I destroyed them alright, but that's not good enough for lord sergeant Mårdh, oh no, because I didn't destroy them in the right way." He turned towards Zack, letting him see his left cheek for the first time. It was still gaining in colour but the bruising was obvious nevertheless.
Zack cursed. "He did this?"
"Who cares if he slapped me. I'm just angry that he managed to talk me out of decapitating him."
"So... you still think you need to blow off some steam?"
"The second you let my hand go, that bag's gonna be so many rags."
The SOLDIER hesitated. His first instinct was to take Cloud to the infirmary, but he didn't seem to lack focus and he wasn't being overly illogical or anything else to cue someone in that he had gotten another concussion. He just seemed angry.
"Okay. But only if you promise me to tell me everything that happened."
"Fine." Zack let go of Cloud's wrist.
- - -
Sergeant Mikkel Allan Mårdh was fuming.
After that little runt had left him, he had barely been able to pull his mind together enough to supervise the rest of the class, although he had managed of course. Not that anyone aside from Adulio was exceptionally note worthy, they were decent enough, true, but Adulio was a genius. The little runt should never even have been allowed into his class, falling over his own feet at the simplest instructions.
And the kid had had the audacity to threaten him! The kid couldn't take constructive criticism if it was spoon fed to him with whipped cream and sugar. Well, he would soon make sure the bastard's dreams of ever joining SOLDIER were dashed. As soon as he got the tapes to Commander Walker and explained the situation, the kid would at the very least be removed from the SOLDIER program if he wasn't discharged altogether.
The sergeant barely held in a chuckle at the thought of Cloud Strife being permanently excluded from the ranks of ShinRa.
- - -
Angeal was enjoying a cup of tea with Sephiroth in his office, discussing (that is to say ranting in polite sentences) about the obviously failed peace treaty when two insistent knocks sounded on his door.
Angeal frowned. He shouldn't be getting any additional paperwork until the day after and he was entitled three days rest until he would be sent on a new mission. And Zack would never knock.
Across from him, Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. The dark-haired First sighed. "Come in." He could always throw whoever it was out again with a polite request to wait until Monday, when he had had some sleep.
Walker, the main supervisor of the cadet training stepped through the door. He was just about to say something when he noticed the general there.
"My apologies, general, I hope I didn't interrupt something important?" The apology and formal language seemed misplaced in his gruff voice, but then, that was pretty much the effect Sephiroth had on people. He waved it away, taking another sip of his tea.
"What did you come here for, Commander Walker?" Angeal asked politely.
"Right." There was a briskness in his tone now. "I just had a visit from one of our instructors. Sergeant Mårdh is teaching the most capable cadets this year, although according to him, he got one student, who's far below the rest."
"So? Just put the cadet in another class?"
"Well, I looked at the comments made by his martial arts instructor, and according to him cadet Strife is doing really well. The thing is... Sergeant Mårdh want cadet Strife discharged or at the very least removed from the SOLDIER program on charges of attacking him."
"...A cadet attacked an instructor? I still don't see why you're here, Commander."
"Well... the cadets did a simulation with chuse tanks earlier today. I was wondering if you would take a look at the videos? It's rather... interesting."
"How so?"
"I'd rather you judged yourself instead of me telling you what to look for. I could be wrong."
Angeal nodded and gestured to his needlessly high-tech computer. Commander Walker popped in a memory disc, opened a video program and scrolled fifteen minutes into the recorded film.
Leaning closer to have a proper look at the four screens, Angeal noted that Sephiroth, too, were leaning in. He turned the monitor so they could both see as Walker stepped back.
The first part of the video was, to say the least, rather humiliating. For the cadet. His instructor's constant barrage of not-quite veiled insults and straight out name calling was a far cry from the subtle threats and insinuations, which was all the two Firsts had ever had to deal with. Add to that the fact that the cadet apparently couldn't stand on his own two feet without stumbling and then even turned tail for three chuse tanks. It was rather obvious why the instructor wanted him out of his class.
The cadet was hiding out of sight from the cameras until almost the very end.
When he emerged again, he could have been someone else except that Angeal doubted that anyone else could have hair quite like that. But the cadets movements were suddenly fluid, almost elegant. And highly deadly.
Angeal looked on in pure shock as the chuse tanks were decimated with precise and powerful strikes. The cadet manoeuvred among the monsters with an agility and skill Angeal had never seen in a cadet, not even Zack.
Faintly, he noticed that the instructor was still yelling about posture, grip and stance.
"Three minutes and forty-two seconds," he heard from Sephiroth on his right.
"Pardon?"
"It took the cadet three minutes and forty-two seconds to annihilate thirty chuse tanks. Imagine what he could have done with a longer sword and mako enhancements."
Angeal blinked and refocused on the screen. No new cadet had come into the room yet. He picked up the mouse and scrolled back to where the lithe blonde had entered.
The video started again, and this time he did notice. The cadet had had no problems with balance at first. In fact it was almost impeccable. Until, what was his name again, Sergeant Mårdh began commenting on his stance. He bit his lip, watching as the cadet corrected his stance to something he was obviously uncomfortable with and he watched as the cadet unconsciously reverted to the stance he preferred only to be told to correct it again.
"That instructor is ruining a cadet," the First murmured, casting a glance at the general, who nodded. They didn't say anything for the next twelve minutes, waiting for the cadet to emerge again. Even having seen it before, the cadet's elimination of threats was astounding to say the least. He obviously lacked experience in picking targets, there were a couple of times when only reflexes saved him from a claw, but he made up for that with speed and agility.
He was just opening his mouth to ask Walker about the accusations Mårdh had levelled at the cadet when his door slammed open an a livid Zack Fair entered.
...Mårdh doesn't like disobedience XD Woops.
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