Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, scenery, or towns; Square Enix does.
27 – Rising Mako
Reno tapped an index finger against his control stick with a sigh. The vast open sky stretching in all directions provided no warmth or comfort even though the sun was shining. Only a few fast moving clouds broke the solid blue. They seemed lonely and in a rush to be anywhere but where they were. Me too.
The redhead tossed a glance at Tseng. Underneath his stoic exterior the Wutain was just as agitated as he was. Tseng hadn't wanted to leave Rufus anymore than he'd wanted to leave Genesis. To make matters worse they weren't heading back to Midgar; they were going to Gongaga. Gongaga of all fucking places. It dredged up memories he'd just as leave forget.
Yesterday during lunch Rufus had told him of the events in the small jungle village. When Tseng had returned with Rufus's new guards he'd immediately gone to prep the chopper, but it was decided that since the two wouldn't get out of Junon until after dinner they'd wait until the following day. Neither Tseng nor Reno were keen on the idea of flying to a blown reactor in the dead of night. They had no idea what to expect and it was best to play it safe so they hadn't left until this morning.
So far the flight had been uneventful but Reno spotted something in the distance that made his blood run cold. A quick instrument and flight path check didn't help matters. Shit. "Heads up boss. 1 o'clock."
Tseng's gaze immediately snapped forward. At first his brain rejected what it was seeing. There was a thunderstorm ahead, which was all well and good, expect the deep grey cloud was tinged with a sickly green. In addition, the storm was almost perfectly round and seemed to be focused on a round patch of jungle below. What in Leviathan?
Before either Turk had time to comment the helicopter suddenly plummeted, causing both Turks to grab their cyclic sticks and fight for control. Though both pilots were top notch and their motions were in sync, the chopper began to spin 360 degrees as it dropped.
Tseng opened his mouth to tell Reno to bail but suddenly the chopper responded and the two managed to regain control, ending the spin and leveling the bird. Facing away from Gongaga they hovered for a moment as they checked the cockpit instruments. Everything appeared to be in working order and the Wutain nodded, indicating to spin the bird around as a test. It responded as it should.
"Take it down," Tseng said though the headset.
Reno nodded and brought the chopper down without difficulty. The Wutain signaled and he killed the power, listening as the engine cycled down. As far as he could tell it sounded perfectly normal.
"Stay here," Tseng said before hopping out of the grounded bird. He circled the chopper, paying close attention to the main and tail rotors. The blades showed no sign of damage so he turned his attention to the cabin and cockpit. Again there was no damage and no physical clue as to what had caused the bird to plummet.
Tseng signaled and a few seconds later the blades powered up. He watched for any sign of wobbling or obstruction but there was nothing and the chopper came to full power with ease. Reno gave a thumbs up indicating all systems appeared fully functional. The Wutain watched a moment longer then climbed back into the cockpit, pulling his headset off his seat and placing it back on. "Everything checks out."
"I figured yo." Tseng raised an eyebrow and he shrugged. "Ya know I ain't stupid. There's not a fuckin' thing wrong with the bird. It's the air."
"The air?"
Reno scowled at Tseng, unable to decide if the Wutain was screwing with him or really didn't know. "We hit a zero air pocket."
"We were nowhere near high enough for that."
Reno shrugged. "Didn't say I understood it but ya know that's what happened."
Tseng nodded. "You are right. That does not explain why however."
"You saw that cloud over Gongaga yo."
"You believe the Mako has something to do with it?"
"You ever seen a fuckin' green streaked cloud before?" Tseng shook his head. "Look, I dunno if it's the Mako fer sure but maybe it displaces air or something."
"The helicopter righted itself as we descended."
"Descended," Reno snickered. "More like fell like a fuckin' stone. Maybe the Mako is only screwing up higher altitudes. The shit is lighter than air ain't it?"
Tseng thought for a moment, unable to come to a conclusion. The only people that were likely to be able to answer their questions were in Midgar at the Science Department. He debated for a moment then told Reno, "I do not know for certain. Take it up, but fly low and slow."
"You got it boss."
Angeal heard the approaching chopper well before anyone else. Immediately he became concerned for two reasons. First, it was too soon for anyone from Midgar to be arriving. Any chopper coming from that distance would have to make several stops to refuel. As such, even if the pilot had flown all night they probably wouldn't make Gongaga until evening. Secondly, the chopper sounded like it was flying low and struggling. That usually wasn't a good sign in his experience.
A few hours after he'd gone to sleep the skies had opened up in a torrential downpour. Shortly afterward Zack's parents had come to his tent, giant umbrella in hand, and asked that he and the two Thirds return to their home until the rain let up. Apparently they were concerned that the tents would leak and feared the rain might not be safe. At first he had refused but eventually fell in the face of their persistence. They'd retrieved his companions and returned to the Fair home, where the three SOLDIERs bunked down in the living room.
It had continued to rain since the initial downpour, however it was no longer pouring; more like a steady sprinkle. Angeal thought that might have something to do with the chopper's struggling but wasn't certain. All of Shinra's helicopters were kept in top shape but they could have encountered an aerial monster on the way. That was assuming it even was a Shinra chopper. Bad guys had them too and often theirs weren't in the greatest shape. "May I borrow your umbrella?"
In the kitchen, Zack's mother stopped chopping vegetables and turned to look at him. "Of course, but why ever do you need to go out?"
"There is a helicopter approaching, ma'am."
"Really?" Zack said excitedly.
"Yes really."
"Is that a chopper I hear?" Zack's father asked, entering from the bedroom.
"I hear it!" Zack said, popping up off the couch.
"Is it Shinra?" asked Zack's father.
"Probably but I need to go check."
"Mind the rain," Zack's mother said, handing him the umbrella.
"Can I go?" the youth asked.
"No," Angeal and Zack's parents replied in unison.
"Ugh! Adults," the boy muttered, sulking to his bedroom.
"You two stay here as well," Angeal commanded, looking at each Third.
"But Sir w-"
"That was an order," Angeal replied, cutting the Third off. He gave both a stern look then exited the home.
The rain had died down even more and thankfully there was no wind to blow water into his face or try to tear the oversized umbrella out of his hands. Angeal opened the umbrella and set out in the direction of the chopper, which sounded like it was powering down. It must have landed while everyone was talking. Need to work on multitasking, he chided himself.
The inky SOLDIER took off at a steady jog and in no time he was on the round path outside the village. It sounded as though the bird was close to where they'd left the buggy so he switched path's and made his way through the forest. Breaking through the trees he sighed in relief as he spotted the Shinra logo on the side of the grounded chopper, then stopped dead as he realized it wasn't raining outside the forest.
"Yo."
Angeal couldn't help the smile that played on his lips at the sight of the redhead. He shut the umbrella and walked to the chopper, which was in fact not far from the buggy. The redheaded Turk had his head sticking out of the open cargo door. "Reno," Angeal said in way of greeting. "How'd you get here so fast?"
"We were in Junon."
The SSC swallowed at the second cool voice, still sure Tseng disliked him. "Director," he nodded.
"Shit!" Reno yelped as he fell out of the chopper and landed hard on the ground.
"Are you alright?" Angeal asked, holding a hand out to the Turk.
"Yeah," grumbled the redhead.
"What happened?" Tseng inquired.
"Fuckin' hold wouldn't give so I yanked and, well it gave," chuckled Reno.
Tseng shook his head as the redhead climbed back into the chopper. Angeal watched as the Turk pulled out a toolkit and some long straps. Items in hand he proceeded to climb up to the main rotor and used the tools to open a small panel. He poked around for a few minutes then closed the panel and started running his hands along the sections of blade he could reach. Apparently satisfied he moved on and inspected the tail rotor in the same fashion. When he'd finished, he grabbed the straps and tied the main blades down before returning the tools to their home in the cargo hold.
"How is it?" Tseng asked.
"Everything looks stable but we're gonna need to get some clean water on her before we can leave."
"I will call it in after we inspect the reactor and determine what is needed in the village," the Wutain replied, turning to Angeal. "How bad is it?"
"All things considering it could be worse. The biggest concern is untainted food and water supplies."
"Causalities?"
"Yeah, but I don't know how many yet. We got here late in the afternoon then hauled our provisions in. By the time we were done it was dark so we set up tents. To make matters worse it started raining last night and everyone is staying indoors."
"Don't blame 'em," Reno stated, jumping out of the cargo hold and leaning against the chopper. "Shit's bad news."
"Why?" Angeal asked.
"Green tinged clouds normal where ya come from?" Reno replied, pointing skyward. "Or ain't ya looked up SOLDIER?"
"Green? They look norm-," Angeal cut himself off as his eyes landed on the cloud hanging above Gongaga. The thing was green looking. "It doesn't look like that from below!"
"Something else for the Science Department to explain," Tseng replied, turning toward his subordinate.
Reno turned and grabbed a raincoat from the floor of the cargo hold. He handed it to Tseng before grabbing a second one and putting it on. He zipped it, threw the hood up, and nodded. The Wutain set out and he automatically fell into step a few feet behind. He smirked at Angeal, who appeared unsure of what to do. Either the guy wasn't used to working in groups, was used to being in charge, or he was nervous as hell around Turks. Reno's smirk widened at that and he pointed at the ground to his right and jerked his head. The SOLDIER looked grateful and came up beside him. Nervous.
The group continued in silence and soon approached the T-junction. Without hesitation, Tseng turned left and took the path away from the village. Pounding footsteps and snapping branches sounded behind them, causing the three to spin.
"Don't kill me!" muttered a frightened voice behind and to Angeal's right. He spun, saw the redhead's drawn weapon, its target, and opened his mouth but the Wutain spoke first.
"Stand down."
Immediately Reno lowered the barrel of his gun, which had been aimed solidly between a black haired youth's eyes. He moved a few steps back, getting closer to Tseng. The kid probably wasn't a threat but one never knew. Besides, he could be a distraction so it was best stay on guard.
"Zack what are you doing here?" Angeal exclaimed.
"Snuck out, duh."
"Your parents are probably worried sick!" replied Angeal. Reno snickered and he glared at him, sheathing his weapon and approaching the youth. "I'll take him back."
"Ain't botherin' us yo."
"None of you are worried about the rain, why should I be?" Zack said, returning his focus to Angeal. "I'm not a baby! Besides, you can't tell me what to do!"
"Heh, I like this kid," Reno said.
"You tried to blow my head off!" yelped Zack, reeling on him.
"If I woulda tried, ya wouldn't be here."
Zack's mouth fell open but he quickly snapped it closed. The Turk grinned and shook his head, shifting to the side and revealing his partner. "You!" He pointed and turned to Angeal, "That's the creepy Turk!"
Reno looked at Tseng and chuckled. "You are kinda creepy but what's he talkin' about?"
"He is angry I caught him stealing."
"I wasn't stealing! She would have given me one had I asked so I just took it!"
"You cannot be certain you would have gotten one without asking."
"Eh, what are we talkin' about yo?"
"Cookies," Angeal chuckled.
"Cookies?" parroted the redhead, turning to face Zack. "Yer pissed 'cause you got caught thieving a cookie?"
"I wasn't stealing!" Zack yelled.
"Sounds like it ta me."
"The hell would you know!"
"I'm startin' not to like you yo."
"Like I care!"
"Silence," Tseng snapped, reaching his limit. "Move out."
"Sir, you ca-" Angeal began, pointing at Zack.
"We are wasting daylight and may require your assistance at the reactor. The thief comes," Tseng interrupted, giving the SOLDIER a pointed look.
"I'm not a thief!"
Tseng didn't comment, he simply began heading toward the reactor again. Immediately Reno's footsteps joined his and a few minutes later two other sets followed.
After 10 minutes the group came to a halt in front of the remains of the Gongaga reactor. Each took in the twisted, mangled corpse in stunned silence. The metal components were pocked, blackened, and contained numerous scorch marks where pieces had leaned against each other while they burned. Non-metallic items lay charred and unrecognizable wherever they fell. In the center of the mess was a large, bright green plume of raw Mako. The thick, swaying mass drifted lazily skyward until it blended into the clouds.
"Reno," Tseng commanded. "Find the transmitter."
"On it," replied the redhead, pulling something out of his pocket and moving forward.
"Shouldn't we wait for hazard suits or something?" Angeal nervously asked.
"No need," replied Tseng, watching Reno cautiously pick his way through the edge of the debris field.
The SSC held further comment, deciding it best to not irritate the Turks. The group wasn't easily rattled but he'd get annoyed if someone kept questioning his every move. On top of that, Tseng and Reno both outranked him, so all he could really do was make sure his protest was noted and it didn't seem worth the effort. That in mind he turned to Zack, who was standing numbly beside him. "You alright?"
"Yeah," Zack weakly replied, toying with the umbrella he'd picked up where Angeal had dropped it to pull his sword. "I got over my 'everything's ok' awhile ago. The Mako and the bodies kinda drove it home."
"I'm sorry Zack."
"Not your fault," shrugged the youth.
Metal clanked loudly and everyone's attention was drawn to Reno, who was sifting through a pile of rubble. The redhead suddenly toppled backward as a strip of metal he was holding onto unexpectedly snapped. For a moment all the three could see were the Turks legs and one arm that was held high in the air.
"Got it," Reno called, winded. He'd landed flat on his back, narrowly avoiding being run through by a piece of pointy debris. Damn can't I get a break? Well yeah, not being run through is a break. Heh.
Feeling like an idiot and certain he looked like one as well, the redheaded Turk scrambled to his feet. He looked curiously at the silver box clutched in his left hand. Dread and anxiety began to march up his spin, catching him off guard. Reno stared at the cool metal square blankly, trying to find the source of his uneasiness and failing.
"Are you alright?" Tseng asked, placing a hand on Reno's shoulder. The redhead jumped and juggled a box so as not to drop it. He raised an eyebrow, perplexed at the reaction.
"Wha-, ah, yeah," Reno replied, quickly holding the box out, eager to be rid of it. "H-here."
As the Wutain took the cube he half expected it to shock or bite him, something. His subordinate's reaction had moved from perplexing to bizarre. He watched as Reno backed away and moved to join Angeal and Zack, trying to appear nonchalant but Tseng knew better.
Tseng's eyes traveled down to the motionless and unthreatening box in his hands. There was no writing or markings to indicate the manufacturer, which was a clue in of itself since all Shinra components were stamped with the company logo in plain sight somewhere or another. That meant this was not the original transmitter and that somewhere along the way someone had switched the two. Turning the cube over he saw a recessed switch. Nestled inside was a small button no larger than the tip of his index finger. "Reno."
Reno silently cursed, steeled himself, and rejoined his boss. He had no idea why he was so unsettled but he was. Determined not to let his emotions interfere with his job he walked up to his boss as calmly as possible. "'Sup?" Tseng pointed to a small, indented circular area. He fought a chill as he took the box back and examined it. "Power switch I'd imagine."
"Rigged?"
Reno shrugged. "I can take it apart or hit the button. Takin' it apart will take time, hittin' the button could cause it to blow or somethin'. Yer call."
"Press it."
The redhead sat the box on the ground and found a long, metal rod. He tilted the box so he could hide behind cover while he poked the button. A glance over his shoulder confirmed everyone was clear so he jabbed the rod forward. The box clicked, whirled, beeped, and fell silent. "Clear… I think."
Tseng rejoined his subordinate as he got to his feet. The redhead's PHS rang and the Wutain nodded, indicating he should answer before retrieving the box. Outwardly nothing had changed and he figured Reno's assessment had been correct; it was a power switch.
"Reno."
"Well you're not dead. Is Tseng?"
"Yer lover boy's fine Ruf," Reno chuckled, not even bothering to ask why he'd called him instead of Tseng since it wasn't that uncommon. The VP didn't seem to like to bother Tseng while he was in the field.
"I'd hit you if I could."
"Heh, I'll bet."
"The Science Department just called and said they lost contact with the Gongaga reactor. Figured I'd make sure everyone was ok. Report?"
"Incomplete."
"Preliminary?"
"No way to save the reactor. Hewley said there are casualties but I don' know how many. Gonna need a haz team, builders, clean food and water for the village, our bird needs clean water, and we need experts on Mako and weather."
"Weather?"
"Yep." The redhead paused before adding, "Ya ever heard of a firestorm?"
"Yes."
"I think excessive Mako has a similar effect."
"Explain."
"I'm not a fuckin' expert Rufus but it looks like the Mako is somehow makin' it rain. Firestorms can do the same thing if they're bad enough."
"That can't be good."
"Ah, actually I think it is. Firestorms cause rain at the end of their life cycle and it puts the fire out most of the time. In this case I think the rain is keeping the Mako cloud mostly contained. It's like if the shit's wet the wind ain't able to blow it around as much. Kinda like gluing dust down or somethin'"
"Isn't the rain poisonous?"
"Don't appear to be but I really can't say. The puddles ain't green and it ain't burning skin or nothing but that doesn't mean shit. We ain't been to the village yet so I don't know if it's effecting people there or not. The rain could be diluting the Mako."
"Interesting."
"Yeah. The shit did coat the chopper pretty good though, so I dunno. Like I said, I ain't an expert."
"I'll have them send someone to look into it. Anything else?"
"Nothing I can think of."
"Very well. Tell Tseng to report once you have more information."
"Will do yo," Reno replied, snapping his PHS closed. "Rufus wants a report after we hit the village," he said, turning to his boss.
Tseng nodded. "Let us go. It will be dark soon."
Everyone took one last look at the broken mass of the Gongaga Reactor. Large slabs reached skyward, almost as if in silent prayer. The rain had died down but a steady drizzle remained, dampening spirits and adding to the chill that had settled into Reno's spine.
The group headed out in silence that lasted until they reached the village itself. Upon arrival Zack turned to the two Turks, an unreadable expression on his face. "You're gonna find out what happened and get whoever did this right?"
"Yes," Tseng replied and Reno nodded.
Zack nodded and turned at a voice calling his name. "Coming Mom." He turned back with a grin. "Guess I better go face my fate."
"Good luck kid," Reno snickered.
"Heh, see you guys later!"
The three watched Zack dart off, stopping partway to greet his father, who smiled faintly and nodded. The youth once again took off and joined his mother in the doorway of their home while the father pulled up in front of them.
"I hope he wasn't too much trouble."
"Not at all," Angeal replied.
"The boy's headstrong but he's a good kid," the father smiled. "While you were gone I spoke with the Mayor. There are a few huts on the far side of town that were relatively undamaged during the explosion. If you repair them you can stay there while you're in town."
"What about the owners?" Angeal asked.
"Two huts have been vacant for some time. The other belongs to an elderly man who is staying with his family for the time being. I have some tools you can use and there are some materials in a pile over there. If you don't find what you need just look around and grab whatever. The guys you left behind are already over there."
"Sounds like a fair deal yo. We get a place to crash and more of Gongaga's buildings get repaired," Reno stated.
"Exactly," smiled Zack's father. "Also, the Mayor figured you would want to talk and asked that I show you the way."
"Thank you," Tseng replied, turning to Reno. "I will speak with the Mayor, go assist the SOLDIERs."
"Aye-aye," saluted the redhead, heading toward the pounding noise that had begun in the distance.
Tseng watched as Angeal fell into step beside the redhead and then turned back to Zack's father. "After you."
"What in the hell was that?"
"It-, th-, I improvised, Sir!"
"Improvised? Improvised?" Genesis snapped, sword still in front of his face from where he'd stopped the Third's blade.
"Yes, Sir."
"That's funny, to me it looked as though you'd fucked up. Again. Had I not stopped you, your improvisation would have landed Kunsel in the infirmary."
"I-I'm s-sorry, Sir."
"You godsdamned well better be," snapped Genesis. He angrily yanked his sword away from the Third's and sheathed it. "Are you alright?" he asked, spinning around and locking eyes on Kunsel.
"Yes, Sir."
The auburn's eyes raked over the Third for confirmation. Satisfied he yelled, "Take a break. All of you."
The class slowly broke apart. Their slumped shoulders and downcast eyes made them look like scolded children. Genesis glared and watched them slink to the walls. He wondered if he was pushing them too hard but quickly batted the thought aside. That was the whole damned point wasn't it? To separate the weak from the strong, find out who was going to make it and who wasn't. During his time in the SOLDIER program no one had ever given him a fucking break. Hell, no one had given him a break in his whole damned life.
At the last thought the auburn froze in mid-step. Where the hell had that come from? While he was prone to fits of self-consciousness and self-doubt, he wasn't prone to bouts of self-pity. Shit.
As Genesis sifted though his suddenly rushing thoughts, his shaking hand caught his attention. Before he had a chance to figure that out, he was filled with such dread that he wanted to bolt. That emotion was replaced by the almost uncontrollable urge to laugh. A heartbeat later and his eyes narrowed to slits, still focused on the shaking hand. "Class dismissed," he suddenly yelled. He was out the door before any of the Thirds had time to process what had just happened.
The auburn had no idea where he was going so he ignored the elevator and entered the stairwell at a brisk pace. Mind in chaos he rushed down an unknown amount of stairs and finally flung open a door, not caring where he ended up. "Holy fucking Ifrit," he muttered as the door clicked shut behind him. In what seemed like the span of a heartbeat he'd gone from the 48th floor clear down to the lobby.
Genesis blinked stupidly a few times and tried to collect his thoughts. He felt like he'd come here for a reason but for the life of him he couldn't remember what the reason was. It was like his subconscious had suddenly taken complete control and being a subconscious it didn't exactly communicate with his conscious thoughts. Once again he was overcome by the desire to laugh and he bit his own tongue to stop it. If it escaped he knew it wouldn't be a pretty sound, rather that of a raving lunatic.
The small trickle of blood pooling in the STC's mouth grew larger as he bit down harder to stifle rising panic. Suddenly the disarray of his mind broke and he was overtaken by calmness. He thought nothing, felt nothing, and nothing seemed real. Somewhere he knew that the quiet was deceptive, like the calm before a storm, but his mind declined to process the thought further.
The peacefulness was shattered as searing pain shot down his right arm and he felt like he was flying. Almost immediately following that something slammed into his right cheek and his head was whipped to the side. Suddenly weak and dizzy, he dropped to his knees only to be struck in the chest. That blow was rapidly followed by one to his forehead. Traveling at a high rate of speed he flew into the air before landing hard on his back and sliding to a stop.
While stunned he was a trained SOLDIER and instantly sprang to his feet. As he blinked furiously to try and clear blood from his eyes he spotted Midgar in the distance and tried to gain his bearing. Wait… Midgar… in the distance? Wasn't he in Midgar? Apparently not.
"Stand down SOLDIER."
Overwhelmed by confusion and wracked with pain, Genesis's mind didn't process the words, only the fact that the voice had come from behind him. He spun and lashed out with his right hand while simultaneously jumping backward. He watched a massive fireball fly through empty space and reached for his sword. His hand was yanked down and pinned behind his back to the point of breaking while an arm slid around his throat. Automatically his left hand moved to his neck to try and shake the arm, but the arm only tightened, cutting of his airflow.
Just as he was about to pass out his assailant released him and he fell forward, landing hard on his hands and knees. His right arm protested to the point he had to remove any weight from it and he leaned back, cradling it to his chest. As he sputtered and gasped for breath a pair of boots appeared in his faded vision and he looked up slowly, eyes widening as they landed on his foe.
"Judging by the expression you've come back to your senses."
"Seph… ir… oth?" Genesis managed to get out before a fit of coughing doubled him over. The fit ended with blood being spit onto the ground. Panting, the auburn righted himself and faced his aggressor once more, fighting to keep the physical pain, emotional hurt, and mental confusion off his face. He opened his mouth to speak but the silver beat him to it.
"Your fireball was quite large."
"So?"
"It was almost unleashed in the lobby."
"The lobby?" Genesis mumbled, confused.
"What is the last thing you remember?"
"Yelling… at a Third."
As Sephiroth watched the STC zoned out, dull eyes staring straight ahead. He tensed, preparing to hit him again but quickly relaxed, realizing Genesis was trying to piece everything together. An unfamiliar pang struck him and he froze, analyzing it. He wanted to heal the STC, but more than that, he wanted to comfort him. Sympathy? Empathy? For the first time in his life he was looking at someone who was experiencing something he was all too familiar with, something he could truly relate to and understand.
Frustrated, the silver folded himself to the ground, sitting cross-legged in front of Genesis. He didn't know how to express what he was feeling and it was frustrating. Irritated he pushed his emotions away and focused on the man in front of him. "Tell me about the Third." The auburn's eyes cleared a bit and he lifted his head, staring at him with a raised eyebrow.
"I can't breathe… enough to talk…" Genesis replied, emphasizing the point by coughing up more blood.
"My apologies. It appears a broken rib punctured a lung."
"Ya think?"
"Yes, quite often." The STC chuckled, sending him into another fit while Sephiroth pulled a Cure Materia out of his pocket.
"Shouldn't heal… your enemy…"
"I was not aware we are enemies."
"Fooled me."
"My apologies. I needed to get you out of Midgar and focused on something. Attacking you was the best way to accomplish both," Sephiroth replied, casting Cure 2.
"I could… attack you again," Genesis ground out through clenched teeth as the spell washed over him. Healing should be less painful, he thought, deciding being healed felt as bad as being torn apart.
"If you do I will have to incapacitate you again."
Genesis was simultaneously pleased that Sephiroth was finally showing confidence in something, yet pissed that the silver seemed to think he was no threat regardless of what shape he was in. He quickly brushed the thoughts aside, having too much to deal with as it was. When the spell was complete he sat back on his haunches, took a few deep breaths, and returned his attention to Sephiroth. "What were we talking about?"
"The last thing you remember. You said it was yelling at a Third and I asked why."
"Ah, that's right," Genesis sighed. "He screwed up a move and almost injured someone. It's not the first time that's happened and it pissed me off. He's constantly trying to pull off moves that are above his skill level."
"Isn't that how people learn?"
"Under the right circumstances yes. If you're trying to learn a move, you should be practicing with someone who knows the move in the first place or at least with someone equal to or better than you. That way they can help you and they likely won't be hurt if you screw it up."
"Makes sense," nodded the silver. "I take it that wasn't the case."
"Not really. The two are somewhat equal strength wise but neither have the experience to alter techniques in mid-swing. Their reaction times aren't the greatest either."
"I see." After a moment the SSC added, "What happened after the incident with the Third?"
"I…" Genesis trailed off as scattered images danced through his head. He fought against the current of disconnected, half-formed flashes for several moments. "I dismissed the class," he finally sighed.
"Why?"
"Damnit Sephiroth you know why. Why do I need to say it?"
"I need to know how much you understand so I can help you better."
"Godsdamnit," snapped the auburn, feeling pathetic and weak. "My hormones or whatever went out of whack and I caught on so I dismissed the class. It's the fucking imbalance again."
"Yes," Sephiroth agreed. "After you realized what was happening what did you do?"
"I… I ran I suppose."
"You suppose?"
"It's fuzzy Seph," Genesis sighed. "I seem to remember bolting down the stairs in an ungodly short amount of time. After that… I don't remember anything until my arm started to hurt." The STC locked wide eyes onto the silver's. "That big fireball! That's what I almost unleashed on the lobby?" The silver nodded. "Is that why my arm hurt?"
"No," Sephiroth shook his head. "Your arm hurt because you were stationary and I was moving at a high rate of speed when I grabbed you."
"You… grabbed me?" parroted the auburn, looking toward the city in the distance.
"How do you think you got all the way out here?"
"I didn't know. Honestly I didn't even know what was attacking me, only that something was."
"I understand."
Genesis looked back at Sephiroth, hearing the truth in the SSC's words. "Thanks Seph."
"For what?"
"I wasn't thinking clearly and I knew it, but couldn't do anything about it. By the time you showed up I'd shut down. I very well might have started throwing fireballs at people. What a fucking mess I am!"
"You're not a mess and it's not your fault."
"Yes it is! It might not have been my fault in the first place but it sure as hell is now!"
"Why?"
"Because I can't control it!" Genesis yelled. "I know what's wrong and I'm powerless to stop it! I'm weak! That makes it my fault!"
Any argue Sephiroth could put forward would have been half-hearted at best. After his own episodes, he'd thought exactly the same thing. Knowing that, he'd told the STC the same thing he'd always told himself, "Then get stronger."
Genesis once again locked eyes with the SSC. "That's it? That's your grand advice? Get stronger? Ifrit's Balls I could have figured that out myself!"
"Then stop bitching and do it."
The STC's eyes narrowed a split second before he burst out laughing. "You said exactly what I was thinking." He briefly laughed again then asked, "How?"
"I suppose we are a lot alike."
"No," chuckled the auburn, "I mean how do I get stronger?"
"Fight."
"I have been fighting it, but it's no-" Genesis cut himself off, flexing his right hand and staring at it. "You mean literally, physically," he muttered more to himself than Sephiroth. "A SOLDIERs Mako level has to be constantly monitored because fighting can lower the level. Every time we use our abilities the level can change." Genesis locked eyes with the silver. "I probably use more Mako than normal when I cast fire spells without Materia. That would certainly help lower it too. Why didn't you tell me all this before?"
"I thought your class would be enough," Sephiroth shrugged.
Genesis nodded. "Good point. Even though I'm not using all my strength, I'm still moving constantly which should be burning up at least some Mako."
"Yes. It seemed to be enough until now. Did anything unusual happen today?"
The STC smeared his fingers though the dirt in thought. "Nothing that I can remember. Gods Seph what if the class is no longer enough?"
"We will leave the city and battle monsters or spar."
"That would be enough?"
"Do you feel better now right?"
"Yes, but I would hardly say we were fighting. More like you kicking my ass."
"I more or less ambushed you," Sephiroth smirked. "Regardless of the outcome, you were moving quickly and probably used a decent amount of Mako to launch that fireball."
"You're right," nodded the auburn. "The more I moved, the more I started to come back to my senses. I might not have known it was you attacking me, but somewhere in the middle of the fight, I at least realized it was a fight. By the end of it I certainly realized I'd gotten stomped." Genesis leveled eyes with the silver. "I demand a rematch by the way."
"Rematch?"
"You might have had good reason but even you admitted you ambushed me. I demand a fair fight."
"I look forward to it."
"Good," Genesis smirked. The breeze picked up and brushed a few stray strands of hair across his face. "Give me a day or two though. I'm afraid my concentration is shot for today."
"I understand," Sephiroth replied. After a few moments he asked, "Dinner?"
"Now that you mention it, I am hungry. Have anything in particular in mind?"
"No, not really."
"Do you like seafood?" The silver nodded. "There is a great place not too far from Shinra Tower."
"Lead the way."
A half hour later found the two seated in the private dining section of the seafood restaurant. Apparently Genesis was a frequent customer and on good terms with the owner so they were awarded special seating. Sephiroth was quietly pleased since the few times he'd eaten out he'd been the center of attention and had barely tasted his food.
Sephiroth watched closely as Genesis munched on the food they'd ordered. It was almost hard to believe that less than an hour ago the STC had more or less lost his mind. Since their fight the auburn hard been completely normal. There were no unusual outward physical signs of a problem and from the conversation they'd had until now, it appeared the STC's mental state was fine as well. On one hand Sephiroth wasn't surprised by the speedy recovery but on the other he was. So far as he knew this episode was only Genesis's second, maybe third. He'd had a lot more incidents than that before he'd been able to recover so quickly. Of course, all that might mean is that his own episodes were caused by a higher imbalance.
"Everything ok?" Genesis asked, using one hand to nibble on a gyoza and the other to indicate the food.
"The food is excellent."
"Good," smiled the auburn. "I found this place not long after coming to Midgar and decided to try it out. The place doesn't look like much but they have yet to disappoint. 'Geal doesn't like it much though; he's more of a meat and potatoes kind of guy. Perhaps it can become our place."
"What about Reno?"
"We'll invite him every once in awhile," Genesis winked with a chuckle. "I hate to admit it, but I honestly don't know what he really likes to eat."
"He doesn't strike me as being picky."
"Me either."
Sephiroth picked up a salmon sushi roll and enjoyed the smoky flavor before speaking. "Have you spoken with Reno since he left?"
"No. His mission must have been extended."
"It was."
"Oh?"
"I was debriefed this morning about an incident in Gongaga. Reno and Tseng were sent to investigate."
"What kind of incident?"
"The reactor exploded."
"How the hell di-… never mind, that's why Reno and Tseng were sent in," Genesis amended.
"I will keep you informed if you wish."
"I'd like that. I'll do the same if I hear anything from Reno." The STC picked at a portion of vegetable tempura in thought. Finally he asked, "Are you ok with what happened the other day? The kissing that is."
"I don't know what to make of it exactly, but I'm ok with it."
"Sounds like we're all on the same page," Genesis chuckled.
"Confusing, unsettling, but somehow comforting."
"I probably shouldn't have brought it up without Reno here, but I at least wanted to know you weren't pissed or going to avoid me."
"I can avoid Reno?"
"Sure, he's a Turk," laughed the auburn. "Seriously I'd just as leave you not avoid him as well, but you two don't have to work together and we might. We're in the same department after all."
"True," Sephiroth agreed. "If I was angry with you I would have left you outside of Midgar to bleed to death."
"Oh… well… that's nice," Genesis replied, unsure how to respond. He finally detected the faintest trace of a smile on the silver's face and grinned. "You really had me there."
"All I can say is that if I'm upset with you, you'll know it."
"Good to know. I'm the same. So is Reno. Gods that makes us all sound like a bunch of bad asses," the STC chuckled.
"We are, aren't we?"
"I suppose we are in some ways, but as far as relationships go I don't think we are."
"Agreed. What is this one?" Sephiroth asked, pointing at a piece of sushi.
"Eel," Genesis replied. He watched as the SSC picked the piece up, sniffed it, and ate it.
"Not bad. I like the salmon the best."
"Me too," the STC said, emphasizing the point by picking up a piece and eating it. "If I'm being honest I'd prefer that you and Reno get along, but if you don't I understand."
"I don't think we'll have any problems."
The rest of dinner passed by smoothly. Genesis was tired and sore but in no rush to return to Shinra. He didn't really have anything to do and it was nice to just relax. At Shinra HQ he often felt like he was constantly being watched, which he was given all the cameras and spies everywhere. He knew it wasn't personal but it still made him uneasy and kept him on guard.
Eventually all the food had been eaten so Genesis paid and the two headed back toward Shinra. The STC's pace was somewhat slow, but Sephiroth didn't seem to mind so he kept it that way. Though he was enjoying himself being around the silver made him miss Reno. He wondered how things were going and briefly thought about calling him when he got home, but decided against it. The Turks were a black ops group and often their missions required stealth. He'd be damned if the Turk accidently forgot to turn off his ringer and his call gave him away. The mission in Gongaga didn't sound like something sneaky but he had no way to know. It was best to wait until Reno called him.
Besides that, he didn't want the Turk to think he had no faith in his abilities. After they'd met, it had become clear that the redhead could take care of himself quite well and was proud of the fact. Calling him while he was away could make Reno think he thought he lacked skill or something. Silly but true. Guys were sometimes touchy when it came to pride. Minerva knows I am.
Thinking of pride made him think of Angeal. He wondered how things were going on his mission since his friend hadn't called him either. What am I, a pariah? Something to be avoided? He stopped for a moment, wondering if that was a fit of anger or lack of self-worth. Annoyance. Usually when one of them was on a mission they communicated often via calls or text. The auburn smiled as he remember 'Geal had said his mission was somewhere around the Golden Saucer. That meant it was in or around the desert and unless one was actually in the Saucer reception sucked.
"Is something wrong?"
"No," Genesis replied, returning from his thoughts and realizing he'd been stationary for too long. He took two steps forward and yelped as he walked straight into Sephiroth. Surprised, he jerked his head up, mumbled an apology, and tried to jump backward but tripped on his own feet in his haste.
"Didn't mean to startle you," Sephiroth said, instinctively wrapping his arms around the auburn to keep him from falling. He looked down into sky blue eyes and struggled to not find out how much like fire the STC tasted.
Genesis's eyes locked onto the silver's and his heart began beating like a trapped butterfly. His right palm was on the SSC's chest near his heart while his left arm was pressed between their sternums. He remained motionless and struggled with a rising tide of emotions. There was no question he wanted to press his lips against Sephiroth's, but he didn't want to betray Reno's trust. His mind screamed for him to pull away yet his body refused, making him feel foolish and weak willed.
"I'm sorry," Sephiroth stated, opening his arms and taking a step back.
"I-it's ok. I'm the one who tripped on myself." The silver nodded, spun, and started walking again. After a moment's pause Genesis silently followed.
By the time the pair arrived at the Shinra building Genesis had given himself a headache. He'd bottled everything up and as he stepped onto the 44th floor and said goodbye to Sephiroth, he was fairly convinced that everything was ok between the two. Walking down the hall he finally got to his apartment, opened the door, went in, and leaned against it once it closed.
It wasn't as though Sephiroth and he had done anything but he felt guilty just the same. He was beyond angry with himself for not being the one to pull away. Gaia what the hell was Reno going to say? He doesn't have to know. Keeping it a secret would make it seem worse than what it was though. He'd wait until the redhead got back but he was going to tell him. Reno had been open and trusting with him about many things. He would not disrespect that trust by keeping whatever the hell had just happened from him. Nothing happened! Then why do I feel like such a jackass?
The auburn sighed and finally managed to propel himself off the door. He walked down the short hallway and fell into bed, not even bothering to undress. The blankets were cold and he wished Reno were there to help warm them. Depressed, he closed his eyes and rolled over, bumping into something. Startled, his eyes snapped open and he jerked back so quickly he fell off the bed. The hell was that?
Genesis rose until his eyes were just above the mattress and spotted a stuffed moogle. The auburn straightened, reached forward, and picked the toy up, causing the red pom pom to wiggle around. Where'd this come from?
Up close it was clear the little toy had seen better days. The moogle was a light grey even though it appeared to be clean, there were patches here and there where it had been mended, one of the eyes had been re-stitched and was slightly thicker than the other, and the pom pom had obviously been replaced. The auburn's attention was drawn to a red bow tied around the toy's neck that appeared to be new. Closer inspection revealed a small card like the ones that came with flowers stuck in between the bow and moogle. Curious, Genesis pulled it out. 'Kupo always helped me not feel lonely. Maybe he'll do the same for you.'
Tears welled up in Genesis's eyes as he read the short message. It wasn't signed but he instantly recognized the handwriting as Reno's. He squeezed the toy to his chest and buried his face on top of its head. The moogle had been cleaned but he could still smell the Turk. A laughing sob escaped his lips and he let the tears fall. After a moment he finally crawled back into bed, hugging Kupo tightly and falling asleep to the comfort of the redheads scent.